To join Merchant Navy, everyone has to complete mandatory pre-sea training along with courses such as General Purpose Rating, Diploma in Nautical Science, or Graduate Marine Engineering. Unlike other studies, apart from online examination, psychometric test, and medical examination, candidates have to clear Merchant Navy interview to join any of the mentioned courses. In this post, you’ll read a list of questions asked in Merchant Navy interview. Whether you’re joining Merchant Navy as a deck cadet, marine engineer or for general purpose, you’ve to go through an interview.

Before seeing list of Merchant Navy interview questions, read following words. These would be helpful for you.

Nowadays Merchant Navy is becoming a very fascinated job due to enormous reasons for example higher salaries, opportunities to travel the world, live an adventurous life, and to meet different kind of people (different kind of people means people who belong to different countries and communities). Higher salaries aspire many to join this profession but those who join this profession just to earn money end up feeling disappointed.

Merchant Navy job is not so easy because seafarers have to deal with homesickness and seasickness while working on a ship. And believe me it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. So, if you want to join Merchant Navy for higher salary then think twice (actually thrice) before opting this profession because Merchant Navy is ranked among toughest jobs in the world. To pursue this career, you’d be mentally and physically strong.

Like every profession, this too requires good communication skills and excellent command over English language. In GP rating interview, interviewer just checks your communication skills. But in DNS and GME, you’d have effective communication skills as well as good knowledge of your respective stream.

• 10 Legitimate Ways to Earn Money Online More Than Your JOB offers
• 12 Common Online Shopping Mistakes You Must Avoid At All Costs
• 25+ WhatsApp Tricks and Important Secrets You should Know
• 15+ Samsung Galaxy J Series Mobiles Tips and Tricks
• The 10 Best Online Shopping Sites in India for Authentic Products

Am I trying to demoralize you? No, dear. I’m just trying to aware you; if you’re not.

Your interview will have two parts: speaking and writing. First of all, you’ll be asked to write on a topic. I still remember my topic was ‘Write about your favorite person’. We’ll discuss about it later. First let’s stick to our topic.

Okay. Let’s see what are the general interview questions asked in Merchant Navy?

Questions Asked in Merchant Navy Interview for GME, DNS, GP Rating

Following are some frequently asked questions in Merchant Navy interview that you can expect to face. Interviewer will start with basic questions and then he/she will ask you questions according to course you want to join.

Note: You can’t anticipate every question an interviewer ask of you therefore these questions are just for an idea. In interview, interviewer can ask you different questions. But I’m quite sure that after preparing for these interview questions your chances of failure are very low.

Important: First of all, best of luck for your interview! Kindly, after your interview, revisit this page (bookmark this page to easily revisit) and give your valuable feedback to help other aspirants. Tell them, did listed Merchant Navy interview questions help you? Your valuable feedback can help other achieve their goal. Thank you!

For GP Rating and DNS:

As discussed above, for General Purpose Rating course, you will be asked basic questions pertaining to general knowledge, sea life and your interests. On the other hand, for DNS, your questions will be from physics, chemistry, and mathematics, including general awareness, sea life, and your interests. Questions will also be tailored to see how good your communication skills are.

• What can you tell me about yourself?
• What motivates you to join Merchant Navy? or Why do you want to join Merchant Navy?
• Can you list your strengths and weaknesses?
• Is there anyone from your family or relatives who is in Merchant Navy?
• What do you know about Merchant Navy?
• What is Merchant Navy?
• What is your aim in life?
• Where do you want to see yourself after 5 years?
• What are the duties of a deck cadet?
• Tell me something about your family?
• Why do you want to join this company?
• How do you spend your leisure time?
• What are your hobbies?
• What do you know about sea life?
• How does ship sail without sinking? (asked in my interview)

For Graduate Marine Engineering (GME)

For Mechanical and Electrical Engineering candidates, Merchant Navy is a very lucrative career option. As you may already know in the midst of the sea, ships and other vessels rely on machinery and navigation equipment therefore skilled people are required for safe journey. Merchant Navy engineering officers maintain the mechanical and electrical machinery and instruments of a ship. Therefore, in GME interview, interviewer tries his best to select deserving candidates.

In GME interview (I’ve discussed earlier), along with good communication skills, you’d have very good knowledge of your respective stream. Interviewer can ask you any question about your respective stream therefore you should study all subjects that you had studied during your graduation. After some personal questions like introduction, interests, family background and the like, technical interview questions part will begin.

Here are some questions asked in Merchant Navy interview for GME you can expect to face:

Note: Also read questions asked in GP rating and DNS interview. You’ll also have to answer those basic questions.

