Deck officer — OOW, Chief Mate & Master

About the certificates

The deck ladder runs from Officer of the Watch, certified under STCW Regulation II/1, through Chief Mate and Master under II/2. Each step adds responsibility rather than repeating the last: OOW is operational watchkeeping, Chief Mate is management-level cargo and stability, and Master carries command and legal responsibility for the ship. Written papers are followed by an oral examination, and it is the oral that most candidates find decides the outcome.

Key topics

• Navigation — terrestrial and celestial, chartwork, ECDIS, radar and ARPA
• COLREGs — steering and sailing rules, lights, shapes and sound signals
• Cargo work — stowage and securing, bulk, containers, tankers, dangerous goods
• Stability — GM and GZ, trim and list, free surface, damage stability at management level
• Ship handling — squat and interaction, anchoring, tugs, berthing, heavy weather
• Law and management — SOLAS, MARPOL, MLC, ISM and ISPS, port state control

How the exams are structured

• Written papers by subject, then an oral examination
• The oral tests judgement and knowledge of your own ship, not recall alone
• Sea service and approved simulator courses are prerequisites at each level
• Requirements vary by administration — check your flag state before planning

Start practicing

Topic-wise practice for all three certificate levels, in a real CBT interface.

Take a deck officer exam OOW concept refresher Master concept refresher

11 briefs per level — points, traps, 60-sec recall