Detail, not adjectives
"A sixty-thousand-tonne bulk carrier on the grain trade" says more than "a big ship". Rank, ship type, cargo, route, numbers.
Nauti Test ProIndependent practice · Marlins Test of Spoken English (TOSE)
Marlins TOSE questions
interview questions by job, with what the assessor listens for.
48 speaking questions and 8 role-plays in four tracks — deck officers, engineers, ratings and hotel staff — each with the three things a good answer shows, and one model answer per track to read and listen to. The questions are ours, written on the topics the interview covers; they are not the assessor's own script.
- 48questions
- 8role-plays
- 4tracks by job
- Freeno sign-up to read
01How to practise with these questions
The TOSE is a conversation with a person, so reading questions is only half the work: answer every one aloud. The interview starts with questions about you and your job and then moves to a situation to describe, a topic to discuss and a role-play — the four groups below follow that order. If you want the format and the six levels first, read Marlins TOSE format and levels.
- Pick your track and start with the Part A questions — they are the easiest and they set the tone of the whole interview.
- Record yourself on your phone. Aim for one to two minutes per question: three or four sentences is too short to show your level.
- Check your recording against "the assessor listens for". Those three points are what makes an answer complete — did you give the detail, use the right tense, explain why?
- Read the model answer of your track, then answer the same question again in your own words. Do not learn it by heart: an answer recited from memory sounds recited.
- Do the role-plays with a friend or a colleague playing the other person. Swap roles: hearing the other side is good listening practice.
What makes any answer stronger
The right tense
Present perfect for your experience up to now (I've been at sea for eight years), past simple for a finished contract or an event (Last year we had a blackout).
Linking words
First, then, after that, because, so, however: they turn a list of sentences into an explanation, and an explanation is what the higher levels ask for.
Ask when you don't understand
"Sorry, could you say that again?" is better than answering a different question. It is also English — say it clearly.
02Choose your job
- Deck officersMaster, chief officer, second and third officer, deck cadet.12 questions · 2 role-plays
- EngineersChief, second, third and fourth engineer, ETO, engine cadet.12 questions · 2 role-plays
- RatingsBosun, AB, OS, oiler, wiper, fitter, cook.12 questions · 2 role-plays
- Hotel staffCruise ship hotel department: guest services, housekeeping, food and beverage, galley.12 questions · 2 role-plays
03TOSE questions for deck officers
For: Master, chief officer, second and third officer, deck cadet.
Part A — questions about you and your job
The opening interview: your experience, your duties, your ship. Answer with detail and examples.
“Can you tell me about your career at sea and the last ship you served on?”
The assessor listens for
- Rank and years of sea experience
- Type, size and trade of the ship
- Present perfect versus past simple
“What training courses and certificates have you completed for your rank?”
The assessor listens for
- Correct names of certificates and courses
- Present perfect for completed training
- Why one course was useful
“What do you normally do during a navigational watch?”
The assessor listens for
- Present simple for routine actions
- Handover, lookout and position fixing
- Sequencing words: first, then, every hour
“What are your main duties when the ship is in port?”
The assessor listens for
- Cargo watch and supervision of stevedores
- Safety: gangway, moorings and draught
- Clear grouping of duties with linkers
“Tell me about a difficult situation you had on watch. What happened, and what did you do?”
The assessor listens for
- Past continuous for background, past simple for events
- Actions taken and who was informed
- Lesson learnt at the end
“If you became master one day, what would you change on board, and why?”
The assessor listens for
- Second conditional used correctly
- Two concrete changes with reasons
- Awareness of safety culture and rest
Situations to describe
Talk the assessor through a procedure or an event, step by step, in a clear order.
“Now I'd like you to describe what you do when you take over a navigational watch. Talk me through it step by step.”
The assessor listens for
- Logical order with sequencing words
- Position, traffic, equipment and master's orders
- When you would not accept the watch
“Describe how you prepare the ship for arrival in port and for the pilot boarding.”
The assessor listens for
- Pre-arrival checks of engine, steering, charts
- Safe rigging of the pilot ladder
- Communication with port control, VTS and pilot
“Describe a man-overboard drill that you led or organised. What happened, and how did it go?”
