STCW Basic Safety Training Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (11–20)

Question 1

The term 'situational awareness' on board means:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Continuously understanding what is happening around you and what could go wrong. Situational awareness is the ongoing perception of your environment and the ability to anticipate hazards before they become emergencies.

Question 2

Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Inspected before use and worn whenever the task requires it. PPE must be inspected before each use for damage and worn whenever the risk assessment for the task calls for it.

Question 3

What is the main purpose of a lifejacket?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

To keep an exhausted or unconscious person floating face-up. A lifejacket is designed to keep the wearer afloat and to turn an unconscious person face-up so the airway stays clear of the water.

Question 4

Before jumping into the water wearing a lifejacket, you should:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Check the area below is clear, hold the lifejacket down, look ahead and step off. Check the water below is clear, keep feet together, hold the lifejacket down and cover the nose/mouth, look straight ahead and step off feet-first to avoid injury and the jacket riding up.

Question 5

The 'HELP' (Heat Escape Lessening Posture) is used to:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Reduce body-heat loss while floating alone in cold water. HELP means drawing the knees up to the chest and keeping the arms close to the sides to protect the body's high heat-loss areas and slow the onset of hypothermia.

Question 6

When several survivors are in the water without a liferaft, the 'huddle' technique is used to:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Conserve body heat and stay together for easier detection. Huddling close together conserves heat among survivors and keeps the group together, making them easier to spot and rescue.

Question 7

Hypothermia is best described as:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

A dangerous drop in the body's core temperature. Hypothermia is the lowering of the body's core temperature below normal, which in cold water can quickly become life-threatening.

Question 8

The greatest danger in the first minutes of sudden immersion in cold water is:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Cold-shock response causing gasping and possible drowning. Cold-shock causes an involuntary gasp and rapid breathing on sudden immersion; if the head is underwater this can lead to inhaling water and drowning.

Question 9

Why should you board a liferaft as dry as possible and keep the floor inflated?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

To reduce heat loss and stay warmer. Staying dry and inflating the insulated floor greatly reduces heat loss to the cold sea, improving survival time.

Question 10

A SART (Search and Rescue Transponder) is used to:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Show the survival craft's position on a rescuer's radar screen. A SART responds to a ship's or aircraft's radar, producing a series of blips that lead rescuers to the survival craft.

STCW Basic Safety Training Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (11–20)

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