Merchant Navy after 12th Commerce or Arts

Officer courses are not open after Class 12 Commerce or Arts: deck and engineering officer courses need Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. You can still join the Merchant Navy as a GP rating (deck or engine), as a ship's cook, or in the hotel department of a cruise ship. A rating can later qualify as an officer through sea service and the competency exams.

Open with: Class 12 — Commerce, Arts or another stream

Deck rating (GP Rating)

• Deck rating (R-NW) via the pre-sea GP rating course · age limit 28
  Requires: 10th with English, Mathematics and Science, at least 40% aggregate.
  Fees: ₹2.2 lakh – ₹4.86 lakh — GP Rating (General Purpose Rating) course fees

Engine rating (GP Rating)

• Engine rating (REW) via the pre-sea rating course · age limit 28
  Requires: 10th with English, Mathematics and Science, at least 40% aggregate.
  Fees: ₹2.2 lakh – ₹4.86 lakh — GP Rating (General Purpose Rating) course fees

Ship's cook

• Ship's cook
  Requires: 12th Standard, any stream, at least 40%, with at least 40% in English in 10th or 12th; or 10+2 with PCM, with at least 40% in English in 10th or 12th.

Possible, with a further condition

• Electro-Technical Rating (ETR)
  Eligibility depends on details we cannot verify here: One of three streams: sea service with training; approved pre-sea or special training plus a short sea period; or technical qualifications meeting Table A-III/7.
• Becoming a seafarer: the Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) — rules from 1 August 2026
  Class 10 is only the base: the CDC also needs one of the DGS Order 12 of 2026 categories (approved pre-sea training, an Agniveer discharge certificate, a hospitality qualification with OCCP, a cook CoC, or another CoC).
• Hotel and service staff on passenger (cruise) ships
  Eligibility depends on details we cannot verify here: Via a DG-approved cruise recruitment company (CDC restricted to cruise and passenger ships).

Routes and requirements from the DGMA (formerly DG Shipping) training rules, as used by the Marine One Route Finder. Every route also needs a pre-sea medical by a DGMA-approved examiner.