PULHHEEMS

Last updated

The PULHHEEMS is a system of grading physical and mental fitness used by Britain's armed forces. PULHHEEMS is tri-service, which is to say that it is used by the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Its purpose is to determine the suitability of its employees for posting into military zones. It is not a fitness test as such; rather, it is a test of suitability for purpose.

Contents

The PULHHEEMS system, or variations of it, is also used by several members of the British Commonwealth, including Singapore, Canada, Australia , Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The USA uses a system called PULHES . In civilian life, there is a similar system called PULSES which is used to grade levels of disability; it differs from the PULHHEEMS in that it also examines the digestive system, something which the PULHHEEMS does not.

Usage

For new recruits it is part of the first step into the armed forces, whilst for established service people it is a requirement of ongoing employment. Although a PULHHEEMS is carried out on new recruits, it is not itself an entrance examination, the attributes of which depend on the unit conducting the examination.

The examination is carried out on recruits, and five-yearly after a serviceman or woman reaches the age of 30. After the age of 50, people in service are examined every two years. All Generals of any persuasion must be examined yearly. Furthermore, service personnel under the age of 30 are required to undergo a PULHHEEMS in order to attend certain courses, whether occupational or promotional, and also if medically downgraded. A PULHHEEMS is also carried out prior to leaving the armed forces, in part because many former servicemen remain as reserves.

The PULHHEEMS examination can result in medical downgrading if fitness standards do not reach required levels, whether as a consequence of injury, neglect, pregnancy, or old age. Downgrading can reduce a serviceman's pay, and prevent course attendance, which in turn can prevent promotion. Ultimately a serious, permanent medical downgrade can result in discharge from the armed forces on medical grounds.

Acronym

PULHHEEMS is an abbreviation for the factors it is intended to test. These include:
Physique
Upper limbs
Lower limbs (or 'Locomotion', as this includes the back)
Hearing (right)
Hearing (left)
Eyesight right (corrected / uncorrected)
Eyesight left (corrected / uncorrected)
Mental function
Stability (emotional)

Scoring

The attributes examined in PULHHEEMS receive a score from 1 to 8, with 1 being excellent and 8 being unfit for service. Although in theory all attributes can be scored from 1 to 8, in practice only eyesight and hearing can be graded 1. Although there is provision for grading a serviceman's physical measurements as P1, the examination required would be impossible within the constraints of the PULHHEEMS system.

The Mental and Stability measurements are not exhaustive psychological examinations. The former is a test of the ability to form coherent thought processes, whilst the latter is a measurement of the serviceman's stress level.

PES/MES

Once a person in service has undergone a PULHHEEMS, they receive a score. In the Royal Air Force (RAF), the score is the MES, which stands for "Medical Employment Status." In the other branches, the score is the PES, which stands for "PULHHEEMS Employment Status". This PES is used to determine whether the soldier is "employable in full combatant duties (in any area) in any part of the world" or if they must remain away from the combat area, or within a specific geographic limitation. Sometimes it may be used in determining whether they are unfit for all duties. A PES grade of P2 is excellent, that of P7 is very poor, and P8 is unfit for duty. MES encapsulates the suitability of personnel for posting in the air, on the ground, and in different climates. Thus, a fully fit RAF serviceman will be graded A1 L1 M1 E1 (Only those that need to fly as part of their core duties would be awarded an A1 category. The highest anyone travelling as a passenger will get is A4 rather than P2. Conversely the Royal Navy, which includes the Royal Marines, makes no distinction between postings at sea or on land.

History

The PULHHEEMS system dates from WWII, although before 1983 it was simply PULHEEMS with one H. It replaced an earlier, simpler system which dated from before WWI in which soldiers were graded from A1 to D3 in four bands of three ratings.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recruitment to the British Army during World War I</span> Recruitment to the British Army during World War I

At the beginning of 1914 the British Army had a reported strength of 710,000 men including reserves, of which around 80,000 were professional soldiers ready for war. By the end of the First World War almost 25 percent of the total male population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland had joined up, over five million men. Of these, 2.67 million joined as volunteers and 2.77 million as conscripts. Monthly recruiting rates for the army varied dramatically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military recruit training</span> Initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel

Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique demands of military employment.

