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Oiler Practice Test & Exam Prep

The Oiler rating (NMC QMED03) is examined in two modules — Q804 Oiler Part I and Q805 Oiler Part II — each 70 questions at a 70% pass mark. It is the classic entry engine-room rating: you support the watch on motor and steam propulsion plant, lube and fuel-oil systems, pumps, and auxiliary machinery.

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The Oiler exam (QMED03)

2

Modules — Q804 + Q805

70

Questions per module

70%

Passing score

3.5 h

Time per module

Oiler is examined in Q804 Oiler Part I and Q805 Oiler Part II. Each module is 70 multiple-choice questions at a 70% pass mark, 3.5 hours long. In the engine-room exam room you may reference 46 CFR and 33 CFR only.

What’s on the Oiler exam

The subject set derives from the Oiler column of Table 1 to 46 CFR 12.505(c). We drill each of these areas:

  • Engine-room safety and hazardous materials
  • Watch duties, terminology, and instrumentation
  • Lube oil and fuel oil systems
  • Pumps, valves, and piping systems
  • Bearings, lubrication, and care of machine parts
  • Diesel engine principles (motor propulsion)
  • Boiler and steam propulsion fundamentals
  • Auxiliary machinery and shipboard systems
  • Electrical basics — generators, motors, and safety
  • Refrigeration principles and systems
  • Hand/power tools, measuring instruments, and maintenance
  • Firefighting, damage control, and emergency response
  • Pollution prevention and environmental awareness

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Sample Oiler questions — no sign-up

Original questions calibrated to the NMC Oiler exam format — every answer is cited to a public source. Answer a few right here.

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During monthly lifesaving equipment inspections required by 46 CFR §199.190, the results must be recorded in the:

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Before leaving port, 46 CFR requires that each lifesaving appliance aboard a vessel must be:

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On a manned-machinery-space watch, who has overall charge of the engineering watch and answers to the bridge for propulsion?

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Under 46 CFR §56.07-10, when a relief valve is installed to protect a piping system, the relief valve setting must not exceed which pressure limit?

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Under 33 CFR §151.05, which of the following substances is expressly excluded from the definition of 'oil'?

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Oiler requirements

Sea service (46 CFR 12.503)

6 months of service in a rating at least equal to Wiper or Coal Passer on the appropriate class of vessels (46 CFR 12.503). Graduates of an approved training ship qualify with no further service, and other approved training can substitute for up to half of the required service.

Fees (46 CFR 10.219)

$280 in Coast Guard fees — $95 evaluation + $140 exam + $45 issuance. You also need a USCG medical certificate (CG-719K), a drug test, and a TWIC (46 CFR 10.203).

See the full application flow and the other ratings on the QMED hub, or find where you test in the REC locations guide.

Other QMED ratings

Oiler exam questions, answered

How many questions are on the QMED Oiler exam?

The Oiler endorsement (NMC QMED03) has two modules — Q804 Oiler Part I and Q805 Oiler Part II. Each module is 70 multiple-choice questions with a 70% passing score, and you have three and a half hours per module. You take the modules at a Regional Examination Center after the NMC approves your application.

What sea time do I need for the QMED Oiler rating?

Every original QMED rating, including Oiler, requires 6 months of service in a rating at least equal to Wiper or Coal Passer under 46 CFR 12.503. Graduates of an approved training ship can qualify without further service, and other approved training can substitute for up to half of the requirement.

Are these real USCG Oiler exam questions?

No. The Coast Guard stopped publishing its exam bank in 2016, so nobody has the live questions. CaptainsGround uses original questions calibrated to the NMC Oiler exam format, and every answer is cited to a public source — 46 CFR, plus public-domain engineering references — so you can verify each one.

Primary sources

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