WPC GMDSS GOC Exam (India) study plan

Map the GMDSS sea areas A1 to A4 to the equipment each requires, and label a blank diagram with the four functional subsystems (alerting, communications, MSI, locating)

Distinguish the roles of DSC, Inmarsat, NAVTEX, EPIRB and SART in the distress alert chain, and state which units each sea area mandates

Decode a DSC distress alert field by field: format specifier, self-identification MMSI, nature of distress, position and time, and telecommand

Explain the DSC distress alert acknowledgement rules: which coast station or ship acknowledges, when relays and retransmissions occur, and when the alert is cancelled

Recite the distress, urgency and safety priority definitions and give two correct example transmissions for each priority

Construct a full MAYDAY, PAN PAN and SECURITE call using the standard sequence of identification, position, nature of distress, assistance required and other information

Apply the silence periods and the rules for imposing radio silence on 156.8 MHz and 2182 kHz, and state when silence may be broken

Demonstrate distress relay, distress retransmission and false alert cancellation procedures in written scenarios

Perform the step sequence for a DSC distress alert on VHF and on MF/HF, including the wait period and follow-up voice call on the associated radiotelephony frequency

Differentiate routine, safety, urgency and distress DSC call formats and select the correct category and nature of distress code

Explain DSC watchkeeping on channel 70 and the HF distress and safety frequencies, including why voice may not be used on channel 70

Describe how to handle a received DSC distress alert, an all-ships call and a ship-to-ship routine call, including acknowledgement and relay decisions

Match Inmarsat services to their use: distress alerting, two-digit code calls, group calls and MSI reception, and identify which ocean regions each covers

Explain the Enhanced Group Call system, SafetyNET message addressing and the difference between an EGC safety message and a distress priority message

Interpret NAVTEX message headers: station identity, message type code, serial number and time of origin, and decide whether a message is relevant to the vessel

List the MSI broadcast sources and schedules, including NAVTEX, SafetyNET, HF narrow-band direct printing and the role of the NAVAREA coordinator

Describe EPIRB registration, the 406 MHz COSPAS-SARSAT alerting path, the 121.5 MHz homing function and the correct manual and automatic activation and deactivation steps

Explain SART operating principles, radar display presentation, range and battery requirements, and the correct mounting and deployment for a survival craft

Outline the on-scene coordinator role in a search and rescue operation and how locating devices support the search pattern

State the testing intervals and self-test procedures for EPIRB and SART, and the actions to take on accidental activation of either

Classify the radio licences and certificates required for a GMDSS-equipped Indian-flag vessel and state the documents that must be carried and posted

Identify the ITU frequency allocations and the authorised frequencies for distress, urgency, safety and routine traffic in the VHF, MF and HF bands

Explain watchkeeping requirements for sea areas A1 to A4, including the radio watch schedule and the log entries required

Describe the prohibition on unnecessary transmissions, the rules on identification and the confidentiality obligations for radiocommunications

Perform daily, weekly and monthly equipment checks on VHF, MF/HF, DSC, Inmarsat, NAVTEX, EPIRB and SART, and record the results correctly

Diagnose common faults: no DSC acknowledgement, antenna and feeder faults, low battery capacity and power supply failure, and state the first corrective step for each

State the battery maintenance requirements for GMDSS equipment, including specific gravity checks, capacity tests and the reserve power source requirements

Explain the at-sea replacement and duplication requirements that maintain GMDSS availability when equipment fails

Run three timed full simulations: a distress alert and follow-up, a distress relay, and an urgency or safety broadcast, each within the correct procedural sequence

Answer 60 mixed questions across all ten domains under exam timing and review every error against the source domain

Recite the key procedural sequences from memory: distress alert, distress acknowledgement, distress relay, false alert cancellation and silence imposition

Identify your two weakest domains from the mock results and close each gap with a targeted revision session