ORALS TOPICS AND QUESTIONS

1. What is Port State Control & Flag State Control?

2. State the content of SOLAS Training Manual and its use?
3. ≡ Marking on Life Boat and Life Raft?
4. ≡ Change over procedure from auto to hand steering?
5. ≡ Handling / taking over bridge watch at night or daytime?
6. ≡ Handling /Taking over Cargo watch?
7. Content of Cargo Securing Manual?
8. Content of chain register?
9. ≡ Entries made in Oil record book Part 1 and Part 2?
10. ≡ L.S.A and F.F.A of your last ship?
11. ≡ Requirement for TPA, L/buoy, Immersion Suit, EEBD, Extra Life raft- you should know the
requirement for all LSA and FFA, Consult SOLAS or other relevant publication, don’t just
rely on Verbal information, read it yourself.
12. ≡ What action would you take when you have fire in ship while she is in port?
13. ≡ What action would you take if you have fire in Engine room, Galley, Cargo Hold?
14. ≡ Entry into Enclosed space?
15. ≡ Working Aloft / Overboard?
16. ≡ What are the Mandatory Publications?
17. ≡ Maintenance on LSA and FFA?
18. ≡ What is Variation and Deviation?
19. Care and maintenance on wires and ropes, breaking stress, and how would you know when to
renew the same?
20. Safe working load and load density?
21. ≡ Action taken during man overboard?
22. ≡ What is MARPOL and its annexes?
23. ≡ What are the contents of S.O.P.E.P Manual?
24. What are the different I.M.O conventions?
25. ≡ What precautions would you take when heavy weather is predicted?
26. ≡ When would you call a master?
27. What are the daily, weekly, monthly test of GMDSS
28. ≡ Signs and Symbols on Chart like Reporting point, General direction of buoy age, Green
shaded area Blue shaded area, ITZ (Consult Chart 5011)?
29. ≡ How do you correct a chart and what is the use of Chart Correction LOG?
30. ≡ What entries are made in the Garbage Record Book?
31. ≡ How do you refer to the IMDG code and when is it necessary to do so?
32. ≡ Who is DPA and when would you contact him?
33. What is Squat / Interaction and what are the factors affecting it?
34. What are Limitations of Radar?
35. What are the principles and objectives of ISM?
36. ≡ What are spring and Neap tide?
37. ≡ What is IG and why is it necessary to inert tanks?
38. What are the alarms on an IG panel?
39. Equipments for taking sounding of Tank?
40. Equipment for taking sounding in Chain Locker?
41. How to stop Water going in Chain Locker?
42. ≡ EPIRB and SART test?
43. Stiff and Tender Vessel?
44. ≡ Anchoring Procedure?
45. ≡ Passage Planning all stages, Specially appraisal stage including all publications?(APEM)
46. Routine Chart?
47. ≡ SOPEP Equipment?
48. ≡ M/E failure, Steering Gear failure?
49. Fire Control Plan –Information you get and its Location?
50. ≡ Embarkation ladder and pilot ladder use and specifications?
51. ≡ How will you get Medical assistance on board?
52. MSN 1803 (do it thoroughly) – Davit, Winch, Release Gear, and Annual L/B Checks?
53. MSN 1816- about EPIRB Registration
54. What will you check annually in Open Life Boat?
55. Content and information in Weekly Notice to Mariner, Cumulative Notice to Mariner and
Annual Notice to Mariner?
56. ≡ Operation of Emergency fire pump, requirement and location?
57. ≡ USE of International Shore Connection?
58. What information you get from IMO ships routeing guide?
59. ≡ What is the Purpose and objective of COSWP and its Sections?
60. ≡ Duties of Safety Officer as per COSWP?
61. ≡ Maintenance of Lifeboat Falls?
62. Pilot ladder –Dimensions of Spreader, Manropes, Side Ropes and all?
63. ≡ Manual launching of an Inflatable Life raft?
64. ≡ Master tells you to prepare lifeboat for launching (Precaution and Preparation)?
65. ≡ What is the documentation required for loading dangerous cargo?
66. ≡ How would you know that you are approaching TRS?
67. What information you get in Mariners Handbook –NP100?
68. Emergency drill under ISM?
69. Auto Pilot Controls and Setting?
70. ≡ Making way and Underway difference?
71. ≡ You are approaching a fogbank what you will do?
72. Hold Preparation?
73. Where you get weather information?
74. What checks you do on steering gear, and when and how?
75. How you do Emergency steering gear drill?
76. ≡ How you use to manage Garbage on your last ship?
77. ≡ What you get in Fire wallet, Fire control plan, Fire Man Outfit?
78. What is Chain Register and what you get in it?
79. Rigging Plan?
80. When would you not use Auto Pilot?
81. Cargo record Book?
82. Entry in to Enclosed Space?
83. Content and use of IAMSAR Manual volume- 3?
84. ≡ What are the different Search Patterns?
85. ≡ Precautions when receiving pilot?
86. Prior Sailing Checks/ Preparation for SEA?
87. Short Round/ Snubbing round, when you do it and how?
88. ≡ How would you familiarize yourself as a newly joined OOW?
89. ISM Purpose and objective?
90. ≡ How will the crew know which drills are pending?
91. How will you give training to crew about safety and other things?
92. IMDG Code?
93. Grain regulations?
94. How often do you take compass error and why?
95. ≡ How you do risk assessment?
96. ≡ Content of muster list?
97. ≡ How you maintain security on your ship (ISPS)?
98. What you get in weather chart?
99. ≡ Bunkering procedure?
100. ≡ Action on distress message received or you see a red flare?
101. What information you get from Admiralty Sailing direction?
102. ≡ Equipments on bridge?
103. MSN. MIN, MGN what is it, and what information they convey?
104. ≡ What type of lifting gear you have in your last vessel and where you find about the SWL?
105. ≡ What fixed fire fighting equipment you have on your last ship?
106. Pump room entry, and Fire fighting system in it, if it is CO2 from where you release it?
107. Pump room bilges alarm, how often you test it?
108. According to STCW-95 convention what are rest period?
109. How to test fixed foam fire fighting appliances?
110. What you check annually in open lifeboat?
111. What is the easy means of finding compass error along side jetty?
112. What information do you give to apply ones he is on board?
113. What information is provided on Pilot Card?
114. ≡ Duties of OOW at anchor
115. Where do you find your ships FWA
116. ≡ Smoke coming from galley, while you are doing cargo operation in port.
117. How would you train your crew according to ISM?
118. How will the crew know, which drills are pending, annually?
119. Difference between Pilot Ladder and Embarkation Ladder?
 Marine Instruments

