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PST exit exam questions and answers — Set 5

Set 5 of the Personal Survival Techniques (PST) exit exam bank — 30 of 268 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 5 — 30 PST exit exam questions with answers

1. What is the working duration of a Man Overboard (MOB) smoke float?

  • A. 30 minutes
  • B. 15 minutes
  • C. 5 minutes
  • D. 10 minutes
Answer: B — 15 minutes
MOB smoke floats, attached to lifebuoys, are designed to produce dense orange smoke for at least 15 minutes to provide a visual marker for locating a person in the water.

2. Lifeboats can be safely lowered using painters when the vessel is making headway up to a speed of:

  • A. 5 knots
  • B. 10 knots
  • C. 12 knots
  • D. 2 knots
Answer: A — 5 knots
Modern lifeboats are designed for launching while a ship has headway. Regulations and testing ensure they can be safely launched using painters at a speed of up to 5 knots in calm water.

3. How much water is provided in a standard life raft per person?

  • A. 3 liters
  • B. 1 liter
  • C. 1.5 liters
  • D. 0.5 liters
Answer: C — 1.5 liters
To ensure survival during the critical first days after abandonment, SOLAS requires that 1.5 liters of fresh water be provided for every person the survival craft is certified to carry.

4. What is the minimum number of lifebuoys required on a cargo ship of length over 200 meters?

  • A. 14
  • B. 12
  • C. 8
  • D. 10
Answer: A — 14
For a vessel over 200 meters, the number of lifebuoys required by SOLAS is 14. This quantity is mandated to ensure rapid accessibility from any point on the deck during an emergency.

5. What is the percentage requirement for child life jackets on a cargo vessel?

  • A. 15 percent
  • B. 20 percent
  • C. 5 percent
  • D. 10 percent
Answer: D — 10 percent
SOLAS requires that vessels carry lifejackets for all persons on board, plus an additional 10% for children, to ensure there are correctly sized life-saving appliances for all passengers and crew.

6. Once you hear the fire alarm, where must you proceed?

  • A. Proceed to your designated muster station
  • B. To the bridge
  • C. To your cabin to sleep
  • D. To the lifeboats directly
Answer: A — Proceed to your designated muster station
Upon hearing the fire alarm or general emergency alarm, all crew must proceed immediately to their designated muster station as specified in the Muster List. This ensures accountability and allows for the orderly execution of emergency procedures.

7. What is the regulatory donning time allowed for an immersion suit?

  • A. 1 minute
  • B. 3 minutes
  • C. 2 minutes
  • D. 5 minutes
Answer: C — 2 minutes
According to the LSA Code, an immersion suit must be designed to be donned within a period of 2 minutes, excluding the removal of any clothing, ensuring rapid response in survival situations.

8. When a group of persons is floating in cold water without a craft, they should form which protective position?

  • A. Horizontal starfish position
  • B. Huddle position
  • C. Single line position
  • D. Swimming in circles
Answer: B — Huddle position
The huddle position is a heat escape lessening posture (HELP) used by survivors in cold water to minimize heat loss through radiation and conduction by keeping trunks close together.

9. Which one of the listed requirements regarding rigid life rafts does NOT correspond to present regulations?

  • A. All the entrances must be fitted with rigid boarding ramps for boarding life rafts at sea
  • B. It shall be fitted with an efficient painter
  • C. It must be highly visible
  • D. The floor shall prevent the ingress of water
Answer: A — All the entrances must be fitted with rigid boarding ramps for boarding life rafts at sea
While life rafts are equipped with boarding ladders or means to assist access, rigid boarding ramps are not a universal requirement for all life rafts.

10. Checking and servicing life rafts as per the Planned Maintenance System (PMS) is carried out:

  • A. Monthly
  • B. Every 2 years
  • C. Once every 6 months
  • D. Once a year (Every 12 months)
Answer: D — Once a year (Every 12 months)
SOLAS regulations require that life rafts must be serviced at an approved shore-based facility at intervals not exceeding 12 months to ensure the integrity of the raft, inflation system, and emergency packs.

11. Before lifting a lifeboat from the water back to its davits, it must be ensured that:

  • A. The drain plug is wide open
  • B. Falls are clear and secured tightly (hooked securely)
  • C. The engine is still running at full speed
  • D. All gear is thrown overboard
Answer: B — Falls are clear and secured tightly (hooked securely)
For the safe recovery of a lifeboat, it is critical to ensure that the falls are properly secured to the hooks and the release gear is in the correct position to prevent accidental disengagement during hoisting.

