Chief Mate/ Master Exam

**anchorman** · July 1st, 2008, 05:41 AM

Being that my brain is scrambled eggs right now, I will post my results of testing at Mandeville REC. I still have celestial in the morning.... Day 1- Rules of the Road - 100% Deck General A - 92% Deck General B - 80% Nav General - 80% Safety - 85% Day 2- Stability - 80 % Plotting - 90 % <------shoud have been 100% (I thought the test had a badly worded question, and that's the one I missed) Terrestrial -100% Day 3- Celestial -???????????

**jdcavo** · July 1st, 2008, 09:23 PM

Did you submit a comment/protest for the question you thought was badly worded? The only way we know we may have bad questions is if you tell us about it. We get a lot of complaints about our questions, but not a lot of coonstructive criticism we can use to improve them. We actually read comments/protests and if they are valid, we get rid of the question or make changes. A "comment" is a protest from someone who passed or who has failed by more than two questions, and is submitted on the same form. Even if you pass, fill out the form and tell us about questions you think could be better, and why.
James D. Cavo Chief, Mariner Training & Assessment Division USCG National Maritime Center <A href="mailto:James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</A>

**anchorman** · July 1st, 2008, 10:03 PM

Mr.Cavo, Actually, I emailed the question to Richard Plant and asked his opinion. He has always responded to me over the years, and has always led the industry with his Lapware program database. I'm sure if he agrees, he will let NMC know. It might be the idiot, who knows. The question was asking for an ETA to a pilot vessel and you just entered a TSS. There is no direct route to where the Pilot Boat is waiting to embark a pilot unless you cut out of the TSS that you just entered. So you would ASSUME that you would be in the inbound lane till it terminates and then make the turn toward the pilot vessel. I guessed wrong.

**jdcavo** · July 2nd, 2008, 02:09 AM

Richard Plant and a few others like Joe Murphy and Ricahrd Block regularly send us feedback on the questions, so if you told Richard Plant and he agrees, we'll probably get it. We rely a lot on help like this, with over 25,000 deck and engine questions and only 4 people (deck and engine) it would take a while to re-examine all our questions. We also send out blocks of questions by sibject to people involved in that area for feedback, e.g. towing questions to towing companies, tankers to tanker companies, etc. James D. Cavo Chief, Mariner Training & Assessment Division USCG National Maritime Center <A href="mailto:James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</A>

**anchorman** · July 2nd, 2008, 06:24 AM

Celestial - 94% ...missed one DONE!!!!.....FOR GOOD. Well, I still have flashing light tomorrow : ( .....Watch me fail that!!

**dougpine** · July 2nd, 2008, 08:23 AM

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**tengineer** · July 3rd, 2008, 04:42 AM

Anchorman. I am sure it was encouraging to all would-be Chief Mates/Masters that you managed to pass your exams. For you being so humble as to post your scores is more than most could have asked for. Congratulations !

Tengineer

**Jemplayer** · July 6th, 2008, 01:15 AM

Congrats on passing! My only question is I though you had to have flashing lights to get your 3rd mate, or is that something that you were grandfathered in?

**john** · July 6th, 2008, 02:59 AM

You got better grades than I... in less time too

CONGRATS!!

**Capt_Anonymous** · July 6th, 2008, 06:36 AM

Jemplayer, The Coast Guard think it is fun to require flashing light at every level. Wheee! It makes as much sense as testing for color blindness on every physical exam. One does not "catch" color blindness...

**jdcavo** · July 7th, 2008, 09:01 PM

You're right. Requiring flashing light is just one of the sadistic pleasures we derive from making your lives miserable. As much as we'd like to just get rid of it, it found its way into the STCW competency table for officer in charge of a navigational watch, so we're stuck with it. We are considering making it a one-time requirement instead of every upgrade of an unlimiteds tonnage license, but the Coast Guard can only get a fraction of the regulatory changes it would like, and this isn't a high priority. Nonetheless, we have tried to minimize the burden by allowing approved flashing light courses to give their tests at 4 wpm instead of the 6 wpm we have always given at our RECs. Color blindness is not always present from birth. Its onset may not occur until well into adulthood. It is also not always congenital, it can also result from disease, damage or injury. James D. Cavo Chief, Mariner Training & Assessment Division USCG National Maritime Center <A href="mailto:James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil]James.D.Cavo@uscg.mil</A>

**Jolly Tar** · July 7th, 2008, 11:14 PM

is just one of the sadistic pleasures we derive from making your lives miserable. I knew it, I just KNEW it!!!!! 

**Capt_Anonymous** · July 8th, 2008, 12:06 AM

Color blindness aside JD, you're gonna be all teary-eyed when/if you guys at the USCG get your way with the new medical standards. You'll only have about half as many mariners available to practice your particular brand of sadism on in the testing room. What will you do with all that extra time?