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Free reviewer · Marlins English test for seafarers

Marlins exam reviewer
30 questions with answers and explanations.

A free reviewer for the Marlins English test, section by section: Listening, Grammar, Vocabulary, Time and numbers and Reading. Every question was written by us in the format of the test — none of them is a question from the real test — and every answer comes with the reason it is right.

Start the reviewerHow to use it
  • 30questions
  • 5sections
  • 100 %explained
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01How to use this reviewer

A reviewer works when you answer first and read second. Take a piece of paper, write the numbers 1 to 30, and answer every question before you open a single explanation. Then check your letters against the answer key and count your right answers by section, not only in total. The section where you lose most points is where your next week goes.

  1. Answer in order, without a dictionary. The real test gives you no help, and guessing from the sentence is a skill you need on the day.
  2. Time yourself. The Seafarers test recommends about 60 minutes for 85 questions — around 40 seconds a question. Here, try to finish the 30 in 20 minutes.
  3. Read every explanation, even when you were right. A right answer chosen for the wrong reason is a wrong answer next time.
  4. Write down the rule, not the answer. "After must, no to" helps you with fifty questions. "Number 2 is A" helps you with none — the real test has different questions.
  5. Listen, don't only read. Here the listening items are written out, so they are easier than in the test. Move on to the free practice tests with audio as soon as you can.

A seven-day plan

DayWhat to do (about 45 minutes)
Day 1This reviewer from start to finish, on paper, timed. Check with the answer key and count your score by section.
Day 2Your weakest section: read its explanations again and write down the rule behind each mistake. Then free practice test 1.
Day 3Listening and numbers: practice tests 2 and 3, playing each recording no more than twice before you answer.
Day 4Grammar and vocabulary: practice test 4, then the grammar and vocabulary questions of this reviewer again, without looking at your notes.
Day 5Practice tests 5 and 6. Note which section still costs you points.
Day 6A full timed simulation of 85 questions, if you have an account — or all six practice tests again, in one sitting.
Day 7Light day: your list of rules, fifteen minutes of English audio, and sleep. No new material the night before the test.

Seven days is enough if your English is already good and you only need the format. If the listening items below felt hard even in writing, give yourself four to six weeks and follow the longer plan in how to pass the Marlins test.

02The test this reviewer follows

The Marlins English Language Test for Seafarers is a computer test of maritime English that crewing and manning agencies use before a contract. At the time of writing (October 2026), Marlins publishes it as 85 questions with a recommended time of 60 minutes, in these sections:

Section of the testPoints
Listening comprehension25
Different sounds and pronunciation9
Grammar30
Vocabulary15
Time and numbers5
Reading1 task, several points

Source: Marlins — About the tests. Formats can change; check the page before your test date. There is no pass mark: the score you need is the one your company asks for — see the score Marlins recommends by rank.

This reviewer keeps the same sections in a smaller size. It does not copy the weighting — 30 questions cannot — and two parts of the test cannot be done on paper: the recordings, and the sound-alike words of Different sounds and pronunciation. For those, the listening items below give you the words you would hear, and the practice tests give you the audio.

03Listening (6 questions)

On Marlins' free practice test you hear each recording and may play it twice before you answer. Here the words are written out — so read each one once, cover it, and answer from memory. The right answer usually says the same thing in different words; an option that repeats the recording word for word is often the trap.

Q1Listening

You hear: Chief officer to the bosun: "Bosun, before your men start chipping on the forecastle, get a permit from the bridge. And keep the fire hoses clear of the windlass."

What must the bosun do before the work starts?

  1. AMove the fire hoses onto the windlass
  2. BGet permission from the bridge
  3. CReport to the chief officer on the forecastle
  4. DStart chipping near the windlass
Answer and explanation

B · Get permission from the bridge

"Get a permit from the bridge" means get permission from the bridge. The hoses must be kept away from the windlass ("clear of" it), not put on it, and option D repeats words from the recording without saying what he asked.

Q2Listening

You hear: Engineer on the phone to the bridge: "Engine room here. We've got a high-temperature alarm on number two generator, so I'm taking it off the board and starting number three. You may lose the deck lights for about thirty seconds."

