# Celestial exam **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [October 2, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616 "2012-10-02T19:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Captnstabn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Captnstabn](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Captnstabn)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/1 "2012-10-02T19:20:47Z")
I hold a Master 1600 O/C and just passed my 3rd Mate N/C. My question is this (is there anyway to get out of retesting for Celestial, and if not; what does the exam consist of) ? ---
**Author:** ![Azimuth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9a140/32.png) [@Azimuth](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Azimuth)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/2 "2012-10-02T19:30:35Z")
[QUOTE=Captnstabn;84515]I hold a Master 1600 O/C and just passed my 3rd Mate N/C. My question is this (is there anyway to get out of retesting for Celestial, and if not; what does the exam consist of) ?[/QUOTE] Take an approved celestial course and turn in your course certificate with your application for Oceans endorsement. Do your research and be sure you are taking an NMC approved course ---
**Author:** ![groessleriv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@groessleriv](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/groessleriv)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/3 "2012-10-02T19:54:46Z")
You can only turn in the course certificate for 1600. For third unlimited you have to test at the coast guard. ---
**Author:** ![gump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ce73a5/32.png) [@gump](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/gump)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/4 "2012-10-02T20:01:44Z")
[QUOTE=groessleriv;84519]You can only turn in the course certificate for 1600. For third unlimited you have to test at the coast guard.[/QUOTE] This is exactly correct ---
**Author:** ![Captnstabn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Captnstabn](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Captnstabn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/5 "2012-10-03T02:44:55Z")
[QUOTE=groessleriv;84519]You can only turn in the course certificate for 1600. For third unlimited you have to test at the coast guard.[/QUOTE] I thought so, just looking for a possible loophole. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 6:24am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/6 "2012-10-03T06:24:53Z")
[QUOTE=Azimuth;84516]Take an approved celestial course and turn in your course certificate with your application for Oceans endorsement. Do your research and be sure you are taking an NMC approved course[/QUOTE] This is NOT going to work. As others have already noted, there are no courses approved for 3rd Mate celestial. The approval of the course limiting it to mate 500/1600 will be strictly applied. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 6:27am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/7 "2012-10-03T06:27:33Z")
[QUOTE=Captnstabn;84515]I hold a Master 1600 O/C and just passed my 3rd Mate N/C. My question is this (is there anyway to get out of retesting for Celestial, and if not; what does the exam consist of) ?[/QUOTE] You have to take the exam. There is stuff on it that wasn’t on Master 1600, so it isn’t “re-testing.” Your only chance to not test is if you took MATE 500 or MATE 1600 oceans after 1/31/2002. If so, you wouldn’t test for 3rd Mate. As to what’s on it, there are commercial guides that provide good info, or you can look at 46 CFR Table 11.910. ---
**Author:** ![water](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/water/32/131_2.png) [@water](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/water)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 8:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/8 "2012-10-03T08:36:51Z")
[QUOTE=jdcavo;84552]You have to take the exam. There is stuff on it that wasn’t on Master 1600, so it isn’t “re-testing.” Your only chance to not test is if you took MATE 500 or MATE 1600 oceans after 1/31/2002. If so, you wouldn’t test for 3rd Mate. As to what’s on it, there are commercial guides that provide good info, or you can look at 46 CFR Table 11.910.[/QUOTE] 46 CFR Table 11.910 is not reliable. I used it when studying to test for Master 500 Oceans, and the questions included mid-lat, great circle, mercator and parallel sailing. According to the table, these should NOT have been in the test. [http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=1b672eca55439bf4fb2b0609f2301063&rgn=div8&view=text&node=46:1.0.1.2.11.9.7.3&idno=46](http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=1b672eca55439bf4fb2b0609f2301063&rgn=div8&view=text&node=46:1.0.1.2.11.9.7.3&idno=46) ---
**Author:** ![orangejulius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f08c70/32.png) [@orangejulius](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/orangejulius)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 12:52pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/9 "2012-10-03T12:52:34Z")
but can you sit for your third N/C then get out of sitting for seven modules? so go back and only have to take one module and not risk flunking the whole test seems like this might be a good test approach. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/10 "2012-10-03T14:58:20Z")
[QUOTE=orangejulius;84578]but can you sit for your third N/C then get out of sitting for seven modules? so go back and only have to take one module and not risk flunking the whole test seems like this might be a good test approach.[/QUOTE] He said he already has 3rd Mate N/C. The question was about taking celestial to go to oceans. ---
**Author:** ![Captnstabn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Captnstabn](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Captnstabn)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/11 "2012-10-05T00:50:20Z")
Thanks for the advice. So it’s just one module consisting of 15 questions ? or do they thow in some NAV GEN to? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/e/1/e17bf2cdb48f7bcd4d529fdaa3a9e36c70d9359e.png) [@system](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/12 "2012-10-05T02:34:46Z")
> [@"Captnstabn"](#): > > Thanks for the advice. So it’s just one module consisting of 15 questions ? or do they thow in some NAV GEN to? I believe it is just the one module, plus any assessments you may not have completed, plus rules if you haven’t tested within a year. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/13 "2012-10-05T03:50:44Z")
[QUOTE=Captnstabn;84699]Thanks for the advice. So it’s just one module consisting of 15 questions ? or do they thow in some NAV GEN to?[/QUOTE] There is also a 10 question Nav General module that covers the stuff that is on deck general for oceans but not near coastal. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/14 "2012-10-05T08:55:52Z")
[QUOTE=captmarcus;84703]…plus rules if you haven’t tested within a year.[/QUOTE] That policy has met its long overdue demise. There should not be a rules test to go from near coastal to oceans, no matter how long it has been since you last took a rules test. ---
**Author:** ![ericd1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a87d85/32.png) [@ericd1970](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ericd1970)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/celestial-exam/8616/15 "2012-10-05T20:16:27Z")
I am in your same situation and have received my letter to test for my Oceans Endorsement. It consists of Module 146 Navigation Problems-Celestial and Module 147 Navigation General- Oceans. The celestial course is for masters 1600 and Mates 1600 and will not do you any good for your unlimited license. At least that is the answer I received from NMC.