Orals Reports

[alistairuk]

The purpose of this thread is to group all the Engine Oral reports made by our members together in one place to make it easier for our members to find. In order to keep it organised please follow the below rules!

Rules

• Do not post comments or replies to Orals reports in this thread.
• Do state which examination level the report is for (OOW/2nds/Chief/etc)
• Only post reports for Engine Examinations in this thread
• Please only post your own reports

You can either post the full report here or place a link to your report on a public ally available blog or web site that you have posted it to.

It's probably benefitial if you include the date of examination and examination centre, anything else you include is at your discretion.

[agibbs98]

Office: Liverpool
Examiner: Mr Lewis
Date: September 2014
Level: EOOW
Start to finish: 35 minutes

The exam at Liverpool is held for EOOWs only on certain Wednesdays, it's more for higher level orals. The examiner is young and friendly, the centre is beachfront in a quiet area with toilets in the car park. Good for some relaxing last few minutes (especially if you're sh***ing yourself) before you go in.

When you go in you sign in at reception and wait in a waiting room which has magazines all over the place, the examiner will come out and shake your hand. He then leads you to the exam room, which is just an office with a sea view; jug of water and glasses, a piece of blank paper and a pencil/ruler on the table. The exam itself was in the format of a friendly chat, he shows great interest in your job and ship.


Went into exam room and gave him my TRB/Discharge book, he checked them and asked about my ships and where I sailed from/to. Replied Ferries and Dover-Calais, Liverpool-Dublin.


You mention engine cut outs in your reports, did you ever see these tested?
How do you test the high jacket temperature alarm?
Does this sensor sit directly in the water?
What would you check when you're doing your engine room rounds?
What would you look for on the start air system?
What do you have on air compressors to relieve crankcase pressure?
What do you have on air bottles to relieve pressure? When does this operate?
When a bilge alarm comes up what do you do?
You go to pump the bilge but it doesn't pump, what are the reasons?
What's the difference between a centrifugal and positive displacement pump?
What do PD pumps have that centrifugal don't?
How do you prime a bilge pump?
What record do you fill in regarding bilges?
Do you fill in the oil record book for anything else?
What must be recorded in the book every week by law? (sludge tk levels)
What boiler water tests do you do?
What would chloride levels tell you?
Where could you get chloride contamination into your boiler water?
How does the turning gear engine start interlock work?
What is the air start distributor for?
What is the air start fuel limiter for?
Describe to me how an engine starts (referring to my air start system drawing).
How does a sprinkler system work? Draw a sprinkler head and system.
What must you do before releasing the CO2?
When do you re-enter the ER after releasing CO2?
What fire extinguisher would you use on a switchboard fire?
What fire extinguisher would you use on a chip fat fire?
What fixed systems are found in the galley?
Where are these systems located? (CO2 over deep far frier)
What jacket water temperatures did you have on your ship?
How was this controlled? (3 way valve)
What control was fitted to this valve, pneumatic or electronic?
What is a PID controller? - Didn't know the answer, couldn't remember.
What is the fire triangle?
What else could you do apart from CO2 to try and remove something from the fire triangle during an ER fire? (boundary cooling).
Where are drencher systems used on your ship? (car decks)
What's the difference between this and a sprinkler?
What do car decks have that no other ship does? (Water on deck alarms.)
What is the risk of having a little bit of water on car decks? (Free surface effect)
How do you safely use a watertight door?
Who else can control these doors?
What PM's did you do on these doors? (monthly manual remote closing test)
You are leading a fire party, what do you do as soon as you arrive at your location?
What is useful about the pressures on the bottles? (BAECO board chat, approx duration of safe working air)
What does the ISM tell you about your role on your ship?
What is ISM?
How do you safely check a pump?
What checks would you do? (no explanations of tests needed).
How do you enter an enclosed space?

[bw5991]

Office: Glasgow
Date: June 2016
Length: 25 Minutes
Level: EOOW

The Glasgow office gets extremely busy the same time every year, my advice would be study as soon as you come back from phase 4 and try to get somebody's cancellation appointment, I was able to book my oral only 5 days in advance.

