Engine rating (REW) by sea service without pre-sea training
Official reference: TEAP Part A III/12
An engine-room rating without approved pre-sea training qualifies after a longer period of sea service; those without approved pre-sea training whose service is recorded only in a CDC sit a BEST examination for the watch-keeping rating certificate.
Where this route can take you
Who can apply
Each requirement is summarised from the official publication linked beside it — follow the link for the exact wording.
Certification: age
M.S. (STCW) Rules 2014, Rule 46 ↗At least 18 years old on the date of application.
No CDC category without pre-sea training (from 01.08.2026)
DGS Order 12 of 2026 ↗The five basic STCW courses alone no longer qualify a candidate for an Indian CDC.
DGS Order 12/2026 para 14.1: new entrants without approved pre-sea training (or another para 14.2 category) cannot obtain a CDC; CDCs issued before 01.08.2026 remain valid
Step by step
- 1
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BEST examination for ratings without approved pre-sea training
The BEST examination for the watchkeeping rating certificate.
TEAP manual, Part A ↗
The rules behind this route
Rules made under the repealed Merchant Shipping Act 1958 continue in force under section 324(2)(a) of the Merchant Shipping Act 2025.
MS Act 2025 s.324(2)(a): rules made under the repealed MS Act 1958 continue in force
Rule 46 requires at least fifteen months of approved sea service.
This page is built from the official DGS Training and Examination Advisory Programme (the TEAP manual) and the current orders of DGMA (the Directorate General of Maritime Administration, called DG Shipping until June 2026). Requirements are summarised in plain language — every section links to the official publication for the exact wording. Requirements made under the old Merchant Shipping Act 1958 still apply under the new Merchant Shipping Act 2025.