OOW Unlimited oral questions
Example questions for each part of the MCA's OOW Unlimited oral syllabus in MIN 653 Amendment 1. They are our wording, not the MCA's — the examiner works from the syllabus, so use these to find the gaps, then answer them out loud.
No — they are our examples. What the MCA publishes is the syllabus: for OOW Unlimited (ships of 500 GT and above, STCW II/1) it is section 3 of MIN 653 Amendment 1. Every set below is our own wording of how one part of it can be asked. The notice on GOV.UK is the authority; check it for the full list.
Three STCW functions, all at the operational level: Navigation; Cargo handling and stowage; and Controlling the operation of the ship and care for persons on board. MIN 653 says the oral can draw on any part of the syllabus.
The examiner presents a range of 'routine, non-routine and contingency scenarios' and judges whether your responses would be enough for an officer of the watch to carry out their watchkeeping and operational duties — as we read it, that means scenarios as much as definitions: expect to be asked what you would do, and why, as well as what you know.
MIN 690 Amendment 6 splits the OOW Unlimited exam into Part A, an online computer-based proctored exam, and Part B, the online oral with an examiner. With an NOE issued from 1 May 2023 you must pass Part A before you can book Part B.
Part A has 15 questions: three each on the Collision Regulations, IALA buoyage and navigational procedures, and six from the rest of the MIN 653 syllabus. MIN 690 says questions in both parts may be drawn from any part of the syllabus. The questions below are written the way an examiner might ask them out loud in Part B; the pass marks are on our OOW Unlimited guide.
Out loud, as if the examiner had just asked, and push yourself with the follow-up: 'and then what?', 'why that rule?'. If you can only answer a question silently in your head, you have not finished revising it.
“Talk me through planning a passage. Which charts and publications do you use, and how do you know they are up to date?”
“GNSS has failed. How do you keep track of the ship's position?”
“How would you find the error of the gyro compass, and how do you apply it to a bearing?”
“How would you take a sextant observation, and which errors do you correct for?”
“You see this buoy ahead at night. What is it, and where is the safe water?”
“When would you change from automatic to manual steering, and how do you do it?”
“What signs would warn you that a tropical revolving storm is nearby?”
“Where do you get weather information at sea, and what do the ship's own instruments tell you?”
The syllabus asks for a thorough knowledge of the 'content, application and intent' of the COLREGs, so expect scenarios rather than recitation:
“You are the stand-on vessel and the give-way vessel is not taking action. What do you do, and when?”
“In restricted visibility you detect a vessel by radar alone, forward of the beam and closing. What do you do?”
“At night you see these lights ahead. What is it, what is it doing, and what is your action?”
“You are in doubt about what the other ship intends. What signal do you give?”
“What do you check before you take over the watch?”
“The pilot is aboard and the master is on the bridge. Who is responsible for the navigation, and what is your job?”
“How do you navigate in or near a traffic separation scheme, and how do you report to a VTS?”
“What is blind pilotage, and when would you use it?”
“You think the master's decision is wrong. How do you challenge it?”
MIN 653 notes that ARPA and ECDIS training and assessment are not required for those who serve only on ships not fitted with them — the limitation is then reflected in the endorsement issued to you.
“What are false echoes, and how would you recognise one?”
“When would you use true vectors, and when relative?”
“How do a RACON and a SART show on the radar?”
“What are the dangers of over-reliance on ECDIS?”
“Which alarms would you set on ECDIS for this passage?”
“What is the difference between an ENC and an RNC?”
“ECDIS fails mid-passage. What do you do?”
“Man overboard on your watch. What are your first actions, and how do you manoeuvre?”
“You have collided with another ship. What do you do first?”
“The steering fails in the middle of a traffic separation scheme. Talk me through it.”
“You receive a distress message. What are your obligations?”
“A fire breaks out on board while you are alongside. What do you do, and who do you tell?”
“How would you use the IAMSAR Manual Volume III?”
“When may you use a distress signal, and what happens if one is misused?”
“How would you send SOS by Morse light?”
“What does this single-letter signal mean?”
“What are the IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases, and how would you use them with a VTS?”
“How do draught, trim and under-keel clearance change the turning circle and stopping distance?”
“What are squat and interaction, and what would you do about them?”
“How do you prepare to embark a pilot?”
“What precautions do you take on the mooring deck?”
“How does loading a heavy lift affect the ship's stability?”
“What is the IMDG Code, and how do you check the stowage of dangerous goods?”
“What can mis-declared weights or ice on deck do to the ship's stability?”
“Show me how you would read the GZ curve from the loading instrument against the IMO intact stability criteria.”
“How and why would you use a hydrometer during cargo operations?”
“After discharge, where would you look for damage in the hold?”
“What causes corrosion in ballast tanks, and how would you spot and prevent it?”
“Which parts of the ship's structure are critical to her safety?”
“What is the enhanced survey programme for?”
“What precautions do you take before and during bunkering?”
“What are the SOPEP and the SMPEP, and what is the Garbage Management Plan for?”
“What is the difference between list and loll, and how would you correct each?”
“What is free surface effect, and how does subdividing a tank change it?”
“Name the principal structural members of the ship.”
“What are the classes of fire, and what would you use on each?”
“Fire in the engine room. What are the first actions?”
“How would you organise an abandon ship drill?”
“What do the markings on a survival craft mean?”
“A crew member is injured on deck. What are your immediate actions, and where do you get medical advice?”
“What are the ISM Code and the ISPS Code for?”
“What does the Maritime Labour Convention cover?”
“What is Port State Control, and how does it differ from Flag State control?”
“What are MSNs, MGNs and MINs, and which have you read?”
“You have a new deck crew and a busy port call. How do you plan and allocate the work?”
“Talk me through how you would make a decision under pressure.”
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