Marshall Islands Deck Officer Exam Prep

Marshall Islands Deck Officer (MI-319) — Complete Exam Guide

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime Administrator (MI-IRI) Deck Officer endorsement is the flag-state certificate of competency issued by RMI to officers serving on ships flying the Marshall Islands flag — the world's second-largest flag-state registry by tonnage. The RMI deck-officer endorsement is defined in MI-319 "Specimen Examination Questions for Deck Officers" and its governing regulation Marine Notice 7-040-1 and the Maritime Act 1990 (as amended).

RMI endorsements are not primary CoCs in the usual sense — they are flag-state endorsements layered on top of a foreign-administration primary CoC (UK MCA, DG-IN, MARINA, AMSA, TC, MNZ, etc.). Every officer sailing on an RMI-flagged vessel needs an RMI endorsement. RMI endorsements are a practical necessity for the tens of thousands of deck officers on Marshall Islands tonnage globally.

Exam structure

MI-IRI administers examinations through the MI-IRI Seafarer Documentation Office in Reston Virginia, with remote proctoring available worldwide through authorised RMI nautical inspectors. Examinations follow the MI-319 Specimen Examination Questions format:

- Section 1 — Rules of the Road (COLREGS)

- Section 2 — Terrestrial and Coastal Navigation

- Section 3 — Celestial Navigation

- Section 4 — Ship Construction, Stability & Cargo

- Section 5 — Safety, Emergency Response & Environmental Protection

- Section 6 — General Ship Knowledge & Bridge Watchkeeping

Eligibility & prerequisites

Candidates must hold a valid STCW-compliant primary CoC from a White List flag state, a valid medical fitness certificate, an RMI Seafarer's Identification Document (SID), and complete the MI-IRI Marine Notice 7-040-1 endorsement application.

Study timeline

Because RMI endorsements are layered on existing CoCs, most candidates study for 2–4 weeks. The focus is on the MI-319 Specimen Examination question bank and the 90-percent COLREGS threshold.

What examiners look for

MI-IRI examiners prize precision over breadth. Because the Rules of the Road pass threshold is 90 percent, candidates must know lights, shapes, and sound signals verbatim and apply COLREGS rules 11–18 with zero ambiguity. The Safety section probes ISPS Code, ISM Code, SOLAS Chapter III (life-saving appliances), and MARPOL Annex I, V, and VI with particular emphasis on the 2020 sulphur cap.

Common pitfalls

Candidates commonly under-prepare for Rule 19 (conduct in restricted visibility) and for the specific light-and-shape combinations of towing-vessel scenarios. Other recurring issues: superficial IG System knowledge on tanker-specific questions, weak MARPOL Annex VI EEDI/EEXI understanding, and unfamiliarity with RMI Marine Notices on anti-piracy armed-guard carriage and ballast-water treatment under the BWM Convention.

Relationship to IMO / STCW

RMI endorsements implement STCW Regulation I/10 — the regulation governing recognition of foreign-issued certificates. RMI is on the IMO White List and maintains CEC arrangements with every major flag administration.

Study strategy using MMCE.app

MMCE.app's 313-question MI-319 set covers all 6 specimen-examination syllabus sections across nav-gen, nav-prob, rules, deck-gen, deck-safe. The Rules of the Road module is held to a 90 percent pass bar — mirroring MI-319 exactly. The Claude tutor cites MI-319, RMI Marine Notices, SOLAS, MARPOL, and the specific COLREGS rule on every miss.

Useful publications

Reciprocity

RMI endorsements are internationally recognised in every port where RMI-flagged tonnage trades. Because RMI is on the IMO White List, holding the endorsement confirms STCW 1978/2010 compliance. The endorsement is not transferable as a primary CoC — officers seeking primary certification must pursue the MCA CEC, USCG foreign-equivalency, or another White List administration.