To optimise manpower and training resources, males liable for National Service (NS) are enlisted over a few intakes each year. If you are enlisted in a later intake as compared to your school cohort, you may be eligible for disruption for further studies, so that you may commence your studies at the same time as your peers who are enlisted in the earlier intake. This allows you to begin your further studies at the same time as your peers from the same school cohort. You will be required to serve your remaining full-time NS in one continuous period.
Please note that:
Disruption will not be granted for you to pursue pre-university qualifications (e.g. GCE ‘A’ Level, polytechnic diploma, ITE's Work-Study Diploma) as there are sufficient opportunities for you to attain pre-university qualifications prior to enlistment.
Disruption will not be granted to full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) who are enlisted ahead of their school cohort as they are already ahead of their peers with equivalent qualifications.
Disruption will only be granted for degree courses conducted by educational institutions that confer their own qualifications or are funded by MOE (e.g. Singapore Institute of Technology). In addition, the offers from the educational institutions for the degree course must be unconditional.
NSFs who do not enlist with their school cohort due to personal reasons will be granted disruption with their enlistment cohort, instead of their school cohort.
GCE ‘A’ Level holders
GCE ‘A’ Level holders are typically enlisted between the months of January and April.
NSFs from the same local ‘A’ Level cohort enlisted between January and April may be disrupted from the first Operationally Ready Date of their cohort in November two years later, or one week before the course commencement date for local studies (two weeks for overseas studies), whichever is later.
Diploma holders
Diploma holders are typically enlisted between the months of May and October.
NSFs from the same local diploma cohort enlisted between May and October may be disrupted from the first Operationally Ready Date of their cohort in May two years later, or one week before course commencement date for local studies (two weeks for overseas studies), whichever is later.
Applying for disruption
You may submit your application through OneNS. During your online application, you will need to submit supporting documents (e.g. letter of offer from the institution) certifying that you have been offered a place in an institution that is funded by the MOE or confers its own degrees. Please do so three months prior to your date of disruption. Late or incomplete applications may be rejected. Find out more about the application process for disruption.