Hoping someone can answer the following questions for me;
I believe the 1981 Nautical Almanac used in exam questions used to be on the http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/ website but I cannot locate it, any ideas?
Is there a list of publications that are available for use at the REC’s
Does it make any difference which REC you test at?
Many Thanks !!!
You might wanna ask them what your supposed to bring. They should have all the reference pubs though.
Also you’re best off buying the Alminac online to practice with. You should have your own copy of all the pubs.
Buy it all less the CFR’s. Its your license, there is no reasonable way to study without. Plus being familiar with the exact reference material you will have in the exam room is absolutely essential.
[QUOTE=z-drive;96346]. Plus being familiar with the exact reference material you will have in the exam room is absolutely essential.[/QUOTE]
So true. When I took my original 3rds I studied hard on everything but safety. I thought it would be simple enough. I was wrong. I was unprepared except for the fact that I knew how to navigate through cfr’s There were about 20 questions I did not know answers to but found them in the cfr’s. Even if the question doesn’t start out with “according to CFR…” chances are its in there somewhere. They saved my ass
If you can test in Mandeville LA (New Orleans) or Boston they are both really nice. Takes some of the stress off when people arn’t being nasty to you or making up their own rules about testing.
The one in Miami has a bad rap and one of the California ones, I think it might be Oakland is also terrible. I think I heard Charlotte might also be good.
[QUOTE=skycowboy;96360]
The one in Miami has a bad rap and one of the California ones, I think it might be Oakland is also terrible. I think I heard Charlotte might also be good.[/QUOTE]
I dont know. I have taken all my tests at Oakland and they have always been very accommodating to me. They never hold me to the time frames and always offered to stay through lunch if I wanted to keep going. I took 5 tests one day and could have taken the last two, but opted to come back the next day. Another time I did everything but forgot my checkbook and they still processed everything and let me send a check to them. Even on my last upgrade the women there called me twice to let me know they were backed up and my app was not forgotten. That is why even though I live in WA state I still do all my REC business in Oakland. Maybe others have had bad experiences there but they were great with me. Now I have heard horror stories about NY but I never been so I cant confirm.
The story I heard about the CAL REC was they wouldn’t let you use a Scientific Calculator and they were giving people a basic no function $2.00 calculator to use. Glad to hear Oakland was so accommodating, Good for them and Good for us.
[QUOTE=skycowboy;96362]The story I heard about the CAL REC was they wouldn’t let you use a Scientific Calculator and they were giving people a basic no function $2.00 calculator to use. Glad to hear Oakland was so accommodating, Good for them and Good for us.[/QUOTE]
Yeah I do remember the cheap calculators there. I guess I didn’t pay no mind because its all you need for the engineers exam.
In Boston I went in to renew my license and gave one of the women working there my paperwork. She bitchily says “We no longer take 3rd party drug free certificates”. My wife was sitting there and could not believe the way that “witch on wheels” talked to me. I said it has been good enough for the last 3 times I’ve renewed it why the change. She goes into a rant about West-by God -Virginia’s new rules. I called my senator Kelly Ayotte and complained about the treatment from the women in Boston. A week later one her assistants called me. He knew what we did for a living (his father was a retired chief engineer). I gave him the rundown about all the expenses we incur and redundancy of 2 background checks TWIC/ MMD. I also said we didn’t need some state with no ocean on it telling seafarers how to credential themselves. Eliminate one place or the other. I also told him that the Coasties are in an new office by the Joe Moakley courthouse on the waterfront when the CG base used to do just fine. We need to eliminate all this excess spending. USCG gets it’s budget from homeland security now they rent in a very expensive building. Did I do any good, I doubt it, but get your torches lit and “storm your senator and congressional castles”.
Just venting some steam that all of us deal with at these bad attitude govt offices.
Charleston, SC and Baltimore, MD are both nice.
I tested in Oakland and thought it was great. They let me use my own calculator and were willing to stay though lunch as someone else here had said. I would recommend Oakland for someone wanting to take their test.
I finally took my chiefs motor sections of the chiefs test a year ago Dec in Boston. I took the bus down from ME and got in to the test room at 10 am. The test proctor was a crotchety old guy who gave me shit for showing up at 10. He looked like he might have been mate on the Mayflower. He said "I’m only staying til 2 pm I have to go up to Maine Maritime and give them their test next week. I said no problem and was finished and out the door by noon with both sections passed. These REC people need to realize that we are paying for service not for snide remarks.
Baltimore is another one I would recommend avoiding.
Why is that? Im planning on testing for my 500 in march and Balt is the closest one to me.
[QUOTE=Bayrunner;96384]Why is that? Im planning on testing for my 500 in march and Balt is the closest one to me.[/QUOTE]
I didn’t have a bad experience in Baltimore but I did find that the lady at the desk was adamant about my taking two tests on day 1, and my last test on day 2. Other than that, no problem.
I stayed at the Days Inn near the convention center and walked the few blocks along Pratt. There’s a Starbucks on the way.
Don’t buy the 1981 almanac. If you look around online you can download a PDF of it for free.
boston USED to be good (10 years ago). let me take almost all day on celestial…and through lunch. Seattle was alright about 8 years ago, though not very flexible about testing times and order, and Oakland was great about a year and a half ago. I used my own scientific calc there, and all the staff were very accomodating. if i ever test again, i would go to oakland.
I had no problems with the Toledo REC this past October.