The assessor listens for
- Immediate actions in the correct order
- Past tenses and passives to narrate
- Evaluation of the drill and lessons learnt
Topics to discuss
Give an opinion, the reasons for it, and an example from your own work. There is no right opinion — there is a well-explained one.
“Some people say that the rules on hours of rest don't really stop fatigue on board. What do you think?”
The assessor listens for
- Clear opinion in the first sentence
- Real causes of fatigue with an example
- A practical suggestion to improve things
“Many officers now depend on ECDIS and other electronic aids. Do you think young officers rely too much on technology?”
The assessor listens for
- Balanced view: benefits and risks
- Example of over-reliance or equipment failure
- Cross-checking with other methods
“Most ships today have crews from many different countries. What are the advantages and the challenges of working in a multinational crew?”
The assessor listens for
- Both advantages and challenges covered
- Example of a real misunderstanding
- Ways to overcome communication barriers
Role-plays
The assessor plays the other person. Read the situation, decide what you need to say, and keep the conversation going until you reach your goal.
The officer of the watch on the bridge.
Situation: It is three in the morning in coastal waters and a crossing vessel on the port bow is on a steady bearing without taking any action.
The assessor plays: The master, woken up in the cabin by your phone call.
Your goal: Report the close-quarters situation clearly, say what you have already done and what you intend to do, and get the master's agreement and instructions.
Useful phrases: Sorry to wake you, Captain, but… · We have a vessel on our port bow, three miles off. · Her bearing is steady and the CPA is under two cables.
The chief officer.
Situation: The ship has just berthed at a container terminal, loading starts in thirty minutes and it is the new cadet's first port call.
The assessor plays: A new deck cadet on the first contract, keen but with no experience of cargo operations.
Your goal: Explain the main safety rules for cargo operations, check that the cadet has understood them, and give the cadet a clear first task.
Useful phrases: Before we start, I want to go over a few safety rules. · You must wear full PPE at all times on deck. · Never stand or walk under a suspended load.
Model answer — Lower Intermediate
“Now I'd like you to describe what you do when you take over a navigational watch. Talk me through it step by step.”
Model answer, written out
First, I come to the bridge ten minutes early, so my eyes get used to the dark. Then the officer on watch tells me the position, course, speed and traffic. I check the radar, the ECDIS and the gyro, and I read and sign the master's night orders. If we're altering course or avoiding another ship, I wait. When everything is clear, I accept the watch.
Notice how it follows the points the assessor listens for, in order, with linking words. Members get this task with a second, Upper Intermediate model, and every other task of the track recorded at both levels.
04TOSE questions for engineers
For: Chief, second, third and fourth engineer, ETO, engine cadet.
Part A — questions about you and your job
The opening interview: your experience, your duties, your ship. Answer with detail and examples.
“Could you tell me about your career so far and the kind of engine room you know best?”
The assessor listens for
- Rank, years at sea and ship types
- Main engine and plant described accurately
- Present perfect for experience to date
“What does a typical watch or working day in the engine room look like for you?”
The assessor listens for
- Clear sequence of routine tasks
- Time markers and frequency expressions
- Present simple for routines
“How is planned maintenance organised on your ship, and what was the last maintenance job you did?”
The assessor listens for
- Planned maintenance system explained simply
- Running hours and calendar intervals
- Past simple for the last job
“How do you manage the ratings and junior engineers in your team?”
The assessor listens for
- Clear instructions and checking understanding
- Safety and mixed-nationality communication
- A concrete example from experience
“Can you explain how you prepare for bunkering and how you carry it out?”
The assessor listens for
- Bunker plan, meeting and agreed pumping rate
- Soundings, sampling and communication with barge
- Sequence words and passive forms
“Tell me about a breakdown you had to deal with. What happened, and how did you solve it?”
The assessor listens for
- Clear story: problem, cause, action, result
- Narrative tenses, including past continuous
- What you learned or changed afterwards
Situations to describe
Talk the assessor through a procedure or an event, step by step, in a clear order.
“Describe what you do when you take over the engine-room watch from another engineer.”
The assessor listens for
- Handover of running machinery and active alarms
- Standing orders, tanks and bilges checked
- Clear order with sequence linkers
“The bridge has just rung stand by for arrival. Describe how you prepare the engine room.”
The assessor listens for
- Extra generator, compressors and steering gear ready
- Fuel changeover and reporting to the bridge
- Passives and first conditional
“Describe what you would do if there were an oil spill on deck during bunkering.”