Military justice is the body of laws and procedures governing members of the armed forces. Many nation-states have separate and distinct bodies of law that govern the conduct of members of their armed forces. Some states use special judicial and other arrangements to enforce those laws, while others use civilian judicial systems. Legal issues unique to military justice include the preservation of good order and discipline, the legality of orders, and appropriate conduct for members of the military. Some states enable their military justice systems to deal with civil offenses committed by their armed forces in some circumstances.

A rating is an evaluation or assessment of something, in terms of quality, quantity, or some combination of both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inspection</span> Organized examination or formal evaluation exercise

An inspection is, most generally, an organized examination or formal evaluation exercise. In engineering activities inspection involves the measurements, tests, and gauges applied to certain characteristics in regard to an object or activity. The results are usually compared to specified requirements and standards for determining whether the item or activity is in line with these targets, often with a Standard Inspection Procedure in place to ensure consistent checking. Inspections are usually non-destructive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military discharge</span> Release from military service

A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and then fully and satisfactorily completed their term of service. Other types of discharge are based on factors such as the quality of their service, whether their service had to be ended prematurely due to humanitarian or medical reasons, whether they had been found to have drug or alcohol dependency issues and whether they were complying with treatment and counseling, and whether they had demerits or punishments for infractions or were convicted of any crimes. These factors affect whether they will be asked or allowed to re-enlist and whether they qualify for benefits after their discharge.

Pes or the acronym PES may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diving medicine</span> Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders caused by underwater diving

Diving medicine, also called undersea and hyperbaric medicine (UHB), is the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of conditions caused by humans entering the undersea environment. It includes the effects on the body of pressure on gases, the diagnosis and treatment of conditions caused by marine hazards and how relationships of a diver's fitness to dive affect a diver's safety. Diving medical practitioners are also expected to be competent in the examination of divers and potential divers to determine fitness to dive.

The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level is a GCE Ordinary Level examination held annually in Singapore and is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) and the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). Students are graded in the bands ranging from A to F and each band has a respective grade point, a lower grade point indicates better performance. The number at the end of each grade corresponds to the grade point that they receive. To pass an individual O-Level subject, a student must score at least C6 or above. The highest grade a student can attain is A1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National service in Singapore</span> Compulsory service in Singapore

Singapore maintains an active conscription system in accordance with the regulations set by the Government of Singapore, known as National Service (NS). This requires all qualified male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents to serve a period of active duty military service in the uniformed services.

The Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination of the United States (COMLEX-USA) is a series of three osteopathic medical licensing examinations administered by the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME) similar to the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). COMLEX-USA is the most common pathway by which osteopathic physicians (D.Os) apply for medical licensure, and is accepted in all 50 states. The 3-digit standard scores of COMLEX-USA Level 1, Level 2- Cognitive Evaluation (CE), and Level 3 have a range of 9-999 and a mean of 500. Most candidates score between 250 and 800. 400 is the minimum passing score for COMLEX-USA Levels 1 and 2; 350 for COMLEX-USA Level 3. It was announced on January 24, 2022 that the COMLEX-USA Level 1 examination will be moving from a 3-digit numeric score to solely pass/fail beginning on May 10, 2022.

PULHES is a United States military acronym used in the Military Physical Profile Serial System. It is used to qualify an enlistee's physical profile for each military skill. Each letter in the acronym is paired with a number from 1 to 4 to designate the service member's physical capacity. For instance, the MOS 19D Cavalry Scout requires a physical profile of 111121 or better, indicating that the service member may wear glasses but otherwise must have no medical, physical, or psychiatric limitations.

