NIMASA STCW PST

Two parts. A written theory paper of multiple-choice questions covering emergency procedures, appliances, immersion, abandonment, survival craft, first aid and location devices. Then a practical assessment in water and on a training vessel: donning a lifejacket, entering the water, righting and boarding an inflatable liferaft, and demonstrating survival actions. Both parts must be passed.

Course length, examination duration and any time limits are set by the approved training provider within NIMASA's requirements, so they vary between centres. The official body publishes the current programme and assessment arrangements. Ask your chosen provider directly for its timetable before you book travel or accommodation.

Pass standards and retake rules are set by the administration and the approved training centre, not by any single textbook. NIMASA publishes the current requirements, and your provider will explain its reassessment procedure. If you fail one element, you are normally reassessed on that element rather than repeating the whole course, but confirm this with the centre.

Candidates who attend every session and revise consistently usually find it manageable. Difficulty comes from detail: which appliance is found where, what a marking means, the order of actions after abandoning ship. Candidates who skip the wet drills often struggle with the practical questions because they have never seen the equipment in use.

Follow the course sequence: emergency mustering, then appliances, then immersion and hypothermia, abandonment, survival craft, first aid and location equipment. Learn each appliance's markings and purpose before moving on. Finish by rehearsing the full abandonment sequence aloud, from alarm to liferaft boarding, because exam questions often test order of actions.

Three recurring weaknesses: confusing lifejacket and immersion-suit purposes and limitations, muddling hypothermia signs and the correct first-aid response, and describing liferaft boarding in the wrong order. In the practical, failing to secure the lifejacket correctly or panicking during raft boarding costs marks. Slow, deliberate, correct technique beats speed.

Be honest about swimming ability and disclose any medical condition to the provider beforehand. Practise floating and treading water, and get comfortable with water on your face. On the day, listen to the instructor's briefing, keep your lifejacket fastened and deflated until instructed, and move calmly. Panic, not the water, is what usually disrupts a candidate.

Most approved centres supply lifejackets, immersion suits and liferafts for training. You will usually need swimwear, a towel and a change of clothes, and some centres require safety shoes for the vessel session. Confirm the kit list with your provider when you book, and check whether any personal documentation is needed on the day.

Validity and refresher requirements for basic safety training are set under STCW and administered by NIMASA. The official body publishes the current validity period and any requirements for updating or revalidating the certificate. Check its site or ask your provider before your certificate approaches expiry, since refresher training must be arranged in advance.

No. PST is one module of basic safety training and is a prerequisite, not a full qualification. You also need the other basic safety modules and the certificate or rating qualification appropriate to your role. Treat PST as one building block of your seafarer documentation, and plan the remaining modules with your training provider.