Hydrostatic Release Unit:

1. What instrument is this?
2. Where you will find it?
3. How will you rig it?
4. How does it operate?
5. Can you use it (Check Expiry)?
6. Why is the Symbol of wheel mark on it?
7. Who is the Certifying authority?
8. The pressure at which it operates and the breaking stress of weak link?

Magnetic Compass:
1. What instrument is this?
2. What you get from it?
3. Can you apply compass bearing directly on chart?
4. What precautions you will take before using it?
5. What is the Liquid inside?

Hydrometer
1. What instrument is this and what you get from it?
2. What is Dock Water Allowance?
3. What is Fresh Water Allowance?
4. Calculate DWA using FWA of your Last vessel?

Aneroid Barometer
1. What instrument is this and what you get from it?
2. What is use of dummy needle?
3. What is the present pressure?
4. Why you tap it before checking pressure?
5. What correction applies to it?
6. Check dummy needle for last pressure, if it has increased or decreased, and what you will expect from
it, and where you will keep the dummy needle later?
7. Do you make a logbook entry for it?

Precision Aneroid Barometer?

1. What instrument is this, and what you get from it?
2. What is the use of damping cap on it?
3. How will you take the reading?
4. Maintenance of PAB?
5. Precautions before taking reading?
6. What corrections apply to it?

Barograph
1. What instrument is this and what you get from it?
2. Check all its parts and their usage?
3. Does any correction apply to it?
4. Maintenance and precautions for it?
5. What is barometric tendency?

Hygrometer
1. What instrument is this and what you get from it?
2. What is dew point?
3. Precaution before using it?
4. Weekly maintenance of Hygrometer and where you log it?
5. If the dry bulb reading and wet bulb reading are same, what do you think?
6. How will you take reading in frost area?

Sextant
1. What instrument is this and what is the use of it?
2. What is its principle?
3. Which objects you will use for VSA and HSA?
4. What type of errors does it have? (Remember even to know about how Non-Adjustable errors are
caused)
4. How will you remove its error?
 Situations in Rules of the Road

Buoyage

1. You should be able to positively identify all Buoys with the colour of light and rhythm?
2. Special Mark, Cone shape and Cylinder Shape, how you will pass it?
3. You are doing 090 and you see east cardinal Buoy, What is your action and likewise all other
situations?
4. How will you pass Preferred channel Buoy, when in bound and outbound?

Situations

1. Head on Situation –Action

2. CBD Vessel on port bow, action?
3. You are overtaking vessel- who is give away vessel, until when?
4. Pilot vessel on port side – at 6’ then 3’ –action?
5. Which vessel can use ITZ
6. How will you cross TSS
7. How will you join back TSS
8. TSS- Ferry Crossing from port side
9. RV- one blip on port bow
10. RV- three blip on Starboard bow, distance 12 miles
11. RV- Starboard Quarter- Overtaking
12. RV- 3 blip –port bow, starboard bow, port quarter
13. Quote Rule 19, part d (1) and d (2) and E part.
14. Vessel on port bow, not taking action, bearing changing appreciably.
15. RV-Which vessel is give way vessel?
16. Quote rule 6- Safe Speed
17. RV- prepare well OAW triangle, what you get from OA, WA, when you are in relative motion.

Smarty Board (Identify vessel, your action, Day signal and Fog Signal for all)
1. Single white light?
2. Single White light, distance 2 miles?
3. Single green light?
4. Single red light?
5. Towing vessel without RAM
6. Towing vessel with RAM, seen from port side?
7. Fishing Vessel, Gear Extending more then 150 m, making way seen from astern.
8. Pilot vessel probably 50 m or more at anchor
9. RAM engaged in dredging with obstruction seen from right stern
10. CBD from port side
11. Vessel aground 50 m or more seen from port side, also action.
12. How will you find out a vessel is Making way
13. NUC on port side
14. Air cushion vessel less then 50 m, seen end on.
15. Mine Clearance vessel, seen right a head

Personal advice:
Prepare well, and find someone with whom you can discuss, all the questions, tell someone to ask you the
question and then you reply, or prepare with those who are also giving oral exam or ask someone who has
given his exam to take your mock oral, that way you will get confidence. Capt. Anam or probably any
surveyor will not like, to prompt, so you should be able to speak unless the examiner asks you to stop or
changes question, which is very important.

Have faith and confidence in yourself- Best of Luck

Sachin Juyal (OOW September-2006: Lowestoft College)