I'd say I was lucky with my examination, he could have asked me a lot more than he did, it was disappointing in a sense after studying all those months for the exam.

Standard day, I arrived about 15 minutes (it feels much longer when you're waiting) before my appointment, sat on a chair in the lobby and the examiner came out, introduced himself and shook my hand. We went into the examination room where I gave him my documents as well as TRB and we had a chat first about my sea experience, the majority of my cadet time was spent on AHTS vessels. He showed me a diagram which threw me off for a few seconds, turned out it was the fire escape plan of the building.

• Tell me about your last ship?
• Can you go into detail about the engines?
• How many gearboxes did you have? (My last ship as a cadet had 4 main engines)
• Did you have 2 engine rooms? (DP related, ship in question was an AHTS)
• Draw me the jacket water cooling system on your last ship.
• What was the in/out temp from the engine?
• What were you testing for in the JWCS? What levels are you looking for? What treatments did you do?
• Why do we want slightly alkaline water?
• Okay now tell me how you would hand over a watch?
• You’re on watch and you get an OMD alarm at 10pm, what are your actions?
• What was the special requirement for operating the OWS in a special area?
• What were the general requirements if you were pumping bilge overboard through the OWS?
• What was the sulphur content of your Diesel oil?
• What are current the SOx regulations?
• Not including FiFi, what LSA did you have?
• What is the frequency of an EPIRB?
• How does an EPIRB work?
• Was there anything special about the life buoys on the bridge wings?

[MacNeil]

EOOW Oral Examination
30^th November 2016
MCA Glasgow Office
Examiner D.Langlands

1. What ships have you been on?
2. Engine stroke and bore
3. 4 stroke timing diagram
4. 4 stroke cross section
5. Handover of watch
6. What would you do during your watch?
7. Engine room log
8. High exhaust temp from 1 cylinder
9. Causes of high exhaust temp?
10. Oil mist detector activates actions?
11. What causes oil mist?
12. 1hr before departure
13. Both gauge glasses on boiler show no level, actions?
14. Boiler flame is black, causes?
15. How is air supplied to boiler?
16. How is fuel supplied to the boiler?
17. How is fuel is ignited (rotary cup)?
18. If you had oil in boiler where would you see this
19. Where might oil have come from
20. OWS
21. Regulation for using OWS in special area
22. What makes an area special (list two also)
23. What is watertight integrity?
24. Sketch a double bottom, what is a double bottom and why?
25. Isolate a pump
26. Prove dead
27. Earth fault
28. IR Testing
29. Two earth faults can create what?
30. If you start a generator, and it displays 0V on MSB voltmeter and across the terminals, actions? Assuming voltmeter is correct
31. Bringing a gen online
32. What does synchro scope measure
33. ISM
34. SOPEP
35. M Notices
36. Enclosed space entry
37. Generator on fire
38. Fixed firefighting system
39. Actions on releasing CO2
40. Fire plan shows what
41. Muster list
42. LSA
43. EPIRB & SART

You’ll be happy to know you’re a pass. Kept everything related to my ship (DP 3 Subsea construction vessel) and no questions about 2 stroke engines. Also looked through my TRB during the drawings.

[NCFCJJ]

Location: Southampton
Level: EOOW
Date: 13 June 2017
Examiner: Prasad Panicker
Duration: 35 minutes

Turned up for my oral 30 minutes early and was sat in waiting area for 10 minutes before the examiner came and called me.

Once in the interview room, he made me feel relaxed and allowed me to remove my suit jacket due to the heat and he asked for my passport and discharge book (I had my TRB and workbook in my bag next to me but these were never asked for) He told me my oral would take anywhere between 30-60 minutes depending on the 'journey I took him on'

We talked about about which ships I had been on and machinery (2 diesel electric passenger ships, twin prop, boilers)

The oral then started:

Taking over a watch - what I would check, what information I'd want to receive from outgoing engineer, emphasis was on records (log book, ORB, standing orders)

Boilers - Why we have boilers? I had hybrid boilers so he asked me to explain the working principle of those and then safety features and blowing down gauge glass - further questioned why after blowing down you open the water cock before the steam cock.

