Recently, the national seafarer business consultation hotline answering team has compiled some frequently asked questions by seafarers. Let’s take a look!
01
Q: I am a coastal Second Officer. Now I want to expand my navigation area. From when is the pre-examination service experience calculated for me to take the navigation area expansion exam?
A: According to Article 24 of the “Implementation Measures for the <Regulations on the Examination and Certification of Competency for Seafarers of Sea-Going Ships of the People’s Republic of China>”: The sea service experience required for a seafarer applying for a competency certificate for position promotion, navigation area expansion, or /power increase shall be the corresponding valid experience within the 5 years preceding the date of starting the post competency training. If post competency training is not required, it shall be the corresponding valid experience within the 5 years preceding the date of application for the examination or certification.
02
Q: After I obtain the Advanced Rating Forming Part of an Engine Room Watch certificate, is my original Rating Forming Part of an Engine Room Watch certificate of competency still valid?
A: No. According to Article 9, Paragraph 2 of the “Implementation Measures for the <Regulations on the Examination and Certification of Competency for Seafarers of Sea-Going Ships of the People’s Republic of China>”: When a holder of a Master’s or Officer’s certificate of competency applies for a new certificate of competency, the maritime administration authority shall cancel the originally held Master’s or Officer’s certificate of competency upon issuing the new one. When a holder of a Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch or Rating Forming Part of an Engine Room Watch certificate of competency applies for an Advanced Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch or Advanced Rating Forming Part of an Engine Room Watch certificate of competency, the maritime administration authority shall cancel the originally held Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch or Rating Forming Part of an Engine Room Watch certificate of competency upon issuing the new one.
03
Q: I am a student majoring in navigation. I did not pass the Third Officer exam during my school years. Later, I took the Third Officer exam again based on 12 months of service experience as a Rating Forming Part of a Navigational Watch but still did not pass. May I take the exam again without training?
A: No. According to Article 16, Paragraph 2, Item 2 of the “Implementation Measures for the <Regulations on the Examination and Certification of Competency for Seafarers of Sea-Going Ships of the People’s Republic of China>”: If the initial competency examination and related make-up examinations applied for during the school period are not all passed or the results become invalid, or if the initial competency examination is not applied for within 5 years from the date of obtaining the graduation certificate, after having acquired no less than 12 months of corresponding support-level sea service experience, one may apply for the competency examination according to the requirements for the initial competency examination to any maritime administration authority with the corresponding examination authority by presenting the graduation certificate. If this competency examination is not passed or the results become invalid, reapplying for the competency examination requires re-participation in the corresponding post competency training.
