The MCA Certificate of Competency is the Maritime and Coastguard Agency qualification for deck and engineering officers. This page gives candidates free practice sets by topic, worked answers to sample questions, a study plan, and a plain summary of how the written and oral exams are delivered, what they cost and how resits work.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions (Oral exam Part A (OOW Unlimited II/1)) | 15 questions, 4 test points each[1] | Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Time limit (Oral exam Part A (OOW Unlimited II/1)) | 40 minutes maximum[1] | Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Exam fee (Notice of Eligibility (oral exam)) | £220 per NOE application[2] | Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Oct 22, 2026 |
| Retake fee (Oral exam) | £159 per NOE resit; £84 for Part A 3rd+ attempts[1] | Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Retake policy (Oral exam Part A) | 2nd attempt ≥2 weeks later, 3rd ≥6 weeks, 4th ≥3 months; 5th+ needs 3 months' sea service[1] | Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Validity (Certificate of Competency) | 5 years[3] | Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Delivery (Oral exam) | Online: proctored Part A + face-to-face oral over Microsoft Teams[1] | Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Delivery (Written exams) | At approved centres; start 09:15 (13:15 for papers marked (a))[4] | qualscot-mcaexams.org.uk · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Eligibility (Written exams) | No NOE needed for OOW, Chief Mate/Master and management engineer written exams[5] | qualscot-mcaexams.org.uk · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Score release (Oral exam) | Part A emailed within 5 working days; Part B announced verbally by the examiner[1] | Maritime and Coastguard Agency · Oct 24, 2026 |
| Score release (Written exams) | Posted 1–2 days after the published results date[6] | qualscot-mcaexams.org.uk · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Late registration deadline (Written exams) | Late applications up to the exam closing date, with late fees[7] | qualscot-mcaexams.org.uk · Oct 26, 2026 |
| Registration deadline (Written exams) | Apply through an approved centre before the closing date[7] | qualscot-mcaexams.org.uk · Oct 26, 2026 |
According to Maritime and Coastguard Agency, “The OOW Unlimited, II/1, Part A examination currently consists of 15 questions, each containing four test points.”[1]
The MCA Certificate of Competency is issued by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Written exams for officer of the watch, senior deck certificates and management level engineers are sat at approved centres. They start at 09:15, or 13:15 for papers marked (a). You do not need a Notice of Eligibility (NOE) to attend those written exams. You apply through an approved centre before the closing date, and late applications can be accepted up to the closing date, with late fees. Written results are posted 1–2 days after the published results date.
The oral exam is run online: a proctored Part A, then a face-to-face oral over Microsoft Teams. An NOE application costs £220. For OOW Unlimited II/1, Part A has 15 questions with 4 test points each, and lasts 40 minutes at most. Part A results are emailed within 5 working days, and Part B is announced verbally by the examiner.
Resits cost £159 per NOE, and £84 for Part A from the 3rd attempt onward. For Part A, the 2nd attempt must be at least 2 weeks later, the 3rd at least 6 weeks later and the 4th at least 3 months later. A 5th attempt or higher needs 3 months' sea service first. Once issued, the certificate is valid for 5 years' seagoing service. Fees and rules differ by certificate and can change, so check the MCA and Qualifications Scotland pages before you book.
The content areas below are copied from the official MCA CoC content outline published by Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.
| Official content area | Practice on this site |
|---|---|
| Cargo handling and stowage at the operational level[8] | MCA CoC MCA Certificate of Competency Carg... Practise how cargo is loaded, secured and monitored, and how stowage choices affect stability and safety. |
| Controlling the operation of the ship and care for persons on board at the operational level[8] | MCA CoC MCA Certificate of Competency Mari... Practise legal duties, emergency response, fire and life-saving practice, and pollution prevention, with attention to who is responsible for what. |
| Navigation at the operational level[8] | MCA CoC MCA Certificate of Competency Pass... Practise passage planning, collision regulations, watchkeeping and bridge equipment such as ECDIS settings. |
Prepare for the MCA Certificate of Competency exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: What is the purpose of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006, and what key areas does it cover?
