Cargo Work Practice Questions for the MCA Orals
OOW Part A: 1 of the 15 questions, 50% to pass this topic
The real MCA oral is a spoken interview with an examiner; these questions are knowledge practice for it, each with a model answer.
60 test points across every Part A topic in 40 minutes, scored against the MCA’s minimum for each topic.
Free Cargo Work drillWhy must bulk carriers follow a loading plan when loading at high-rate terminals?
Cargo Work in the MCA orals
Cargo work is a 50% topic on OOW Part A. MIN 653 lists the cargoes an OOW should be able to discuss, from containers to grain and timber, and asks for the safety and security procedures during cargo operations and the factors that affect stability.
- On Part A
- 4 of the 60 test points (1 of 15 questions); you need 50%, 2 of 4
- In the oral
- The examiner can ask about any part of the syllabus, in scenarios. Say your answer out loud before you check it.
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 28 Cargo Work questions, untimed, a model answer after every one; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
Study notes
- The IMDG Code covers dangerous goods in packaged form in nine classes. Segregation keeps incompatible classes apart; the dangerous goods manifest or stowage plan shows where each consignment is.
- The IMSBC Code covers solid bulk cargoes in Groups A (may liquefy), B (chemical hazard) and C (neither). Cargoes that may liquefy need a transportable moisture limit (TML) certificate and the moisture content must be below the TML.
- Grain shifts; the International Grain Code requires a document of authorisation and stability calculations showing the heeling effect of an assumed grain shift.
- Containers: check weights against the verified gross mass (SOLAS VI/2), lashing to the cargo securing manual, and stack weight limits. Mis-declared weights affect stability and structure.
- Enclosed spaces: permit to work, ventilate, test the atmosphere (oxygen 20.8% to 21%, no flammable or toxic gas), standby person at the entrance, rescue equipment ready (COSWP and SOLAS drills).
- The hydrometer measures dock water density, used to find the fresh water allowance correction to the draught.
Sit the Part A practice test under the clock
60 test points across every Part A topic in 40 minutes, scored against the MCA’s minimum for each topic.
Free Cargo Work drillWhat the examiner looks for
- Cargo handling, stowage and securing for the cargo types MIN 653 lists, including the IMDG Code.
- Safety and security procedures during cargo operations, including enclosed space entry.
- How cargo affects stability: mis-declared weights, ice accretion and free surface.
How to study it
- For each cargo type, prepare three points: its main hazard, the code that governs it and one precaution.
- Learn the nine IMDG classes in order.
- Take the cargo work drill until you score 80% or better.
Common questions
Which codes govern cargo on MCA orals?
Mainly the IMDG Code (packaged dangerous goods), the IMSBC Code (solid bulk cargoes), the International Grain Code, the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing and the ship’s cargo securing manual.
What is the TML?
The transportable moisture limit: the highest moisture content at which a Group A bulk cargo may be carried. Above it, the cargo may liquefy and shift.
60 test points across every Part A topic in 40 minutes, scored against the MCA’s minimum for each topic.
Free Cargo Work drillThe other MCA orals topics
- International Collision Regulations
- IALA Systems of Buoyage
- Navigational Procedures
- Seaworthiness
- Emergency Procedures
- Communication
- Regulation
- Other (Ship Handling, Meteorology, Safety and Security)
- Master: Law, Certificates and Surveys
- Master: Stability, Damage and Emergencies
- OOW Part A practice test (15 questions, 40 minutes)
- Mixed drill: every topic
Sources
- MCA: MIN 653 (M) Amendment 1, Deck Oral Exam Syllabus (OOW, Chief Mate and Master; expires 1 May 2027)
- MCA: MIN 690 Amendment 6, oral exam booking, Part A and Part B, resits and appeals
- MCA: MSF 4274, application for a deck oral examination (fees, oral pass validity)
- MCA: MIN 720 (M) Amendment 1, modernised officer qualifications and digital assessments (30 September 2026)
- MCA: MIN 654 (M) Amendment 1, Engineering and Electro-technical Officer Oral Exam Syllabus
- MCA: MSN 1781 (M+F) Amendment 3, the COLREG as applied in the UK
- IALA: Recommendation R1001, the IALA Maritime Buoyage System (Edition 2.0)
The MCA oral is a spoken interview with an MCA examiner. These are knowledge drills for it, with the model answer an examiner would expect after every question; they are not a simulation of the interview. The timed test copies the format of the OOW Part A computer-based exam. Original practice questions written from the MCA deck oral exam syllabus (MIN 653), the COLREG 1972 as applied by MSN 1781 and the IALA Maritime Buoyage System; they are not MCA questions or questions reported by candidates. The real oral is a spoken interview with an MCA examiner, and this is knowledge practice for it, not a simulation of the interview. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.