TheorySTCW Basic Safety Training
Practice Test
Practice the four STCW Basic Safety modules - survival, firefighting, first aid and PSSR - before you join a vessel.
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STCW Basic Safety Training exam — full Q&A walkthrough
Every question read aloud with the answer explained. Play it on your commute, then test yourself.
30 free STCW Basic Safety Training questions
Sampled across every topic area — not just the first page. Try them as a quiz or flip them as flashcards.
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STCW Convention & Safety Overview
What does the abbreviation STCW stand for?
Correct — B. STCW is the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, adopted by the IMO in 1978 and amended since. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
Which organisation adopted the STCW Convention?
Correct — C. The STCW Convention was adopted under the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
Basic Safety Training (BST) is mandatory for which seafarers?
Correct — A. Under STCW, all seafarers with designated safety, pollution-prevention or emergency duties must complete Basic Safety Training before being assigned shipboard duties. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
How many separate modules make up STCW Basic Safety Training?
Correct — D. BST comprises four modules: Personal Survival Techniques; Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting; Elementary First Aid; and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
How often must seafarers normally refresh their core Basic Safety Training certificates?
Correct — B. STCW requires seafarers to provide evidence of continued competence; core BST certificates such as survival craft and fire fighting are typically revalidated every five years. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
What is the primary purpose of an emergency muster list (station bill)?
Correct — C. The muster list assigns every crew member specific emergency duties and the station to report to, so that response is organised and nobody is left without a role. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
On hearing the general emergency alarm, a seafarer should first:
Correct — A. The general emergency alarm signals all crew to proceed to their muster stations with lifejackets and any assigned equipment to await instructions. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
What is the recognised general emergency alarm signal on board ships?
Correct — B. The general emergency alarm is seven or more short blasts followed by one prolonged blast on the ship's whistle and alarm system. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
A safety drill on board is intended mainly to:
Correct — C. Drills build familiarity so that, in a real emergency, crew react quickly and correctly without hesitation. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
Who has overall command and responsibility for safety on a ship?
Correct — A. The master holds overall command and ultimate responsibility for the safety of the ship, crew, passengers and cargo. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
The term 'situational awareness' on board means:
Correct — D. Situational awareness is the ongoing perception of your environment and the ability to anticipate hazards before they become emergencies. -
STCW Convention & Safety Overview
Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be:
Correct — B. PPE must be inspected before each use for damage and worn whenever the risk assessment for the task calls for it. -
Personal Survival Techniques
What is the main purpose of a lifejacket?
Correct — B. A lifejacket is designed to keep the wearer afloat and to turn an unconscious person face-up so the airway stays clear of the water. -
Personal Survival Techniques
Before jumping into the water wearing a lifejacket, you should:
Correct — C. Check the water below is clear, keep feet together, hold the lifejacket down and cover the nose/mouth, look straight ahead and step off feet-first to avoid injury and the jacket riding up. -
Personal Survival Techniques
The 'HELP' (Heat Escape Lessening Posture) is used to:
Correct — A. HELP means drawing the knees up to the chest and keeping the arms close to the sides to protect the body's high heat-loss areas and slow the onset of hypothermia. -
Personal Survival Techniques
When several survivors are in the water without a liferaft, the 'huddle' technique is used to:
Correct — D. Huddling close together conserves heat among survivors and keeps the group together, making them easier to spot and rescue. -
Personal Survival Techniques
Hypothermia is best described as:
Correct — B. Hypothermia is the lowering of the body's core temperature below normal, which in cold water can quickly become life-threatening. -
Personal Survival Techniques
The greatest danger in the first minutes of sudden immersion in cold water is:
Correct — C. Cold-shock causes an involuntary gasp and rapid breathing on sudden immersion; if the head is underwater this can lead to inhaling water and drowning. -
Personal Survival Techniques
Why should you board a liferaft as dry as possible and keep the floor inflated?
Correct — A. Staying dry and inflating the insulated floor greatly reduces heat loss to the cold sea, improving survival time. -
Personal Survival Techniques
A SART (Search and Rescue Transponder) is used to:
Correct — B. A SART responds to a ship's or aircraft's radar, producing a series of blips that lead rescuers to the survival craft. -
Personal Survival Techniques
An EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon) works by:
Correct — C. An EPIRB transmits a coded distress alert with the vessel's identity and position through the Cospas-Sarsat satellite system to alert rescue coordination centres. -
Personal Survival Techniques
Most modern EPIRBs are designed to activate:
Correct — A. A float-free EPIRB releases from its bracket and activates automatically on contact with water if the vessel sinks; it can also be switched on manually. -
Personal Survival Techniques
Drinking seawater when adrift is dangerous because it:
Correct — D. Seawater's high salt content forces the body to use more water to excrete it, worsening dehydration and damaging the kidneys. -
Personal Survival Techniques
In a liferaft, the recommended daily ration of fresh water for a survivor (after the first day) is roughly:
Correct — B. Survival rationing typically limits intake to around half a litre per person per day to extend the supply; usually no water is taken in the first 24 hours to let the body adjust. -
Personal Survival Techniques
Seasickness in a liferaft should be treated promptly because it:
Correct — C. Vomiting from seasickness causes dehydration and weakness, so anti-seasickness tablets are taken early to preserve fluids and strength. -
Personal Survival Techniques
The sea anchor (drogue) streamed from a liferaft is used to:
Correct — A. A sea anchor reduces the raft's downwind drift, helps keep it near the last known position for searchers and reduces capsizing in rough seas. -
Personal Survival Techniques
After boarding a liferaft, an early priority is to:
Correct — B. Once clear of the sinking ship the painter is released, the sea anchor is streamed, and survivors look for and assist others before settling into survival routine. -
Personal Survival Techniques
Pyrotechnic distress signals (flares) should be used:
Correct — C. Flares are a limited resource and should be fired only when rescuers are likely to see them, to avoid wasting the supply. -
Personal Survival Techniques
A red parachute rocket distress signal is intended to:
Correct — A. A red parachute rocket climbs high and burns brightly while descending by parachute, giving long-range visibility for locating survivors. -
Personal Survival Techniques
The immersion (survival) suit is designed to:
Correct — D. An immersion suit gives thermal insulation and buoyancy, greatly slowing hypothermia; some types still require a lifejacket for face-up flotation.
