Merchant Mariner Training Updates

Publication of a new Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC)

A new NVIC has been published in addition to the other four NVICs released on August 29, 2014.

The USCG published the additional NVIC to give guidance on implementing the Final Rule titled “Implementation of the Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW), as Amended, and Changes to National Endorsements”.

The NVIC, titled, “Guidelines on Qualification for STCW Endorsements as Electro-Technical Rating on Vessels Powered by Main Propulsion Machinery of 750kW/1,000 HP or More (NVIC 24-14), can be accessed here.

Guide for Administration of Merchant Marine Examinations

The STCW Final Rule went into effect on March 24, 2014. Among other things, the rule introduced changes to subject matter tables that form the foundation of the Merchant Marine Credentialing Examinations. The National Maritime Center (NMC) developed a new guide for the Administration of Merchant Marine Examinations that encompasses those changes.

During the transition period, the NMC will maintain two Examination Guides, along with two sets of examination questions and pictures to support mariners evaluated under the previous regulations as well as those evaluated under the new rule:

• Mariners requiring endorsement based on service or training started prior to March 24, 2014, will be examined under the regulations in place before that date, unless they specifically request to be examined under the new Final Rule.If they are examined under the previous regulations, they will be guided by the “Guide for Administration of Merchant Marine Examinations (Deck & Engineering Guide), dated June 2011.

• Mariners requiring endorsement based on service or training started on or after March 24, 2014, will be examined under the regulations of the new Final Rule published on December 24, 2013.These mariners will be guided by the Deck and Engineering Guide for the Administration of Merchant Marine Examinations, dated August 2014.

The Deck and Engine exam questions and illustrations are available on the NMC website, and these questions and illustration will be separated depending on whether the mariner is testing under the previous or new regulation.

Further information about the Examination Guide can be found here. To maintain the system for mariners testing under previous regulations until March 23, 2019, the NMC will work to transfer those modules and questions into the new examination system, resulting in a change of module number, but no change in content.This migration should be complete by January 1, 2015.