How to pass your UK MCA Chief Mates SQA written exams

This webpage is designed to help you pass your UK MCA Chief Officer SQA exams, which consist of:

• Navigation
• Stability and Structure

This content can also be used to study towards your Higher Nautical Diploma (HND) Nautical Science exams.

By subscribing to this content, you will receive monthly access to:

• Step by step guides for all calculations
• Worked example tutorial videos for all calculations
• Written theory
• Infographics
• Quizzes
• SQA style questions, complete with model answers
• Past paper questions

The content on this page is in line with the March 2025 Syllabus.

We suggest that you download the free SQA papers and work through the questions, using the material in the site to practice.

1. Navigation
   1. Publications Required for Passage Planning
   2. Selection of an Appropriate Route for a Given Passage
   3. Sailings
   4. Tides
   5. Factors to be Considered when Making Landfall
   6. Ship Routeing Schemes
   7. The Requirements when Navigating in or near Traffic Separation Schemes
   8. The Precautions to be taken when Navigating in or near the Vicinity of Offshore Installations, Safety Zones and Safety Fairways
   9. The Hazards and Procedures to be followed when Navigating in the Vicinity of a Tropical Revolving Storm
   10. Hazards of and Procedures to be Followed Including Master’s Obligations when Navigating in or near Ice
   11. The Adjustments to Course and/or Speed in order to Rendezvous with another Vessel for SAR, Safety or Operational Purposes
   12. Position Fixing Methods
   13. The Operation of Electronic Charts
   14. Operation of Electronic Navigational Aids and Position Fixing Systems
   15. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
   16. The Statutory and International Requirements regarding Navigation, Navigational Equipment and the Qualifications and Fitness of Watchkeeping Personnel
   17. Bridge Procedures for both Routine and Emergency Situations
   18. Radar Plotting
2. Stability & Structure
   1. Stability Information Carried Onboard Ship and the Inclining Experiment
   2. Calculating KG and GM when loading, shifting and discharging weights
   3. KG and GM practice questions
   4. Free Surface Effect
   5. The Effect on Vessel’s Centre of Gravity of Loading, Discharging, Weights, Final List and Requirements to Bring Vessel Upright
   6. Suspended weight calculations
   7. Stability During Dry docking
   8. Longitudinal Centre of Flotation (LCF) With Respect to the After Perpendicular and Explains Change in LCF With Change in Draft
   9. Draught Survey Calculations
   10. Curves of Righting Levers (GZ), Using Real Ship Stability Information, and Determine Compliance With ‘Intact Stability’ Requirements of the Current Loadline Regulations
   11. Simplified Stability Using Real Ship Stability Information
   12. Angle of Loll and Effective GM at Angle of Loll
   13. Factors Affecting a Curve of Righting Levers (GZ)
   14. A tender vessel has a small GM, due to a high centre of gravity, causing it to heel easily and roll slowly.
   15. Use of the Current IMO Grain Rules to Determine if the Vessel Complies with the Specified Stability Criteria
   16. The Effect of Damage and Flooding on Stability
   17. Damage Stability Requirements for Passenger Vessels and Type A and B Vessels
   18. ‘Intact stability requirements’
   19. The Additional Criteria required by the ‘Stockholm Agreement 1996’ in Determining Compliance for Passenger Ship Damage Stability
   20. The Damage Stability Flooding Criteria for Type A, B-60, B-100 Vessels
   21. Loadline Terminology and Definitions for New Builds
   22. Conditions of Assignment of Loadlines
   23. The Special Factors Affecting the Assignment of Timber Loadlines
   24. The Requirements and Codes Relating to the Stability of Specialised Vessels
   25. The Stability Problems associated with Offshore Supply Vessels
   26. The Preparations Required for Surveys
   27. SQA Past Papers and resources
   28. SQA Chief Mates Navigation

SQA Past Papers and resources

SQA Chief Mates Stability & Structure

Notes

1. Longitudinal stability calculations are to be based on taking moments about the After Perpendicular and using formula:Trim = Displacement x (LCB~LCG) / MCTC
2. Formula sheets will be provided to Candidates for the Examination.

Ship stability data sheet ship A

SQA Stability formulae sheet

SQA Chief Mates past papers

SQA Chief Mates Navigation

SQA Navigation formulae sheet

SQA Navigation past papers

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