Why may the deck lights go off?

  1. ANumber three generator has broken down
  2. BThe bridge is testing the alarm system
  3. CThe lights need thirty seconds to warm up
  4. DThe engineer is changing generators
Answer and explanation

D · The engineer is changing generators

He stops number two because it is overheating and starts number three: he is changing from one generator to another, and the lights may go off while he does it. Number three is not broken — it is the one he is starting.

Q3Listening

You hear: On the VHF: "Ocean Star, Ocean Star, this is Port Control. Your berth is not ready yet. Proceed to anchorage Alpha and wait for further instructions. Over."

What does Port Control tell the ship to do?

  1. AAnchor and wait to be called again
  2. BGo alongside at reduced speed
  3. CChange to the working channel Alpha
  4. DLeave the port area until tomorrow
Answer and explanation

A · Anchor and wait to be called again

"Proceed to anchorage Alpha and wait for further instructions" means go to the anchorage and wait until Port Control calls again. Alpha is the name of the anchorage, not a channel, and nobody mentions tomorrow.

Q4Listening

You hear: Cook to the messman: "We're short of eggs and the next stores delivery isn't until Thursday. So no omelettes at breakfast till then — put boiled eggs on the menu instead, one each."

What is the problem?

  1. AThe stores delivery arrived late on Thursday
  2. BThe crew have complained about the omelettes
  3. CThere are not enough eggs on board
  4. DThe messman has lost the breakfast menu
Answer and explanation

C · There are not enough eggs on board

"Short of eggs" means there are not enough of them. The delivery is in the future — it has not arrived late — and nobody has complained.

Q5Listening

You hear: Master to the officer of the watch: "If the visibility drops below two miles, call me at once. Don't wait until you have a target on the radar."

When should the officer call the master?

  1. AWhen a target appears on the radar
  2. BWhen visibility is under two miles
  3. COnly when visibility is under one mile
  4. DTwo minutes after the fog starts
Answer and explanation

B · When visibility is under two miles

"Drops below two miles" means is under two miles, and "at once" means immediately. The master says clearly not to wait for a radar target.

Q6Listening

In the Different sounds part of the test you hear a sentence and choose the word or number you heard. Which of these numbers has its strong stress on the SECOND syllable?

  1. Aforty
  2. Bsixty
  3. Cseventy
  4. Dfifteen
Answer and explanation

D · fifteen

The -teen numbers are stressed at the end: fif-TEEN. The -ty numbers are stressed at the start: FOR-ty, SIX-ty, SEV-en-ty. On a recording, listen for where the voice is strongest — the final "n" of fifteen is easy to lose over a radio.

04Grammar (8 questions)

Grammar is the biggest written section of the Seafarers test. The questions are short sentences from life on board with one gap; the mistakes it rewards are the ones you make when you speak fast — tenses, prepositions and "to" after modal verbs.

Q7Grammar

I ______ on this ship since March.

  1. Awork
  2. Bworked
  3. Chave worked
  4. Dwas working
Answer and explanation

C · have worked

"Since March" gives a starting point that continues until now, so English uses the present perfect: I have worked (or I have been working). The past simple would mean the job is finished.

Q8Grammar

You ______ wear a safety harness when you work aloft.

  1. Amust
  2. Bmust to
  3. Chave
  4. Dshould to
Answer and explanation

A · must

After must, should, can and will, the verb comes without "to". "Must to" and "should to" are among the most common mistakes in this section.

Q9Grammar

When we arrived at the berth, the containers ______ by the shore crew.

  1. Awere already discharging
  2. Bhas been discharged
  3. Cdischarge
  4. Dwere being discharged
Answer and explanation

D · were being discharged

The containers did not do the action — the shore crew did it to them — so the sentence needs the passive. "Were being discharged" (past continuous passive) shows the work was in progress at the moment we arrived.

Q10Grammar

If the weather ______ worse, we will postpone the lifeboat drill.

  1. Awill get
  2. Bgets
  3. Cwould get
  4. Dgot
Answer and explanation

B · gets

This is a real possibility (first conditional): the "if" part takes the present simple and the other part takes "will". Do not put "will" after "if" in this pattern.

