GSK exit exam questions and answers — Set 17 — General Ship Knowledge
Set 17 of the General Ship Knowledge (GSK) exit exam bank — 30 of 585 questions, with the correct option marked and a one-line explanation for every one. Read it end to end, jump to a single set, or search it — then sit the same bank as a timed paper. The real DG Shipping exit exam is 30 marks with 15 to pass.
These are the bank's original groupings. Practising deals the whole bank out again every time you reshuffle, so a practice “Set 3” is a different 30 questions each time — the set numbers below are the source file's, and are only used here so the key stays navigable. Options are listed in their original order with fixed letters; when you practise, those move too.
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Set 17 — 30 GSK exit exam questions with answers
1. The 'tank top' in a cargo ship is
- A. The highest deck of the accommodation
- B. The top of the cargo hatch coaming
- C. The plating that forms the top of the double bottom tanks and the floor of the cargo hold
- D. The cover of a tanker's cargo tank dome
2. A 'tween deck' in a general cargo ship is
- A. The deck between two masts
- B. A deck used only for lifeboats
- C. An intermediate deck below the main deck that divides a cargo hold into upper and lower spaces
- D. The space between the double bottom and the keel
3. The forepeak tank is located
- A. Directly below the engine room
- B. At the stern, below the steering flat
- C. Forward of the collision bulkhead, at the extreme fore end of the ship
- D. Between No. 1 and No. 2 cargo holds
4. The steering flat of a ship is
- A. The platform on the bridge where the helmsman stands
- B. The engine control room
- C. The compartment at the after end, above the rudder, that houses the steering gear
- D. The flat deck area on the forecastle
5. On a ship's load line mark, the letters 'TF' indicate the load line for
- A. Tropical Fresh water
- B. Total Freeboard
- C. Timber Freeboard
- D. Temperate Fresh water
6. In metric draft marks painted on the hull, each figure is 10 cm high and the draft is read
- A. At the middle of the figure
- B. At the top edge of the figure
- C. Only from the draft gauge in the cargo control room
- D. At the lower edge of the figure when the water touches it
7. The clear-view screen fitted in a bridge window is
- A. A rapidly rotating glass disc that throws off rain and spray to give a clear view ahead
- B. A screen that displays the radar picture
- C. A curtain used to darken the bridge at night
- D. A protective plate fitted in heavy weather
8. In the usual sea watch system, the Chief Officer keeps the bridge watch from
- A. 0400 to 0800 and 1600 to 2000
- B. 0800 to 1200 and 2000 to 2400
- C. 0600 to 1200 and 1800 to 2400
- D. 0000 to 0400 and 1200 to 1600
9. In the usual sea watch system, the Second Officer keeps the bridge watch from
- A. 0000 to 0400 and 1200 to 1600
- B. 0800 to 1200 and 2000 to 2400
- C. 0400 to 0800 and 1600 to 2000
- D. 0200 to 0600 and 1400 to 1800
10. Before taking over the lookout at night, the relieving lookout must
- A. Take over immediately on reaching the bridge
- B. Look at the radar screen for some time
- C. Allow his eyes to fully adjust to the darkness
- D. Switch on the bridge lights to read the log
11. If the ship is altering course or taking action to avoid a collision at the time of change of watch, the watch should
- A. Be handed over to the helmsman
- B. Be handed over by telephone
- C. Not be handed over until the action has been completed
- D. Be handed over immediately
12. A lookout reporting a ship 'on the port beam' means that the ship is
- A. Right astern
- B. Four points on the port bow
- C. At right angles (90 degrees) to the ship's head on the port side
- D. Right ahead
13. At night, when the lookout sights a light, he should report to the OOW
- A. Its colour and its relative direction from the ship's head
- B. The name of the ship showing the light
- C. The distance in nautical miles exactly
- D. Only that a light is seen
14. Under a bridge watch Level 3 condition, such as restricted visibility with heavy traffic, the bridge team normally consists of
- A. One OOW alone
- B. One OOW and one deck rating on auto pilot
- C. The Chief Engineer and one deck rating
- D. The Master in command, the OOW and two deck ratings, with hand steering
15. Under a bridge watch Level 1 condition, such as open sea in good visibility with little traffic, the watch normally consists of
- A. One OOW and one deck rating, with the ship on auto pilot
- B. The Master, two OOWs and two deck ratings
- C. One OOW and two ratings with hand steering
- D. Only the helmsman
16. Under STCW, a helmsman while steering
- A. Can leave the wheel to keep lookout on the bridge wing
- B. Shall not be considered to be the lookout, except in small ships with an unobstructed all-round view
- C. Can act as lookout only at night
- D. Is always the lookout
17. Under STCW, a watchkeeping seafarer must be given a minimum rest of
- A. 10 hours in any 24-hour period and 77 hours in any 7-day period
- B. 8 hours in any 24-hour period and 56 hours in any 7-day period
- C. 6 hours in any 24-hour period and 70 hours in any 7-day period
- D. 12 hours in any 24-hour period and 84 hours in any 7-day period
18. Under STCW rest-hour rules, the hours of rest in any 24-hour period may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which shall be at least
- A. 6 hours long
- B. 8 hours long
- C. 4 hours long
- D. 2 hours long
19. A rating keeping gangway watch in port must
- A. Keep the gangway raised at all times
- B. Leave the gangway whenever cargo work stops
- C. Allow anyone in uniform to board without checks
- D. Check the identity and purpose of every visitor and record their boarding and leaving in the gangway log
20. A north cardinal mark in the IALA system has a topmark of
- A. Two black cones pointing downward
- B. Two black spheres
- C. A single yellow X
- D. Two black cones, one above the other, both pointing upward
21. An IALA isolated danger mark is
- A. Yellow with a yellow X topmark
- B. Black with one or more broad red horizontal bands, with a topmark of two black spheres
- C. Green with a green cone topmark
- D. Red and white vertical stripes with a single red sphere
22. An IALA safe water mark is coloured
- A. Black with red horizontal bands
- B. Yellow all over
- C. Black and yellow horizontal bands
- D. Red and white vertical stripes, with a single red sphere topmark
23. An IALA special mark, used for example to mark a spoil ground or cable area, is
- A. Red, with a red can topmark
- B. Green, with a green cone topmark
- C. Black and yellow, with two cones
- D. Yellow, with a yellow X-shaped topmark
24. In IALA Region B (for example the Americas, Japan and the Philippines), a vessel entering harbour from seaward will see the port hand lateral marks coloured
- A. Yellow
- B. Black
- C. Red
- D. Green
25. A vessel not under command (NUC), when not making way, shows at night
- A. Red over white all-round lights
- B. Three all-round red lights in a vertical line
- C. Two all-round green lights in a vertical line
- D. Two all-round red lights in a vertical line
26. By day, a vessel aground exhibits
- A. Three balls in a vertical line
- B. A cylinder
- C. Two balls in a vertical line
- D. One ball forward
27. Under COLREG Rule 13, a vessel is deemed to be overtaking when coming up with another vessel from a direction more than
- A. 22.5 degrees abaft her beam
- B. 45 degrees abaft her beam
- C. 90 degrees abaft her beam
- D. 10 degrees forward of her beam
28. How many points are there on a mariner's compass card?
- A. 16
- B. 64
- C. 32
- D. 360
29. One point of the compass is equal to
- A. 11.25 degrees
- B. 22.5 degrees
- C. 10 degrees
- D. 15 degrees
30. The intercardinal point South-West (SW) corresponds to a direction of
- A. 315 degrees
- B. 225 degrees
- C. 135 degrees
- D. 202.5 degrees
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