General Operator Certificate Examination Format

At present, the GOC examination consists of three parts as follows:-

  1. General Knowledge written examination on Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and Radio Regulations
  2. Radiotelephone Communication (R/T) exercise simulating a Distress situation
  3. Operation of Equipment

To pass the examination, you must pass each of the above parts.  There is a facility to resit any failed part (at the discretion of the Regional Examination Centre - REC), provided this is done within seven working days of the first attempt and at the same REC.

The General Knowledge exam consists of three written questions and 15 multi-choice questions. Time allowed is 25 minutes.  The pass mark is 75%.

The R/T exercise involves a number of candidates taking the role of ships at sea.  The examiner takes the role of a ship in Distress.   Candidates are required to use correct verbal and written procedures at appropriate times during the execution of the scenario. The pass mark for this part is 75%.

During the Operation of equipment stage, the candidate is asked to perform a range of practical tasks on each piece of the equipment.  The equipment includes MF/HF Transceiver, VHF Transceiver, DSC Controller, NAVTEX, EPIRBs, and Inmarsat B, F77 and C systems.  The practical examination also covers more general topics on the testing of equipment, the care and maintenance of batteries and antenna installations.  The pass mark is 70%.

GOC Syllabus

Outline Syllabus | Detailed Syllabus

GOC Providers

See the full list of GOC providers here.