Marine Engineer Officers Practical Exam Rules

Republic Act No. 8544 requires compliance with the STCW for Seafarers 1978 standards, including those on competency and certification.
Part A of the STCW Code requires the demonstration of competence through standards that reflect the ability to undertake the tasks, duties, and responsibilities of marine engineer officers.
The Resolution is adopted to implement practical/oral examination/assessment for candidates for certification at the operational and management levels.
The Resolution provides for the use of simulators in conducting practical examination/assessment at the operational and management levels while adopting safeguards to protect the integrity of the practical examination/assessment.

All marine engineer officers of the operational and management levels must take the practical examination/assessment on subjects where simulator-based examination/assessment is appropriate.
Only candidates who qualify through the written technical examination are allowed to take the practical examination/assessment.

Candidates must have passed the written technical examination for both operational and management levels.
A candidate qualifies for the practical examination/assessment only if the candidate obtained a general average rating of at least seventy (70%) percent in all subjects of the written technical examination.
No subject in the written technical examination may have a grade lower than sixty (60%) percent for the candidate to be allowed to take the practical examination/assessment.

The Board, in coordination with and with the assistance of the Office of Licensure of the Commission, must adopt procedures for giving and conducting the practical examination/assessment.
The procedures must include systems and measures to protect and maintain the integrity of the practical examination/assessment and its results.
The Office of Licensure must assist the Board in safeguarding the integrity of the practical examination/assessment before, during, and after the examination/assessment.
The Office of Licensure must adopt measures to attain examination integrity throughout the full examination/assessment lifecycle.

The practical examination/assessment and written technical examination results are combined using a weighted general average rating.
A candidate must meet a passing weighted general average rating of at least seventy (70%) percent.
The weighted general average is computed with 70% from the written technical examination and 30% from the practical examination/assessment.

To pass the licensure examination consisting of both written technical examination and practical examination/assessment, the candidate must obtain:
- A weighted general average of at least seventy (70%) percent; and
- No grade lower than sixty (60%) percent in any subject/course in the practical examination/assessment.

If a candidate obtains a weighted general average rating of seventy (70%) percent or more for both the written technical examination and the practical examination/assessment but gets a grade lower than sixty (60%) percent in any subject/course in the practical examination/assessment, the candidate must take the practical examination/assessment in the said subject/s.
A candidate who fails three (3) consecutive practical examinations/assessments must retake the practical examination/assessment after one (1) year from the last examination/assessment taken.

The Board must conduct the first practical examination/assessment for marine engineer officers at both operational and management levels for those who will pass the written technical examination given in July 2000.

The Resolution takes effect after fifteen (15) days from its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, whichever is earlier.
The Resolution was adopted on April 10, 2000.