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LAST UPDATED JULY 27, 2010

(See the INFORMATION and DOWNLOAD pages after logging in to LAPWARE)

 

NMC Steps Backward

 

The United States Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) reports finding a non-conformity during a routine internal audit of one of its core programs. In order to maximize marine transportation safety and ensure conformity with the Merchant Mariner Credentialing Program’s Mission Management System, the Coast Guard will no longer post actual mariner examination questions on the NMC website. Effective July 12, 2010, the full set of deck and engineering questions and answers will be removed from the NMC website. They will be replaced with sample deck and engineering questions and answers for review by mariners. The Coast Guard states that it is removing the deck and engine exam questions from the website of the National Maritime Center to protect the integrity of the exam and the Coast Guard's regulation of licensed mariners.

 

In our opinion this action is an arbitrary and capricious step backwards by the NMC.  Posting of the questions has been an integral part of a continuous improvement process since 1988 when the USCG first released this data in order to maintain transparency, integrity and confidence in Merchant Marine license testing.  Over 1,500 questions have been found to contain substantial error since that time. LAPWARE will continue to fight for your right to valid testing instruments.

 

 

New NMC DECK and ENGINE GUIDE BOOK Released

 

In June 2010, the NMC released a new combined DECK AND ENGINE GUIDE BOOK in a PDF/A format.  You can download the file from the NMC website OR, as recommended, under the LAPWARE "DOWNLOAD" menu option where the PDF/A format has been removed.

 

This document, created over a period of months, if not years, has been thoroughly reviewed for 20-24 hours and a number of changes to exam codes and test templates have been detected. We are now trying to figure out how to best notify users of these changes since some, we think, are in error. We have forwarded our findings first to the NMC to, hopefully, get clarifications. If a response takes too long (by the end of July) we will post what we have discovered and let you decide for yourselves on what is going on. 

 

Multiple exam codes reference different levels of licenses, so be careful. One test template (073XX) references a different number of total test questions and a different minimum score.  Why?  Who knows?  After years of man-hours to produce this document, in less then 24 hours, we have discovered numerous potential errors.  PLEASE make sure that you receive or request a letter from the USCG NMC or REC upon being granted permission to sit for your license. The letter should state exactly which Exam Code and Test Template Modules you will be taking on your exam. The Deck and Engine Combined Guide Book went into effect July 1, 2010 according to Bob Smith, NMC.

 

 

WELCOME TO LAPWARE

Licensed Users - please refer to the INFORMATION menu option for the most recent changes to LAPWARE.

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NEW DOWNLOAD UPDATES

Check out even week or so the DOWNLOAD menu option after logging in.  New files are updated and posted for your availability.  We will try to keepyou informed when new files are posted.

CHART PLOT STATUS

LAPWARE is the ONLY program to take on this major task and provide full and accurate solutions for ALL math problems, including chart plots.  As of July 9, 2010 all Operational Chart plots (3M/2M/500T/1600T license exams) have been solved and posted.  We are now working on the Management Level Chart plots and will post them as they are solved.

MAC USERS - Bug Report

It has been reported that when taking a test from the MY TEST screen, and the user trying to display the solution to a math problem, ONLY the first solution displays properly.  All other solutions do not display.  This has been reported on an old Mac and has been tested to also occur on my new Mac Book Pro with the latest Apple operating system.  This occurs when running Safari as your browser.  However, if you try running FireFox under MAC OSX or the new Apple operating system, it appears that all solutions do display properly for the test.  Thank you for reporting this bug and checking out the solution to the problem.

LAPWARE Program - NO ONE DOES IT BETTER!

LAPWARE maybe NOT have been the first merchant mariner license preparation software on the Internet BUT it is definitely the BEST!  LAPWARE is the most powerful license advancement study tool available preparing you for your USCG DECK merchant mariner's license exam.  We hope you feel the same way about LAPWARE after you use it. 

Over 5,000 mariners have studied for exams using LAPWARE and now we are starting to see repeats.  THANK YOU for your use of LAPWARE. 

Good luck in your studies and on your license exam(s).

PLEASE CONFIRM THAT YOUR COMPUTER IS VIRUS FREE BEFORE PURCHASING LAPWARE AND INSTALLING THE PLUG-INS REQUIRED AS STATED BELOW. 

Viruses can prevent LAPWARE from running properly.  Update your virus software and run a full computer scan first. 

Thank you.

 

LAPWARE - NO ONE DOES IT BETTER!

 

 

 

Adobe Acrobat:

http://get.adobe.com/reader/?promoid=BUIGO

 

Copy Safe Pro - plug-in for Internet Explorer Browser

http://www.artistscope.com/plugins42/download_ie.asp

 

Macromedia Flash - plug-in so you can view the Program:

http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

 

Users should be aware that the following abbreviations are being used:

100T

200T

500T

1600T

AGT

 

3M

2M

CM

MA

 

Mate

Pilot

Pilot

Steer

MODU

OUPV

OSV

OICNW

UFV

 

I or Inl

O

NC

GL

WR

INC

RIG

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=

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=

 

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=

 

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=

 

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100 Ton License

200 Ton License 

500 Ton License

1600 Ton License

Any Gross Tonnage

 

3rd Mate

2nd Mate

Chief Mate

Master

 

Mate

Pilots (Steersman on Inland Rivers) or

Blue Water Pilot

Steersman

Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit

Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel

Offshore Supply Vessel

Officer In Charge of a Navigation Watch

Unspected Fishing Vessel

 

Inland

Ocean

Near Coastal

Great Lakes

Western Rivers

Increase in Scope

Raise In Grade

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