Seagull CES Test for seafarers: what it is, what score you need and how to prepare
CES stands for Crew Evaluation System: an online, multiple-choice test of your professional knowledge for your rank, not a test of your English. Seafarers often say "I have a Marlins and a CES coming up" in one breath, but the two check different things. Here is what CES really is and how to walk into it prepared.
What is the CES test?
CES stands for Crew Evaluation System. It is an online knowledge test made by Seagull, a Norwegian maritime training company that became part of Ocean Technologies Group and, since late 2024, of Lloyd's Register's OneOcean. Several hundred shipping companies and manning agencies use it to check a candidate's professional knowledge against the STCW competence tables before a contract, at promotion time, or to plan training. The test is configured per candidate: your department (deck, engine, electrical, catering), your level of responsibility (support, operational, management) and often the vessel type (bulk carrier, tanker, container ship, passenger ship and so on) decide which questions you get.
One thing to know before anything else: you do not book CES yourself. The company or agency orders it from its own account and runs it either at the office or remotely, at your home, with AI proctoring. If you hear "you have a Seagull test on Monday", it means your future employer has already decided to check you.
Format: what the provider says, and what it does not
- Multiple choice, drawn from a bank of over 6,500 questions written around the STCW knowledge areas.
- Tests are assembled from ready-made profiles (department, level, vessel type) with several levels of randomisation, so no two candidates get the same set. Companies can add their own questions on top.
- The result is a percentage with a breakdown by knowledge area, which the company sees as a map of your strengths and weaknesses; a certificate can be printed from the system.
- Not published: the number of questions, the time limit and the pass mark. Candidates report sessions of roughly 45 to 90 minutes, but that depends entirely on the profile your company sets.
- Versions: the old offline CES 4.1 and 5.0 "reviewers" still circulating on Filipino blogs from 2015 and 2016 describe a system that no longer exists; the current one is CES 6.0.
CES also contains language modules ("Maritime English", "Reading and Listening", including a support-level version for engine ratings), so English can appear inside the knowledge test itself. The dedicated English exam at recruitment is normally a separate one, described in our Marlins test guide; for the listening part, train with our Listening Practice and the full practice test.
What score you need
The provider publishes no pass mark: each company decides. Training centres that run the test describe 70% as a common default, but the real figure depends on the rank: some employers accept around 45% for an OS, while Masters and Chief Officers are often expected to score 80-85%. A few companies also demand no mistakes in selected safety topics, whatever the overall percentage. The honest move is to ask your agency directly what the shipowner expects for your rank, then aim comfortably above it.
Negative marking? The provider does not publish its scoring rules. Answer every question; leaving blanks on the assumption that they are "safe" is a bet with no evidence behind it.
What to study, rank by rank
Because the provider publishes no syllabus, the only honest map is the one CES itself is built on: the STCW Code competence tables for your rank. Below is what those tables make central for each group, with the free modules on this site that cover them. The real distribution of questions in your profile is not public; treat this as the skeleton, not the exam.
