From Rating to Officer: AB or Oiler to OOW or 4th Engineer

Short answer: in many countries, yes. The STCW Convention allows an officer of the watch (OOW) certificate to be earned through a longer period of approved seagoing service instead of a structured cadet programme, but you still need approved education and training and must pass the same competence standard.

STCW does not create a separate, easier 'rating to officer' certificate. A rating who becomes an OOW deck holds the same certificate under Regulation II/1 as an academy graduate, and an engine rating who becomes an OOW engine holds the same certificate under Regulation III/1. What changes is the route to the minimum sea service and how you show that you have covered the knowledge in the STCW Code.

Whether your national administration accepts the long route, which courses it requires, and how it treats sea service on foreign-flag ships varies. MARINA in the Philippines, the Directorate General of Shipping in India, the Indonesian Directorate General of Sea Transportation, the Turkish administration and others each publish their own rules. Always confirm the current requirements with the administration that will issue your certificate before you plan a single month.

Short answer: at least 12 months of approved seagoing service as part of an approved training programme documented in a training record book, or otherwise at least 36 months of approved seagoing service. In either case, at least six months must be bridge watchkeeping under the supervision of the master or a qualified officer.

Regulation II/1, paragraph 2 lists the minimum requirements for an officer in charge of a navigational watch on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more: be at least 18 years old, have the approved seagoing service described above, have performed bridge watchkeeping duties under supervision for not less than six months during that service, meet the applicable requirements of Chapter IV for radio duties (in practice, the GMDSS General Operator's Certificate), and have completed approved education and training to meet the standard of competence in Section A-II/1.

For a rating, the 36-month route is the one that usually applies. The key word is 'approved'. Administrations generally want service on seagoing ships of a minimum size, in the deck department, proven by discharge book entries and sea service testimonials from the company. Time as AB with real bridge watches is far more useful than time as OS chipping and painting, because the six months of supervised bridge watchkeeping have to be shown separately.

This is where many ABs lose time. If your bridge watches are not recorded somewhere, a master's testimonial or a watchkeeping record signed on board, you may have the months but not the proof. Start documenting from your next contract, not from the day you decide to apply.

Short answer: combined workshop skill training and at least 12 months of approved seagoing service in an approved training programme documented in a training record book, or otherwise combined workshop skill training and at least 36 months of approved seagoing service, of which at least 30 months is seagoing service in the engine department. Six months must be engine-room watchkeeping under supervision.

Regulation III/1 applies to officers in charge of an engineering watch in a manned engine room, or designated duty engineers in a periodically unmanned engine room, on ships powered by main propulsion machinery of 750 kW or more. The candidate must be at least 18, meet the service requirement above, have performed engine-room watchkeeping duties under the supervision of the chief engineer or a qualified engineer officer for at least six months, complete approved education and training, and meet the standard of competence in Section A-III/1. Regulation III/1 also refers to the basic safety and survival standards in Section A-VI/1, paragraph 2, Section A-VI/2 paragraphs 1 to 4, Section A-VI/3 paragraphs 1 to 4 and Section A-VI/4 paragraphs 1 to 3.

For oilers, motormen and wipers, the 'workshop skill training' part matters. Administrations typically want evidence of practical workshop training such as fitting, turning, welding and electrical basics, which some ratings already have from a technical school and others must complete as an approved course. The engine-room watchkeeping must again be proven, usually through an engine logbook-based testimonial or a record book signed by the chief engineer.

Short answer: not by STCW for the officer certificate itself, but in practice most ratings will already hold the watch rating and able seafarer certificates, and the time served under them is what builds the 36 months.

STCW has two rating levels in each department. Regulation II/4 covers ratings forming part of a navigational watch (minimum age 16, with at least six months of approved seagoing service including training and experience, or special training with a shorter period of service). Regulation II/5 covers able seafarer deck (minimum age 18, at least 18 months of approved seagoing service, or 12 months plus approved training, while qualified as a watch rating). The engine side mirrors this with Regulation III/4 (ratings forming part of an engine-room watch) and Regulation III/5 (able seafarer engine: at least 12 months of service, or 6 months plus approved training).

A practical point: holding the able seafarer certificate does not shorten the 36-month officer requirement by itself. It does, however, make it easier to get the right kind of service, because ABs stand bridge watches and able seafarer engine ratings stand engine-room watches, which is exactly what the six-month supervised watchkeeping requirement asks for.

