I’m studying for my 1600 Mates using seatrials. Just flat out memorizing thousands of questions.
Could I expect to pass my exams if I used seatrials and only seatrials? (I’m talking specifically about raw memorization type questions, I’m aware that I’ll take a different approach to learning the practical stuff like plotting)
Jesus. Don’t memorize the shit. Learn the material. . . How to SOLVE the nav/chart/stability problems. Yeah. Know COLREGS, absolutely. But the rest? LEARN HOW TO SOLVE. That way, you don’t have to memorize questions. [I hawsepiped from AB to Master in the 90’s.]
Bro, just learn the material so you’re not cramming useless information into your head.
I feel like I’m a pretty damn competent and well experienced AB but a lot of prepping for this exam as a hawsepiper is going on seatrials/upgradeU/Lapware and answering questions until they’re just burned into your brain. Literally every mate I’ve talked to in person including academy grads have told me that.
You mean like read the American Merchant Seaman’s manual?
Had no software when I was studying back then. A very heavy bag of books on most trips to and from work. I remember purchasing the two yellow books on rules of the road questions at a nautical book store in Lauderdale. Back then it was around a thousand or so questions/answers.No idea how many there are now. Had a drafting table at home as well for nav/chartwork. Know the material inside and out before you test. Good luck sir, hawsepiping ain’t easy…but doable.
Lapware is all you need for deck general, nav general and rules. Studying the correct answers is what works.
Nav/celestial problems --you’ll need to learn how to do
check out the 3m/2m exam prep thread – good info in that
Murphy books were a must have back in the day.
These video courses are designed for the math-heavy portions of the license prep, feel free to check those out! Either way best of luck with the studying 
Coast Guard License Preparation - THE PRACTICAL NAVIGATOR
I sent him the link in a pm
Thank you guys, I never heard of this but looks awesome