Guidance

Engineering Officers and Ratings

Information on how to gain a UK CoC for Engineering/Electro-Technical Officers or Engineering Watch Rating Certificate

From:
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Published
9 June 2021
Last updated
25 July 2023 — See all updates

Application process

In line with MIN 655, if you are applying for your first UK Certificate of Competency (CoC), you must post your application and original documents (except passport which must be an attested copy) at both NOE and CoC stages to:

Seafarer Certification 2/11
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Spring Place
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1EG

For all other applications, please email your application and scanned documents to engineering@mcga.gov.uk

Please ensure your documents are included as attachments or within a .zip folder. Unfortunately, we cannot open .rar extensions or links to file-sharing services (e.g. OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox etc).

Fast track requests

It is unlikely we will consider expediting a NOE (including Resit) or Rating application within our service standard of 28 days, or within 14 days for all other applications.

If you have been waiting longer than this and need us to assess your application on an urgent basis, please ask your company to email engineering@mcga.gov.uk directly with your full name, date of birth and a compelling reason (including the vessel joining date).

For NOE applications, your company must also confirm to us that you meet all of the certificate requirements i.e. the only barrier to gaining the certificate is you need to sit the MCA oral exam.

For NOE resits, it is unlikely we will be able to consider a fast-track request if you’ve already had 3 attempts or more.

Booking your MCA oral exam

Information about how to book your oral exam will be emailed to you when you have met the requirements for an NOE.

Oral exam syllabuses

It is recommended that you review the relevant oral exam syllabus before sitting your MCA oral exam.

CoC requirements

If you pass your MCA oral exam, please see our guidance on the requirements for an engineering CoC application.

NOE resits

If you fail your MCA oral exam and wish to resit it, please email the NOE Fail to engineering@mcga.gov.uk. The fee is currently £159 and should be paid for online to prevent delays.

This process also applies if you passed your oral exam more than 3 years ago.

Additional requirements for a third MCA Oral Exam attempt (or more)

From 3 July 2023, we will not be in a position to issue your NOE resit until we have received documentary evidence that you meet all of the CoC requirements (as per section 4.2 of MIN 690). Please send scanned copies of these documents by email to engineering@mcga.gov.uk when you apply for your NOE resit.

Unused NOE

If you were issued with a NOE over 5 years ago but did not sit the exam, the fee is reduced (currently £90). We’ll also need to see two forms of evidence showing 6 months’ seagoing service in the last 5 years.

Exemptions

All applicants will need to supply sufficient ‘detailed evidence’ of their course content for a 70% match to be obtained between their qualification and the MCA’s syllabuses. In addition applicants will be required to have obtained a pass mark of at least 50% in each of the individual subjects, within their qualification, being presented for the audit.

Copies of certificates, marking transcripts and photo ID, will need to be signed by a ‘notary’ confirming the true likeness to the original.

Merchant Engineering Officer of the Watch Unlimited

For Science A and B, and Control Engineering:

  • UK graduates (HNC and higher) and experienced seafarers should contact their MCA-approved nautical training centre
  • non-UK graduates should contact IAMI for course exemptions only (i.e. exam exemptions are not available)

For Workshop Skills, a skills test can be used if you have workshop qualifications; please contact your MCA-approved nautical training centre.

Merchant Second/Chief Engineer Unlimited

Holders of UK/EU qualifications (HND and higher) should contact IAMI for course and exam exemptions from Naval Architecture, Applied Mechanics, Applied Heat, Electro-technology, Mathematics and Engineering, Systems & Ship’s Drawings.

Holders of non-UK/EU Engineering degrees should first contact UK ENIC for recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills, and then IAMI for course exemptions only (i.e. exam exemptions are not available).

University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT)

Please email your UTT e-transcript to engineering@mcga.gov.uk for the attention of an Engineering Examiner.

Small vessels

Please do not apply for exemptions before obtaining an action plan from a MCA-approved Small Vessel Engineering training provider.

For General Engineering Science I & II, 2 weeks’ Workshop Skills (also known as Yacht Skills Test) and AEC1, please contact IAMI.

There is generally no exemption available for AEC2, however, MCA/MNTB-approved FD/SPD, HND or HNC holders should email engineering@mcga.gov.uk the course completion letter.