Short answer: an approved OOW education and training programme, plus the safety and specialist courses your administration lists. For deck officers this normally includes GMDSS GOC, ECDIS, radar and ARPA, advanced fire fighting, medical first aid and proficiency in survival craft.

Typical lists for a deck OOW candidate include the STCW basic training you already hold (Section A-VI/1), proficiency in survival craft and rescue boats (A-VI/2), advanced fire fighting (A-VI/3), medical first aid (A-VI/4-1), the GMDSS General Operator's Certificate (Chapter IV), ECDIS, radar navigation and ARPA, bridge resource management, and ship security awareness or designated security duties (A-VI/6). Engine candidates generally need the same safety courses, engine room resource management, any additional electrical or machinery courses the administration lists, and the workshop skills element already mentioned.

The theory part is where the 'approved education and training' requirement comes in. Some administrations accept a modular rating-to-officer course run by approved maritime training institutions; others require a longer college programme. Ask the issuing administration which programmes are approved for your route, and get that answer before you pay a training centre. Do not assume that a course certificate from one country will be accepted by another administration.

Remember that the officer certificate will also need flag state endorsements when you join foreign-flag ships. Under STCW Regulation I/10, each flag recognises certificates issued by other administrations through an endorsement, and an administration may allow you to serve for up to three months while your endorsement application is being processed, as long as you can show documentary proof that it was submitted.

Short answer: usually written examinations set by the administration, followed by an oral examination with a surveyor or examiner. The oral is where ratings with long practical experience often do well, but where weak theory shows quickly.

Deck examinations cover navigation and position fixing, COLREGs, watchkeeping, cargo handling and stowage, stability, ship construction, emergency procedures, communications and maritime English. Engine examinations cover marine engineering knowledge, electrical and electronic systems, machinery operation and maintenance, pumping systems, safety and pollution prevention. The level is the same as for academy graduates.

Experienced ratings often know exactly how a mooring operation or a purifier overhaul is done, but struggle to explain the reasoning in the examiner's language. Practise answering out loud in English, connect each practical task to the rule or principle behind it, and study the COLREGs until you can apply them to unusual scenarios, not just recite them.

The first mistake is counting calendar time instead of approved sea service. Administrations count days actually on articles on qualifying ships, and some count port and anchor time, yard periods or standby differently. Keep a day-by-day record of every vessel, its gross tonnage or main engine power, your rank and your sign-on and sign-off dates.

The second is not proving the supervised watchkeeping. Months as day worker or bosun's helper do count as sea service, but they do not prove six months on the bridge or in the engine-room watch. Ask the master or chief engineer to sign a watchkeeping record or testimonial at the end of each contract while they still remember you.

The third is choosing the wrong training first. Paying for a short course that your administration does not approve for the officer route can waste months and money. Confirm the approved list first.

The fourth is staying too long on a single ship type with no bridge or engine watch responsibilities, for example as a deck fitter or pumpman without watch duties. Those ranks can pay well, but if your goal is OOW, choose contracts that put you on watch.

Short answer: for a rating who already has the service, preparing courses and exams commonly takes several months to a year. For someone starting from scratch, the 36-month service requirement means at least three years at sea, and usually longer once leave between contracts is counted.

Financially, the jump from rating to junior officer is one of the clearer increases in a sea career, and the bigger gains come later at second officer, chief officer, third engineer and second engineer level. Exact figures depend on vessel type, flag, CBA and nationality, so compare current offers rather than relying on a single number. You can check current ranges by rank on the ShipCrewFinder salary index.

The less obvious benefit is career security. Officers have a wider choice of companies and ship types and a clear path to management level. Ratings who make the step often bring something academy graduates lack: years of hands-on experience that masters and chief engineers value in a junior officer.

Write down your service so far, vessel by vessel. Contact your administration and ask three questions: which route applies to you, which training programmes are approved, and what evidence of supervised watchkeeping they accept. Then plan your next contracts to fill the gaps.

While you work toward the certificate, keep your profile visible. On ShipCrewFinder you can create a free crew profile, track your sea time, build a clean maritime CV, and apply directly to companies hiring ABs, oilers and junior officers. There is no agency fee, and companies contact you directly.