How long do I need to study for my oral exam?
By: Fred, but mainly Emma :-)
Preparing for an oral exam can be a challenging, and one common question I get asked is - “How long do I need to study?”.
The truth is, there is no “one-size fits-all” answer. It varies from person to person and depends on several factors.
Such as:
When was the last time you studied?
Is this your first time preparing for an oral examination?
Are you excellent at Rules, Lights, Buoyage?
Is your background on vessels over 500gt/commercial or small sailing boats?
Is English your first language?
How often do you look at your phone?
Are you good at public speaking?
And the list goes on…..
It's not just the huge volume of information you need to learn and understand; its mastering the exam technique too.
(you might want to check out my blog - Exam Technique: Why it’s so important).
When did you last look out the bridge and correctly identify a sailing boat: “sailing vessel, size unknown, port aspect, underway and probably making way”…?
Have I now got your attention?
Based on personal experience and student feedback, here are the recommended study periods for most candidates:
OOW – 4-6 weeks
M200 – 6-8 weeks – Half OOW and half Master
Master 500/3000 – 6-8 weeks - Twice the depth of syllabus
⚠️ IMPORTANT: Start attending webinars at least 4-5 weeks before your exam.
These recommendations assume FULL TIME STUDY – which means, off your boat and studying hard from 8am-5pm, 6 days a week.
Not “in a shipyard period”, Not with “cruisy” owners onboard and Not studying on“weeknights and weekends”.
While part-time study is possible, it will extend your preparation time. Keep in mind that after 3 months you may start forgetting earlier material….. sorry can you repeat that?
Assessing your readiness:
If you’re unsure about the suggested timelines, consider:
❶ Asking crew who have done this exam recently for their feedback.
❷ Attending my Sunday Webinar to gauge the required level (you can observe without participating) Register here.
❸ Reviewing the exam syllabus- available on the MCA website - see here.
❹ Viewing recent exam past papers – contact Emma.
Remember you don’t want to do this twice, so invest the necessary time and effort to pass this challenging exam.
Your dedication and effort will pay off when you confidently ace your oral exam.
Now, its time to start studying!…..
