Qualifications
The qualifications that you will need to start
Most officer cadets are trained via a programme linked to either a Foundation Degree (FD) or a Higher National Diploma (HND).
The following minimum entry qualifications are needed:
Foundation Degree
A minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points, preferably including a numerate subject,
Plus GCSE grade 'C' or above in the following subjects:
Higher National Diploma
i. 4 GCSE's, Grade C or above including:
-
Mathematics (preferably Higher Tier)
-
Science (with significant content of Physical Science)
-
English or a subject using English (i.e. History, geography, RE)
or ii. Passes in 4 subjects in the Scottish Certificate of Education as in i. above.
or iii. Passes in 4 subjects in the NI Grammar School Senior Certificate Exam as in i. above.
The qualifications detailed above are the industry minimum but individual companies may require a higher standard.
The UCAS tariff, listing all 35 FE qualifications, can be downloaded via a link from:
http://www.ucas.com/candq/tariff/index.html|
A précis of the document covering the most familiar entry qualifications is as follows:
|
UCAS Points
|
GCE A Level
|
GCE AS Level
|
Scottish Higher
|
BTEC Nationals (AWARD)
|
|
120
|
Grade A
|
|
|
Distinction
|
|
100
|
Grade B
|
|
|
|
|
80
|
Grade C
|
|
|
Merit
|
|
72
|
|
|
Grade A
|
|
|
60
|
Grade D
|
Grade A
|
Grade B
|
|
|
50
|
|
Grade B
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
Grade C
|
|
|
42
|
|
|
Grade D
|
|
|
40
|
Grade E
|
Grade C
|
|
Pass
|
|
30
|
|
Grade D
|
|
|
|
20
|
|
Grade E
|
|
|
International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)
From September 2009 it is anticipated that an increasing number of 18+ applicants will be applying having undertaken the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB).
The IB is an alternative to 'A' Levels in some schools and offers an internationally recognised qualification that requires the student to study up to 9 subjects. Normally three of these subjects are studied at higher level. The IB is awarded a mark between 24 and 45, with 7 marks available per subject up to the maximum of 45. Any student who achieves an IB will have at least 280 UCAS points (mark of 24), while a student who obtained a mark of 45 will have 768 UCAS points. For applicants to the Engineering Foundation degree programme it is expected that they will have studied at least one maths or science based subject at the higher level.
Students who follow the IB route but do not achieve a mark of 24 may be awarded an International Baccalaureate Certificate which will be eligible for award of UCAS points. Details are contained in the UCAS tariff.
Details about the IB qualification can be found at: http://www.ibo.org/diploma/index.cfm|
Key Skills
Key Skills qualifications are designed to enable students to operate confidently and successfully in school, college, university and work.
There are six Key Skills areas:
Students study the Key Skills at one of 4 Levels. Approximate equivalence to more common qualifications is as follows:
|
|
Equivalent to
|
UCAS Points
|
|
Level 1
|
GCSE grades 'D' to 'G'
|
0
|
|
Level 2
|
GCSE grades 'C' to 'A*'
|
10
|
|
Level 3
|
AS Level
|
20
|
|
Level 4
|
AS / A Level
|
30
|
WMA will accept Key Skills level 2 or above in Communication, Application of Number and, Information and Communication Technology, as fully meeting the entry requirement of GCSE English, Mathematics and Science respectively.
Further details about Key Skills may be found at: http://www.keyskills4u.com|
The qualifications that you will gain
|Depending on the training route followed, all successful officer cadets will gain either:
Deck Officer Cadets will achieve either:
Engineer Officer Cadets will achieve either:
These qualification fulfil the academic requirements for the award of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Certificate of Competency as Officer of the Watch (OOW) following MCA oral examination.
They also provide the underpinning knowledge for the higher grade Certificates of Competency (Chief Mates and Master or Second Engineer and Chief Engineer).