Holistic grading or holistic scoring, in standards-based education, is an approach to scoring essays using a simple grading structure that bases a grade on a paper's overall quality. This type of grading, which is also described as nonreductionist grading, contrasts with analytic grading, which takes more factors into account when assigning a grade. Holistic grading can also be used to assess classroom-based work. Rather than counting errors, a paper is judged holistically and often compared to an anchor paper to evaluate if it meets a writing standard. It differs from other methods of scoring written discourse in two basic ways. It treats the composition as a whole, not assigning separate values to different parts of the writing. And it uses two or more raters, with the final score derived from their independent scores. Holistic scoring has gone by other names: "non-analytic," "overall quality," "general merit," "general impression," "rapid impression." Although the value and validation of the system are a matter of debate, holistic scoring of writing is still in wide application.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Services Selection Board</span> Indian Armed Forces organization

Services Selection Board (SSB) is an organization that assesses the candidates for becoming officers into the Indian Armed Forces. The board evaluates the suitability of the candidate for becoming an officer using a standardized protocol of evaluation system which constitutes personality, intelligence tests, and interviews. The tests are of both types i.e. written and practical task-based. An SSB comprises the panel of assessors, who are officers in the Indian Armed Forces and having their specialization as Psychologist, GTO, and Interviewing Officer. At times the psychologist may not be directly from the armed forces as well. In total there are thirteen Service Selection Boards across India, out of which four boards are for the Indian Army, four boards are for Indian Air Force, and five boards for the Indian Navy. (SSB) is a 5 days evaluation process.

The Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera, or DELE, are official diplomas issued by the Spanish Instituto Cervantes on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science to participants who have passed a standardised test indicating their European Spanish language proficiency. The diplomas do not expire. Every year, more than 60,000 examinations are taken by candidates in more than 800 examination centres from more than 100 countries. In many countries, the DELE Diplomas have been adopted by schools and universities as a complement to their own evaluation systems, such that it is used as an entry requirement for non-native Spanish speakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conscription in Finland</span> Part of a general compulsion for national military service for all adult males

Conscription in Finland is part of a general compulsion for national military service for all adult males defined in the section 127 of the Constitution of Finland.

The Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) is a standard physical fitness test used by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to test the basic components of physical fitness and motor skills of their members. The IPPT is applicable to all eligible persons with National Service (NS) liability, including Full-Time National Servicemen (NSFs), Operationally-Ready National Servicemen, and regulars. The test presently consists of three stations: sit-up, push-up, and 2.4 km (1.5 mi) run. Based on their age, sex and vocation, persons taking the IPPT are required to meet certain standards under the IPPT Standards and Scoring System in order to pass the test. As of October 2013, about 116,000 people take the IPPT every year. Personnel who have a Physical Employment Standards (PES) status of B3/4, C or E are exempt from taking the IPPT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exam</span> Educational assessment

An examination or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics. A test may be administered verbally, on paper, on a computer, or in a predetermined area that requires a test taker to demonstrate or perform a set of skills.

The Army Alpha is a group-administered test developed by Robert Yerkes and six others in order to evaluate the many U.S. military recruits during World War I. It was first introduced in 1917 due to a demand for a systematic method of evaluating the intellectual and emotional functioning of soldiers. The test measured "verbal ability, numerical ability, ability to follow directions, and knowledge of information". Scores on the Army Alpha were used to determine a soldier's capability of serving, his job classification, and his potential for a leadership position. Soldiers who were illiterate or foreign speaking would take the Army Beta, the nonverbal equivalent of the exam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitness to dive</span> Medical fitness of a person to function safely underwater under pressure

Fitness to dive, specifically the medical fitness to dive, is the medical and physical suitability of a diver to function safely in the underwater environment using underwater diving equipment and procedures. Depending on the circumstances it may be established by a signed statement by the diver that they do not have any of the listed disqualifying conditions and is able to manage the ordinary physical requirements of diving, to a detailed medical examination by a physician registered as a medical examiner of divers following a procedural checklist, and a legal document of fitness to dive issued by the medical examiner.

References