Independent preparation material — command level

CES Practice — Senior Officer

Level selected: Senior Officer

A substantially more demanding paper across the same nine sections, built around command and watchkeeping judgement: collision-avoidance application, restricted-visibility decisions, anchoring and dragging, stability and load line calculations, under keel clearance and turn planning, and fire, enclosed-space and abandonment leadership with explicit prioritisation.

Questions
45
Time limit
60 min
Pass mark
75%
Per section
55% min

Before you begin

  • Questions are drawn fresh from the bank at every sitting and balanced across sections.
  • You can move freely between questions and change answers until you submit.
  • The paper submits automatically when the timer reaches zero; blanks count as incorrect.
  • You will receive a full breakdown with explanations and a remediation plan.
  • Pacing: Around 80 seconds per question. Scenario and ordering items deserve most of it; do the calculations on paper rather than in your head, and flag anything you have to guess.

Sections covered

  • NAVIGATIONECDIS, passage planning, position fixing, tides, and currents
  • CARGO HANDLINGGeneral cargo, bulk, container operations, stability, lashing and securing
  • VESSEL STABILITYGM, free surface effect, inclining tests, damage stability
  • SAFETY & EMERGENCYEmergency drills, enclosed spaces, ISM Code, risk assessment
  • WATCHKEEPINGSTCW requirements, bridge procedures, lookout duties, handover protocols
  • METEOROLOGYWeather systems, tropical storms, weather routing, Beaufort scale
  • SHIP CONSTRUCTIONHull types, structural members, surveys, dry-docking procedures
  • SIGNS, SHAPES & SIGNALSBuoyage and cardinal marks, day shapes, navigation light patterns, sound signals and IMO-style safety signage
  • SAFETY EQUIPMENTExtinguisher classes, fixed firefighting installations, pyrotechnics, lifesaving appliances and personal protective equipment