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PST exit exam questions and answers — Set 10 — Personal Survival Techniques

Set 10 of the Personal Survival Techniques (PST) exit exam bank — 30 of 781 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 10 — 30 PST exit exam questions with answers

1. What is the full form of HRU?

  • A. Hydrostatic radar unit
  • B. Hydrostatic radio unit
  • C. Hydrostatic release unit
  • D. None of the above
Answer: C — Hydrostatic release unit
HRU stands for hydrostatic release unit. It releases a liferaft or float-free EPIRB automatically when the ship sinks to a depth of about 4 m, as required by LSA Code 4.1.6.3, and is tested and replaced according to the manufacturer's schedule.

2. Which of the following requirements regarding life-saving appliances does NOT correspond to present regulations?

  • A. All prescribed life-saving appliances shall be resistant to deterioration where exposed to sunlight
  • B. All prescribed life-saving appliances shall be made of non-combustible or fire-retardant material
  • C. All prescribed life-saving appliances shall be of a highly visible colour on parts where this will assist detection
  • D. All prescribed life-saving appliances shall be fitted with retro-reflective material where this will assist in detection
Answer: B — All prescribed life-saving appliances shall be made of non-combustible or fire-retardant material
LSA Code 1.2.2 requires appliances to resist deterioration in sunlight, be of highly visible colour and carry retro-reflective material where this helps detection. There is no general requirement for all appliances to be non-combustible; fire tests apply only to certain items.

3. In accordance with the present recommendations, a ship in distress should transmit the appropriate alarm signal followed by the distress call and message on one or all of the international distress frequencies, which are

  • A. 550 kHz, 2367 kHz and 121.5 MHz
  • B. 500 kHz, 2182 kHz and 156.8 MHz
  • C. 550 kHz, 2182 kHz and 121.5 MHz
  • D. 500 kHz, 2367 kHz and 243 MHz
Answer: B — 500 kHz, 2182 kHz and 156.8 MHz
The traditional international distress frequencies are 500 kHz (MF radiotelegraphy), 2182 kHz (MF radiotelephony) and 156.8 MHz (VHF Channel 16). Frequencies such as 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz are aeronautical emergency frequencies, and 550 kHz and 2367 kHz are not distress frequencies.

4. The donning time for an immersion suit is

  • A. 2 minutes
  • B. 5 minutes
  • C. 7 minutes
  • D. 9 minutes
Answer: A — 2 minutes
The LSA Code (2.3.1.1) requires that an immersion suit can be unpacked and donned without assistance within 2 minutes, taking into account any associated clothing and a lifejacket if the suit has to be worn with one.

5. A radar reflector is provided in

  • A. Lifeboats only
  • B. Liferafts only
  • C. Rescue boats only
  • D. Lifeboats, liferafts and rescue boats
Answer: D — Lifeboats, liferafts and rescue boats
Under the LSA Code, the equipment of lifeboats, liferafts and rescue boats each includes an efficient radar reflector, unless a survival craft radar transponder (SART) is stowed in the craft, so that the craft can be detected by searching ships' radar.

6. What colour light does a hand flare burn with?

  • A. Bright red
  • B. Orange
  • C. Bright white
  • D. Green
Answer: A — Bright red
The LSA Code (3.2) requires a hand flare to burn with a bright red colour, uniformly distributed, with a luminous intensity of not less than 15,000 cd for not less than 1 minute. Orange is the colour of smoke signals.

7. Which of the following is an LSA Code requirement for a lifejacket?

  • A. It can be correctly donned within 1 minute without assistance
  • B. It can be correctly donned within 2 minutes without assistance
  • C. It can be correctly donned within 5 minutes without assistance
  • D. It can be correctly donned within 10 minutes without assistance
Answer: A — It can be correctly donned within 1 minute without assistance
The LSA Code (2.2.1) requires that a person can correctly don a lifejacket within a period of 1 minute without assistance. The 2-minute donning time applies to immersion suits, not lifejackets.

8. Match the term LIFEJACKET with the most suitable answer given below

  • A. Davit launch
  • B. Whistle and SI light
  • C. Protection against cold
  • D. HRU
Answer: B — Whistle and SI light
Every lifejacket must be fitted with a whistle firmly secured by a lanyard and a lifejacket light, together with retro-reflective tape, as required by the LSA Code. Davit launch relates to boats, protection against cold to TPAs and HRU to liferafts.

9. When a sea anchor for a lifeboat is properly rigged, it will ____.

  • A. Completely stop the lifeboat from drifting
  • B. Help to prevent broaching
  • C. Prevent the lifeboat from pitching
  • D. Increase the speed of the lifeboat downwind
Answer: B — Help to prevent broaching
A properly rigged sea anchor keeps the boat's bow into the sea and reduces drift, which helps to prevent broaching to. It does not stop the drift completely and the boat will still pitch.

