GMDSS operator exam prep — I built a trainer with full pass/fail exam sims, and a question about how people actually prep now

Maritime Topics Maritime Training & Licensing
1

Disclosure first: I’m the developer. I run Osprey Applications, a one-person shop that makes maritime training apps (Coast Guard Exams for the USCG written exams is mine as well).

GMDSS Trainer (iPhone/iPad/Mac/Android) drills the GMDSS operator exam material section by section and runs full exam simulations that pass or fail you like the real sitting — not a streak-badge quiz. Of everything I make, it’s quietly become the app with the strongest word-of-mouth, which makes me want to get it right.

Two honest questions for this room:

  1. If you’ve earned your GMDSS cert in the last few years: was it all through a course, or did you self-study part of it? Where does an app actually fit alongside class time?
  2. For anyone who teaches or examines: does a straight exam-sim format still match how the test is run today, or has the format shifted?

Link: GMDSS Trainer - Osprey Applications LLC — and if this reads too much like an ad, tell me that too; I’d rather fix the pitch than annoy the room.

3

Gmdss requires a course so I doubt most would pay additional money for outside study materials. You can’t self study and go to the REC and take the test for the stcw endorsement.

Is your app just for the stcw endorsement or also for the fcc license?

4

I will only say it one more time , you don’t need to take the fcc element 7 exam if you take a course . Submit your certificate to the fcc and they will issue you a gmdss liscence . I have done this along with many others . Don’t waste your time studying a 600 question word bank for a 100 question test

5

Wish I knew this a few years ago!

6

Posted about it years ago

7

Thanks for the honest answers — this is exactly what I was hoping to learn.

Tugslasthitch — you’re right, and I looked it up to be sure: 47 CFR 13.201(b)(4) lets an applicant submit the certificate from a Coast Guard-approved GMDSS course in lieu of sitting Element 7 with a COLEM. Some schools also run the FCC elements onsite, which is the version I’d seen — but the cert path is exactly as you said.

Ctony — fair point, and to be clear about what the app is: it doesn’t teach GMDSS and it’s no substitute for the course. It’s a ride-along drill aid — official FCC pool questions you can hammer in exam-sim fashion before and alongside class, the way the Coast Guard exam apps have worked for years, so the material lands on familiar ground instead of cold.

Appreciate you both taking the time.

8

I wouldn’t see much interest in this. If I was paying a couple grand for a two week course, i wouldn’t consider spending even another 10 bucks on an auxiliary aid for studying. I’d just be focused on what the school’s course has. I’d think most would see it like that, but maybe I’m wrong.

Now maybe approaching schools with gmdss courses and selling your product to them to use, that may be a good idea?

9

Agree on approaching schools to use it as a study aid. As others have noted, I doubt there is any market for mariners required to take a course.

10

There is a distinction between the operator and the maintainer ratings. Also a distinction between mandatory equipped and optionally equipped. Also a distinction between US waters only vs, operating internationally. A significant group of GMDSS students are in the optionally equipped fishing fleets and recreational sailors; probably far outnumbering merchant marine; with equipment that does not include the satellite equipment or backup power.

The question banks are available free online as a download.

As stated, those who take the 15 day CG GMDSS course; required for some deck officers, don’t need to take the FCC exam to be an operator. I believe few engineers go this route. The only route to a maintainer I believe requires the FCC process of GROL and maintainer, and usually radar endorsement as well.

If you are going to have both deck and engine licenses operating internationally on a mandatory equipped vessel; I believe you need to do both, but FCC will give you part 7 credit.

If you are a mandatory equipped vessel on a voyage of 7+ days I believe someone has to be a qualified maintainer, and its usually an engineer or specific electronics/comms officer

W5YI materials I believe are still the go to study method, about $80 new, and commonly passed around, I got mine as a hand-me-down, but there are several free websites with pop-up question pools and etc. These sites are horribly dated and poorly formatted, so if you provide a good website you will get users.

1-1 semesters of the most basic EE or EETech courses makes actually knowing and learning the materials much easier. If you are actually going to repair and maintain, it helps if you did more than memorize some multiple choice answers

The old US Navy basic training manual for electronics techs & radiomen is still a solid go to reference and very low cost; and I believe a pdf of it is available free online.

There was at least 1 coaching program to do GMDSS O/M w GROL radar endorsement and amateur extra FCC licenses together with video tutorials and etc; and testing in 1 very long sitting. Appropriate because the most common HF GMDSS radio in the fishing and recreation fleets is the Icom which is also a fully function ham radio with ham email, digital, cruising nets and etc. The ham community is really good at teaching real skills and knowledge beyond memorizing multiple choice answers.

Also, I believe the CG rating is for 5 years and must be revalidated. The FCC license is once for life.

11

It’s one-time only. The MMC in which it appears has to be renewed every 5 years, but there are no requirements to re-validate the GMDSS endorsement.

12

Thanks all. Point taken on course-takers; if the school hands you everything, a side app is noise. The schools idea is a good one and I’ll pursue it. If anyone here has a contact at a school running the CG course, I’d welcome an intro.

@Retread, that’s the most useful map of this I’ve seen. The people actually sitting Element 7 with a COLEM are the ones the app was built for, and it sounds like that’s the fishing and recreational fleet plus the engineers going the GROL/Maintainer route. Would Elements 1 and 3, Element 8 radar, and Element 9 in the same exam-sim format be worth having, or is Element 7 alone enough to be useful?

13

It’s sad also with most of these schools after you take the course they charge to to take element 7 when you don’t need to or even a re-test fee if you don’t pass the first time . Shame on them