Pre Employment Tests Causing Problems for Military Recruits in Singapore

Some students across seas are finding a way to get out of pre employment tests that are required for military service.

It has recently been reported that many students in Singapore are cheating on the National Physical Fitness Assessment test - which is required for those planning to enlist in the Ministry of Defence - by paying other students to complete the tests for them.

Until now, schools have claimed they are unaware students have been cheating on the tests, and few students who had cheated were willing to admit it, according to an article by Today. However, two ex-students have now come forward.

One of those students, who formerly studied at Singapore Polytechnic, claims he accepted $300 from a friend to complete the test in his place so he could later avoid the Physical Training Phase in National Service. That 20-year-old unnamed student, who is now a full-time National Serviceman, said he memorized his friend's identity card in case he was asked questions.

"It was a big risk and I knew I could have been charged for fraud if found out ... but compared to other crimes, this is a mutual agreement and I feel that I was providing a service," he said.

As a result of this new information, the PTP has been extended from four to eight weeks to ensure a more uniform level of fitness among recruits when they begin their Basic Military Training.

Aside from the NAPFA tests, which determine a pre-enlistee's level of fitness, the Ministry of Defence also conducts medical examinations to determine a student's Physical Employment Status. Recruits who are given a Physical Employment Status grade of A or B are considered fit for combat and required to attain at least a silver grade on the NAPFA to be exempted from the PTP.