Marlins Test Practice for Seafarers
Your English score can decide whether you get the contract. Practise the kind of questions the Marlins test asks — grammar, vocabulary, reading, times and numbers in shipboard situations — with timed tests that make the real one feel familiar.
₹1,500 Waitlist: we email you as soon as it opens. No payment now.
Why the Marlins test matters
Most crews on international ships are multinational, and English is the working language on board. Before a first contract — and often before each promotion — manning companies check your English with a standard test. The Marlins test is one of the most widely used.
What it tests
- Listening: short conversations, announcements and instructions.
- Reading: notices, checklists and short passages from shipboard life.
- Grammar and vocabulary: tenses, prepositions, word forms and maritime words.
- Numbers and times: times, dates, quantities and the 24-hour clock.
How to prepare
The test is timed, and the listening questions are played once. Practise under time pressure, listen to English spoken with different accents, and learn the everyday words of deck and engine work. The free questions below show the style.
10 free Marlins-style practice questions
Shipboard English, the way the test uses it. Choose an answer to check it — the explanation opens straight away.
-
Q1.The chief officer asked me ___ the mooring lines before the pilot boards.
Show answer
Answer: B. to check
After 'ask someone', English uses the to-infinitive: 'asked me to check'.
-
Q2.By the time the pilot came on board, the crew ___ the anchor.
Show answer
Answer: C. had heaved up
Two past actions: the earlier one (heaving up the anchor) takes the past perfect — 'had heaved up'.
-
Q3.When you face forward on a ship, the left-hand side is called:
Show answer
Answer: B. Port
Port is the left side facing forward, starboard the right. Bow is the front, aft towards the back.
-
Q4.On hearing the general alarm, all crew must ___ at their muster stations.
Show answer
Answer: A. assemble
After 'must' you need the base form of the verb: 'must assemble'. 'Assembly' is a noun.
-
Q5.Read the notice: “Hot work in the engine room is permitted only with a signed Hot Work Permit and a fire watch in attendance.” What do you need before welding in the engine room?
Show answer
Answer: B. A signed permit and a fire watch
Reading questions test whether you take in every condition. The notice names two: a signed permit and a fire watch.
-
Q6.The ETA is 2130 local time, but the ship is running 45 minutes late. What is the new ETA?
Show answer
Answer: C. 2215
2130 + 45 minutes = 2215. Times on board use the 24-hour clock — there is no '2175'.
-
Q7.The spare filters are stored ___ the workshop, on the top shelf.
Show answer
Answer: B. in
'In' for inside an enclosed space (in the workshop), 'on' for a surface (on the shelf).
-
Q8.“Secure the hatch cover” means:
Show answer
Answer: C. Fasten it so that it cannot move
On board, 'secure' means fasten or make safe so that something cannot move — very common in orders and checklists.
-
Q9.___ you seen the bosun this morning?
Show answer
Answer: B. Have
Present perfect question with 'you': 'Have you seen…?'. 'Has' goes with he/she/it.
-
Q10.This is the ___ weather we have had this voyage.
Show answer
Answer: B. worst
Bad → worse → worst. With 'the' and a comparison against everything else, use the superlative: 'the worst'.
Full timed mock tests open with the course.
Join the waitlistMarlins Test Practice
₹1,500- ✓Timed practice tests in the style of the Marlins test
- ✓Listening practice with a range of accents heard on board
- ✓Explained answers for every grammar, vocabulary and reading question
Prepared and checked by senior Merchant Navy officers, not by a coaching centre.
Company Readiness Pack
Includes Marlins Test Practice, CES Test Practice and 3 years of Community Access.
Common questions
What is the Marlins test?
The Marlins test is an online English language test for seafarers. Many shipping and manning companies use it to check that a seafarer can understand instructions and communicate safely on board, before offering a contract or a promotion.
What does the Marlins test cover?
It tests listening and reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary in shipboard situations, along with understanding numbers, times and dates. Questions are multiple choice and taken on a computer.
What is the pass mark for the Marlins test?
There is no single pass mark. Each company sets the score it requires, usually higher for officers than for ratings. Ask the company or manning agency what score it needs for your rank.
Where do I take the Marlins test?
Usually at the office of the company or manning agency that asks you to sit it, on their computer, with your passport or CDC as identification. Some companies arrange it online.
Is this the official Marlins test?
No. Marine One's practice is independent preparation in the same style, so the real test feels familiar. It is not produced by or affiliated with Marlins.
Marlins is a trademark of its owner. MarineOne is not affiliated with or endorsed by Marlins; our practice material is independent and written by Marine One.
Route Finder — free
Check which Merchant Navy entry routes you are eligible for, against the current DGMA entry rules.
Check my eligibility →CES Test Practice
Timed practice for the CES computer-based test of professional knowledge that companies use when hiring officers and ratings.
Free sample questions →Sponsorship Preparation
How shipping companies select sponsored cadets and freshers: written and aptitude tests, the interview panel, and the questions they ask.
Free sample questions →