Principle of EGB

Boiler water tests and why

Sparks coming out of the funnel, why and actions.

Generator trips - asked me to list reasons the generator may slow down or shut down, quizzed me on why and what reverse power was

Why you have a turbocharger and how it works, does it go directly from t/c to engine, why do we have a charge air cooler

Fuel rack is stuck, engine is overspeeding, what do you do?

Refrigeration system - basic refrigeration cycle, state of refrigerant at outlet of each component, how is heat removed from a cold space, how does the system start and stop, how do we remove air from the system

Fuel pump and injector - draw and explain their operation

Air start explosion - how are they caused?

Safety features of start air line

Emergency generator requirements - location, starting time, starting methods, how long it must run for, what it supplies

Fixed firefighting, how water mist works, how CO2 works, what does it cover, how to avoid accidental release, where can it be set off from

Fresh water generation, how flash evaporators and reverse osmosis works

COSWP enclosed space requirements - what are you testing for? What are the limits?

Are you happy to be EOOW?

(Didn't asked for any typical system drawings, I offered to draw for the gauge glass drill to aid my explanation, was asked to draw fuel pump and injector and refrigeration system)

EDIT: Just to add, he then stamped my NoE with a pass and talked me through how to apply for my CoC. If anybody has any questions, feel free to PM.

[Josh97]

Been a few years since someone has posted in here but I have went through oral reports countless times and feel like I benefited from them greatly in preparation for my own exam. Funnily enough I never thought I'd be posting my own.

Office: Colchester (online)
Date: February 21
Length: 1 hour 40 minutes
Level: EOOW

• Usual formalities - Ask to see your passport, 360 of the room, you share your screen to prove you're not using notes.
• What vessels were you on, type, machinery etc.
• Boilers
• What fuel did you use, grade, specific gravity, viscosity.
• What conditions would you expect at the injectors of a slow speed Diesel engine - viscosity/temperature. For what reason.

Examiner then shares his screen, sometimes it doesn't appear clear and you can ask them to adjust/zoom in.

• Presented a cross section of a typical 4 stroke engine, pointed at each individual component and asked what it was / purpose.
• Interested in the rocker arm assembly and valves in particular, discussed irregularities if clearance isn't met.
• How many valves do you have, compare this arrangement to what you would expect on a 2 stroke.
• Crankcase relief door, purpose, what pressure would you expect for it to open, what happens if it fails to seal.
• Oil mist, under what conditions does oil mist become dangerous.

Now showed a 2 stroke cross section.

• Same again, all the components. Asked for detail about scavenge ports, stuffing box/diaphragm.
• How is exhaust achieved? How might the exhaust valve be operated.
• Compare construction of 2 stroke to 4 stroke.

Showed 4 stroke timing diagram.

• Explain the diagram, what's happening.
• How does air get drawn into cylinder.
• What pressure is air in manifold, what happens prior.
• Why do we have charge air cooler and how does a turbocharger work.
• Draw a 2 stroke timing diagram and show to webcam (don't think he could even see it), asked me to explain the process.

Nothing shown on screen now.

• Bilge pumping procedures, conditions where pumping overboard is acceptable.
• Name all the conventions you know, SOLAS.
• MARPOL annex 1, 4, 5 & 6.
• NOx & SOx emissions, ECA, Sulphur caps. etc.
• How did this affect you in the North Sea?
• You're 4/E on container ship - 1 Hour notice procedure.
• Why do we have the indicator cocks open.
• How would we test the steering gear. Missed something here and examiner latched on.
• You're now on a cruise ship with 2 generators on board, how would you go about paralleling another.
• Starting generator & parallel procedure.
• Motoring, why this occurs and what do you do.
• What safeties do you have.
• What is the preferential trip.
• Referring back to starting generator, why do we drain receiver, how does oil manage to get carried over, what is there to prevent it.
• Compressor safeties
• Boiler gauge glass drill, your action if no water level and if there is oil contamination.
• Boiler water treatment and boiler fittings, how do you achieve o2 scavenging.
• How will you lead an enclosed space entry.
• Extinguishers, location & type.
• BA checks when donning.
• Asked about the control board, what gets recorded and what you can measure.