ETO

For finding a match to the AMERC Electronic Principles course, you will need to hold the minimum of a Higher National Certificate (Academic level 4/Scotland level 7) to be considered for the IAMI exemption service.

For finding a match to the management level Electrotechnology SQA qualification, you will need to hold the minimum of a Higher National Diploma (Academic level 5/Scotland level 8) to be considered for the IAMI exemption service.

Merchant Navy

  • MSF 4275 - Application form for an oral examination leading to the issue of a certificate of competency (STCW) engineer officers in the merchant navy

For guidance on the certificate requirements, please see MSN 1857 Amendment 1

  • Engineer Officer of the Watch Unlimited III/1: sections 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4
  • Second Engineer Unlimited III/2: section 3.5
  • Chief Engineer Unlimited III/2: section 3.6
  • To obtain both motor and steam endorsements: Annex A
  • MEOL (serve as Chief Engineer on motorships <750 kW in UK near coastal area): section 10.2

Holders of non-UK CoCs

  • To obtain UK EOOW III/1: section 3.3 of MSN 1857 Amendment 1
  • To obtain UK Second Engineer III/2: sections 9.3 and 9.3.1
  • To obtain UK Chief Engineer III/2: sections 9.3 and 9.3.2

Please note your non-UK CoC must be valid upon application and remain valid until we print your CoC.

Common queries

  • You must pass EK General and Motor and/or Steam together. If you fail one, you must retake both.
  • You cannot sit SQA management exams outside the UK.

Royal Navy conversion to Merchant Navy

We have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Royal Navy, giving a route to Merchant STCW Certification based on the education and training, as well as experience, gained whilst in the Navy.

For those in the surface fleet, please see the Engineering Royal Naval Conversion Flow Chart. More information can be obtained directly from the Royal Navy (contact details on request).

If you are a Submariner, we are currently in discussions regarding routes taking into account your education, training and experience. We can raise your case directly with our examiner for review if needed; please email engineering@mcga.gov.uk with your Rank, service history and any relevant education and training.

There is currently no equivalent MOU for other former UK military personnel.

Small vessels

  • MSF 4900 - Application form for an oral examination leading to the issue of an (STCW) engineer officer small vessel certificate of competency

To enter the Small Vessel structure, please familiarise yourself with MSN 1904 and MIN 642 and contact a MCA-approved Small Vessel Engineering training provider to enrol and obtain an action plan.

Please note that there are currently no training providers offering the diploma route outlined in section 4.3 of MSN 1904.

Conversions

Conversion routes for UK CoC holders can be found in section 7 of MIN 642. If you hold a superior capacity on your CoC (e.g. EOOW Unlimited III/1), this will carry over to your new CoC.

All conversion routes require 6 months’ seagoing service in the last 5 years (as per section 11.1 of MSN 1904).

For conversions N1 and N2 (Merchant EOOW to SV Chief Eng), you do not need HELM (Operational) unless you qualified as an EOOW before September 2013.

Foreign conversions

Conversion routes for those holding a CoC from a country on our Flag State Endorsement (FSE) List, please see conversions X1 to X8.

Commercial and private yachts (over 24m)

The yacht structure has closed - no further NOEs will be issued (except resits).

The MCA will continue to revalidate yacht CoCs. To convert/upgrade to a small vessel CoC, please see section 7 of MIN 642:

  • Y4 Chief Engineer III/3 <200 GT and <1,500 kW: Conversions A1, A2 or A3
  • Y3 Chief Engineer III/3 <500 GT and <3,000 kW: Conversions B or C
  • Y2 Chief Engineer III/3 <3,000 GT and <3,000 kW: Conversion D
  • Y1 Chief Engineer III/2 <3,000 GT and <9,000 kW: Conversion E

Once you have converted to a small vessel CoC, progression will be through MSN 1904.

The certificate requirements for the old yacht structure can be found in MSN 1859 Amendment 1

Electro-technical officer (ETO)

  • MSF 4259 - Application form for an oral exam leading to the issue of an STCW electro technical officer (ETO) certificates of competency (CoC)

You should follow either:

In all cases, please contact a MCA-approved Nautical College.

Senior Electro-Technical Officer (SETO)

SETO is not recognised by STCW and consequently will not appear on a Safe Manning Document. To obtain SETO by written examination, please contact IAMI for exam details.

