CEI exam format

CEI exam format, fee and re-sit rules

There are two CEI papers. CEI (KAH), for key appointment holders, is 80 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours. CEI (Basic), for other employment agency personnel doing EA work, is 50 questions in 1 hour 15 minutes. Each test costs S$174.40 including GST per attempt, and MOM does not publish a pass mark for either.

Which paper you sit

Source: MOM — Certificate of Employment Intermediaries ↗. MOM's personnel-registration page refers to the same non-KAH certificate as CEI (EA Personnel).

What the test costs

S$174.40 including GST, for each CEI test, payable again on every attempt. The figure is the same for KAH and Basic. It covers the test alone: the preparatory course is priced separately by each MOM-approved provider, and the KAH course is where most of the real cost sits. That trade-off is worked through in whether the CEI KAH course is worth it.

The pass mark MOM does not publish

MOM publishes the number of questions and the duration, but not a pass mark. Around 70%, which is 56 of the 80 questions on the KAH paper, is the figure candidates cite to each other, and it is worth treating as a floor rather than a target precisely because it is not official. Any site quoting a confirmed pass mark is quoting something MOM has not stated.

When the course becomes compulsory

The course is optional for your first attempt and compulsory before you re-sit the same paper. The part most candidates miss is how narrowly that rule is drawn. MOM puts it this way:

“You are only required to register for the CEI course if you are re-taking the same type of CEI test.”

So failing CEI (KAH) does not automatically put you in a classroom. It does if you re-sit KAH. It does not if you sit CEI (Basic) instead, which MOM confirms directly. Whether that is any use to you depends on your role, because a key appointment holder has to hold KAH, not Basic.

Source: MOM FAQ — failing CEI (KAH) and taking CEI (Basic) ↗

How long it lasts

The certificate is valid for three years, matching the employment agency licence period.

Source: MOM — Register employment agency personnel ↗

Common questions

What is the difference between CEI (KAH) and CEI (Basic)?

CEI (KAH) is the certificate for key appointment holders and its paper is 80 questions over 2 hours. CEI (Basic) is for other employment agency personnel doing EA work, and its paper is 50 questions over 1 hour 15 minutes. Both cost S$174.40 including GST per attempt.

How many questions are in the CEI exam and how long is it?

The CEI (KAH) paper is 80 multiple-choice questions in 2 hours, split into 45 questions, 30 questions and 5 case-study questions. The CEI (Basic) paper is 50 questions in 1 hour 15 minutes, split 30, 15 and 5.

What is the pass mark for the CEI exam?

MOM does not publish a fixed pass mark for the CEI test. Around 70%, or 56 of the 80 questions on the KAH paper, is the widely-cited target. Treat it as a floor rather than a target, because it is not an official figure.

How much does the CEI test cost?

S$174.40 including GST for each CEI test, and the fee is payable again for every attempt. That is the test alone: the preparatory course is priced separately by each MOM-approved provider.

Do I have to take the CEI course before the exam?

Not for your first attempt. MOM's own guidance is that you are only required to register for the CEI course if you are re-taking the same type of CEI test. So the course is optional going in, and becomes mandatory before a re-sit of the same paper.

I failed the CEI (KAH) test. Do I have to take the course?

Only if you re-sit CEI (KAH). MOM's FAQ states that you can take the CEI (Basic) test without the course after failing CEI (KAH), because the course requirement applies only when re-taking the same type of test. Whether Basic is sufficient depends on your role, since key appointment holders need KAH.

How long is the CEI certificate valid?

Three years, matching the employment agency licence period.