Finally said that it was enough and I had passed. Proceeded to share his screen and instruct me on how to fill in my NoE and apply for my CoC.

[AngloSaffa]

Office: Colchester (1st attempt), Tyne (Resit)
Level: EOOW
Time: 1h 30mins (1st attempt), 1h (Resit)

I sat my orals twice. Didn't make the grade the first time round, but subsequently re-sat the exam and passed.
The questions are from both sessions, as far as I can remember them. I hope these will be helpful.

-Opening formalities, ID check, exam and level check, examiner asked to show the room I was in and to share my screen. Questions started after examiner was happy to proceed.
-Asked what ships I'd been on, wanted to know what main engines, boilers, generators, etc.
-Examiner shared his screen, asked me to identify parts on sectioned drawings of 2 and 4-stroke engines. Asked me what these parts do.
-Asked me typical main engine and diesel generator parameters, including exhaust gas temperatures, scavenge pressures, jacket water temperatures.
-Draw and explain 2 and 4-stroke timing diagrams.
-How to take over the watch for UMS and traditional watchkeeping, how to leave the ER for the night on UMS.
-Steering gear tests.
-1 hour notice has been given, you are the duty engineer, what are your actions?
-Why do we open indicator cocks?
-How to start, parallel, load-share, and shut down generators.
-What is excitation?
-Name some generator safeties.
-Explain them.
-Explain reverse power
-How do you test reverse power/overheating/overspeed trips?
-What happens during overload?
-What happens in a blackout?
-How does the emergency generator start? (with respect to the emergency switchboard)
-How to start the emergency generator manually.
-Where else can emergency power come from?
-Earth fault alarm goes off for a motor, what are your actions?
-What happens to the motor?
-Why is an earth fault a problem if the motor can keep running?
-What's dangerous about an earth fault?
-What is ISM?
-What pressure are the starting air reservoirs charged to?
-How do you start a compressor manually?
-Compressor safeties
-How do you start a roto-dynamic pump?
-Why do you start it with the discharge valve closed?
-How did your boiler work?
-What do you do if your boiler flame starts but keeps going out?
-Boiler water treatment
-OMD alarm goes off, what are your actions?
-What would trigger OMD alarm?
-What if OMD alarm doesn't work?
-How do crank-case alarm doors work?
-MARPOL - what happens with your sewage?
-How did your Sewage treatment plant work?
-Where can you discharge sewage?
-What does MARPOL say about sewage?
-What kind of garbage can you discharge?
-Where can you do that?
-Where can you discharge oily water?
-What happens to oily water before discharge?
-What about special areas?
-How to pump bilges.
-There's a leak or burst pipe, bilges are filling faster than they can be emptied with the bilge pump, what are your actions?
-How to operate an oily water separator.
-What happens if the discharge exceeds 15ppm?
-How did you get fresh water? (One of my ship's fresh water generator was unserviceable)
-How do you treat bunkered fresh water - for drinking? (Started answering about coolant/anticorrosion inhibitors, but he was asking about making it safe for drinking - didn't ask anything about treating it for boilers or cooling systems)
-How do you conduct enclosed space entry?
-BA Checks
-How much pressure does a BA tank hold?
-How long does that last?
-What fixed fire fighting equipment did we have?
-How do you operate water mist systems?
-Where were the systems located?
-How did they work?
-How do you operate CO2 systems for the engine room?
-What precautions should you take?
-Should you do anything outside of the engine room?
-Fire's out, how do you confirm it's out?
-How do you get the engine room up and running again after CO2?
-Where might it still be dangerous in the ER after deploying CO2?

-(First attempt) “Ok, that's all, on this occasion it's a fail,”
discussed where I went wrong, and how to improve them (Also said don't go down rabbit holes - especially the bit about excitation, which I couldn't explain well), he said not to worry, that I can resit, my fundamentals weren't bad, showed me how to fill in NOE for my second attempt.

-(Second attempt) “Alright, that's enough, you've passed.”
The examiner explained what happens next, how to go about getting everything in order for certification, and invited my questions.

