The Test

MarTEL offers tests at three different phases. There is one test in Phase 1 for those wishing to enter formal Maritime education at tertiary level; two tests in Phase 2 (one for Deck Officers and one for Marine Engineering Offices), and two tests at Phase 3 (one for senior Deck Officers and one for senior Marine Engineers). All test takers have a similarly structured test with all skills tested both independently and integrated together. The skills to be tested are Grammar, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Each test will take approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes.

Test takers will be able to listen to a variety of accents from both first and second language English speakers. The reason for this is so that test takers are prepared for the varying accents they will experience whilst working at sea and ports.

Progress

In October 2007, a pilot of the phase 1 test was carried out on a selection of cadets and officers in the partner maritime institutions/organisations in Poland, Finland and Turkey. From the feedback and analysis of these pilot tests significant improvements have been made to ensure that the tests meet the requirements and needs of the maritime industry particularly ship and port operators.

The tests have been designed and created by many senior ranked merchant navy officers who are also senior maritime lecturers. In order to make sure that the tests correctly prepare cadets for the language they will encounter onboard merchant navy and in ports.

Each skill (reading, listening, writing, speaking) in each phase of the MarTEL test is in line with the European Language Levels (A1, A2, B1 etc) in the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR).

All of the phases of the test have now been fully evaluated. By the end of January 2010 all piloting will be completed in selected MET institutions across Europe. All phases of the Maritime English Tests will be ready to launch early in the New Year (2010).