Module 0 — Welcome, diagnostic test and learning path

This module places you before you touch any equipment. By the end you'll know what certificate you're working towards, how the syllabus is laid out and which module to start with based on your current level.

What is the General Operator's Certificate?

The GOC authorises the holder to operate the radio stations of vessels subject to SOLAS in any sea area A1–A4. It is not a theory-only qualification: the exam evaluates hands-on operation of the equipment and command of the distress, urgency and safety procedures.

How the course is structured

The regulation sets a minimum of 120 hours: 50 theory + 70 practical. 58 % of the time is spent with an equipment or simulator in front of you. The syllabus is built in four phases that follow the natural order a learner needs.

Initial diagnostic test (25 questions)

Before you start, take the diagnostic test. 5 questions per area:

• GMDSS concepts
• Frequencies and sea areas
• Equipment and operation
• Distress / urgency / safety procedures
• Maritime English (SMCP)

The result is not pass or fail — it recommends where to start. If you miss more than 3 in one area, start there. If every area is balanced, follow the numeric order.

Your study plan

1. 1Take the diagnostic test (15 min).
2. 2Read Modules 1 and 2 (2 hours) — without these, the equipment won't make sense.
3. 3Start Phase 2 on the equipment where you missed most.
4. 4After each equipment, return to the module quiz. If you score < 80 %, revise before moving on.
5. 5Reserve the last 20 hours for Phase 4 (drills). That's where the exam is won or lost.

What changes in the 2024 manual

The foreword and Part 1 of the IMO GMDSS Manual 2024 make clear that the publication incorporates the GMDSS review-and-modernization package that entered into force on 1 January 2024. It replaces the 2019 edition and brings three substantive changes to the classroom: the new A3/A4 definition tied to the satellite equipment actually installed, formal recognition of recognized mobile-satellite services in the plural (Inmarsat and Iridium), and wording aligned with the revised SOLAS chapter IV (resolution MSC.496(105)).

How the manual is used in the course

The manual does not replace the ITU Radio Regulations or the mandatory shipboard publications (ALRS, ITU List IV, IAMSAR Volume III). It is used as the pedagogical backbone: first to understand the system, then to justify every item in the Part 6 carriage table, and finally to support drills with technical and regulatory discipline that can be checked against a written source.

Initial diagnostic and learning path

Module 0 sets the route: sea areas (module 2), terrestrial equipment (3, 4, 5, 7), satellite (6, 8), locating (9), technical support (10), procedures (11), SMCP English (12), documentation (13) and integrated drills (14). The order mirrors the architecture of the manual itself; it is not arbitrary.

Study discipline

The student must speak in terms of SOLAS IV/4 functions, not commercial brand names. Memorizing buttons without linking each press to a GMDSS function produces candidates who are fragile in exams and dangerous on a real watch.

Certificate hierarchy (ITU RR Article 47)

Article 47 of the Radio Regulations defines four GMDSS certificates: the GOC (General Operator's Certificate) authorizes operation in all sea areas A1–A4; the ROC (Restricted Operator's Certificate) is limited to A1; the LRC (Long Range Certificate) and SRC (Short Range Certificate) are the equivalents for non-SOLAS vessels. The ship also needs the ship station licence issued by the flag administration, which assigns the call sign and MMSI and must be carried on board.

Publications required by the Radio Regulations

The manual itself points to the publications the RR require on board: ITU List IV (List of Coast Stations and Special Service Stations, No. 20.7), ITU List V (List of Ship Stations and MMSI assignments, No. 20.8), the ITU Manual for Use by the Maritime Mobile and Maritime Mobile-Satellite Services, IAMSAR Manual Volume III (SOLAS V/2), the Admiralty List of Radio Signals Vol. 5 (NP285) and the GMDSS Manual 2024 itself. Not keeping them up to date is a SOLAS non-conformity and a common inspection finding.

GOC/LRC exam structure

IMO Model Course 1.25 (General Operator's Certificate) recommends about 120 contact hours (~50 h theory and ~70 h practical on simulators and real equipment). The official exam combines a written theory paper with multiple-choice and short exercises (typically around 3 h) and an individual simulator practical (about 30-45 min per candidate). Weightings are approximately: 25% distress/urgency/safety procedures, 20% equipment and frequencies, 15% DSC on MF-HF-VHF, 15% RMSS and MSI, 10% EPIRB/SART, 10% documentation and SMCP, 5% regulation and sea areas. The usual pass threshold is around 60-70% per block, with technical eliminatories (cancelling a false alert, switching medium, using priorities correctly). In Spain the examining authority is the DGMM within the Ministry of Transport, with call-ups published in the BOE; other flags adapt the model to their national body. The LRC trims the HF and heavy RMSS blocks and focuses on VHF, MF-DSC, EPIRB, SART and procedures; it typically runs 40-60 contact hours.

GOC exam assessment criteria