i think you've confused bosses with reporting supervisors. bosses that can influence your cep should be a superscale officer at director level. so in that sense, he is already a senior civil servant.

unless you're Div2/3 officers doing manual/routine works, then it's possible for the cep assessment to be delegated down.

as for fairness, i would say CS in general is fair. When i come across co-workers that complain unfairness, i would say 99% of the time they are actually incompetent and lazy themselves (in my heart).

Div2/3 is dip and below?

In general, yes. Paper qualifications determine your starting point. However, it's also getting grey nowadays. I've seen dip holders converted to Div 1 (though not common).

Maybe those converted one finished their part time degree?

Do you know does most ministry consider private degree to be place under Div 1?

one bad thing abt CS is that someone must fill the lowest grade for annual appraisal no matter how good one is performing.

This also applied to the private sector, especially MNC.
Not everyone can get the same increment.

There are 2 types of conversion. Div 2 to Div I position on Div 2 scheme - this is common for part-time degree upgrade. What I meant is Div 2 to Div 1 position on Div 1 scheme.

2 factors to consider:
1) HR recognise the degrees?
2) how your boss "push" for you

i have seen that happened in MNCs

i have not seen that happened in MNCs. I got a shock when I heard such a thing exist in CS for the first time

Hey, sorry to sidetrack, but I need advice regarding employment at the Civil Service.

I am a final year student from SIM-UoL taking Bsc Economics. Secured 2nd Upper Honors, but expect to graduate with 1st Class (not trying to troll or boast, but I really studied hard and love the subject).

I am interested to work in finance, economics, trade and business-related ministries and statutory boards: EDB, MAS, Spring Singapore, IE Singapore, Ministry of Finance/Foreign Affairs/Defence.

Three Questions:

1. Do they hire SIM students (your existing colleagues) for Research, Policy, Planning or Finance-related roles?

2. Are there be certain departments that are "off limits" (be it official or unofficial) to private degree graduates?

3. Is it possible to become a scholar after joining the civil service?