Guides
Plain-English answers to the questions seafarers actually ask before a test.
Marlins English Language Test: format, scoring and how to prepare
What the test looks like inside, what score employers expect and how to practise each section.
Seagull CES Test: what it checks and how to prepare
CES is not an English test. What it really checks, typical thresholds and honest preparation advice.
Do you need English to work at sea? STCW requirements explained
What STCW and the ISM Code actually require, what SMCP are, and why employers add their own thresholds.
SMCP basics: Standard Marine Communication Phrases explained simply
The eight message markers, Mayday vs Pan-Pan vs Securite, phonetic alphabet, numbers: the essentials tests actually check.
Interview English for seafarers: what they ask and how to answer
The questions crewing officers really ask, answer structures that work, and the mistakes that cost contracts.
Engine room English: the vocabulary every engine rating and officer needs
Machinery, systems, tools and the watch handover: the English that actually runs an engine room.
More guides are on the way. Looking for a single word instead? Try the maritime English glossary.