Approved to test letter expired while waiting for REC to grade pilots exam

Question - Is it possible to still get 3 shots at the pilot exam if I fail when my approved to test letter has expired? My letter expires March 3rd. I took my 1600 ton upgrade exam and Pilots exam and completed all exams. I passed my 1600 ton exam, and I am now waiting for the REC to grade my pilots exam. I thought they would grade the exam within a few days and I left myself a week to re-take any exams I might have failed. They told me it would take 4 weeks minimum to grade and if I failed the local knowledge or chart sketch I would be required to re-apply and take the entire exam over again including the 1600 module I just passed.

Do I have any options if I fail? The pilot tests are 90% or better to pass and I feel like one of them will be very close.

[QUOTE=kingtug13;132158]Question - Is it possible to still get 3 shots at the pilot exam if I fail when my approved to test letter has expired? My letter expires March 3rd. I took my 1600 ton upgrade exam and Pilots exam and completed all exams. I passed my 1600 ton exam, and I am now waiting for the REC to grade my pilots exam. I thought they would grade the exam within a few days and I left myself a week to re-take any exams I might have failed. They told me it would take 4 weeks minimum to grade and if I failed the local knowledge or chart sketch I would be required to re-apply and take the entire exam over again including the 1600 module I just passed.

Do I have any options if I fail? The pilot tests are 90% or better to pass and I feel like one of them will be very close.[/QUOTE]

Master 1600 and FCP are separate endorsements, you should still qualify for Master 1600 if you passed all the tests for it. In fact, they should have issued it as soon as you passed and failed the FCP the first time.

For FCP, if it’s no more than a year since you first applied, your applicatiopn has expired and you will need to re-apply.

For any exam, you only gtet “3 shots” if you take them within a year.

Where did you test? Sitting for FCP soon, just wondering. PM if you want to be private.

[QUOTE=z-drive;132230]Where did you test? Sitting for FCP soon, just wondering. PM if you want to be private.[/QUOTE]

Thank You Mr. Cavo, I was afraid that I would have to re-apply. I won’t make the same mistake again and in the future I will test ASAP. If I fail the pilots exam it should be by a small margin, fingers crossed, so if I do have to retest I will know what to expect.

Z-drive - I tested at the Long Beach REC. I was surprised by the level of professionalism and respect that was shown not only to me but other mariners. I expected it to be an awful experience, and was stunned to find it was actually… enjoyable.
The tests were no joke, and even though I passed all the 1600 ton modules on the first go, I studied non-stop for 3 months and still had to dig in Bowditch for a bunch of answers. The chart sketch and local knowledge exam were also quite challenging, especially because I had all the 1600 module information in my brain, but I guess that’s the point. It was an incredible amount of work to prepare for this exam, and its a 50/50 toss up that I may have to do the entire thing over again. Don’t be like me, when you get an approved to test letter, get your butt in gear!