1. Why do wind turbines have 3 blades? (asked in my interview)
2. What is Heat Exchanger and how does it work?
3. What is turbo charger and how does it work?
4. What is a machine/Definition of machine?
5. What are the different types of machine?
6. What is engineering?
7. What is Supercharger?
8. What is Boiler?
9. What are the different types of boiler? (asked in my interview)
10. Name boiler accessories?
11. Name boiler mountings?
12. What is refrigeration and air conditioning?
13. What is refrigeration cycle?
14. What are the different types of refrigeration?
15. Why pressure cooker cook food fast? (asked in my interview)
16. What is latent heat?
17. What is sensible Heat?
18. What is motor and how does it work?
19. What are the different types of motor?
20. Which shaft is more stronger: a hollow shaft or a solid shaft? why?
21. What is coupling and what are its types?
22. Draw Carnot Cycle /Otto Cycle/Diesel Cycle.
23. What is refrigerant?
24. Draw and explain various parts of air conditioner.
25. How does a battery recharge? (asked in my interview)
26. What are the different types of batteries?
27. What is mechanical engineering?
28. What are the duties of an engineer on a ship?
29. What is rocker arm?
30. What is push rod?
31. How do valves work? (asked in my interview)
32. What is inter-cooler?
33. What is gear and what are its different types?
34. What is TDC (top dead centre), BDC (bottom dead centre), IDC (inner dead centre) , or ODC (outer dead centre)?
35. What is link?
36. What is a centrifugal pump?
37. What is the meaning of centrifugal force?
38. What is difference between centripetal force and centrifugal force?
39. What is moment of inertia?
40. What is factor of safety?
41. What is bouncy/force of bouncy/ metacentre/centre of bouncy?
42. What is Alternator/Dynamo/Distributor/Differential?
43. What is the difference between Alternator and Generator?
44. What is welding and explain its types?
45. What is anti-lock breaking system?
46. What is camber/axle?
47. What is speed/force/momentum/acceleration/velocity/uniform motion/relative velocity?
48. What is Barometer/Venturimeter/Bernoulli’s theorem?
49. What is the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd law of Newton?
50. What is first, second, or third law of thermodynamics?
51. What is Kirchhoff’s law?
52. What is SONAR/RADAR? (Important)
53. What are the main parts of a ship?
54. What is
55. strength/hardness/ductility/malleability/frequency/toughness/brittleness?
56. What is toe in /toe out?
57. What are the different types of steering?
58. What is evaporation/condensation?
59. What is Enthalpy/Entropy?
60. What are the different types of pump? (asked in my interview)
61. Types of compressors?
62. What is scavenging?
63. What is clearance volume/swept volume?
64. What is knocking/detonation? (Important)
65. What is engine?
66. How does four stroke or two stroke petrol engine work?
67. How does four stroke or two stroke diesel engine work?
68. How many ports does a two stroke diesel or petrol engine have?
69. How many ports does a four stroke or two stroke petrol engine have?
70. What is the function of timing chain?
71. Draw valve timing diagram of two or four stroke petrol/diesel engine.
72. What is Turbine/Generator?
73. What is difference between alternate current and direct current?
74. How can we convert alternate current into direct current?
75. What is the difference between an AC motor and a DC motor?
76. What is a universal joint?
77. What is spring and explain its types?
78. What is the purpose of piston rings?
79. What is Tappet clearance?
80. What is specific heat?
81. What is COP (coefficient of performance)?
82. What is specific gravity/volumetric efficiency?
83. What is Adiabatic/Isentropic process?
84. Draw and explain Boyle or Charles’s Law? (Important)
85. What is tractive force?
86. What is Gudgeon pin?
87. What is King pin?
88. What is the meaning of king pin inclination?
89. What is critical temperature?
90. What is fullering and caulking?

Above Merchant Navy interview questions for GP rating, GME, and DNS will certainly help you crack your interview successfully.

Note: Before interview, you’ll be asked to write a short story on a topic. You’ll have to write 300 hundred words on that topic therefore you’d brush up your writing skills too.

Some topics for Preparation:

1. What is your career goal?
2. Where do you want to see yourself after ten years?
3. Which job is better Merchant Navy or 9 am to 5 pm job?
4. Write about your favorite person.

How to Join Merchant Navy After 10th, 10+2, Diploma or Graduation

Tips to write a topic: Use vocabulary, connecting words, and do not repeat lines. A topic should be written in following format:

• Introduction: Start with introduction. In introduction state your point of view and write, ‘what you are going to describe in detail?’ Introduction should not be more than 4-5 lines.
• Paragraph: Break your topic into paragraphs having 4-6 lines each. Do not write entire topic in only one paragraph. You should write your topic in 2-4 paragraphs. Before starting, make a plan ‘how you are going to explain?’ Do not go off track to add more words to your topic. Write only related to the topic.
• Conclusion: In conclusion, write your point of view. Giving a diplomatic answer is always good instead of giving a biased view.

Extra Tip: Calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index) before interview because they will ask you to write your BMI in the form. Your BMI should be less than 25.

How to calculate BMI?

  
                  (Weight in Kilograms) 
 Body Mass Index= ____________________ KG/m2  
                   (Height in Meters)2  

Let us suppose, my body weight is 68KG and my height is 1.70m then using above formula my BMI will be:

= 68/(1.70)2 
= 23.5 KG/m2