Q11Grammar

The second engineer asked me where ______.

  1. Ais the spare filter
  2. Bwas the spare filter
  3. Cthe spare filter was
  4. Dthe spare filter is it
Answer and explanation

C · the spare filter was

In a reported question the word order is the order of a statement: subject first, then the verb (the spare filter was). Question order — "where was the filter?" — is only for direct questions.

Q12Grammar

We have run out of paint, ______ we can't finish the hatch covers today.

  1. Aso
  2. Bbecause
  3. Calthough
  4. Dunless
Answer and explanation

A · so

The first part is the cause and the second part is the result, and "so" introduces a result. "Because" would introduce the cause; "although" shows a contrast.

Q13Grammar

The vessel arrived ______ Manila ______ Tuesday morning.

  1. Ato / in
  2. Bat / in
  3. Cin / at
  4. Din / on
Answer and explanation

D · in / on

We arrive in a city or a country (and at a smaller place, like a berth or a terminal) — never "arrive to". Days take "on": on Tuesday, on Tuesday morning.

Q14Grammar

There isn't ______ fresh water left in tank number 4.

  1. Amany
  2. Bmuch
  3. Ca few
  4. Dsome
Answer and explanation

B · much

Water is uncountable, so it takes "much"; "many" and "a few" go with things you can count, like litres or tanks. In a negative sentence we say "much" or "any", not "some".

05Vocabulary (7 questions)

The vocabulary section tests the word used on board, which is not always the word in the dictionary. Some of these words you already know with another meaning — that is exactly why they are tested.

Q15Vocabulary

Before the ship goes alongside, the crew throw a light ______ ashore, and the shore team use it to pull in the heavy mooring ropes.

  1. Alanyard
  2. Bsling
  3. Cheaving line
  4. Dmooring winch
Answer and explanation

C · heaving line

A heaving line is a light rope with a weight at the end, thrown first so that the heavy mooring line can be pulled across after it. A lanyard is a short cord, a sling is used for lifting, and a winch is a machine, not something you throw.

Q16Vocabulary

The ______ is the front end of the ship.

  1. Abow
  2. Bstern
  3. Cbeam
  4. Dkeel
Answer and explanation

A · bow

The bow is the front; the stern is the back. The beam is the width of the ship, and the keel is the backbone along the bottom.

Q17Vocabulary

Please ______ the fuel oil tanks at the start of every watch and write the levels in the log.

  1. Ahear
  2. Bring
  3. Clisten
  4. Dsound
Answer and explanation

D · sound

To sound a tank is to measure how deep the liquid in it is, usually with a sounding tape. It has nothing to do with noise: a word you know, with a ship's meaning.

Q18Vocabulary

"The ship is listing to port." This means the ship is ______.

  1. Aturning to the left
  2. Bleaning to the left
  3. Cgoing astern
  4. Dwaiting for a port
Answer and explanation

B · leaning to the left

A list is a lean to one side that stays, usually because of the cargo or the water in the tanks; port is the left side, looking forward. A ship turning to the left is "altering course to port".

Q19Vocabulary

The cook is in the ______, preparing lunch.

  1. Agangway
  2. Bwheelhouse
  3. Cgalley
  4. Dhold
Answer and explanation

C · galley

The galley is the ship's kitchen. The wheelhouse is on the bridge, the hold carries the cargo, and the gangway is the way on and off the ship.

Q20Vocabulary

Visitors are coming on board this afternoon. Can you ______ the gangway and put a safety net under it?

  1. Arig
  2. Bdress
  3. Cbuild
  4. Dlay
Answer and explanation

A · rig

To rig something is to set it up ready for use: rig the gangway, rig the pilot ladder, rig a fire hose.

Q21Vocabulary

The immigration officer asked to see the ______, the document with the name, rank and nationality of everyone on board.

  1. Abill of lading
  2. Bcrew list
  3. Clogbook
  4. Dcargo manifest
Answer and explanation

B · crew list

The crew list names everyone on board. A bill of lading and a cargo manifest are about the cargo, and the logbook records the voyage.