Answer: B. It establishes comprehensive minimum standards for seafarer working and living conditions, including employment agreements, hours of work, accommodation, and health protection
Explanation:
Option B is right because the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006 sets minimum standards for how seafarers work and live on board. That covers employment agreements, hours of work, accommodation and health protection. The tariff option is wrong because trade rates are a commercial and customs matter, not a seafarer welfare instrument. The passenger-ship option is wrong because the convention applies to seafarers across ship types, not to one design category. The EU wages option is wrong because it is not limited to one region or to pay alone. Rule to remember: when a question asks what a convention is for, match it to the people or hazard it protects. The MLC protects seafarers' working and living conditions.
Question: On an ECDIS, what does the term 'safety contour' refer to?
Answer: B. The depth contour selected by the mariner below which the seabed is highlighted as dangerous
Explanation:
Option B is right. The safety contour is a depth value the mariner sets for their own vessel, and water shallower than that contour is shown as dangerous so it stands out on the display. The Traffic Separation Scheme option is wrong because routeing boundaries are separate chart features, not a depth setting. The port draught option is wrong because a permitted draught comes from port authorities and is not drawn by the ECDIS as a contour. The restricted area option is wrong because such areas have their own symbols and outlines. Rule to remember: the safety contour is about depth and your ship's draught, and the person on watch chooses it. Check it is set sensibly before sailing.
Question: The Master of a UK-flagged vessel decides to deviate from the planned route and seek shelter due to a severe, un-forecasted weather system, despite pressure from the charterers to maintain schedule. Which convention, enforced by UK law, provides the ultimate legal basis for the Master's decision-making authority in this situation?
Answer: B. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
Explanation:
Option B is right. SOLAS gives the person in command overriding authority to take decisions needed for safety of life at sea and protection of the marine environment, and charterers or owners cannot restrict that. The Maritime Labour Convention is wrong because it deals with seafarer working and living conditions, not command decisions on routeing. The Load Lines convention is wrong because it concerns freeboard and loading limits. COLREGs is wrong because it sets rules for avoiding collisions between vessels, not the legal basis for deviating from a plan. Rule to remember: when commercial pressure conflicts with safety, look for the safety convention that protects the commander's discretion. That is SOLAS.
Start with the official outline and sort the three content areas into those you already handle at sea and those you do not. Take the general free practice test first to find weak spots, then work through the topic sets that match them: cargo and stowage, stability, safety and emergencies, legislation, and navigation. Do each set untimed at first and read every explanation, including for questions you got right. Keep a short notebook of rules you misjudged, written in your own words.
Next, move to the COLREGs, watchkeeping and chartwork sets and answer with a chart, tide tables and a notebook beside you, as you would on watch. If you are heading for the online Part A, practise answering within the 40 minute limit. Before the oral, say your answers aloud to a colleague, because Part B is spoken. Use the official syllabus and MCA guidance as the final check on any detail, since these questions are written by us and are not real exam questions. In the last days, redo only the questions you missed.
No. There is no requirement to hold an NOE before attending the written exams for OOW, Chief Mate/Master or management level engineer. You apply through an approved centre before the closing date. An NOE is relevant for the oral exam, where an application costs £220.
It is online. Part A is proctored, and the face-to-face oral takes place over Microsoft Teams. For OOW Unlimited II/1, Part A has 15 questions with 4 test points each and lasts 40 minutes at most. Part A results are emailed within 5 working days.
For the oral exam, Part A is emailed within 5 working days and the examiner announces Part B verbally. For written exams, results are posted 1–2 days after the published results date. Check the official notice for your sitting.
You can resit, but waits apply. The 2nd attempt must be at least 2 weeks later, the 3rd at least 6 weeks later and the 4th at least 3 months later. A 5th attempt or higher needs 3 months' sea service before applying for an NOE.
A resit costs £159 per NOE. For Part A, the 3rd attempt onward costs £84. The first NOE application costs £220. Fees can change, so confirm them in the current MCA guidance before booking.
The Certificate of Competency is valid for 5 years' seagoing service. To keep it current you revalidate it, and the MCA explains the process on its revalidation guidance page.
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