Annual COMPASS Audit: What MOM’s 2025 Data Reveals About Pass Approval Rates and Firm Scoring

The Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS), which governs all new Employment Pass (EP) applications, relies on a scorecard of employer- and individual-level criteria. MOM’s 2025 scorecard data—released in February 2026—exposes sharp sectoral fault lines: manufacturing applications achieved an 82% approval rate, while information and communications technology (ICT) lagged at 76%. The same dataset traces how firm-level scoring on diversity (C3) and local employment support (C4) drives rejection spikes, particularly for small enterprises.

Manufacturing Stays Resilient, ICT Under Pressure

Approval rates diverged markedly by industry. Manufacturing secured an 82% pass rate, buoyed by strong C4 profiles and a geographically diverse engineering talent pool. ICT landed at 76%, four percentage points below the 80% overall EP approval rate for 2025. The gap stems from a concentration of small tech firms that rely on a narrow nationality base for core engineering roles. MOM data shows that among ICT firms with fewer than 50 PMET employees, only 31% scored any points on C3 diversity. That structural weakness drags down the whole sector.

Large manufacturing plants, in contrast, often maintain local PMET shares above the sector median and attract talent from multiple countries. Their C3 and C4 scores are robust, insulating candidates even when individual salary or qualification points are borderline.

Firm Size Dictates C3 and C4 Outcomes

MOM segmented 2025 results by firm size, revealing a stark gradient:

• Small firms (fewer than 25 PMETs): only 12% earned full C3 diversity points; 68% scored zero.
• Mid-sized firms (25–199 PMETs): 44% scored full C3 points; 22% scored zero.
• Large firms (200+ PMETs): 85% scored full C3 points; just 3% fell to zero.

On C4 local PMET share, the numbers repeat the pattern. Full points were achieved by 22% of small firms, 58% of mid-sized firms, and 90% of large firms. Zero C4 scores appeared in 41% of small-firm applications but only 5% of large-firm cases.

Small enterprises face a structural disadvantage. A zero C3 or C4 score not only reduces an applicant’s total but also triggers extra scrutiny.

Rejection Spike When Firms Score Zero on C3 or C4

The penalty is severe. EP applications from firms scoring 0 on C3 were rejected 43% of the time, compared to 20% for firms with full C3 points. A zero C4 score correlated with a 47% rejection rate, against 18% for full-point firms. When both C3 and C4 hit zero, the combined rejection probability climbed to 61%.

This dynamic hits startups and boutique professional-services firms hardest. A 15-person blockchain development studio, for instance, might have 80% of its PMETs from one nationality and a local PMET share of just 30%—well below the sector benchmark. Even if the candidate’s salary exceeds the minimum, zero employer scores can sink the application.

Salary Anchor: Approved EPs Average S$8,200

The 2025 data records a mean fixed monthly salary for newly approved EPs of S$8,200, up from S$7,800 in 2024. That sits comfortably above the applicable qualifying salaries of S$5,600 (non-financial services) and S$6,200 (financial services). Some 62% of approved candidates earned between S$6,500 and S$12,000 per month. Yet salary alone cannot salvage a weak firm profile: even applicants earning above S$12,000 faced a 22% rejection rate when their firm scored zero on both C3 and C4. MOM applies the COMPASS grid consistently, irrespective of compensation.

The Most Vulnerable Profile: Small Tech Firm with Zero Diversity

Synthesizing the data, the EP application with the lowest probability of approval originates from a small ICT firm (under 25 PMETs) scoring zero on C3 and C4. MOM’s rejection rate for this combination exceeded 60% in 2025. Typical attributes include a heavy concentration of a single foreign nationality, a local PMET share below 20%, and no deliberate diversification strategy. These firms often lack HR infrastructure to track COMPASS metrics, creating a cycle of rejection and talent-acquisition friction.

Strategies to Boost Firm Scoring and Approval Odds

Employers can improve their COMPASS standing before the next renewal or application cycle:

• Diversify nationality mix: Adding just two underrepresented nationalities can move a firm from zero to 10 points on C3.
• Benchmark local PMET share: Use MOM’s sectoral benchmarks to identify a target. A 5-percentage-point increase can lift C4 from zero to 10 points.
• Collaborative local hiring: Partner with trade associations or shared talent pools to raise local PMET ratios without immediate headcount expansion.
• Pre-application diagnostics: Run quarterly internal COMPASS projections and use MOM’s self-assessment tool before filing.

FAQ

Q: What overall COMPASS score does an EP candidate need for approval?
A: A minimum of 40 points across the six foundational criteria (C1–C4 for employer; C5–C6 for individual) plus any bonus points (C7). In 2025, 92% of approved candidates scored 45 points or above. Applications hitting exactly 40 points had a 28% rejection rate, so a buffer improves the chance materially.

Q: How much does firm size affect C3 and C4 scores?
A: Dramatically. Small firms (under 25 PMETs) earned full C3 points in only 12% of applications; large firms (200+ PMETs) did so in 85% of cases. For C4, 41% of small firms scored zero versus 5% of large firms. Firm size is the strongest 2025 predictor of these two employer criteria.

Q: Can a high salary compensate for a firm’s low C3/C4 scores?
A: Not reliably. EP applicants earning above S$12,000 faced a 22% rejection rate when their firm scored zero on both C3 and C4. While a high salary helps reach the 40-point threshold via C1, it does not offset zero scores on diversity and local employment metrics.

References

• Ministry of Manpower Singapore, COMPASS Scorecard Outcomes for 2025 (published February 2026)
• Ministry of Manpower Singapore, Employment Pass Statistics 2025 (2026)
• Ministry of Manpower Singapore, Sectoral PMET Benchmark Data 2025 (2026)
• Singapore Business Federation, Workforce Diversity Report 2025 (2026)

This article does not constitute legal or migration advice.