06Time and numbers (5 questions)

A small section with expensive mistakes: one wrong digit is a wrong answer. On board, times are written with four digits and no colon (1430), and positions and channels are read one digit at a time.

Q22Time and numbers

You hear: "The pilot will board at half past two in the afternoon."

How is that time written in the 24-hour clock?

  1. A0230
  2. B1230
  3. C1530
  4. D1430
Answer and explanation

D · 1430

Half past two is 2:30; in the afternoon you add twelve hours, so 1430. 0230 would be in the middle of the night.

Q23Time and numbers

You hear: "Breakfast is from six to eight, and dinner starts at a quarter to seven in the evening."

What time does dinner start?

  1. A0645
  2. B1915
  3. C1845
  4. D1715
Answer and explanation

C · 1845

A quarter to seven is fifteen minutes before seven: 6:45. In the evening that is 1845. "A quarter past seven" would be 1915.

Q24Time and numbers

You hear: "Our position is one four degrees, three five minutes north."

Which latitude did you hear?

  1. A14° 35' N
  2. B14° 53' N
  3. C40° 35' N
  4. D41° 35' N
Answer and explanation

A · 14° 35' N

Positions are read digit by digit: one-four is 14 and three-five is 35. Do not swap the digits (53), and do not hear "four" as "forty".

Q25Time and numbers

You hear: "We still have one thousand two hundred and fifty tonnes to load."

How much cargo is left to load?

  1. A1,025 tonnes
  2. B1,250 tonnes
  3. C12,050 tonnes
  4. D125,000 tonnes
Answer and explanation

B · 1,250 tonnes

One thousand (1,000) plus two hundred (200) plus fifty (50) makes 1,250. In British English "and" comes before the tens; it does not add a zero.

Q26Time and numbers

You hear: "We sail on the twenty-first, three days after we arrive."

On which date does the ship arrive?

  1. Athe 24th
  2. Bthe 3rd
  3. Cthe 18th
  4. Dthe 19th
Answer and explanation

C · the 18th

The ship arrives first and sails three days later, so count back from the 21st: 21 − 3 = 18. The 24th would be three days after sailing.

07Reading (4 questions)

In the test, Reading is one task worth several points — a short text with gaps, a word bank or headings for paragraphs. Here you practise the skill under all three: reading a short notice for the detail that answers the question. Read the notice once, then answer.

Notice to all crew — fire and abandon ship drill

A fire and abandon ship drill will take place on Friday at 1000. When the general alarm sounds, go to your muster station with your lifejacket, hard hat and immersion suit.

Crew on watch in the engine room must stay at their posts until the chief engineer releases them. Cooks must switch off all galley equipment before they leave.

Weather permitting, the drill will end with lifeboat No. 1 being lowered to the water. Anyone who has joined the ship in the last seven days must see the safety officer before the drill starts. — Chief Officer

Q27Reading

What must you take to your muster station?

  1. AOnly your lifejacket
  2. BYour immersion suit and a fire hose
  3. CNothing, because all the equipment is kept at the station
  4. DYour lifejacket, hard hat and immersion suit
Answer and explanation

D · Your lifejacket, hard hat and immersion suit

The notice lists three things: lifejacket, hard hat and immersion suit. Option A stops at the first one, and the notice says nothing about fire hoses.

Q28Reading

Who must stay at their post when the alarm sounds?

  1. AEngine room crew on watch
  2. BThe cooks
  3. CCrew members who joined this week
  4. DThe chief officer
Answer and explanation

A · Engine room crew on watch

Engine-room crew on watch stay at their posts until the chief engineer releases them. The cooks leave after switching off the galley equipment, and new crew members see the safety officer before the drill.

Q29Reading

When will lifeboat No. 1 NOT be lowered?

  1. AIf the drill starts after 1000
  2. BIf the chief engineer is busy
  3. CIf the weather is bad
  4. DIf new crew are on board
Answer and explanation

C · If the weather is bad

"Weather permitting" means only if the weather allows it. In bad weather the lifeboat stays in its davits.

Q30Reading

A cook joined the ship four days ago. What must he do BEFORE the drill?

