It looks like the sample exam questions are no longer on the NMC website. Has anybody found them?
USCG Exam questions are no longer published. Mariners are now expected to learn the material in order to be able to answer the questions, instead of just memorizing the answers.
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They are hidden under the menu option deceptively titled “Examinations.”
http://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/National-Maritime-Center-NMC/Examinations/
The same change in the law (by Congress) that now exempts the exam questions from public disclosure also requires that sample exams be published instead of the questions. But yes, the expectation is that you will learn the material, not memorize questions.
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Tugsailor and I both missed the operative word there.
Thank you, the drop down menu closes so fast I missed it!
Anyone know when and why they pulled the USC from the exam room materials? That was a rude surprise when I was trying to look for something in it in one of my exams last week. I’m guessing they’ve pulled most of the questions that can be answered with it, but they’ve missed a couple.
From lapware.org website:
"Today, July 28, 2016, Captain Kirsten Martin, Commander of the NMC, posted the below link which will affect all U.S. Coast Guard licensed/credentialed merchant mariners. That is one of notifying the industry that the NMC, on or about September 1, 2016, will pull down from their NMC website ALL EXAM QUESTIONS (old and new databases) as well as ALL ILLUSTRATIONS.
This is being done under the authority of a wavier being granted by Congress in the USCG Authorization Action of 2015-2016 allowing the NMC to be EXEMPT from the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) in that no one, outside of the government, will be allowed to FOIA any information on exam questions. Instead, sample exams will be made up to give examples of the type of questions one can expect to see on their exams (deck and engine)."
I don’t think it was ever supposed to be in the exam room. See the old and new exam guides on the NMC web page, neither lists the U.S. Code as an allowable publication.
I’ve never been told that it’s allowed or seen it in the exam room.
On the 70 percent sections, you don’t need to be too accurate. Just guess and more on. You’ll still get 85 percent right.
I don’t know what the pass rate is on the 70 percent sections, but it ought to be very high.
Huh… you’re right, but I swear it was availible when I took 3rd Mate in Houston REC in 2000… and in Memphis REC when I took 2nd Mate in 2004. I dunno then maybe the “part timers disease” is kicking in.
They may have been there when you tested, but if they were, they should not have been. Your tests were before the RECs came under the NMC, and there was less effort to ensure consistency amongst the RECs.
I remember them being available at REC Miami back in 1999-2000 when I last tested as well.
Ok, so I’m not crazy then. You had the CFRs and then the massive 46 USC book too then? I swear it used to be on the exam room materials list too.
So now you’ll just have to guess as to what the wrong (yet technically correct) answer is lol
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That is correct.
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