Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)RegulationsMerchant Shipping (Training and Certification) Regulations, 1999Part 2 : Assessment16. Oral examinations |
| (1) | Where an examination consists of a written part and an oral part, a candidate shall not be examined in the oral part unless he or she has passed in the written part. |
| (2) | Oral examinations shall be conducted by an examiner in the presence of an assessor. The purpose of an oral examination shall be to ascertain a candidate's competency in the practical aspects of an officer's duty. |
| (3) | Every candidate shall, before being examined in the oral part of an examination, submit to the examiner a certificate of results from an accredited institution, signed by an authorized person and showing— |
| (a) | the candidate's full name and student number; |
| (b) | the course or courses successfully completed; |
| (c) | for each subject, the subject mark, marks obtained in the final examination (if applicable), final marks and result; and |
| (d) | the duration of the course or courses. |
| (4) | The oral examination for a deck officer certificate shall test a candidate's knowledge of the ambit and intent of the collision regulations, and the mere ability to repeat the regulations verbatim shall not suffice to ensure a pass in the examination, nor shall the lack of verbatim repetition necessarily entail failure, provided the examiner is satisfied that the candidate grasps the full significance, content and practical application of those regulations. During the examination a candidate shall not be required to handle a sailing ship, but his or her ability to recognize a sailing ship's lights, and knowledge of a sailing ship's possible manoeuvres according to the direction of the wind, shall be tested. |
| (5) | A candidate may, during an oral examination, be required to complete a calculation or to elaborate upon any section of the syllabus applicable to the certificate or endorsement for which he or she is being examined. |
| (6) | A candidate who fails in the oral part of an examination for any certificate or endorsement through serious deficiency in practical knowledge may, at the examiner's discretion, be required to perform further qualifying service, not exceeding six months, before being eligible for re-examination. |
| (7) | A candidate who, without reasonable excuse, fails to appear for an oral examination at the appointed time and place may be failed by default. |