COMPASS · 3 min read
Passing COMPASS at exactly 40 points, the small-firm way
Our client, an Indian founder, passed COMPASS, the points test MOM uses for Employment Passes, with exactly 40 points, the minimum needed. His pass was approved nine days after filing. This is a real example of how a new, small company passes COMPASS without a standout score anywhere.
Details anonymised to protect client confidentiality. Facts, sequence and outcome are real. Every case is different and decisions rest with the authorities.
The situation
First, the system in one paragraph. COMPASS scores every Employment Pass application out of 90 points, and you need 40 to pass. Four main criteria each give 0, 10 or 20 points: your salary compared to your sector (C1), your qualifications (C2), the company’s nationality mix (C3), and how many locals it employs (C4).
Our client was setting up a wholesale trading company. His degree was not from a top-tier university, so qualifications would earn 10 points, not 20. His salary was sound but not in the top band, so another 10. That is only 20 points from his personal side. The part many founders do not know: companies with fewer than 25 professional employees receive a default 10 points each on C3 and C4. A new company therefore starts with 20 points before it has hired anyone.
What we did
Two things had to be solid for the remaining 20 points. First, his overseas degree was verified through a MOM-recognised verification service before we filed, so the qualification points could not be questioned later. Second, we set his salary inside the correct benchmark band for his sector and age, high enough to score, and still believable for a young business.
We then ran MOM’s official self-assessment, which returned likely to be successful, and only then submitted the application.
The outcome
The scorecard came back 10 + 10 + 10 + 10: exactly 40 points, the pass mark. The Employment Pass was approved nine days after filing, with no extra document requests, because the degree verification was already attached. For the full theory behind this case, read our guide, COMPASS explained.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | Wholesale trading company incorporated |
| August 2025 | Overseas degree verified through a MOM-recognised service |
| September 2025 | EP filed; approved nine days later with exactly 40 COMPASS points |
What this case shows
- You do not need 20 points on anything; four 10s pass
- A company with fewer than 25 professional staff gets 20 points by default
- Verify the degree before filing, so the points cannot be questioned
- Set the salary inside the right band: enough to score, still believable
Map your own case before you file.
Tell us your situation and we will tell you, honestly, what a credible path looks like.