Time frame from completion of seatime to sitting orals

[Northern]

Hey,

How long does it normally take to organise an oral exam from the point of finishing your seatime? Apparently a Notice of Eligibility takes up to 28 days to come through but is there much more waiting around/studying your arse off than that?

[penfold]

The oral prep course is usually 6-8 weeks(albeit very lazy weeks, arse removal not required unless you're a complete div), and you may have STCW courses(advanced firefighting etc) to get done. Lots of spare time for boozing, jobhunting, finishing off fictitious workbook tasks for the assessor, whatever.

[Steve]

There is also the issue of availability of examiners. If you sit them at the standard time as part of a college group, it shouldn't be a problem, but if you are outside of that then you may have a longer wait (or more preparation time). Resits can suffer from that, and it's not unknown to shop around other marine offices than your local one for a resit. But the MCA are wise to folk shopping around for "easier" resit offices. Try Bangor! Worked for someone I know.

[Randomist]

So long as you have all of your certs and sea time and stoof it should only take around 2-5 weeks for your NOE to come back. Book a time at a centre, turn your portfolio and NOE in 48 hours before and go nuts =]

[Steve]

...turn your portfolio and NOE in 48 hours before...

Since when has that been the procedure? Is this at a particular marine office, or is it now standard at all of them?

[penfold]

Indeed; at the Greenock office I just took it with me to the exam, and the examiner didn't look at any of it!

[Steve]

Indeed; at the Greenock office I just took it with me to the exam, and the examiner didn't look at any of it!

Snap! I nearly added that so far as my VQ portfolio and nav workbook were concerned, the exam was an "attendance only" event.