Whitehorse Maritime Academy – An extensive network of online tutors for the Deck and Engineering Oral Exams, anytime and anywhere…
Joseph Lee
Sales Director- The Crew Hunter - The Crew Academy - Yacht Crew Recruitment & Training Ltd - MCA Chief Mate 3,000
When it comes to oral prep courses, there are the usual logistical nightmares. I have my NoE and an exam date but where will the yacht be? Are we going to be in STP, Palma this winter or crossing shortly after the season to Florida and then the Caribbean? Do I want to risk forking out thousands on travel arrangements which may or may not go ahead?
These were issues I faced first hand when sitting the OOW when we were on a world cruise onboard M/Y Halo. At the time there were only a few options or watching pre-recorded videos (which did not load in Tahiti!) and in the end I took a 24-hour flight, braving the jet-lag and completing an intensive face to face course.
Now we are in 2023 – with the big ‘C’ word pandemic no longer disrupting like it did and one of the positives was the development of the online world…
I recently had the great pleasure of talking to Paul Shepherd of Whitehorse Maritime Academy, the UK’s leading provider of flexible MCA oral exam preparation, about strategies to help you prepare for your orals, regardless of where you are or what your schedule is. If you are looking to sit your oral soon, I strongly suggest getting in touch. In hindsight this would have probably helped the conundrums above too.
How did it all start and where are you now?
It all started about six years ago, delivering the odd COLREGs prep session across the breakfast bar in my flat, mostly just to Cadets. I then got busier and busier, and eventually I realised that you can achieve more and help so many more people as a team. So, I got a few of my smartest mates together and it took off from there.
Fast forward and we now have over twenty Deck and Engine tutors, and we reliably deliver around 400 hours of 1-1 sessions per month, around the world, covering all time zones. We also run weekly live small-group sessions five to eight times a week and offer a comprehensive suite of eLearning resources.
Things were a lot simpler when I was doing it by myself but it’s amazing to be able to help so many people now.
As a former officer I understand the importance of quality training. What do you think sets apart your training from others?
All of our tutors were recently at sea and the majority are still working at sea and tutoring in their leave, in addition to some Pilots, a DPA and even an ex-MCA surveyor. Our team of friendly tutors brings current, up-to-date knowledge and experience to the table, unlike some organisations where their tutors have been ashore for decades and are out of touch. The fact that those tutors are also based all over the world really helps because we can help people in any time zone.
As well as that, our approach sets us apart. We help everyone, regardless of whether they need a single mock or a comprehensive package of prep over a month or more, with no unfair pre-tests.
Finally, we realise that a successful oral exam is about more than learning some scripts and repeating them on the day. Our candidates learn to really understand the content and because they do, they are able to confidently explain themselves on the day. I recently worked with a super smart OOW 3000 candidate; he was reeling off his script when I interrupted him and asked him for more detail on Rule 7. This sounds like I’m making it up but once he had answered that, he found that he couldn’t start from the middle of his ‘script’ and asked to start from the beginning! Luckily I had enough time to get him prepping properly but imagine if it had been the approach he had taken into his exam.
The final advantage of having a team is the variety of styles and favourite questions. We work really hard to ensure that we all follow the same interpretations but the exposure to different tutors makes the candidate so much more resilient in the real exam. You can spend 20-40 hours with one tutor, learning all of their favourite questions and getting used to their style but the one thing I can guarantee you about your exam is that your Examiner won’t be your tutor!
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I see you are also a lecturer at Warsash Maritime Academy. I feel a real value to studying at properly recognised institutions. I recently saw a deckhand with no yachting experience holding a yacht rating certificate without the 6 months sea time. These new schools seem to be popping up and selling future officers the dream. What would your advice be to aspiring deckhands and officers?
Yes, I teach the Master 3000 Seamanship and Met module at Warsash five times a year and, having done all of my tickets there, I’m very proud to be an Associate Lecturer. Honestly, I would say that there’s just no shortcut to these things. It is worrying to see that some are even offering the STCW courses online! ?
I think candidates just need to make an important decision fairly early on in their career. Are they out to learn as much as they can, be the best seafarer that they can and progress quickly and safely in their career? Or are they just interested in doing the minimum required to ‘get the ticket’? Not all colleges are the same and the choices you make about quality when it comes to your own education have real consequences later on.
You’ve got 470+ 5* Google reviews. What is the secret? You are obviously doing something right…
Yeah and that’s not including the hundreds we have on Facebook too! Honestly, each one means a lot and it’s wonderful to be a small part of so many candidates’ journeys. I think the trick is to realise that prep is about more than just the technical knowledge.
We have built a culture where we can have a large team of people that are eager to share their knowledge and support the next generation. We recruit passionate people which allows a culture where each tutor very much believes in doing the right thing and treating each candidate with care and attention. I always say that the exam is 50% confidence and 50% competence, which might not be entirely true but it speaks to an important point.
Our sister company The Crew Academy has a Virtual Learning Environment and we teach many leadership, mental health and Purser courses online. Admittedly I struggled in the past learning online but have now got to grips with it. Would you like to offer your views on online vs face to face?
The online route depends on how you go about it. Organisations that try to copy and paste a physical course into the online world have missed the point. It doesn’t work because nobody can sit through a 9-5 session with some boring guy on zoom.
But doing prep online opens up a whole world of options. The old way of prep not only had the expense of travel but the logistics of it required these really intensive prep weeks which added so much unnecessary pressure and, depending on how you had studied before, could be a really high-risk strategy.
When you study online with a flexible system like ours, you can do so at a relaxed pace over a longer period of time. Taking that same effort and spreading it out makes it far more effective and a lot less stressful. Besides saving a fortune on accommodation and travel, it also fits around time zones and work. Combining the on-demand eLearning resources with support in sessions with the team is the best way to prep.
If you would like any more info then please do not hesitate to direct message me and I can put you in touch with Paul. He’s always willing to chat through options with new candidates without charge. He’ll help you to develop a study plan which works around your schedule and gets you in the best possible position to smash it first time.