This one is on us.

Free Resources

We want you to pass this exam whether we prepare you for it or not. Take advantage of our free resources, share them with your mates, and let us know if we can be of any help. Good luck!

We've got you covered.

Revision timeline

The candidates that pass easily tend to be the ones that put the work in and give themselves enough time to perfect their answers. Ideally you want to have access to the elearning content about two months before your exam and to start practicing speaking out loud about a month ahead of time.

Regardless of how much time you’ve got, these are the steps you need to follow.

Syllabus

Although they often seem confusing and vague, it's very important to get to grips with what's on your MCA oral exam syllabus so that you don't miss anything or wander off in the wrong direction. Just don't let yourself get intimidated by it; you've got this!

Depending on how you learn, you might find it helpful to make a spreadsheet where you break out the syllabus into its component parts and assign some colours to the different sections as you make your way through it.

Deck - Yachts Deck - Commercial - MIN 653 Engine - Commercial - MIN 654 Fishing - Deck [PDF]

Orals Reports

The oral reports are vital to help you prepare for this exam and we make all of ours freely available to everyone in our Facebook groups, because it's the right thing to do.

At this stage of your revision process, go through as many as you can find for your ticket to give you an idea of the most common topics and what type of questions are typically asked for the vague syllabus areas. However, it's really important that you don't get overwhelmed at this stage or read too much into any one report.

Learning

Now that you have an idea of the challenge that lies ahead of you, you need to start getting the content into your head. The trick here is to make sure that you don't fall into the habit rote-learning someone else's scripts or flashcards; you need to properly understand what you're saying and be able to confidently explain yourself.

Why not use our fantastic eLearning resources to help you study? Our Interactive COLREGs and Buoyage Courses are rightly famed for their in-depth but practical approach and array of different quizzes. We also offer a selection of other general knowledge modules which break down complex subjects into easily-digestible chunks without a long, rambling video in sight.

Start speaking

A lot of candidates forget that this is an oral exam; they spend all of their time trying to learn the information and forget that the ability to synthesise an answer, speak clearly and finish confidently is critical to passing this exam.

Many also want to wait until they are 'ready' to start but this is a mistake. The most successful candidates make practicing speaking a central part of their revision strategy from early on. They use our small-group and private sessions to help them find their weaknesses, understand the depth of knowledge required and hone their answers right the way through their revision process.

Deck Engine

Mock oral exams

Now that you have a solid grasp of the content and are gaining confidence speaking out loud, we need to up the pressure with some one-to-one mock exams with our team of amazing tutors.

These sessions will subject you to a realistic barrage of oral exam questions followed by a thorough debrief to help you add some final polish to your answers. A big advantage of working with a team of tutors like us is that you can have mocks with different people knowing that you're going to get the same high-quality service and supportive approach.

The big day

You're going to be nervous on the day of your exam but, don't worry, you've got this! If you've followed our process, you'll be in the strongest possible position to smash it and you'll probably finish the exam wondering what all the fuss was about.

The key thing is that we're on your side every step of the way. Our fantastic team of tutors all have recent, relevant experience of both the maritime industry and the MCA oral exam, and our personal, supportive approach has proven itself again and again.

From the horse's mouth.

Oral reports

Oral reports are a fantastic resource to help you understand what could be asked in your exam but do make sure that you treat individual reports with a pinch of salt.

Don't just take our word for it!

js_loader

  • You are able to structure your sessions with the tutors based on your own needs, be that focusing on answering questions in a mock situation, swatting up on COLREGs or filling in gaps in your knowledge where required. Thank you to the team and I look forward to seeing you again in the future!

    Aldert, OOW 3000gt Yacht

    5

  • I thought I knew the Colregs and Buoyage until I did these courses, they have taken all the hard work out of learning them, breaking each rule down and presenting them visually with an awesome bridge that you get to put it all together and choose what action to take in many different situations. I was confident and sailed through with a pass.

    Jon, Master 200gt

    5

  • I would highly recommend the Bridge Equipment module. I used it for oral prep revision for my OOW and it’s excellent! It gives you very in depth information regarding all bridge equipment systems so whether you just need some light revision or want full learning on Bridge Equipment then this is definitely the course for you. 5 Stars!

    John, OOW Unlimited

    5

  • Whitehorse have a great set up allowing myself to book onto Oral prep sessions that suited my schedule. My tutor was very professional and knowledgeable and was able to answer any question I had and helped me find any weak areas I had. I highly recommend the team!

    Richard, Chief Mate Unlimited

    5

  • Whitehorse Maritime provide invaluable Oral Prep Clinics. I can honestly say I don’t feel I would have passed without them. Both Kieran and Paul are incredibly helpful and promptly respond to any queries. All I can say is a HUGE thankyou and I can highly recommend them!

    Rebecca, OOW 3000gt Yacht

    5

  • The COLREGs clinics were great to get my confidence up in speaking with people I’ve not met before. All well and good practicing by yourself but it is an oral exam after all so get talking aloud and get the structure of answers correct. I will be recommending them to all who want to listen!

    Lewis, Master Unlimited

    5

  • Extremely useful resource for preparing for MCA oral exams. I was studying for Chief Mates unlimited and the interactive courses and masterclasses were the best way to get back into the swing of things. The courses are very comprehensive and leave no stone unturned.

    George, Chief Mate Unlimited

    5

  • Whitehorse were hugely accommodating at the last minute for a 1:1 session for a mock oral. The session was very beneficial as it provided feedback in a stress-free environment and enabled me to answer the examiner’s questions with confidence.

    Euan, Master 200gt

    5

  • I used Whitehorse for their COLREGS and General knowledge clinics as well as a mock oral exam in preparation for my own OOW orals and loved it. Their advice and support was excellent and really helped me feel ready to sit the exam. They polish off your knowledge and build your confidence.

    Lisa, OOW Unlimited

    5

  • The online COLREGs and buoyage have been a great help with regards to the rules and buoys. It helped me a lot with all the explanations required for my Masters exam. Got a pass in the end because of the help from Whitehorse. Thank you so much to the team!

    Stuart, Master Unlimited

    5

  • The general knowledge clinics provided an excellent opportunity to practice oral exam style questions in a relaxed environment with ample opportunity for peer review amongst the other candidates in the session. They played a massive role in my success on the day and could not have done it without them. Thanks very much guys!

    Tomos, Master Unlimited

    5

  • The online buoyage and COLREGs courses are very detailed and will prepare you for all kinds of questions. Really helped me with the tricky lights questions that can come up. In addition, it helped me get a good rhythm for identifying vessels and buoys.

    James, OOW Unlimited

    5

  • Couldn’t rate Whitehorse Maritime any higher in helping me pass my Master’s Oral yesterday. The one on one sessions with Tom, James and Ryan were fantastic – it was great to be doing these sessions with guys that have been through it all recently.

    Lewis, Master Unlimited

    5

  • Whitehorse Maritime are an absolute MUST for orals prep! I cannot recommend them enough. I attended the COLREGS and General Knowledge clinics and the guys went out of their way to provide last minute sessions on the approach to the exam.

    Bethany, OOW Unlimited

    5

  • I signed up to the buoyage and COLREGs courses and I was impressed by how user friendly it was. I loved their simulator and how it reacted to my inputs. The online portal also issues points for learning, which gave me a great incentive to keep logging in as I could see friends of mine on there also.

    Ashley, Master 3000gt Yacht

    5

  • Whitehorse offer 1-1 sessions available at reasonable prices, where you can either get mock orals experience or a stronger understanding of a certain area you are not comfortable with. The people taking these are highly knowledgeable and professional.

    James, OOW Unlimited

    5