| Rank group (STCW table) | Core knowledge areas | Free practice here |
|---|---|---|
| Deck officers: Master, C/O (A-II/2), OOW (A-II/1) | Passage planning and position, watchkeeping and COLREG, radar, ARPA and ECDIS, meteorology, ship handling, cargo work and stability, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISM, ISPS and MLC, emergencies and SAR, leadership | COLREG lights, give-way rules, sound signals, IALA buoyage, signal flags, VHF, LSA, fire protection |
| Deck ratings: AB (A-II/5), OS (A-II/4) | Lookout and watch duties, helm orders, mooring and anchoring, deck equipment and rigging, cargo handling and lashing, PPE and permits, emergencies, pollution prevention | COLREG lights, IALA buoyage, signal flags, safety signs, LSA, fire protection, SMCP wheel orders, listening (deck) |
| Engine officers: C/E, 2/E (A-III/2), EOOW (A-III/1) | Main and auxiliary machinery, watch routines and alarms, fuel, lubrication and ballast systems, electrical and control systems, maintenance and repair, MARPOL, emergencies, leadership, regulations | fire protection, LSA, safety signs, engine room English, listening (engine room) |
| Engine ratings: Oiler, Motorman (A-III/5), Wiper (A-III/4) | Engine watch routine, machinery, pumps and piping, tools and maintenance, PPE and enclosed spaces, emergency equipment, pollution prevention | fire protection, safety signs, LSA, listening (engine room) |
| ETO (A-III/6) | Electrical, electronic and control systems, generators and distribution, high voltage, networks, maintenance of navigation and communication equipment, safety | safety signs, fire protection, LSA |
| Cook, Steward (MLC 2006, A-VI/1) | Food hygiene and storage, catering rules under MLC, basic safety training, galley fire, emergencies and musters | fire protection, LSA, safety signs |
Every module above ends with a quiz written by us, in the same multiple-choice form. It is not the CES bank and does not pretend to be; it is the knowledge the CES bank is built on. To see all of it at once, sit our free knowledge test: 30 questions drawn for your rank group, weighted for that rank from the STCW competence tables, with a score by area and links to revise.
Each rank group has its own page with what the test covers, the weight of every knowledge area and five sample questions: deck officers, deck ratings, engine officers, engine ratings, ETO and catering.
How to prepare without cheating yourself
The internet is full of "CES answers" collections. Apart from the legal and ethical problems, they fail practically: question sets rotate, and nearly every serious employer follows the test with a technical interview where memorised letters collapse in seconds. What works:
- Review the knowledge for your rank: safety, watchkeeping, cargo work, machinery, regulations, whatever your department and level cover under STCW.
- Practise the format: timed multiple-choice sessions train decision speed and reduce exam stress.
- Fix your English first if it is weak: many candidates fail knowledge questions they would answer correctly in their own language, simply because they misread the question. Start with our free English check.
Practise the knowledge, not the answers
Nobody can honestly sell you real CES questions: the bank is confidential, it rotates between sittings, and memorising it teaches you nothing the interview will not expose. What you can practise is the same material in the same multiple-choice form. Our knowledge test draws questions for your rank group from our own bank, weighted for that rank from the STCW competence tables, and after the test it shows you which areas to revise.
Start the free knowledge testThirty questions, thirty minutes, no sign-up and no account. Every question is ours; we are not affiliated with Seagull, Ocean Technologies Group or any test provider.
Frequently asked questions
- What does CES stand for?
- Crew Evaluation System. An online test of professional knowledge for seafarers, used by shipping companies and manning agencies to check what you know before a contract.
- Is the Seagull test the same as CES?
- Yes, two names for one thing: Seagull is the company that built it, CES is the test. Seagull is now part of Ocean Technologies Group and of Lloyd’s Register’s OneOcean.
- Is CES an English test?
- Not mainly. It tests STCW professional knowledge for your rank; English is one module inside a bigger system.
- What score do I need?
- No published pass mark. Companies set their own: 70% is a common default, ratings sometimes lower (around 45% for an OS), Masters and Chief Officers often 80-85%. Ask your agency.
- How many questions?
- Not published. Multiple choice from a bank of over 6,500, assembled per profile (department, level, vessel type). Candidates report 45 to 90 minutes, depending on the profile.
- Is there negative marking?
- Not published. Answer every question and ask your agency about the scoring of your profile.
- Can I book it myself?
- Normally not: the company or agency orders and runs it, at the office or remotely with AI proctoring.
- Should I memorise leaked answers?
- No. Sets are randomised, interviews verify, old 4.1 and 5.0 reviewers describe a system that no longer exists, and it can cost you the contract. Learn the material; it is not slower with focused practice.
This guide describes the test for information purposes. SeamanEnglish is an independent training site and is not affiliated with Seagull, Marlins, Ocean Technologies Group or Lloyd's Register OneOcean; CES and Seagull are trademarks of their owners. Facts above come from the provider's public product descriptions, industry press and training centres that run the test; formats and requirements change, so always confirm details with your agency.