The assessor listens for
- Stop pumping and raise the alarm first
- Contain the oil and keep it on board
- Reporting and recording afterwards
Topics to discuss
Give an opinion, the reasons for it, and an example from your own work. There is no right opinion — there is a well-explained one.
“Some people say that unmanned machinery spaces are less safe than having an engineer on watch all night. What do you think?”
The assessor listens for
- A clear opinion with reasons
- Advantages and disadvantages balanced
- An example from your own experience
“Environmental rules, such as the limits on sulphur in fuel, have made engineers' work more complicated. Do you think they're worth it?”
The assessor listens for
- Opinion on the rules, with reasons
- Practical problems of fuel changeovers
- Contrast linkers: although, however, on top of that
“Some chief engineers say that young engineers today know the theory but lack practical skills. How should they be trained on board?”
The assessor listens for
- Agrees or disagrees with the claim
- Concrete training methods on board
- Role of senior engineers as mentors
Role-plays
The assessor plays the other person. Read the situation, decide what you need to say, and keep the conversation going until you reach your goal.
The second engineer on duty, calling from the engine control room.
Situation: It is two o'clock in the morning at sea, the engine room is unmanned, and an alarm has just called you down to the control room.
The assessor plays: The chief engineer, who has just been woken by your phone call.
Your goal: Report the main-engine alarm clearly, say what you have checked and done, and agree the next steps with the chief.
Useful phrases: Sorry to wake you, Chief, but… · We've got a high exhaust temperature alarm on… · I've already checked…
The chief engineer, speaking to the office by phone.
Situation: Your ship is two days from the next port, and during a scheduled overhaul you have found a cracked cylinder liner on number two generator.
The assessor plays: The technical superintendent in the office, who is under pressure to keep costs down.
Your goal: Convince the superintendent to have a new liner and seals delivered in the next port by explaining the risk of waiting.
Useful phrases: I'm afraid it can't wait, because… · Unfortunately, there's no spare on board. · We could…, but the risk is that…
Model answer — Lower Intermediate
“Describe what you do when you take over the engine-room watch from another engineer.”
Model answer, written out
I arrive about ten minutes early. First I read the chief's standing orders and the night orders. Then the other engineer tells me what machinery is running and if there are any alarms or problems. We walk around the engine room together. I check the bilges, the tank levels and the logbook. When everything is clear, I tell my colleague that I'm taking over the watch.
Notice how it follows the points the assessor listens for, in order, with linking words. Members get this task with a second, Upper Intermediate model, and every other task of the track recorded at both levels.
05TOSE questions for ratings
For: Bosun, AB, OS, oiler, wiper, fitter, cook.
Part A — questions about you and your job
The opening interview: your experience, your duties, your ship. Answer with detail and examples.
“Could you tell me a little about yourself and your family?”
The assessor listens for
- Name, age and where you are from
- Family members with simple details
- Present simple, clear and natural
“What's your job on board, and what are your main duties?”
The assessor listens for
- Your rank and who you report to
- Two or three concrete daily duties
- Correct names of machinery and places
“Can you describe a normal working day on board?”
The assessor listens for
- Times said clearly and correctly
- Sequence words: first, then, after that
- Present simple for a daily routine
“What safety equipment do you use in your job, and when do you use it?”
The assessor listens for
- Correct names of PPE items
- When and why each item is used
- Linking with when, because and if
“Tell me about the last port you visited. What did you do there?”
The assessor listens for
- Past simple, including irregular verbs
- Port, cargo work and length of stay
- One personal detail or opinion
“What are your plans for the future?”
The assessor listens for
- Future forms: going to, will, would like
- Clear steps and a time frame
- Reasons for your plans
Situations to describe
Talk the assessor through a procedure or an event, step by step, in a clear order.
“Describe what you do at your mooring station when the ship is coming alongside.”
The assessor listens for
- Steps in order, from standby to all fast
- Mooring words: heaving line, winch, bollard
- Safety: snap-back zones and communication
“Describe how you prepare for painting or maintenance work on deck.”
The assessor listens for
- Steps: plan, tools, surface preparation
- Toolbox talk, PPE and permits mentioned
- Sequencers: first, then, before, finally
“Describe what you do when you hear the general alarm.”
