Chief Mate (Unlimited) Post Cadetship - Examination Route

About this course

This programme is for candidates who have successfully completed a UK deck officer cadetship (to the required Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) standard) via the:

• Higher National Diploma (HND),
• Foundation Degree (FdSc),
• Scottish Professional Diploma (SPD), or
• Bachelor with honours BSc (Hons) routes

and who hold a valid Officer of the Watch (OOW) Unlimited certificate accepted by the MCA.

The course supports candidates to achieve Chief Mate (Unlimited) and Master (limited to <3000 GT) certification via new modernised seafarer syllabus as described in MIN 720 (M): Transforming Seafarer Training. 

What you'll study

During the programme, you will receive tuition to support your preparation for the new IAMI digital examination and the MCA oral exams. Additionally, the package of study includes the NAEST(M) and HELM(M) courses, offering a generously discounted rate while enabling you to complete your studies as a package within Warsash Maritime School, rather than booking these courses individually.

Competency Assessment Preparation

The competency assessment preparation course has been designed to support candidates who have already completed an MCA approved cadetship which covered the underpinning knowledge requirements for a management level CoC (HND, FdSc, SPD or BSc).

The course will support you to prepare for the new MCA external assessment, administered by the International Association of Maritime Institutions (IAMI) in addition to preparing you for your MCA oral examination.

Navigation Aids and Equipment Simulator Training (Management Level) - NAEST(M)

The aim of the NAEST (M) course is to give you the essential education and training to maintain safe navigation using radar, Automatic Radar Plotting Aids (ARPA), Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and modern navigation systems to assist command decision making and the application of effective bridge resource management principles and procedures.

To be eligible to attend this course you must:

• Have at least 12 months' watchkeeping service while holding a Certificate of Competency issued under regulation II/1 of the STCW Convention 1978 as amended.
• Have documentary evidence of successfully completing an MCA approved NAEST(O) course completed on or after 1 January 2005 or an MCA approved ECDIS course completed on or after 1 January 2005.

Human Element Leadership and Management - HELM(M)

The aim of the HELM(M) course is to provide you with the education and training to meet the MCA requirements for senior shipboard officers. During the course you will explore:

• Key principles of the Human Element, Leadership and Management
• Managing and mitigating impact leading to safety accidents
• Managing performance influencing factors (PIFs)
• Positive team-working
• Human Element within Safety Culture: Policies and Procedures
• Organisational culture
• Shipboard resource
• Leadership and management

Additional prerequisites

In addition to a personal medical fitness certificate recognised by the MCA, candidates must also hold a Proficiency in Medical Care on Board Ship STCW certificate before taking their MCA orals and applying for a Certificate of Competency. 

The additional prerequisites for achieving a Chief Mate Certificate of Competency can be found in MSN 1856 (M+F) - Amendment 1.

Education and training C&D

Applications from candidates who have not achieved their Education and Training C&D letter, indicating that they have completed the underpinning knowledge to the required management standard will be considered, however this will require their transcripts to be mapped to the modernised syllabus to indicate which modules would need to be completed in addition to this preparation course.

Once mapping has been completed an individual learning plan (and associated cost of repeating the required modules and available dates for completing modules) will be created to allow the candidate to infill with a class undertaking the modules.

On successful completion of the learning plan, the candidate will be issued an Education and Training C&D letter confirming that they have completed the underpinning knowledge required at the Management level.

Course start dates

Monday 14 September 2026 to Friday 18 December 2026

Monday 11 January 2027 to Friday 23 April 2027

Tuesday 4 May 2027 to Friday 30 July 2027

Course fee

£6,202.50

This package fee, which is designed to support self-sponsoring candidates, includes the competency assessment preparation, and NAEST(M) and HELM(M) courses. 

Delegates who wish to complete the competency assessment preparation course only (without NAEST(M) or HELM(M) will be charged £4,940.

Those requiring and Education and Training C&D letter to be issued will have an additional fee which is variable depending on the modules they need to complete.

Please note that external examination fees are not included. Examinations may be booked here.