10. Which statement is TRUE concerning lifeboat gripes?

  • A. They must be released by freeing a safety shackle.
  • B. They should not be released until the boat is in the lowering position.
  • C. They may be adjusted by a turnbuckle.
  • D. They are normally used only with radial davits.
Answer: C — They may be adjusted by a turnbuckle.
Gripes are wire lashings that hold the lifeboat firmly in its stowed position against the davit cradle. They are tensioned and adjusted with a turnbuckle, and released with a slip hook before the boat is swung out or lowered.

11. Which of the following is NOT a function of the compressed air supply for a fully enclosed lifeboat?

  • A. Provides combustion air for the diesel engine
  • B. Pressurises the water spray system
  • C. Provides air for occupant respiration
  • D. Prevents smoke and other noxious fumes from entering the craft
Answer: B — Pressurises the water spray system
LSA Code 4.8 requires the self-contained air support system to supply air for occupants and the engine for at least 10 minutes while keeping a positive internal pressure that excludes smoke and gases. The water spray is supplied by an engine-driven pump, not by the air bottles.

12. On seagoing ships, each inflatable liferaft must be serviced every ____.

  • A. 12 months
  • B. 24 months
  • C. 36 months
  • D. 48 months
Answer: A — 12 months
SOLAS III/20.8 requires every inflatable liferaft to be serviced at intervals not exceeding 12 months at an approved servicing station; the Administration may extend this to 17 months where it is impracticable.

13. The air spaces in the floor of an inflatable liferaft provide protection against ____.

  • A. Asphyxiation from CO2
  • B. Loss of air in the sides of the raft
  • C. Rough seas
  • D. Cold water temperatures
Answer: D — Cold water temperatures
The inflatable floor of a liferaft acts as an insulating layer between occupants and the sea, as required by LSA Code 4.2.2.2, protecting them from the cold water and reducing heat loss and the risk of hypothermia.

14. Inflatable liferafts shall be serviced at an approved servicing station every 12 months. Where this is impracticable, the total period between services may be extended to not more than ____.

  • A. 12 months
  • B. 15 months
  • C. 17 months
  • D. 18 months
Answer: C — 17 months
SOLAS III/20.8.1 requires servicing at intervals not exceeding 12 months, but where this is impracticable the Administration may extend the period to 17 months. The same rule applies to hydrostatic release units.

15. Power-driven winches on gravity davits are fitted with limit switches to ____.

  • A. Limit the travel of the davit arms
  • B. Sound an audible alarm to stop the davit from moving
  • C. Warn the person launching to stop
  • D. Indicate the lifeboat is fully hoisted
Answer: A — Limit the travel of the davit arms
Limit switches cut off power to the winch motor before the davit arms reach their stops when hoisting, limiting the travel of the arms and preventing over-hoisting that could part the falls or damage the davit.

16. If an inflatable liferaft inflates upside down, you can right it by ____.

  • A. Pushing up on one side
  • B. Standing on the CO2 cylinder, holding the righting straps and throwing your weight backwards
  • C. Getting three or four men to push down on the side containing the CO2 cylinder
  • D. Doing nothing, as it will right itself after the canopy supports inflate
Answer: B — Standing on the CO2 cylinder, holding the righting straps and throwing your weight backwards
To right a capsized liferaft, swim to the side with the CO2 cylinder, climb onto the cylinder, grip the righting straps across the bottom and lean back. The cylinder side lifts and the raft flips over, ideally downwind.

17. The speed of a fully loaded lifeboat proceeding ahead in calm water shall be ____.

  • A. At least 3 knots
  • B. At least 4 knots
  • C. At least 5 knots
  • D. At least 6 knots
Answer: D — At least 6 knots
LSA Code 4.4.6.8 requires the speed of a lifeboat proceeding ahead in calm water, loaded with its full complement and equipment, to be at least 6 knots, and at least 2 knots when towing a 25-person liferaft.

18. The sea painter on a rescue boat should be led ____.

  • A. Forward and outside of all obstructions
  • B. Forward and inside of all obstructions
  • C. Up and down from the main deck
  • D. To the foremost point on the vessel
Answer: A — Forward and outside of all obstructions
The sea painter is led forward from the boat's bow to a point well forward on the ship, clear of and outside all obstructions, so that after release the boat sheers away from the ship's side using the ship's headway.

19. If you must land on a beach through heavy surf in an oar-propelled lifeboat, the recommended method is to ____.

  • A. Keep the bow directly in toward the beach and tow the sea anchor off the stern
  • B. Ride in on the back of a large breaker
  • C. Keep the bow into the seas with the sea anchor out over the bow, and row to meet the breaking waves
  • D. Head directly into the beach by staying between the crests of the waves
Answer: C — Keep the bow into the seas with the sea anchor out over the bow, and row to meet the breaking waves
In heavy surf the boat should approach the beach stern first, with the bow facing the breakers and the sea anchor streamed over the bow. Rowing into each breaker keeps the boat end-on and prevents broaching and capsizing.