Watch rating certificate

  • MSF 4371 - Application form for MCA issued watch rating certificate (engine room or electro-technical)

Electro-technical

For guidance on Electro-technical Rating III/7, please see section 5 of the form (above).

Engine room

For guidance on Engine Room Watch Rating Certificate III/4, please see MSN 1863 Amendment 1, in particular section 2.2 (sea service reduction).

If you are unable to complete the steam tasks on board, you have a few options:

  • You could complete the boiler tasks at a college which has a simulator course covering the relevant items, or;
  • Your company may be able to arrange for the tasks to be completed at a shore based location (e.g. some refineries will have boiler systems identical to those found on vessels), or;
  • We can issue a limited certificate (“not valid on ships with steam plant and oil/gas fired boiler”).

Fishing CoC

Fishing vessels over 750kW must carry two engineers: a Chief Engineer holding a Fishing Class 1 and a Second Engineer holding a Fishing Class 2. This is regardless of the vessel’s length, tonnage or area of operation.

For the certificate requirements and how to apply, please see: Guidance for obtaining UK MCA engineering fishing certificates of competency.

New tanker endorsements

  • MSF 4210 - Application form for a tanker endorsement on a UK CoC

Sea service/training/occupation must be within the last 5 years:

Basic/Operational level

  1. Relevant MCA-approved Basic Tanker Training, and;
  2. MCA-approved Tanker Fire Fighting.

If you already hold Advanced Oil or Advanced Chemical tanker endorsement on your UK CoC, you automatically qualify for Basic Oil and Chemical endorsement (i.e. no training required).

Advanced/Management level

  1. You must meet the basic level requirements (as above) unless you are exempt because you hold the corresponding basic endorsement on your UK CoC, or you are applying for Advanced Oil/Chemical and hold the opposite Advanced Oil/Chemical endorsement on your UK CoC, and;
  2. Relevant MCA-approved Advanced Tanker Training, and;
  3. Two forms of evidence (e.g. discharge book and dangerous cargo testimonials) showing 90 days’ seagoing service on board a tanker carrying the relevant cargo.

Lapsed endorsements

If you previously held tanker endorsement(s) on your UK CoC but they were removed, you will still need to complete MSF 4210 and pay the fee, however, the requirements are:

  • 90 days’ seagoing service on board a tanker carrying the relevant cargo, or;
  • Relevant MCA-approved tanker training certificate(s), or;
  • 30 months’ occupation in a role involving loading/unloading dangerous cargo.

IGF Code

  • MSF 4350 - Application form for an IGF Certificate of Proficiency

For guidance on the requirements, please see MSN 1866 Amendment 1:

  • Basic IGF - sections 9 and 10
  • Advanced IGF - sections 9 and 11

For training for service on ships using fuels covered within the IGF Code, please see our list of MCA-approved training providers.

Given ordinary sea service testimonials do not cover all of the information we need, please consider using our IGF specific specimen report of service.

Limitation removal

To remove High Voltage, Davit, Navigational Systems or Radio Equipment limitations, please apply using form MSF 3901.

You can also use this form to change your name.

CoC replacement

You can apply for a replacement using form MSF 4299. If your CoC was stolen, you must report it to the Police.

CoC revalidation

CoCs are valid for 5 years. Fishing CoCs, MEOLs and Rating Certificates do not need to be revalidated.

Please see our detailed guidance on how to revalidate a UK CoC.

PSSR, EFA and MFA

Your UK CoC is proof that you have met the requirements for PSSR (A-VI/1-4), EFA (A-VI/1-3) and MFA (A-VI/4-1). There’s also no requirement to update these three courses. If an employer is querying this, please refer them to sections 5.1 and 5.2 of MIN 643.

Pre-August 1998 grandfather rights

If a seafarer had 6 months sea service prior to August 1998, they were not required to complete PSSR or EFA originally (as per section 2.4 of MGN 97).

‘First Aid at Sea’ certificate issued before August 1998 should be considered as equivalent to MFA (A-VI/4-1) as per MGN 147.

Published 9 June 2021
Last updated 25 July 2023 + show all updates

  1. Added advice on small vessel conversions from non-UK CoCs

  2. 'NOE resits' section - added: Additional requirements for third attempt (or more) advice in line with section 4.2 of MIN 690.

  3. Updated information for booking an oral exam.

  4. Updated links to new M notices

  5. Added section on exemptions

  6. First published.

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