Our procedures for conducting oral final assessments.

We conduct oral assessments to assess your knowledge and skills for:

• new international certificates of competency
• new high complexity domestic certificates of competency
• international certificates of recognition for foreign seafarers
• revalidation of your certificate if you choose this option when you don’t have enough sea service

The oral final assessments is usually the last requirement to be met before your certificate is issued. You are required to pass an oral final assessment applicable to the level of certificate for which you applied.

You should read Conduct of oral examinations to find details of the purpose, procedure and requirements for AMSA oral final assessments.

We conduct virtual oral assessments via Microsoft Teams. We will let you know how you can connect to the virtual oral assessments when your booking is confirmed.

Virtual oral final assessments

Please follow the steps below to ensure your examination runs smoothly:

Prior to the day of the examination

• Download Microsoft Teams.
• Make sure the IT equipment you will be using has a camera and access to a reliable high-speed internet connection (recommended minimum 10 mbps)—sufficient for Microsoft Teams to be successfully supported.
• Check the time zone where your meeting session will be conducted and the time zone you are in. Your examination will be recorded as a fail if you do not join the meeting within 30 minutes of the start time. If you are not sure what time zone your meeting session is booked for, you can check the meeting invitation or contact AMSA Connect.

On the day of the oral final assessment

• Log into the meeting at least 30 minutes before the designated start time and check that Microsoft Teams is connected. Test your equipment as well as your internet speeds.
• Have at hand your identity verification document containing your photograph such as your passport or driver’s licence.
• Make sure that there are no other people in the room and all student notes/books have been removed from the room. You and will be asked to confirm this by the examiner.
• Make sure your room is set up in the following way:
  • The table/desk you are using must be clear (except for permitted items listed below).
  • Your chair should be comfortable.
  • The ambient noise should be low.
  • The room should be well lit. 
  • There should be no glare on the computer screen.
• Your camera must be positioned to show your head, chest and hands at all times.

Permitted items

• You may use your computer to access emails sent by the examiner.
• You must have blank paper, pen, pencil, ruler and calculator available for the examination. 

The recording of oral final assessments is not permitted and if a recording is attempted the consequences will be serious. 

If the examiner suspects you are cheating the examination will be terminated immediately and you will be recorded a fail.

Please note: Recording a video conference without the knowledge of the other person participating in the conference may have the potential to infringe the provisions of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (Cth) (TIA Act). This Act prohibits the interception of communication in its passage over a telecommunication system. For the purposes of the TIA Act, interception includes recording communication without the knowledge of the person making the communication. A communication includes any part of a conversation or message in a variety of forms including data, visual images or signals, and a telecommunications system means a telecommunications network that is within Australia.

Booking of oral final assessments

There is a minimum of a two week wait for oral final assessments.  We will not accept earlier bookings due to examiner availability. Candidates that fail will also have a minimum two-week wait, and if you have failed your examination more than twice you may be required to wait a longer period.

You must book and pay for your examination by contacting AMSA by emailing or calling AMSA Connect.

Required documents

If you wish to sit an oral final assessment for an international STCW certificate, you will need to apply for a qualifying sea service assessment using the Seafarer form 419 and lodge at an AMSA-contracted Australia Post outlet.  Once you have received your assessment letter, you will be able to book the oral final assessment. 

For a National Law certificate, your qualifying sea service is checked with your application and once your application has been assessed you will receive an email requesting you to book an oral final assessment. You cannot book your final assessment until you have received this email.

When you sit your oral final assessment you will need to have available to show the examiner:

• your AMSA-issued sea service assessment letter
• photographic identification—for example your valid Australian driving licence or current passport

International certificate of competency, certificate of recognition or immigration oral final assessment requirements

There are charges for oral final assessment. Find out more about fees and charges. You must pay the charge at the time of booking your oral final assessment. We will not accept an oral final assessment booking without payment. If you cancel the oral final assessment (this includes rescheduling) after it has been booked you will incur a cancellation fee which must be paid before a subsequent booking is accepted.

It is a requirement of Marine Orders 71 (section 9), 72 (section 9), and 74 (section 9) that you must have a working knowledge of English. If the examiner determines that you do not have a level of English to understand a question asked, or do not have an adequate English vocabulary to answer a question, or understand documents in English, you will be recorded a fail and we will not issue you a certificate of competency or certificate of recognition, as applicable.

After your oral final assessment

If you pass, you will need to apply for the issue of your certificate. If your oral final assessment was for a skilled migration assessment we will issue you with a letter for your immigration application.

If you do not pass the final assessment you will be able to try again. Your examiner will advise you when you can book your re-sit. You will have to pay the fee  each time you sit for the final assessment.

Domestic certificate of competency oral final assessment requirements

There is a fee for oral examinations. You must pay the fee at the time of booking your oral final assessment. We will not accept an oral final assessment booking without payment.

After your oral final assessment

If you pass the final assessment you will be emailed an interim certificate of competency once your certificate has been issued. This will allow you to commence work immediately and before your certificate is delivered to your address.

If you do not pass the final assessment you will be able to try again. Your examiner will advise you when you can book your re-sit. You will have to pay the fee each time you sit for the final assessment.