Welcome to Cadet 2 Master
The best online resource to help you pass your MCA Deck oral exams.
Preparing for MCA deck oral exams is hard. Believe me, I know.
I remember sitting in the MCA Paisley office, desperately going through my home-made flash cards in an effort to memorise a few more facts before my name was called. I had spent time at college and used every resource I could find online, but it always seemed like there was more to learn than I could find the time for. I remember the feeling of nervousness on the day, and the rush when my examiner told me I’d passed.
Years later, when I went for my Chief Officer exam, things were much the same.
Again, I found myself at college for about three months, then doing a month of preparation by myself for my exam. Things were better this time; I had more practical experience, which helped. But online resources were still patchy at best; often they represented the hastily typed-up notes of someone who maybe didn’t understand the subject in its entirety in the first place! And those hastily-typed notes were always covered in adverts.
Finally, the time came to sit my Master Mariner Unlimited exam.
Things had moved on a lot by this time. For one thing, I no longer had to drive to Paisley; now I set up a computer and webcam in my front room, the same room I had spent the best part of two months studying in, and waited for my examiner to open the Microsoft Teams meeting. Online resources had improved dramatically in the intervening years, with dedicated providers creating courses tailored to the MCA exams.
So, what is Cadet 2 Master?
Cadet 2 Master is my way of creating the resource I could never find. While an online search for the errors of a sextant, snubbing round an anchor or the Harmonised System of Survey and Certification yields dozens of results, many of them are poor-quality, contradictory and incomplete; fragments of a cadets workbook, hastily typed up and put online, funded through intrusive adverts. The many excellent online courses available work best as lecture-videos; worked through, while taking notes. Personally, I like to have good quality, concise notes from which to learn, and with which to practice answering questions out loud. When preparing for an oral exam in particular, time spent formulating answers is invaluable. My intention with Cadet 2 Master is:
Create the best online repository of up-to-date, highly targeted MCA deck oral exam revision material
Make many articles available for free
Make the rest of the articles available at an affordable price on a subscription
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Why not start by reading free article ‘The Syllabus’ for the exam you are preparing for, then go from there. You’ll get a lot from the free articles, and, if you find you’re learning well from the material, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to access our premium articles.
Disclaimer
The study materials hosted on Cadet2Master are intended solely for personal, non-commercial use. They are not intended for direct application in any professional setting or workplace, and Cadet2Master, and the author, cannot be held liable for any loss, injury or damages that may arise from their use in such settings.
By using these study materials you agree not to use them in any way that may result in harm or damage to yourself or others, and understand that the study materials on this website are provided for general educational purposes only; they are not legal or professional advice.
Cadet2Master and the author make no warranties or promises of any kind about the completeness, accuracy, suitability or factuality of the study materials provided, either in written and graphic form. Any opinions expressed and interpretations given are the authors own and should not be taken as gospel; always check official guidance from the MCA, or primary legislation. Any reliance placed on the study materials on this website is strictly at your own risk.
By using these study materials you acknowledge that you have read this disclaimer and that you agree to be bound by its terms and conditions. If you disagree with any part of this disclaimer you must not use these study materials.
Copyright
All material on this website is © Robert Taylor.