I'd like to add my thanks to those on Officercadet.com, I found it to be an excellent resource, I've taken more from it than I've contributed, and to marinediesels.co.uk. Thanks to the examiners at the MCA, and to the teachers and instructors at Warsash.

Good luck!

[NCFCJJ]

Location: Dining room table (Online)
Level: 2/E
Date: 13 January 2022
Examiner: Thomas Maddison
Duration: 70 mins


Examiner logged in at 9AM on the dot (I was getting worried as I’d be sat starring at a blank Microsoft Teams screen since 08:40)
I.D check – driving licence
Previous experience, talked about the different classes of vessel I have sailed on, he said I can talk about either when answering his questions, just use whichever I think will give the best answer.
Engine performance, how do you know the engine is operating correctly?
Talk through bunkering, from start to finish – BDN and analysis
At 09:12, he disappeared, cue me frantically calling every Marine Office which were all still closed, he reconnected at 09:23 (the longest 11 minutes of my life)
Continued talking about fuel, spoke about cat fines, why is sulphur content important?
Did you test lube oil? What are you looking for?
Planned maintenance (different types) and class survey
Overhaul of one unit of engine, head, piston and liner, how? What tools? What are you inspecting?
How do you manage the engine after the overhaul?
How does a boiler safety valve operate? What pressures? Tolerances? How do you test?
High voltage isolation and testing – safety precautions
Emergency generator testing – onload and off load – what it supplies
Enclosed space entry
Enclosed space rescue
B.A checks
Fixed firefighting – CO2 and ultra-fog
Structural fire protection – classes of bulkheads, where they would be?
ISM Code
10:10 PASSED


A very brief overview of my oral, the above are the initial questions he asked, he went into depth about most of them but I was able to avoid digging myself a hole. The entire oral was very much just a relaxed conversation which was fantastic as I was extremely nervous.

Feel free to ask any questions, I'll be happy to help.

James.

[DecoB]

Location: Glasgow (Myself), Hull (Examiner)
Date of Exam 13/06/2022
Level: EOOW
Duration: 70 Minutes
Attempt: 2nd (Resit)

Microsoft Teams joined 15 minutes before Exam, ID Check and Discharge Book Checked and Oral Examination Started.

• What kind of Ships did you sail on? (ERRVs)
• Take me on a Round of the ER
• Ask me to draw a Cross Section of a 2 Stroke Engine label it and explain each part
• Procedure for Starting your Main Engine
• Why do we have indicator cocks
• If normal operation nothing was wrong, would anything come out? Caught me by surprise as I’ve never worked with 2 Strokes, I said no which was correct lucky me)
• Carry on with ME starting procedure
• Safety devices on the Air Starting Line
• Starting Air Pressure
• Draw Starting Air System (Tell me how it works) Make sure when you are drawing your diagrams you know what each component does.
• What are the causes for low L.O P
• Main Engine Safeties
• Main Engine alarms (Slowdown and Trips)
• Draw from the Main Engineer to Propellor Shaft (2 Stroke and 4 Stroke and Compare, 1 doesn’t have a Gearbox, i messed up here and eventually came back to at the end)
• Tell me how the Stern Tube Works
• Explain to me how you would pump Bilges
• Draw Bilge Line Diagram (Hadn’t studied this so I drew Bilge Wells w/ Bilge pump, BHT and OWS with return to BHT and Overboard)
• Explain the drawing from the Bilge Well to OWS
• Tell me the regulations for Operating the OWS (MARPOL Annex 1)
• What Documentation would you fill out (ORB)
• What are you recording the log book(Quantity of Discharge, Start/Stop time, Method of Discharge)
• What other things do you record in the ORB (I struggled with the last one and eventually said bunkering)
• Tell me your Bunkering Procedure
• Who are you taking samples for
• Scavenge Fire in one Unit actions? (I said cut off fuel supply and he latched onto this, he asked how do you cut off fuel supply, I said I was shut off valves as I wasn’t too sure, he said no and kept asking. Eventually got round to the answer after he helped me, lift fuel pump as camshaft is still operating to push fuel pump)
• What fixed firefighting systems did you have on your vessel
• Classifications of Fire
• BA Checks
• What is on a Fire Extinguishers Label (This one caught me off as I’ve seen no oral reports that ask this, I said colour classification and time of expiry)
• What is a short circuit
• What protective devices do you have for Short Circuits
• What Safety trips for your MSB
• Your Generator Trips what happens? (PMS brings another Gen online but said if PMS fails Blackout)
• He said what happens when you Blackout what comes online? …45 emergency…
• What does the emergency generator power
• What is MARPOL?

