Which edition to study
It depends only on your exam date.
| Your exam date | Study text the exam is set on | Released by SCI |
|---|---|---|
| Before 22 October 2026 | 8th Edition, Version 1.2 | December 2025 |
| On or after 22 October 2026 | 9th Edition, Version 1.0 | 20 July 2026 |
If your exam is before 22 October 2026, your exam is set on the 8th Edition. Keep studying the 8th Edition. You do not need the new study text for that sitting.
If you studied the 8th Edition and will now sit on or after 22 October 2026, go through the changes listed below and study those topics again in the 9th Edition. The list below is not every amendment, so read the new study text's chapters as well.
Source: SCI, Release of New Versions of Study Texts for Regulatory Examinations (updated 30 June 2026). The study text versions for the other exams are on our version history page.
What the 9th Edition reflects
These are five healthcare policy changes that have been publicly announced and that the 9th Edition carries. We read each one in the new study text and on MOH's own page before listing it here.
This is not a list of every amendment SCI made. The study text is the authority for the exam, so read the chapters themselves.
If your exam is before 22 October 2026, do not learn the figures in this section for your exam. Some of them are not in the 8th Edition. Your exam is set on the 8th Edition, so study the figures in that study text.
CareShield Life: payouts grow faster
The growth rate of CareShield Life payouts was doubled from 2% to 4% a year. MOH says the enhanced payouts apply from 2026 to 2030 and will be reviewed after that. In MOH's table of monthly payouts, the payout for 2026 is $689, where it would have been $676 at the earlier rate.
Source: MOH, Government accepts CareShield Life Council's recommendations to enhance CareShield Life, 27 August 2025.
MediSave: higher limits for hospital stays and day surgery
For an inpatient stay, MediSave can pay up to $1,130 a day for the first two days of admission and $400 a day from the third day, for daily hospital charges. For an approved day surgery, the limit is $830 a day. The limit for the first two days and the day surgery limit are both higher than the figures in the 8th Edition.
Source: MOH, MediSave: inpatient care, page last updated 27 August 2026.
Flexi-MediSave: a higher yearly limit
Under Flexi-MediSave for the elderly, a patient aged 60 or above can use up to $400 a year for outpatient medical treatment, and for approved vaccinations and screenings. The money can come from the patient's own MediSave account, or from the spouse's account if the spouse is also aged 60 or above. The yearly limit is higher than the figure in the 8th Edition.
Source: MOH, MediSave: outpatient care, page last updated 1 June 2026.
MediShield Life: a new outpatient deductible
MediShield Life has an outpatient deductible of $500 a year, introduced on 1 June 2026. The 8th Edition had no outpatient deductible.
Source: MOH, Government accepts MediShield Life Council's recommendations to enhance MediShield Life scheme, 15 October 2024.
Integrated Shield Plan riders: new rules
From 1 April 2026, new Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders sold can no longer cover the minimum IP deductibles set by MOH. Under the same requirements for new riders, the co-payment cap, set at a minimum of $3,000 a year in 2018, was raised to a minimum of $6,000 a year. The minimum 5% co-payment is unchanged.
Source: MOH, New requirements for Integrated Shield Plan riders, 26 November 2025.
MOH pages retrieved 7 October 2026. Policy figures can change again after a study text is published. For your exam, study the figures in the edition and version that apply to your exam date.
The exam format
SCI's notice announces the new edition of the study text and the date exams are set on it. It does not mention the exam format. SCI's HI exam page lists 50 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour 15 minutes, with a pass mark of 70% (retrieved 24 September 2026). The format, who needs the exam and the fees are on our HI – Health Insurance page.
What happens to our HI notes and questions
From 22 October 2026, our HI study notes and practice questions follow the 9th Edition. Every customer with HI access gets the change. There is nothing to do and nothing more to pay. Before 22 October 2026, they follow the 8th Edition, which is what exams before that date are set on.
We did the same for CMFAS M9 and CMFAS RES5: from 22 September 2026, when their exams moved to new versions of the study texts, our notes and practice questions followed the new versions.
Frequently asked questions
Which edition will I be tested on, the 8th Edition or the 9th Edition?
It depends on your exam date. Exams before 22 October 2026 are set on the 8th Edition, Version 1.2. Exams on or after 22 October 2026 are set on the 9th Edition, Version 1.0.
When does the HI exam change to the 9th Edition?
From 22 October 2026. SCI released the 9th Edition, Version 1.0, on 20 July 2026, and exams from 22 October 2026 are set on it.
I studied the 8th Edition but my exam is now on or after 22 October 2026. What should I do?
Go through the policy changes on this page and study those topics again in the 9th Edition. This page does not list every amendment, so read the new study text's chapters as well.
Does the exam format change with the 9th Edition?
SCI's notice announces the new edition of the study text and does not mention the exam format. SCI's HI exam page lists 50 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour 15 minutes, with a pass mark of 70%.
Which edition do your study notes and practice questions follow?
The 9th Edition from 22 October 2026, and the 8th Edition before that date. Every customer with HI access gets the change, with nothing to do and nothing more to pay.
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