  1. ALower lifeboat No. 1
  2. BSee the safety officer
  3. CSwitch on the galley equipment
  4. DWait in the galley for the chief engineer
Answer and explanation

B · See the safety officer

Anyone who joined in the last seven days must see the safety officer before the drill. Switching off (not on) the galley equipment is what he does later, when the alarm sounds and he leaves.

08Answer key and what your score means

Show the answer key (30 answers)
  • 1B
  • 2D
  • 3A
  • 4C
  • 5B
  • 6D
  • 7C
  • 8A
  • 9D
  • 10B
  • 11C
  • 12A
  • 13D
  • 14B
  • 15C
  • 16A
  • 17D
  • 18B
  • 19C
  • 20A
  • 21B
  • 22D
  • 23C
  • 24A
  • 25B
  • 26C
  • 27D
  • 28A
  • 29C
  • 30B

Count your right answers in each section, then look at the section, not the total. A reviewer of 30 questions cannot predict a Marlins percentage — it can tell you where you lose points.

Your result in a sectionWhat to do next
All right, or one wrongKeep it warm with one practice test a day and move your time to the weakest section.
Half right or moreRead every explanation of that section again, write down the rule of each mistake, and do the same section in two free practice tests.
Fewer than halfThis is your section. Give it most of your days before the test — and if it is Listening, start listening to English every day now, not only in practice.

09Free practice tests and guides

12 more short tests, with the recordings this page cannot give you: ten questions each, two with audio, the answer explained. Your employer asked for the cruise ship or the offshore test? Their series are below the Seafarers one.

Seafarers test (deck and engine)6 tests · 4 options per question

Cruise ship staff test3 tests · 3 options per question

Offshore workers test3 tests · 3 options per question

Before you book, read how to pass the Marlins test, section by section, what score you need for your rank and what the test costs and how long the certificate is valid. If your company also asks for the speaking test, practise with the TOSE interview questions for your job.

10Questions about the reviewer

Are these the actual Marlins test questions?

No. Every question on this page was written by Nauti Test Pro in the format of the Marlins test for seafarers; none of them is a question from the real test. Lists that call themselves "actual" or "leaked" Marlins questions are, at best, items remembered after the test — often with wrong answers — and the real test does not repeat them for you anyway. What carries over is the skill: the grammar rules, the shipboard words and the habit of listening for the detail.

How many questions does the real Marlins test have?

The Marlins English Language Test for Seafarers has 85 questions with a recommended time of 60 minutes, at the time of writing (October 2026): 25 Listening comprehension, 9 Different sounds and pronunciation, 30 Grammar, 15 Vocabulary, 5 Time and numbers and one Reading task worth several points. The Cruise Ship Staff test has 50 questions. Marlins describes the Offshore Workers test with 85 questions, but its reading task is one screen with six gaps, so you see 80 screens.

What is the passing score of the Marlins test?

There is no pass mark. You get a percentage, and the company or flag state that sent you decides whether it is enough. Marlins recommends a minimum for each rank, from 45 % to 85 % — the page on the Marlins test score has the full list, rank by rank.

How long should I review before the Marlins test?

If your English is already good and you only need the format, a week of daily practice like the plan on this page is usually enough. If the listening items felt hard even in writing, give yourself four to six weeks and listen to spoken English every day — reading a reviewer does not train your ear.

Where can I practise the listening part with audio?

The 12 free practice tests linked on this page each have two recordings you can play twice, like on Marlins' free practice test. Members get the full bank: 2,464 questions, 510 of them recorded, with a timed simulation of the whole test.

Is this reviewer good for the cruise ship or offshore test?

Grammar, vocabulary and numbers work the same way in all three written tests, so most of this page helps. The cruise and offshore tests use three options per question and different situations — guests and service for cruise staff, platforms and drilling for offshore workers — and each has its own free practice series, linked above.

Do I need an account to use the reviewer?

No. The reviewer and the free practice tests are free and need no sign-up. An account is only for the full bank and the timed simulation.

Then take the full simulation

When the reviewer and the free tests feel easy, take the real size: our bank has 2,464 questions in the format of the test, 510 of them recorded, and a timed 85-question simulation scored section by section against the minimum for your rank. International accounts start with free tokens.

Create a free accountHow the practice works