The assessor listens for
- The signal: seven short, one long
- Actions in order: stop, dress, muster
- Your duty from the muster list
Topics to discuss
Give an opinion, the reasons for it, and an example from your own work. There is no right opinion — there is a well-explained one.
“Some people say that, with the internet on board, being away from your family is much easier than it used to be. What do you think?”
The assessor listens for
- A clear opinion with a reason
- An example from your own experience
- Comparing the past and the present
“People often say that good food is the most important thing for a happy crew. Do you agree?”
The assessor listens for
- Agree or disagree clearly
- Reasons with because or so
- A concrete example from your ship
“Some seafarers say that safety meetings are a waste of time, because everybody already knows the rules. What do you think?”
The assessor listens for
- A clear position, agree or disagree
- An example of a useful meeting
- Linkers: however, for example, so
Role-plays
The assessor plays the other person. Read the situation, decide what you need to say, and keep the conversation going until you reach your goal.
An AB on gangway watch.
Situation: Your ship is alongside at a container terminal and you are on gangway watch when a visitor arrives at the bottom of the gangway.
The assessor plays: A technician from a shore electronics company who has come to repair the radar and is in a hurry.
Your goal: Check the visitor's identity and reason for the visit, confirm it with the duty officer, sign her in, give her a pass and a hard hat, and arrange an escort.
Useful phrases: Good morning. Can I help you? · Could I see some identification, please? · Who are you here to see?
The bosun, in charge of the deck crew.
Situation: Your bulk carrier is at sea, four days before loading grain, and you go to see the chief officer because the hold cleaning is behind schedule.
The assessor plays: The chief officer, who is worried about overtime and the crew's rest hours.
Your goal: Explain why the job is late, ask for extra people for the hold cleaning, and agree a plan that respects everyone's rest hours.
Useful phrases: Have you got a minute, Chief? · I'm afraid we're behind schedule with… · The problem is that…
Model answer — Lower Intermediate
“Describe what you do when you hear the general alarm.”
Model answer, written out
The general alarm is seven short blasts and one long blast. When I hear it, I stop my work and make it safe. I take my lifejacket, hard hat and warm clothes and go quickly to the muster station. The officer counts us. I'm the fitter, and on the muster list I'm in the fire team, so I help with the hoses.
Notice how it follows the points the assessor listens for, in order, with linking words. Members get this task with a second, Upper Intermediate model, and every other task of the track recorded at both levels.
06TOSE questions for hotel staff
For: Cruise ship hotel department: guest services, housekeeping, food and beverage, galley.
Part A — questions about you and your job
The opening interview: your experience, your duties, your ship. Answer with detail and examples.
“Could you tell me a little about yourself and how you started working in hospitality?”
The assessor listens for
- Name, age and home country
- How and where you started
- Past simple for your early jobs
“What's your job on board, and what are your main responsibilities?”
The assessor listens for
- Exact job title and department
- Two or three concrete duties
- Present simple for routines
“Can you describe a typical working day for you on board?”
The assessor listens for
- Times and sequence of the day
- Linkers: first, then, after that
- Telling the time accurately
“You work with guests from many different countries. What's that like, and how do you deal with it?”
The assessor listens for
- Concrete examples of cultural differences
- How you adapt your service
- Respectful language, no stereotypes
“What are your plans for your career over the next few years?”
The assessor listens for
- A clear goal with a timeframe
- Future forms: going to, hope to, will
- Concrete steps towards your goal
“Tell me about a time you helped a difficult or unhappy guest. What was the problem, and what did you do?”
The assessor listens for
- Past tenses to tell the story
- What you said and did, step by step
- The result and what you learned
Situations to describe
Talk the assessor through a procedure or an event, step by step, in a clear order.
“I'd like you to describe embarkation day. How do you welcome new guests when they come on board?”
The assessor listens for
- Sequence of the embarkation process
- Natural welcome phrases for guests
- Practical information: cabins, luggage, drill
“Now describe what you do in a muster drill. What is your role as a member of the hotel crew?”
The assessor listens for
- Alarm signal and your emergency duty
- Correct sequence of actions
- Safety terms: muster station, headcount, lifejacket
“Imagine a guest in the restaurant tells you they have a serious food allergy. Describe what you do, step by step.”