STCW Basic Safety Training sample questions
Tap any question below to reveal the answer and a plain-English explanation.
Personal Survival Techniques Why should survivors in the water keep movement to a minimum in cold conditions?
A. To save the lifejacket battery
B. Movement increases blood flow to the skin and speeds heat loss ✓
C. It makes them harder to see
D. It uses up the SART
Correct — B. Swimming or thrashing pumps warm blood to the cold extremities and surface, accelerating core cooling, so survivors should stay as still as practicable.
Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting The three elements that must be present for a fire to burn are known as the:
A. Fire triangle of water, foam and sand
B. Three Ps: prevent, protect, put out
C. Fire triangle of fuel, heat and oxygen ✓
D. Three alarms
Correct — C. Fire needs fuel, heat and oxygen - the fire triangle. Removing any one of the three extinguishes the fire.
Elementary First Aid The recommended first step on finding a collapsed casualty is to:
A. Start chest compressions immediately
B. Check the scene is safe before approaching ✓
C. Give the casualty water
D. Move the casualty to their cabin
Correct — B. Rescuer safety comes first: check for ongoing hazards before approaching, or you may become a second casualty.
Personal Safety & Social Responsibility The main purpose of an enclosed-space entry permit is to:
A. Record who is on leave
B. Ensure the space is tested, ventilated and safe before anyone enters ✓
C. Charge for entry
D. List the cargo
Correct — B. An entry permit confirms the atmosphere has been tested and is safe, the space is ventilated, and proper precautions and standby arrangements are in place.
Real Exam Practice The general emergency alarm sounds. What should you do?
A. Run to the bridge for instructions
B. Go to the assigned muster station and follow the muster list ✓
C. Launch the nearest liferaft immediately
D. Collect personal luggage before reporting
Correct — B. The general emergency alarm starts the muster process, not individual improvisation. Reporting to the assigned station lets the crew account for everyone and carry out the shipboard emergency plan quickly.
Personal Survival Techniques What information is most useful to broadcast in a distress message before abandoning ship?
A. The crew's favourite food
B. The cargo manifest value
C. Vessel identity, position, nature of distress and number of persons on board ✓
D. The weather forecast for next week
Correct — C. A distress message should give the ship's name/call sign, position, the nature of the emergency, assistance required and number of persons on board.
Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting Extinguishing a fire by 'cooling' works by removing which element of the fire triangle?
A. Fuel
B. Heat ✓
C. Oxygen
D. Smoke
Correct — B. Cooling, typically with water, removes heat from the fire and brings the fuel below its ignition temperature.
Elementary First Aid The sequence used to assess and treat a casualty is often remembered as:
A. RICE
B. FAST
C. DR ABC (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation) ✓
D. PASS
Correct — C. DR ABC prompts the rescuer to check Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing and Circulation in a structured order.
About the STCW Basic Safety Training test
Get ready for your STCW Basic Safety Training (BST) with confidence. Basic Safety Training is mandatory under the IMO STCW Convention for seafarers assigned shipboard safety and emergency duties. This app covers all four BST modules so you can walk into your course or assessment fully prepared.
What you get
- 120+ original practice questions across the four mandatory modules: Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid, and Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities.
- Plain-English explanations for every answer so you understand the reasoning, not just the correct option.
- Timed mock exams that mirror a real assessment format and pass mark.
- Study by topic to focus on your weak spots.
- Available in English, Tagalog (Filipino), Hindi, Indonesian and Chinese.
You will be tested on
- Personal survival techniques
- Fire prevention and firefighting
- Elementary first aid at sea
- Personal safety and social responsibility (PSSR)
How TheoryPractice helps you pass
- Real exam-style questions with instant, detailed explanations
- Full timed mock exams that mirror the real test format
- Flashcards & quiz modes from the same question bank
- Progress tracking so you know exactly when you're ready
Topics in this question bank
Personal survival techniques
Fire prevention and firefighting
Elementary first aid at sea
Personal safety and social responsibility (PSSR)
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