Code of Conduct

You will be asked a total of 15 questions over a period of 40 minutes. Each question will contain 4
test points (subsidiary questions). Of the 15 questions there will 3 on the International Collision
Regulations, 3 on buoyage, 3 on navigation and 6 from elsewhere in the syllabus.

To be successful, you will be required to attain a minimum of 90% in each of the topics covering the
International Collision Regulations and the IALA system of buoyage, 80% in the topic covering
navigational procedures combined with a minimum of 70% across the entire examination.

You will be monitored and recorded throughout your examination. Any breaches of this code of
conduct may lead to a ban from any MCA examination for a period of up to five years:

• Only programs required to operate the device and the Cognisco examination
platform should be open, all other programs and Apps should be closed down,
including any email app.
• You must not receive or attempt to receive assistance from any other parties. This
means by any method, including but not limited to: in person, via phone, via digital
channels. Any detected use of mobile phones, internet search functions or other
devices will be seen as an attempt to cheat and may lead to a ban. You must not
wear any headphones whilst taking the examination.
• You must be alone in the room in which you are taking the examination.
• This is a closed book examination and therefore you must not have within reach or
the ability to access any material to assist you. This includes, but is not limited to
mobile phones, text books, posters and calculators.
• As part of the proctoring process you will be required to record a video of the room
and desk using the device camera to demonstrate the absence of prohibited items
and/or material
• You must not leave your position in front of the computer for the duration of the
examination and ensure that at all times your face is in view of the device camera.
• You must declare in advance any medical conditions or disabilities which could affect
the normal undertaking of the examination or which may require additional time.
• You must refrain from sharing any details of the exam over public social media
platforms.

Practical Information on taking the examination

You should ensure that you are ready in all respects prior to launching the assessment as the
examination is proctored and you are required to remain in view of their device camera until the
examination is completed. Prior to commencing the examination you should ensure that your device
is adequately charged and/or connected to a reliable power supply.

Once you have commenced the examination it cannot be paused. During the examination, once you
have submitted the answer to a question you cannot return to it.

Should the time allowed for the examination expire prior to all questions being answered and
submitted, the platform will automatically stop the examination and the answers already submitted
will be saved. Your result will be issued based on the answers which have already been submitted.
The result will not be available on completion in order to allow for the proctoring process to be
completed. Results will be emailed to the candidate within 5 working days. Examinations results are
confidential between the candidate and the MCA and are subject to the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR)

If you suffer from connectivity issues resulting in repeated interruption to the examination process
may be permitted to resit the examination at the sole discretion of the MCA.

The examination is proctored throughout and can be reviewed on suggestion of malpractice. In the
event of confirmed malpractice your examination will be cancelled and considered as a fail. In these
circumstances , appropriate penalties, including a ban on taking any MCA examination for a period
of up to five years, may be issued depending on the level of malpractice identified.

If there is an unconfirmed suspicion of malpractice, depending on the circumstances, the MCA may
require you to retake the examination.

You should take the examination in a suitable room with the necessary amenities to hand. E.g clear
desk, comfortable chair, water, low ambient noise and adequate lighting with no glare. You are not
permitted to wear headphones during any part of the oral examination process.

You should use a Windows laptop, Mac laptop (MacBook), or PC with detachable webcam (mobile
phones are not compliant). The laptop or PC must have a reliable high-speed internet connection
(recommended minimum 10 Mbps).

It is recommended that the examination software is launched on devices such as laptops, desktop
computers or tablets equipped with the current updated software version. Please note the
examination cannot be accessed via mobile phone.

During the examination you are not permitted to leave your position in front of the host device and
you should ensure that nobody else enters the room as the proctoring tool will flag this up as
malpractice.

You are advised to use the restroom before starting the examination.
Privacy Statement

As part of the Part A online computer-based examination, your personal details have been used to
create an account with our examination partner. This is required as it allows you to log into the
platform and will allow facial recognition technology which is then used to verify your identity. You
will be monitored throughout the exam via your device webcam. Any footage captured will be used
to ensure the Code of Conduct (as above) has been adhered to. Footage captured will be deleted
after 90 days.

Your rights

The UK GDPR sets out a number of rights which individuals have over their personal data, allowing
you to request copies of your personal data and, in certain circumstances, to object to it being used
for a certain purpose, or to have it deleted or modified. For further information on how to exercise
your rights please see our Personal Information Charter.

If you would like to view a copy of our Accessibility Statement, please email exams@mcga.gov.uk
and this can be provided.