The testing requirements for a USCG engineering license are already abysmally low, hopefully things have changed. When I was sailing there were study guides which were basically all the questions and answers provided by the USCG under the FOI [freedom of information act]. No oral exam and the math required was high school level at best. If one had to cheat to pass it is a sad statement as to the qualifications of US mariners.
Personally, when the oi boom was going on I knew guys who had a USCG Chief license who applied to companies from the EU. These companies required a preemployment test which could be done online. It was a simple test; gear ratios, torque etc. but most could not pass it. All were graduates of various maritime academies. Their explanation? “I forgot all that since school I just spin wrenches”. I helped some pass their online test but felt a bit guilty as I knew they would be discovered later to be little more than oilers with a license.