12. Which one of the listed routine tests and inspections of LSA is NOT required on a daily/weekly basis by present regulations?

  • A. Lifeboat engine test weekly
  • B. Testing of life jacket lights
  • C. General emergency alarm to be tested daily
  • D. Inspection of lifeboats weekly
Answer: C — General emergency alarm to be tested daily
The General Emergency Alarm is required to be tested periodically (e.g., weekly), but there is no regulatory requirement for it to be tested on a daily basis.

13. Lifeboats should have:

  • A. No rescue lines attached
  • B. One rescue quoit with a 10-meter line
  • C. Wire lines instead of ropes
  • D. Two buoyant rescue quoits attached to not less than 30 meters of buoyant line
Answer: D — Two buoyant rescue quoits attached to not less than 30 meters of buoyant line
The LSA Code stipulates that every lifeboat must carry two buoyant rescue quoits, each attached to a buoyant line of at least 30 meters, to facilitate the rescue of a person in the water.

14. The luminous intensity of a hand flare should not be less than:

  • A. 15,000 cd
  • B. 5,000 cd
  • C. 20,000 cd
  • D. 10,000 cd
Answer: A — 15,000 cd
The LSA Code mandates that hand flares must have a luminous intensity of not less than 15,000 candela to ensure visibility during distress signaling.

15. A Line Throwing Apparatus (LTA) is fundamentally used to pass a:

  • A. Messenger line
  • B. Anchor chain
  • C. Fuel hose line
  • D. Heavy mooring wire
Answer: A — Messenger line
The Line Throwing Apparatus is a pyrotechnic device designed to fire a projectile carrying a thin 'messenger line' from one ship to another or to shore, which is then used to pull over heavier tow lines or moorings.

16. A life jacket light shall have a source of energy capable of providing a luminous intensity of ______ for a period of ______:

  • A. 1.5 cd / 2 hours
  • B. 10 cd / 12 hours
  • C. 0.75 cd / 8 hours
  • D. 0.5 cd / 4 hours
Answer: C — 0.75 cd / 8 hours
Read as 0.75 cd in standard LSA code

17. Lifeboats must be stored in such a way on a cargo ship that they can be fully launched within a maximum of:

  • A. 10 minutes
  • B. 15 minutes
  • C. 30 minutes
  • D. 5 minutes
Answer: A — 10 minutes
SOLAS regulations require that cargo ships be fitted with survival craft that can be boarded and launched within a maximum period of 10 minutes to ensure quick evacuation.

18. Where are additional life jackets kept on board a vessel?

  • A. In conspicuous, clearly marked places on deck or at muster stations
  • B. Hidden inside cabins
  • C. Locked inside the steering gear room
  • D. In the paint locker
Answer: A — In conspicuous, clearly marked places on deck or at muster stations
Life jackets must be stowed in conspicuous and clearly marked places, such as near cabin entrances or at muster stations, to ensure they are immediately accessible during an emergency.

19. Which of the listed requirements regarding the storage of lifeboats and life rafts does NOT correspond to present Solas regulations?

  • A. Life rafts intended for throw-overboard launching shall be stored amidships secured to means for transfer to either side
  • B. They must be stored in a state of continuous readiness
  • C. They must be safely secured
  • D. They must not interfere with other survival craft
Answer: A — Life rafts intended for throw-overboard launching shall be stored amidships secured to means for transfer to either side
Life rafts intended for throw-overboard launching do not need to be stored amidships; they are typically stored near the ship's side to facilitate a quick, direct drop into the water.

20. Vessels of 100 meters and over in length should have a minimum of how many lifebuoys?

  • A. 8 lifebuoys
  • B. 12 lifebuoys
  • C. 6 lifebuoys
  • D. 10 lifebuoys
Answer: D — 10 lifebuoys
According to the LSA Code, for vessels of 100 meters and over in length, a minimum of 10 lifebuoys is required to be distributed along the sides of the ship.

21. The function of a hydrostatic release unit (HRU) is:

  • A. To automatically unhook the lashing and release the life raft when the ship sinks
  • B. To launch the lifeboat manually
  • C. To pump water out of the life raft
  • D. To measure the depth of the sea
Answer: A — To automatically unhook the lashing and release the life raft when the ship sinks
A Hydrostatic Release Unit (HRU) is a pressure-sensitive device that automatically releases the life raft's lashing when submerged to a depth of 1.5 to 4 meters, allowing the raft to float free as the ship sinks.

