BTEB Diploma in Marine Engineering Examination study plan

Draw the two-stroke and four-stroke cycle diagrams from memory and label every port, valve and injection event with correct timing in degrees of crank angle.

Explain the function and failure modes of the main engine running gear (piston, crosshead, connecting rod, crankshaft, bedplate) in writing without notes.

Compute indicated power, brake power and mechanical efficiency from a worked set of indicator cards and dynamometer readings.

List the scavenging and turbocharging arrangements used on large slow-speed engines and state one advantage and one limitation of each.

Solve problems on the Diesel cycle and dual combustion cycle, calculating thermal efficiency and mean effective pressure from given pressures, volumes and temperatures.

Apply the steady flow energy equation to engine components such as turbocharger compressor, turbine and intercooler, and compute enthalpy changes.

Interpret fuel specification data (viscosity, cetane number, sulphur, calorific value) and explain how each property affects injection, combustion and wear.

Diagnose common main engine faults such as high exhaust temperature, scavenge fire precursors and fuel pump timing errors, and state the corrective action for each.

Describe the construction and operation of marine boilers, including water-tube and fire-tube types, and explain feedwater treatment and scale control.

Explain the working of centrifugal and positive displacement pumps used for ballast, bilge, fuel transfer and cooling water, and select the correct pump type for a stated duty.

Compute head, flow rate and pump power using the affinity laws and Bernoulli's equation for a given pipe system.

Describe the operation of fuel oil purifiers, air compressors, fresh water generators and oily water separators, and state the maintenance routine for each.

Explain heat exchanger performance using log mean temperature difference and state the effect of fouling on overall heat transfer coefficient.

Define principal ship dimensions, coefficients of form (block, midship, prismatic, waterplane) and compute displacement from a given set of offsets.

Explain transverse and longitudinal stability, metacentric height, righting lever curves and the effect of free surface on stability.

Produce a neat hand sketch, then a CAD drawing, of a midship section showing shell plating, frames, floors, girders and tank boundaries.

Apply equilibrium equations to simply supported beams and brackets typical of ship structures, drawing shear force and bending moment diagrams.

Explain the layout of a ship's electrical power system from generator to distribution board, including preferential trip, earth fault indication and insulation resistance testing.

Describe the starting, protection and speed control of three-phase induction motors used for pumps, winches and steering gear, and interpret a simple motor control circuit diagram.

Compare properties and typical marine applications of mild steel, cast iron, stainless steel, aluminium alloys, copper alloys and composite materials.

Explain heat treatment processes (annealing, normalising, hardening, tempering) and their effect on the mechanical properties of steel.

Describe arc welding, gas cutting and the non-destructive testing methods used to inspect hull and pressure-boundary welds.

State the requirements of MARPOL Annexes I to VI and identify which operational discharges and emissions each annex controls.

Explain the purpose and use of the oil record book, garbage record book, SOPEP and the emergency shutdown and fire detection arrangements on board.

Describe personal survival, firefighting and enclosed space entry procedures, including permit-to-work and gas testing requirements.

Explain the duties of a watchkeeping engineer under STCW and the chain of responsibility in the engine room.

Calculate simple voyage and operating costs, and explain depreciation, break-even and the elements of a ship's operating budget.

Solve problems in basic mechanics, electricity and fluid flow at diploma level, including units, dimensional consistency and significant figures.

Apply trigonometric and algebraic techniques to engineering problems such as vector resolution of forces and logarithmic decibel and efficiency calculations.

Walk through a simulated engine room watch, identifying parameter deviations on the mimic panel and stating the response to each alarm.

Describe the safety checks and reporting expected before, during and after an industrial attachment, linking observed plant to theory covered in weeks 1 to 6.

Revise the highest-weight propulsion and auxiliary content using condensed summary sheets and re-solve every previously missed numerical.

Complete two timed full-length mock papers under exam conditions and mark them against the syllabus weighting.

Re-explain aloud, without notes, the safety and pollution-prevention procedures most likely to appear as descriptive questions.

Identify the three weakest topics from mock results and close each gap with a focused one-hour study block.