The assessor listens for
- Treating the allergy as a safety issue
- Informing the galley and head waiter
- Checking the dish before serving it
Topics to discuss
Give an opinion, the reasons for it, and an example from your own work. There is no right opinion — there is a well-explained one.
“Let's talk about customer service. In your opinion, what makes customer service really good on a cruise ship?”
The assessor listens for
- A clear opinion with reasons
- Examples from your own work
- Opinion phrases: I think, in my view
“Many hotel crew work contracts of six to eight months away from home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of that kind of life?”
The assessor listens for
- Both advantages and disadvantages
- Personal experience supporting each point
- Contrast linkers: but, on the other hand
“On a big cruise ship the crew can come from more than fifty countries. What makes teamwork successful in a crew like that?”
The assessor listens for
- Specific factors, not just a list
- A real misunderstanding and its solution
- Linking causes and results
Role-plays
The assessor plays the other person. Read the situation, decide what you need to say, and keep the conversation going until you reach your goal.
A guest services officer on duty at the reception desk.
Situation: At the guest services desk on the second evening of a cruise, a guest arrives to complain that their cabin is too noisy to sleep in.
The assessor plays: A tired, annoyed guest whose cabin is directly below the nightclub.
Your goal: Calm the guest, find out the details of the noise, offer realistic solutions for tonight and for the rest of the cruise, and agree on a clear next step.
Useful phrases: I'm so sorry to hear that — let me see what I can do. · Could I have your name and cabin number, please? · Just so I've understood correctly, …
A waiter in the main dining room.
Situation: In the main dining room at dinner, a guest asks the waiter about the menu and then mentions a nut allergy.
The assessor plays: A guest having dinner who can't decide what to order and is allergic to nuts.
Your goal: Describe the dishes clearly, identify the ones that contain nuts, offer safe alternatives and make sure the allergy is passed on to the galley.
Useful phrases: Tonight the chef recommends … · It's served with … · I'm afraid that dish is made with …
Model answer — Lower Intermediate
“I'd like you to describe embarkation day. How do you welcome new guests when they come on board?”
Model answer, written out
On embarkation day we're very busy. Guests check in at the terminal, then they walk up the gangway onto the ship. I stand at the entrance, smile and say, 'Good afternoon, welcome on board!' I show them the way to the lifts and explain that their cabins will be ready at two o'clock and their bags will arrive later. I also remind them that the safety drill is compulsory.
Notice how it follows the points the assessor listens for, in order, with linking words. Members get this task with a second, Upper Intermediate model, and every other task of the track recorded at both levels.
07Questions about the TOSE interview
What questions are asked in the Marlins TOSE?
The interview starts with questions about you: your career, your rank and duties, your last ship and your plans. It then moves to tasks adapted to your level — describing a situation or a procedure, discussing a topic and a role-play with the assessor. The questions on this page cover those topics for four kinds of job; the assessor follows a script of their own, so expect different wording.
Are these the real TOSE interview questions?
No. Every question, role-play and model answer here was written by Nauti Test Pro on the topics the interview covers. They are practice material, not the assessor's script — prepare to talk about the subject, not to recite an answer to one sentence.
How long should my answers be?
Long enough to show what you can do: for an interview question, about one to two minutes, with detail and at least one example. A one-sentence answer gives the assessor very little to grade; a memorised speech that does not answer the question is not better.
Should I learn the model answers by heart?
No. Use them to see what a complete answer contains — the order, the tenses, the linking words — and then answer in your own words, about your own ship and your own experience. Recited answers sound recited, and the next question will not be the one you learnt.
Which TOSE level do I need for my rank?
Marlins recommends a spoken level for each rank of the Seafarers test, next to the written score, and employers can set their own. The table is on our page about how the TOSE works and on the page about the score by rank.
Is the full speaking pack free?
Yes. Members get all 56 tasks with 152 recordings, including two model answers for each discussion task; each role-play has a model dialogue. It is free for every member and uses no tokens.
Listen to every model answer
The free speaking pack has all 56 tasks of the four tracks with the assessor's question recorded, two model answers for each — Lower and Upper Intermediate — and full model conversations for the role-plays: 152 recordings with British voices. It is free for members and uses no tokens.
Your company asks for the written test too? Start with the Marlins exam reviewer, the free practice tests with audio and the score and TOSE level Marlins recommends for your rank.