Is the CMFAS HI (Health Insurance) Exam Difficult? (The "Alphabet Soup" Trap)

There is a common misconception that HI (Health Insurance) is the "easiest" CMFAS paper because it relates to daily life. Everyone knows what Medisave is, right?

Wrong.

The HI exam is widely known as the "Alphabet Soup" paper. You aren't just tested on general concepts; you are tested on the specific, microscopic differences between similarly named government schemes.

If you cannot instantly distinguish between ElderShield (Old Scheme) and CareShield Life (New Scheme), or MediFund (Safety Net) vs MediShield (Insurance), you will likely fail.

Here is why the HI exam is harder than it looks.

The "Alphabet Soup" Trap

The syllabus is packed with schemes that sound identical but work differently.

1. The "Medi" Confusion (Chapter 9)

• MediSave: Your money (Savings). Has Withdrawal Limits.

• MediShield Life: Risk pooling (Insurance). Has Claim Limits.

• MediFund: Government help (Endowment). For the needy.

The Exam Trap:

> "Mr. Tan's bill is $5,000. How much can he pay using MediSave?"

If you apply the MediShield Limit ($1,630/day) instead of the MediSave Limit ($550/day), you get the wrong answer. (Have a go at our free mini mock exam to help you test your knowledge of the new syllabus here.)

2. The "Shield" Confusion (Chapter 4 & 5)

• ElderShield: Opt-out, severe disability (3 ADLs), fixed payouts ($300/$400).

• CareShield Life: Mandatory, severe disability (3 ADLs), escalating payouts ($600+).

• Severe Disability Insurance (SDI): Private supplements.

If a question asks about a "45-year-old born in 1980," you must know instantly that they are on CareShield Life, not ElderShield.

Struggling with Scheme Confusion? Isolate Chapter 9 and drill it until you master the concepts.

The "Data Dump" (Memorizing Limits)

In M9 calculations, you have logic. In HI calculations, you have Data Entry.

To solve a single hospital bill question, you often need to recall 4 different numbers from memory:

1. Pro-Ration Factor (e.g., 35% for Private Hospital).
2. Deductible (e.g., $3,500 for Class A).
3. Co-Insurance (e.g., 10%).
4. MediShield Claim Limit (e.g., $1,630/day).

If you forget one of these numbers, the entire calculation collapses.

Don't guess. The ExamPrep.sg platform will give you instant feedback and explanations for every question.

Conclusion: Respect the Detail

Is HI difficult? Yes, if you rely on "General Knowledge."

You cannot pass HI just by being "familiar" with healthcare. You need to be an encyclopedia of limits.

The candidates who pass on the first try are the ones who treat it like a memory test, not a logic test. If you are unsure which tool helps you memorize best, read our comparison of the top 3 HI mock exam providers.

Ready to test your recall?

Use our HI Study Tools to flashcard these limits into your brain before the exam.