Age: Candidates for officer’s certificates by examination & training are not approved for any person who is under 18 years of age. Approvals for certification by examination & training for the grades of Chief Mate, First Assistant Engineer or higher shall not be issued to any person under 21 years of age. A candidate needs to submit satisfactory proof of age by means of a passport, birth certificate, certificate of naturalization or other acceptable proof of birth date.

Citizenship: A candidate for an examination may be of any nationality and need not be a citizen or resident of the Republic of Palau.

Medical Examination

• Every candidate for an examination needs to submit satisfactory evidence of a medical examination completed within the 12 months immediately preceding application. The report of examination it will establish that the candidate is in good physical condition and in possession of all body faculties necessary to fulfill the requirements of the seafaring profession.

The report and certificate of medical examination shall be completed on the official Medical Examination Form PISR FORM SD 006 or acceptable equivalent. The medical certificate must comply with the requirements of STCW, Regulation I/9 and Section A-I/9 paragraph 7. The report / form must be signed by both the medical examiner and the examinee. If the report is in the form of an acceptable equivalent it must comply with the requirements of STCW Regulation I/9 and STCW Section A-I/9 in its content and specifically must state that the seafarer is fit for duty as a seafarer.

• Revocation

Willful concealment by a candidate of any medical history or mental or physical disability that might render the candidate unfit for service are a cause for the immediate revocation of any certificate which may have already been issued.

Photograph

Every candidate for a Certificate shall submit one (1) passport-size photograph of themselves, taken within the twelve (12) months preceding the date of application. The photograph must show a facial front view of the candidate and be 1¾” x 1¾” (45mm x 45mm) in size.

Proof of Experience

1. Acceptable Documentation

A candidate for certificate by examination and training, in addition to complying with the general requirements shall submit satisfactory proof of sea service and experience covering at least the period required for eligibility to sit that examination. Seafarer’s books, certificates of services, forms of discharge and other documents certifying the amount and character of experience, and identifying the vessels on which served, shall be examined as to their authenticity and any indication of unauthorized alteration or other invalidity shall render such documents unacceptable.

Proof of sea service can be satisfactorily established by providing a copy of the candidate’s official Seafarer’s Identification Record book. For certification of service aboard PISR flagged vessels, the candidate must provide a copy of the candidate’s Seafarer’s Record Book or an official certificate of service.

2. Graduation Certificates

A candidate claiming graduation from a recognized naval, nautical, marine engineering or radio school in lieu of sea service shall be required to submit a certified copy or other facsimile of the candidate’s certificate of graduation or of course completion, and a certified translation into English if such certificate is in foreign language.

Evidence of Foreign Certificate

A candidate who holds a foreign certificate and who is applying for examination for an PISR Certificate in an equal or higher grade is required to submit with the applicant satisfactory proof of foreign Certificate. Such proof maybe an official duplicate or a certified copy. Candidates should not send any originals of any seafarer documentation.

Surrender of Old Certificate

A successful candidate for examination in a higher grade than the PISR Certificate Presently held shall surrender the old PISR Certificate to the Administration upon    issuance of the new certificate.

How to Apply

Every candidate for examination for an officer certificate shall submit a properly completed application and shall indicate where and when they would like to take examination.

Days and Places of Examination

Examinations can be taken at selected PISR branch offices or at an examination center that is approved by the Administration. Examination shall normally be conducted on weekdays between 0900 hours local time and 1700 each day. However, a candidate is required to conform to the office hours of the individual facility where differ from the normal schedule.

Subject Matter of Examination

All examination will be administered in the English language. Candidates may use language translators while taking the examination.

Specimens examination questions and guideline for each certificate grade shall be available on the PISR official website at www.palaureg.com

Conduct of Examinations

Passing Grade

The passing grade for nearly all examinations is 70%

Authorized Tables, Publications and Equipment

1. Candidates for Examination shall not be allowed to have in their possession any equipment, material, books, notes or other literature except as provided for the candidate by the examination facility
2. Candidates may use an English-foreign language translator or dictionary, which may be taken into the examination space provided such dictionary is also first inspected for unauthorized notes and loose papers. Electronic language translators must also be examined by the proctor.
3. Candidates may also provide and utilize their own Rude star finder and non-programmable calculator. Navigational calculators are not allowed.
4. Certain portions of the refresher examinations for certificate renewal are open book.

Candidates may avail themselves of materials provided at the test center for that portion of the examination only.

5. Candidates must turn off all electronic communication devices, and other devices that could be used for photography, and surrender them to the proctor prior to the start of the examination.

Unauthorized Persons and Communication are Forbidden

No unauthorized persons shall be permitted to enter the examination space, and no candidate for a Certificate shall be permitted to communicate in any manner with any unauthorized person(s) during the taking of an examination. The candidate shall not be given any assistance by a proctor in the answering of examination questions.

Personal Conduct

Each candidate for an examination shall conform to the requirements of the examination facility and shall always maintain absolute silence during the conduct of examinations. Each candidate is required to take care not to mark or otherwise abuse provided publications, equipment, furniture and shall not remove any such items from the examination manner. Misconduct may result in the candidate being expelled from the examination room. Such an occurrence will be deemed as complete failure of the examination.

Work Materials

In answering the examination questions where the use of a work sheet is required, work must be shown and labeled. Answers are to be neatly marked on the answer sheets provided. Computations and scratch-work sheets shall be attached to the answer sheets to which they apply and must not be taken from the examination room.

Penalty

Any candidate who receives unauthorized assistance, makes use of any unauthorized material, or is in any other way does not comply with the foregoing during the examination will be disqualified from proceeding further and shall forfeit all fees paid. Candidates failing under these circumstances will not be eligible for re-examination for a period of six (6) months.

Failure to Compete Examination

Any candidate who commences an examination but who fails to complete it within the prescribed period, or who otherwise fails to finish all required tests, shall not be entitled to a refund of any examination fees paid by him except when the failure to complete the examination is the responsibility of the administering authority.

• Re – Examinations

Waiting Period

A candidate may be re – examined in no more two (2) sections. If more than two (2) sections are failed, the candidate must retake the entire examination. A candidate who does not pass the examination may not be re – examined earlier than 30 days from notification of failure and may not be re – examined more than twice in 12 months.

• Reviewing Examination Papers

The score of an examination can be reviewed upon written request to the Administration by the examinee. The score awarded after a review shall be final