C/M Celestial exam

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Did anybody seat for the C/M Celestial exam recently? How is that exam different from the 3M Celestial? any info will be appreciated. Thanks

2

Been 12 years but it’s the masters exam so there is more to study for sure. High altitude sights, latitude by ex-meridian, etc. I suggest you poke around the NMC website or if that is not working out, start a web chat with one of their “experts”.

3

46 CFR 11.910 has a table with a list of all the potential celestial questions that could appear on the CM/M oceans test.

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4

Yeah, I am aware of the CFRs but I was wondering about actual personal experience. Thanks!

5

IMHO, in addition to all the things you saw on the 3/M exam you can expect to see: moon/ planet questions, Latitude by ex-meridian, High altitude sights, GC position of vertex and points along a track, and fuel consumption

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6

Fuel consumption on the Celestial Exam, wow…didn’t see that coming, getting a little of target here, wasn’t that a part of Terrestrial Nav?
Thanks!

7

I passed the exam back in December using the old modules. Bowditch volume 2, 1981 will have any formula you will need to pass the exam.

8

Ah! I think you’re right, it is on the Near Coastal.
Sorry for the false alarm!

9

No problem, thank you for taking your time to answer my question.

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10

Thank God for that! Thanks

12

You can have a fuel consumption, and a slip potentially. It is “Nav Problems Oceans” not “Celestial”

13

And why wouldn’t you want one on the exam? It’s a super “gimme” question…

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14

…because I will have to refresh the formulas and my brain is revolting against me already…that is why…

15

You will have to know them anyway, for
Nav Problems Near Coastal…don’t sweat it NBD. Study so you know it, and relax. Best of Luck

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16

I took it in October 2016 under the old question bank and I thought it was easier than the 3M/2M. Out of the 15 questions it gave you some super easy questions such as a “Great circle crosses the equator at 30* E, at what other point will it cross the equator?”. Although I studied the high altitude sights and the moon amplitudes, and multiple body sights, the test I had was very basic. Three star fix, azimuth of a planet, amplitude of sun on visible horizon. Sextant altitude correction, best three stars, which star did you sight, ocean tracking chart question, 1200 zone time running fix using morning sun and LAN, Mercator sailing, great circle sailing, Polaris question, and zone time of sunrise, an ex meridian, and I can’t remember if I had one more Great circle or Mercator question. I have always had a very good handle on celestial so I only printed out two lapware tests the night before I took it and I thought they were a fair representation of what you are likely to get. Not sure how much has changed with the new question bank. I will agree with Diesel, you have to memorize the formulas for fuel consumption for the T-Nav, they are simple to use.

Let me know if you have any other questions.