STCW Course
What is STCW Course?
An STCW Course is a group of mandatory courses required by everyone to be eligible to join the ship. Without completing these courses, no on one can join the cargo ships, cruise ships or even pleasure crafts. These courses helps the seafarers to survive in emergency situations like fire onboard, hostage situation, blackout, etc.
There are several STCW courses designed to prepare seafarers for specific emergency situations onboard. For instance, the Advanced Fire Fighting Course trains crew members to manage onboard fire incidents, the STSDSD Course covers security duties against threats like piracy or hijacking, and the PSCRB Course focuses on handling lifeboats and life rafts during abandon-ship scenarios.
STCW Course List
These courses are divided into three sections:
- STCW Basic Modular Courses
- STCW Advanced Modular Course
- STCW Refresher Course
STCW Basic Modular Courses
As the name implies, the STCW Basic Modular courses are set of courses that is compulsory to complete before joining your first ship. People joining the cargo ships are required to do the Basic Safety Training Course and STSDSD Course while seafarers joining the cruise are required to do one additional course i.e. Passenger Ship Familiarization course. Basic safety training course consist of 4 courses: FPFF, PST, PSSR, and EFA. All these courses makes the seafarer ready for the emergencies on ship. Once they complete all the BST, and STSDSD Course they can go for other basic courses such as OCTCO and LGTF.
STCW Advanced Courses
Advanced STCW courses are meant for seafarers who’ve finished the required sea time for their 2nd Mate or Class 4 CoC. You can’t apply for the assessment without these courses. They include PSCRB, AFF, MFA, and the Engine Room Simulator for engineers. Each course covers the important skills like firefighting, first aid, and survival. This helps you feel more confident—both for your exams and for handling real situations at sea.
STCW Refresher Courses
The STCW Refresher Course helps the seafarer to renew their STCW Certificate. The fresher STCW Certificates are valid for only 5 years after which the seafarer needs to renew the course with refresher STCW Course. These courses review important topics like firefighting, survival at sea, and first aid. If a seafarer’s certificate is about to expire, they must take this course. It also includes the latest safety updates to make sure everyone is ready for emergencies.
STCW Course Near Me
Finding the right STCW course can be confusing with so many options and outdated information online. That’s why Merchant Navy Decoded created the STCW Course Finder – a quick and easy tool to help you search for trusted colleges offering the right course near you. Whether you’re looking for basic, advanced, or refresher training, this tool helps you find DG Shipping Approved Institute near you in just one click. To locate the best course near you, simply follow these easy steps.
- Go to STCW Course Finder.
- Select your course, location and month in which you want to apply for the course.
- Select the college after comparing the fees and click on “APPLY NOW
What is STCW Course Fees?
STCW course fees in India can vary widely based on three main factors: the type of course (basic, advanced, or refresher), the college offering the course, and the city where the college is located. On average, the cost of these courses in India ranges from ₹1,000 to ₹40,000. Basic STCW courses are usually more affordable, while advanced and refresher courses can be on the higher side depending on the training and facilities provided.
Earlier, seafarers relied on friends or seniors to get details about course fees and availability. Now, the STCW Course Finder makes it easy to search for any course at trusted DG Shipping approved colleges across India. You can compare fees, check availability, and find the right course near you — all in one place. With over 7,500 users, it’s one of the most reliable tools for STCW course booking in India.
To check the price of STCW and Competency Courses, CLICK HERE.
STCW E-Learning

STCW E-learning is a mandatory part of every STCW course in India. Before attending any Exit Exam for a modular STCW course, all seafarers must complete this online learning. It is provided by the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) through their official platform. STCW E-learning helps seafarers understand the theory part of important courses like Basic Safety Training, Refresher Courses, and other advanced STCW modules. This system is designed for both deck officers and marine engineers.
To start your STCW E-learning, visit the DG Shipping website.
STCW Exit Exam
To obtain the STCW Certificate, every seafarer needs to pass the STCW Exit Exam. It checks your knowledge of safety, firefighting, first aid, and survival at sea. This exam consist of key subject such as fire fighting, basic first aid, and survival techniques at sea. This exam is required by DG Shipping and must be passed to get your course certificate. It is very important to clear the Exit Exam to join the ship. Candidates can practice for the STCW Exit Exam questions with our Exit Exam Preparation Portal.
STCW Exit Exam Preparation
To clear the STCW Exit Exam, it is very important to practice the previous year STCW questions, however it is quite difficult to get your hands on the STCW multiple choice questions that easily. But now, students can prepare for both basic and advanced level of Exit Exam from our STCW Course Finder where we have summed up the most asked STCW previous year questions. It will help you understand the exam format and the types of questions that will be there.
You can use our STCW Exit Exam Portal to practice both basic and advanced STCW Exit Exam.
STCW Course Frequently Asked Questions
The full form of STCW is Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW).
It is a training program designed to train seafarers to survive in any emergency situation on the ship such as fire, flooding or abandoning of ship.
The fees vary on multiple factors: the course you are choosing, the location you want and other services such as accommodation provided by the college. If you want to check the exact price and STCW Colleges near me then CLICK HERE.
You can apply and complete the STCW E-Learning Online, however, you need to be physically available at the institute to get you course done.
To pass the STCW Exit Exam, you need to practice previous year STCW questions. For that you can take help of our STCW Exit Exam Portal where you’ll get hundreds of STCW Exit Exam previous year questions.