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Pass Rate is 95% for First-time Maids

Foreign manpower
  • The Straits Times (15 May 2008) : Pass Rate is 95% for First-time Maids
  • The Straits Times (12 May 2008) : Maid Entry Test should not be only in English

Pass Rate is 95% for First-time Maids
- The Straits Times, 15 May 2008

Please refer to “Maid entry test should not be only in English“ (Straits Times, 12 May 2008) by Mrs Nadarajah Maheswari.

2. The entry test was introduced in 2005 as part of a package of measures by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to raise the quality of first-time foreign domestic workers (FDW) working in Singapore. It serves to ascertain the ability of the FDWs to understand basic numeracy and simple safety instructions to perform household tasks, and adapt to life in Singapore.

3. Most FDWs who have had eight years of basic education would be able to pass the test. Overall, about 95% of first-time FDWs pass the entry test conducted in basic English. To better assess whether a potential FDW can pass the entry test, the employment agency (EA) and/or the employer may use the sample test questions available on MOM's website.


Maid Entry Test should not be only in English
- The Straits Times, 12 May 2008

I have employed Sri Lankan maids for the past 30 years.

The Ministry of Manpower recently implemented a ruling that all 'new foreign domestic helpers' have to pass a test in English. While the test is important to ensure maids are proficient in their duties, it is set in English only, essentially eliminating maids who are not proficient in English.

Most Sri Lankan maids are from villages where the medium of instruction in schools is Tamil. They have not had the chance to learn English. I can say with confidence that no maid I have employed in the past 30 years could have passed the test simply because they could not have read the questions. However, they were able to carry out their duties without problems. Also, most picked up simple spoken English which helped them answer telephone calls, take messages, do marketing and take public transport.

Coming from a similar cultural and religious background makes it easy for the maid to fit in with the rest of our family. This is not true if the maid is from the Philippines or Indonesia. Another big plus is that the maids speak Tamil exclusively at home. This ensured my children became more proficient in spoken Tamil, something no amount of speak Tamil campaigns, tuition or speech and drama classes could achieve.

Finally, I feel Filipino maids have an unfair advantage as they are familiar with English. Sri Lankan maids have to learn a new vocabulary just to understand the test questions.

Tamil is one of the four official languages of Singapore. Why not have the test in Tamil so maids from Sri Lanka are not disadvantaged. It would then be a true test of their capability and not just an English proficiency test.