Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)
Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · Evidence-graded review — see Methodology
A stool sample, collected at home, tested for blood invisible to the eye. It is close to the cheapest test on this entire site and one of a small handful carrying a Grade A recommendation — a combination that makes the unglamorous “stool occult blood” line buried near the bottom of an executive package the best value on the whole invoice.
Davidson KW, Barry MJ, et al. (US Preventive Services Task Force) “Screening for Colorectal Cancer.” JAMA 2021;325:1965–1977 gives colorectal cancer screening a Grade A recommendation in adults aged 50 to 75 and a Grade B at 45 to 49, listing annual FIT among the acceptable strategies alongside colonoscopy every ten years. Colorectal cancer is one of the commonest cancers in Singapore, and a positive FIT has one unambiguous next step: colonoscopy.
Davidson KW, et al. JAMA. 2021. PubMed: PMID 34003218
Singapore guidance
Recommended for the general population
Singapore’s national screening committee recommends FIT annually from age 50, or colonoscopy every five to ten years, for the general population.
Source: Screening Test Review Committee report 2026, Volume 1 (Academy of Medicine Singapore and Ministry of Health, February 2026), Table 1C(ii). The full national list · How this is used.
What you would actually pay
- Healthier SG
- Subsidised
- MediSave
- Not among the screenings named for outpatient claims
Source: Healthier SG Screening (HealthHub) and MediSave outpatient care (Ministry of Health). Absence from either list is not a statement that the test is discouraged — only that no subsidy or claim applies. Gross prices compared.
What it costs when it is wrong
- Basis
- No published harm criterion found
- Severity
- Not documented
No published harm criterion found for this test.
An empty finding, not a clean bill of health: this means nothing documented was found for this test. It is not a claim that the test is safe.
Screening harm is not only a laboratory question: the committee’s own criteria advise against a test when “the screening test, or follow-up tests arising from a positive screen, are associated with significant medical risks”. Sources on overdiagnosis → · How this is graded.
Singapore pricing. We have a full price breakdown for this test, using checked 2026 figures from named providers — read the price guide →
FAQ
Is the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) worth doing in Singapore?
Judged for screening an asymptomatic adult, Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) grades strong on our rubric. Most appropriate for adults aged 50–75 under Singapore's national programme (US guidance starts at 45) — the highest-value single item in most screening packages. It typically costs S$10–30 in Singapore. Subsidised for eligible citizens and PRs under Singapore's national Screen for Life programme. The usual schedule: annually from 50, or colonoscopy every 5–10 years.
Weighing this against something else? Compare it with two other tests → · Price it inside a panel →