20. What is the minimum number of deck officers, able seamen or certificated persons required to be assigned to each lifeboat on a vessel in ocean service?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five
Answer: A — Two
Each lifeboat must have a person in charge and a second-in-command who are deck officers, able seamen or certificated persons, as required by SOLAS III/10.2. Thus at least two such persons are assigned to each boat.

21. When operating the air supply system in a covered lifeboat, the ____.

  • A. Fuel supply valve should be closed
  • B. Hatches, doors and oar ports should be closed
  • C. Air cylinder shut-off valve should be closed
  • D. Engine should be shut off
Answer: B — Hatches, doors and oar ports should be closed
The air supply keeps a slight positive pressure inside the lifeboat to exclude smoke and toxic gases. All hatches, doors and openings must be closed, otherwise air escapes and outside fumes enter the boat.

22. Generally, which gas is used to inflate liferafts?

  • A. CO2
  • B. Oxygen
  • C. Hydrogen
  • D. Compressed air
Answer: A — CO2
Liferafts are inflated by a non-toxic gas, normally carbon dioxide mixed with a small amount of nitrogen to prevent freezing of the valve. LSA Code 4.2.2.3 requires a non-toxic inflation gas.

23. Puncture leaks in the lower tubes or bottom of an inflatable liferaft should FIRST be stopped by using ____.

  • A. Sealing clamps
  • B. Repair tape
  • C. A tube patch
  • D. Sail twine and a vulcanising kit
Answer: A — Sealing clamps
Sealing clamps (leak stoppers) are supplied in the liferaft repair kit under LSA Code 4.1.5. They can be fitted quickly even in a wet or underwater area to stop leaks, before a permanent glued patch is applied.

24. The operating cord on an inflatable liferaft also serves as a ____.

  • A. Lifeline
  • B. Painter
  • C. Drogue
  • D. Marker
Answer: B — Painter
The operating cord, when pulled, fires the CO2 cylinder to inflate the raft. It remains attached to the raft and serves as the painter, holding the raft alongside the ship for boarding until it is cut or the weak link parts.

25. The purpose of a water spray system on a covered lifeboat is to ____.

  • A. Cool the lifeboat engine
  • B. Keep the lifeboat from reaching combustion temperature while operating in a fire
  • C. Keep the lifeboat warm in a cold climate
  • D. Put out a fire inside the lifeboat
Answer: B — Keep the lifeboat from reaching combustion temperature while operating in a fire
A fire-protected lifeboat under LSA Code 4.9 has a water spray system that wets the exterior with sea water, keeping the hull below combustion temperature while the boat passes through burning oil for at least 8 minutes.

26. When collecting condensation for drinking water from the inside of a liferaft, ____.

  • A. A sponge used to mop up and store condensation must be kept salt free
  • B. Only condensation on the bottom of the canopy should be collected
  • C. It should be strained through a finely woven cloth
  • D. Chlorine tablets should be used to make it drinkable
Answer: A — A sponge used to mop up and store condensation must be kept salt free
Condensation inside the canopy is fresh water and can be drunk. The sponge used to collect it must be kept free of salt water, otherwise the collected water is contaminated with salt and becomes unsafe to drink.

27. Which visual distress signal is acceptable for daylight use only?

  • A. Hand-held red flare
  • B. Rocket parachute red flare
  • C. Hand-held orange smoke signal
  • D. Red aerial pyrotechnic flare
Answer: C — Hand-held orange smoke signal
A buoyant orange smoke signal under LSA Code 3.3 is visible only in daylight. Red hand flares and rocket parachute flares are visible both by day and by night.

28. Davit-launched lifeboats must be equipped with ____.

  • A. Tanks for the storage of drinking water
  • B. Ballast tanks to prevent the boat from capsizing
  • C. Buoyant oars or paddles
  • D. Hand-operated Fleming gear
Answer: C — Buoyant oars or paddles
LSA Code 4.4.8.1 requires lifeboats, except free-fall lifeboats, to carry sufficient buoyant oars to make headway in calm seas. Water is carried in containers, not tanks, and mechanical propulsion is by a compression-ignition engine.

29. The engine in a covered lifeboat is fuelled with ____.

  • A. Leaded gasoline
  • B. Unleaded gasoline
  • C. Diesel oil
  • D. Liquefied gas
Answer: C — Diesel oil
LSA Code 4.4.6.1 requires lifeboats to be powered by a compression-ignition engine, so diesel oil with a flashpoint of 43°C or above is used. Petrol engines are not permitted because of the fire risk.

30. On a life float or buoyant apparatus, the lifeline is ____.

  • A. Secured around the sides and ends in bights not longer than three feet
  • B. Woven into a net and secured in the centre of the float
  • C. Used for securing unconscious persons to the sides
  • D. The lanyard for securing provisions
Answer: A — Secured around the sides and ends in bights not longer than three feet
Buoyant apparatus carry a grab line fitted around the outside, secured in loops (bights) of limited length, so that persons in the water can hold on. Short bights keep the line close to the float and easy to grasp.

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