Preparing for COMPASS: Applicant and Employer Information

EP COMPASS: What Supports Each Score?

Separate applicant and employer dimensions. Salary and qualifications concern the candidate; diversity and support for local employment concern the employer, with additional bonuses under specific rules. Record evidence, sources and unresolved items for each criterion. Passing the salary threshold does not automatically earn C1 points.

Confirm the framework

COMPASS involves applicant and employer criteria. Confirm the applicable framework or exemption and organise relevant information. An informal online score is not an authority decision.

Record the basis

Keep verifiable sources for salary, qualifications and workforce information. Date each record and distinguish facts from estimates so the review can be updated when circumstances change.

Turn gaps into actions

List missing evidence, employer information to confirm and official guidance to consult. Resolving actual information gaps is more useful than repeatedly calculating an unverified total.

Preparation Example

If an estimate uses last year’s workforce information and the company has changed, ask the employer to confirm current records before updating the review. An old estimate is not a current conclusion.

Pre-consultation Checklist

Qualification records; employer-confirmed information; dates and sources for data; outstanding questions.

EP Questions and Practical Answers

Can a small founder-led company skip COMPASS?

Company size alone does not establish exemption. Check MOM’s specific exemption rules. Default scoring for individual small-company criteria is not exemption from the whole framework. Confirm workforce records and assess salary, qualifications and employer criteria separately.

Official Reference

MOM ↗