How to join Merchant Navy after 10th?: Courses, Career, & Eligibility
Merchant Navy provides a great opportunity for students who want to get started with their careers after 10th and have a wish to grab this opportunity to work on a ship and travel the world. G.P. rating is a course that you can opt for after 10th that provides you with proper training and all the learnings which a candidate requires to work on the ship. These academies not just teach you the theory part of the work but also provide you the practical training which will make you ready for any situation onboard.
Join Merchant Navy after 10th through G.P. Rating (General Purpose Rating)
This course trains candidates for both Deck and Engine room tasks and is one of the most popular options to join Merchant Navy after 10th. After the training candidates can be placed in any Department (Engine or Deck). They get trained to perform tasks like Cargo Handling, maintenance work on Deck, Operation and maintenance of Machinery.
This is 6 months course approved by D.G Shipping (Govt of India). This course includes the study of both Deck and Engine subjects. It will clear all aspects of seafaring in both Deck and Engine. This course provides training in various aspects like swimming, physical drills, workshop training, rope and mast climbing, lifesaving appliances usage, firefighting exercises and ship visits, etc. After the training, external examinations are conducted by the Board of Examination of Seafarers (BES) under D.G Shipping (Govt of India).
Once candidates clear their exam, they receive their INDIAN CDC and are eligible for their Onboard training which will begin on the ship. Candidates can join the vessel as Trainee OS (Ordinary Seaman) / trainee fitter/trainee oiler. With time they get promoted to Able Seamen, Fitter, Bosun, etc.
If the candidate wishes to get promoted to the officer’s rank, he can apply for it after 36 months of sailing as a rating. After that, the candidate can sit for his oral exams, and if he/she clears that he can be an officer on the ship.
Candidates who wish to join Merchant Navy after 10th can pursue this course and start a career in Merchant Navy to help their financial growth after 6 months of Pre-sea training. There is no entrance exam for this course but some Academies conduct their own exam to select candidates.
Eligibility criteria to join Merchant Navy after 10th:
- The candidate should be a citizen of India
- The candidate should have to be unmarried (applicable for both males and females)
- The eligibility for joining the merchant navy is finishing class 10th with minimum 40% marks
- The candidate should have normal vision, but glasses up to plus or minus 2.5 may be allowed for some ranks
- Admission is done through an entrance exam followed by a screening test and a main written examination
- After the candidate clears the test, they will further go for an interview and a medical test
Eligibility Criteria to join G.P. Rating Course
- Qualification – 10th (minimum) or 12th Pass from a government recognized board with a minimum of 40% marks aggregate. (40% marks in English is mandatory)
Students with 50% or above marks in ITI or Diploma are also eligible to apply for G.P. Rating Course. - Age Limit – Between 17.5 to 25 years. For diploma or degree holders, the age limit is 27 at the time of course commencement.
- Medical Standards – Candidates should be medically and physically fit. A full medical check-up through a Panel Doctor approved by D.G Shipping will be undertaken. A complete eyesight test will also be conducted in which the distance vision should be 6/6 with no color blindness.
Selection Process:
- Panel interview: Candidates who meet the eligibility criteria get called for the admission procedure
- Medical examination: Selected candidates will undergo a medical screening to test their eyesight and physical fitness
- Pre-sea training: Candidates who clear the medical examination will begin with the 6 months of pre-sea training of G.P. Rating course
Career Path in Merchant Navy after 10th
As a student who has completed SSC exams and wishes to join Merchant Navy after 10th, G.P. Rating is the best option. After completing these 6 months of pre-sea training, you can join onboard training as an Ordinary Seaman. Next, as you obtain your watchkeeping certificate, you will be promoted as Able Body Seaman. Then after obtaining your COC, you can get promoted to Bosun.
To move further in your career path as a Deck Officer, you need to appear for D.G. Shipping exams. After that, as you gain enough experience, you will be promoted to 2nd Officer, followed by Chief Officer. After clearing all these stages, you will be qualified to work as the Captain of the Ship.
How much you can earn in Merchant Navy after 10th?
In the initial training (after completing the pre-sea training), the Ordinary Seamen gets 200-300$ (12000-18000) per month. After 9 months of sailing, the candidate gets a watchkeeping certificate and also gets promoted to Able Seamen who earns around 1000-1500$. A further candidate becomes Bosun who earns around 2000-2500$. And if the candidate holds the required qualification he can be promoted as an officer where he can earn 3000-4000$.
How to get guaranteed sponsorship (placement) for G.P. Rating?
You can pursue the G.P. Rating course from 2 kinds of colleges: Sponsored and Non-sponsored. Getting admission in a sponsored college would guarantee that you obtain an offer letter from a shipping company confirming your placement at the time of joining the course itself. In order to obtain sponsorship for G.P. Rating course, you need to follow the below steps:
- Prepare for sponsorship exams
- Appear for sponsorship exams
- Clear the interview conducted by companies
- Clear the medical test
- Obtain the sponsorship letter
At Rife Consultancy, we run a preparatory batch to prepare students for obtaining sponsorship. In that batch, students will be trained on how to effectively appear for sponsorship exams with the help of content curated exclusively by experienced merchant navy officers and join the Merchant Navy after 10th.
After that, we assist you in applying for sponsorship exams and take care of the form filling process. Further, we also prepare you to clear the interview and medical test. When this procedure is completed, you will obtain your sponsorship letter from the shipping company before your course begins.
To know more about the preparatory batches, you can contact us at +91 8160370087.
Courses other than G.P. Rating to join Merchant Navy after 10th:
1. Deck Rating Course:
G.P.Rating Course covers all the aspects of Deck rating, however, separate deck crew training courses are also available. The duration of this course is also 6 months. Students who have completed 10th with Mathematics, Science, and English subjects can take up this course. The age of the candidate should be between 18 to 25 years. It is also a popular course to join merchant navy after 10th.
2. Engine Rating Course:
Just like the Deck rating course, separate courses for Engine crew training are also available. The pre-sea training course lasts 6 months. This program mainly focuses on engine training only. After the completion of this course, a candidate can join the merchant navy after 10th as part of their engine crew. The age of the candidate should be between 18 to 25 years.
3. Saloon Rating Course:
The Saloon rating course is also a 6-month pre-sea training course where the main focus is on the catering department. Students taking this course will be trained to take up responsibilities in the catering department onboard ships. The age limit here remains the same as above courses – 18 to 25 years.
4. Diploma in Marine Engineering
Generally, 12th (PCM) is required to pursue Diploma in Marine Engineering. Nonetheless, some institutes admit 10th grade students as well! It is a 3 year long program. This curriculum is designed to develop high-quality marine engineers who can deal with ship technical issues either in port or at sea.
Courses after passing 10+2 Science Stream (Mathematics Group)
- B.E./B.Tech. Marine Engineering
- B.Sc. Nautical Science
- Diploma in Nautical Science
- B.Sc. Maritime Science
- B.E./B.Tech. Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
- BBA in Shipping Management
- B.Sc. Ship Building and Repair
After completing a UG course after 12th (any of the above), one may go for relevant PG and advanced courses. Some of the well known advanced courses are-
- M.E./M.Tech. in Marine Engineering
- M.E./M.Tech. in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering
- M.Sc. Nautical Science
- M.Sc. Maritime Science
- PG Diploma in Marine Engineering
- MBA (Shipping Management/Logistics Management)
- LL.B. (Maritime Law)
- Pre sea training courses (GME, ETO, etc)
To learn more about courses after 12th and Graduation, Click here.
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