22. What are the characteristics of Carbon Dioxide (CO2)?

  • A. It is bright green in color
  • B. It is heavier than oxygen
  • C. It is lighter than oxygen
  • D. It supports combustion
Answer: B — It is heavier than oxygen
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless gas that is heavier than air (and oxygen). It suppresses fire by displacing oxygen in the environment, effectively smothering the fire.

23. Which one of the listed requirements regarding buoyant smoke signals does NOT correspond to present regulations? The buoyant smoke signal shall:

  • A. Give a bright red light during the entire emission time
  • B. Not ignite explosively
  • C. Emit smoke of a highly visible color
  • D. Continue to emit smoke when submerged in water
Answer: A — Give a bright red light during the entire emission time
Smoke signals emit smoke, not a bright light

24. Which one of the listed requirements regarding the launching and recovery arrangements for survival craft corresponds to present Solas regulations?

  • A. Only manual hand-cranks can be used for lowering
  • B. Launching and recovery arrangements shall be such that the operator at all times observes the survival craft and lifeboats
  • C. The operator on deck cannot see the craft during lowering
  • D. Launching must take at least 1 hour
Answer: B — Launching and recovery arrangements shall be such that the operator at all times observes the survival craft and lifeboats
Launching and recovery systems must be designed so that the operator in charge of the launching procedure has a clear view of the survival craft throughout the entire process to maintain safety.

25. Which one of the listed requirements regarding a lifeboat's propulsion system does NOT correspond to present regulations?

  • A. The engine must run on fuel with a flashpoint of 43°C or less
  • B. The engine must be capable of starting at 15°C below zero
  • C. The engine shall be provided with an electric power starting system with rechargeable energy batteries only
  • D. The engine must be an internal combustion engine
Answer: C — The engine shall be provided with an electric power starting system with rechargeable energy batteries only
Lifeboats must have secondary manual/hydraulic starting mechanisms

26. Which one of the listed requirements regarding abandon ship and fire drills does NOT correspond to present regulations?

  • A. Drills must be recorded in the logbook
  • B. Passengers must be trained to launch lifeboats
  • C. On all short international voyages, muster of passengers shall take place as soon as possible after departure
  • D. Every crew member must participate monthly
Answer: C — On all short international voyages, muster of passengers shall take place as soon as possible after departure
For short voyages, it should be before or immediately at departure

27. After the first 24 hours in a life raft, how much water is allocated per person per day?

  • A. 0.5 Liter (half liter)
  • B. 1.5 Liters
  • C. 2 Liters
  • D. 1 Liter
Answer: A — 0.5 Liter (half liter)
To preserve physiological function in a survival situation, the intake of water is restricted. For the first 24 hours, no water is consumed, followed by a ration of 0.5 liters per person per day.

28. Which of the following items shall be included in each fire drill?

  • A. Painting the fire hydrants
  • B. Checking the operation of watertight doors, fire doors, fire dampers, and relevant communication equipment
  • C. Dismantling the main fire pump
  • D. Emptying all fuel tanks
Answer: B — Checking the operation of watertight doors, fire doors, fire dampers, and relevant communication equipment
Fire drills must be realistic and include the operation of fire pumps, communication equipment, and the closing of fire-resisting doors and dampers to ensure all crew are familiar with fire-fighting systems.

29. How should the painter of a life raft fitted with a hydrostatic release unit be secured to the ship?

  • A. Shackled directly to a heavy structural frame
  • B. Tied to the railing with a simple knot
  • C. Secured via a weak link to a secure point on the ship
  • D. Left loose on the deck
Answer: C — Secured via a weak link to a secure point on the ship
The painter is attached to the ship via a 'weak link' so that if the ship sinks, the hydrostatic release unit activates, the raft floats free, and the painter eventually breaks, preventing the raft from being dragged down.

30. Which one of the listed requirements regarding partially enclosed lifeboats does NOT correspond to present regulations? The canopy between rigid covers shall be:

  • A. Easily erectable
  • B. Completely opaque with no light entering
  • C. Insulated against cold and heat
  • D. It has windows to admit sufficient daylight inside the boat with the canopy closed
Answer: D — It has windows to admit sufficient daylight inside the boat with the canopy closed
Partially enclosed lifeboats must have a canopy that provides protection but also includes windows to allow daylight to enter, ensuring the interior is not completely dark for the occupants.

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