He then said he was gonna end the exam and proceeded to ask me the 2 questions I struggled on which was 2 and 4 Stroke from M/E to Prop Shaft Block diagram and how do you cut fuel supply but he helped guide me to this answer.

He said congratulations you have passed.

Make sure to remain calm and confident, be polite to the examiner, if you don’t know the answer to a question just say that and I he will move on or help guide you


Good luck with everyone’s Oral Exams, put in the hard work and reep the benefits!

[Michael Stephens]

EOOW
Exam date- 3/5/2023
Time- 45mins
PASS
Constructional differences between 4-stroke and two-stroke?
What are tie rods?
Explain difference between two-stroke and four-stroke cycle?
Scavenge space fire indications and actions?
Got asked for scavenge types below?
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Taking over a watch? Stopped me about 5 mins in
Low fuel pressure on diesel generator actions? Mentioned filter blocked
How to switch over duplex filters?
How to reassemble filter?
1hr notice to arrival?
Boiler mountings?
What boiler tests?
How to carry out boiler water tests? Wanted chemical names of tablets, I told him I did not know
Asked about water feed system of boiler?
Types of Pumps?
How to start a centrifugal pump?
How to synchronise a generator?
What does the synchroscope show? Phase angle
How do you use the OWS? Ended up explain my system with a purifier
Next question was OWS with no purifier? Ended up asking what he wanted Coalescer or Marinefloc?
How does a Coalescer work?
How to test PPM unit?
What to record in ORB when discharging?
What type of pump is used for ballast water?
What Valve are used on ballast system?
What valves are used on bilge system?
What is and why is there a fire line isolation valve?
Galley Fixed firefighting system?
Engine room fixed fire fighting?
Why is there at least two types?
Precautions to entering the emergency battery room?
What is ISM and contents?
What is Marpol and chapters?
What is SOLAS and contents?
What is Coswop and contents?
What are bilge keels?
What is a duct keel?
What is a freeing port?
What is freeboard?
What is a HRU?
What is purpose and use of emergency bilge injection?
What document to fill out afterwards?

[Conor02]

EOOW
Date 08/09/2023 Examiner: P Gibbins (Remote Oral via Teams)
50 Mins Result - Pass

Tell me about your time at sea (Previous Ships)
Differences between 4 and 2 stroke engines? (Constructional and in Principle)
Start a Main Engine? (2-Stroke)
Will you start it at full ahead? No
Explain JCW System?
Purpose of a Header Tank? Gives Pressure Head to prime the pump
OMD goes off, what do you do?
Boiler Mountings?
Boiler Water Tests?
Why do we have a Hot well? Higher Temp = Less oxygen = Less Corrosion
Motor Earth Fault?
What is Single Phasing? Motor Loses a Phase
Parallel a Generator?
MSB Safety Devices?
What is Reverse Power?
Preferential Trip?
Will it trip the Steering Gear? No
Steering Gear Safety Fittings?
Explain Sewage Plant?
Procedure for cleaning? Wanted Enclosed Space Permit
Enclosed Space Procedure?
Emergency Generator? (How it starts, where is it located)
Types of pumps? (Rotodynamic and positive displacement)
What pumps used on what system?
Bilge Pumping procedure? (Refer to MARPOL annex I)
Explain an OWS?
What is SOLAS?
What is ISM? (Chapter 9 SOLAS)
Explain SMS?

Overall it was a pretty chill exam. Talked for 10 mins at the beginning and 5 at the end to discuss how to obtain your CoC. If you were stuck or didn't give an answer he wanted, he would guide you to the answer. Just be confident when answering the question.

Good Luck to everyone going for their EOOW!

As long as you put in the effort it will pay off.