pls go to... FAQs for PES
http://armedforces.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=122714slowly slowly take your own sweet sweet time to read. no rush. all info is there.
basically FYI, PES is based on the PULHHEEMS code.
mods, i think can lock this thread ba...
from wikipedia
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PULHHEEMS is a system of grading physical and mental fitness. It is used by Britain's armed forces to determine the suitability of its employees for military posting. It is not a fitness test as such; rather, it is a test of suitability for purpose. For new recruits it is part of the first step into the armed forces, whilst for established servicepeople 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).
Once a serviceperson has undergone a PULHHEEMS, he or she is given a PES, which stands for "PULHHEEMS Employment Status". The PES value is used to determine whether the soldier is "employable in full combatant duties (in any area) in any part of the world" or if he or she is required to remain away from the combat area, or within a specific geographic limitation, or indeed whether he or she is unfit for all duties. A PES grade of P2 is excellent; that of P7 is very poor, and P8 is unfit for duty.
The PULHHEEMS examination can result in medical downgrading if his or her standards of fitness do not reach the required levels, whether as a consequence of injury, neglect, pregnancy or old age. Downgrading can reduce a serviceman's pay, and prevent him or her from attending courses, which in turn can prevent the serviceman from being promoted. Ultimately a serious, permanent medical downgrade can result in discharge from the armed forces on medical grounds.
PULHHEEMS is tri-service, which is to say that it is used by the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, although the RAF system uses a slightly different set of grades. The RAF does not have a PES, instead it has an MES, or "Medical Employment Status", which encapsulates the serviceman's suitability for posting in the air, on the ground, and in different climates. Thus, a fully-fit RAF serviceman will be graded A1G1Z1 rather than P2. Conversely the Royal Navy, which includes the Royal Marines, makes no distinction between postings at sea or on land.
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, it is carried out once every two years. All Generals of any persuasion must be examined yearly. Furthermore, servicepeople under the age of 30 are required to undergo a PULHHEEMS in order to attend certain courses, whether occupational or promotional. A PULHHEEMS is also carried out prior to the serviceperson leaving the armed forces, in part because many former servicemen remain as reserves.
PULHHEEMS itself is an abbreviation, for:
Physique
Upper limbs
Lower limbs (or 'Locomotion', as this includes the back)
Hearing (left)
Hearing (right)
Eyesight left (corrected / uncorrected)
Eyesight right (corrected / uncorrected)
Mental function
Stability (emotional)
These attributes receive a score from 1 to 8, 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 serviceperson'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.
On a historical level, 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. The PULHHEEMS system, or variations of it, is currently used by several members of the British Commonwealth, including Singapore, Canada, Australia 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PULHHEEMS