Marlins English Language Test: Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of the Marlins English Language Test for Seafarers can vary depending on a few factors:

1. Test Center Location: The price might be different depending on the country or specific test center where you're taking the test.
2. Test Version: Marlins offers various tests, including the Marlins English Language Test for Seafarers, the Marlins Test of Spoken English (TOSE), and others. Each might have a different fee. To give you an idea, the online test bought from Marlin costs 23 US dollars (plus tax)

To get the most up-to-date price information, it's best to:

• Contact an approved Marlins test center directly.
• Check the official Marlins website or other related official resources. Here is the link to the official Marlin website https://www.marlinstests.com/

Important to remember! Always ensure that you're dealing with an approved test center to avoid scams or unofficial tests that may not be recognized by employers or maritime authorities.

The duration can vary, but it is typically for seafarers and offshore workers, the test has 85 questions and you have 60 minutes to complete the test.

The difficulty of the Marlins English Language Test for Seafarers largely depends on the individual's proficiency in the English language and their familiarity with maritime terms. The test is designed to assess the English language skills of seafarers in a maritime context, so it will include both general English comprehension as well as industry-specific terminology and scenarios.

For someone with good English proficiency and who is familiar with maritime contexts, the test may not be particularly challenging. However, for someone whose English skills are more limited or who isn't well-versed in maritime English, it may be more difficult.

The test usually assesses listening, reading, speaking, and sometimes writing skills, often using maritime-specific contexts and vocabularies.

Yes, but the specific score or benchmark might depend on the agency or shipping company's requirements. Plus it also depends on the job that you do at sea. As a guide, the more responsibility you have at sea, the higher the score you need.  For inexperienced entry-level crew, you need to get 65% of the marks. For other staff positions, you should be aiming for a mark of more than 85%. The full list is given on the Marlins website.

Familiarizing yourself with maritime English terms, practicing listening to maritime conversations, and reviewing sample test questions can be beneficial. Also, on this site, we have a lot of materials too.

As of the last update in September 2021, the Marlins English Language Test for Seafarers is typically valid for 2 years. This means that if you took the test more than 2 years ago, you might need to retake it if you're asked to provide recent evidence of your English proficiency.

However, the validity period might differ depending on the organization or authority that is requiring the test. It's always a good idea to check directly with the entity asking for the test (e.g., employer, maritime authority) or to check the Marlins' official website for the most up-to-date information.

The validity of the test results might differ depending on the issuing body and the requirements of specific employers or agencies.

While some agencies or employers might accept other English proficiency tests, the Marlin test is tailored to the maritime industry, so it's often preferred or required.

The test is usually offered at authorized test centers in various countries. It's best to check with the official Marlin website or affiliated institutions for specific locations.

Yes, but it's not as recognised as the one taken in a test centre. Plus for some jobs, only the one taken in a test centre is valid.

The timeline can vary, but many centers provide results within a week or two. The test taken at home can give you the results immediately.

The speaking section can be a one-on-one interview, or it might use computer-assisted tools with pre-recorded questions.

Candidates who do not achieve the desired score might need to retake the test or undergo further training before being reassessed.

For seafarers and offshore workers, the test has 85 questions and you have 60 minutes to complete the test.

There are six different categories;

Listening comprehension

You have to listen to a series of very monologues and dialogues and you’ll have to answer a question to check if you’ve understood the question.

Grammar

There are various activities; multiple choice questions, rearrange the words to make a correct sentence.

Vocabulary

More multiple choice questions and also labelling a photograph.

Reading

You need to read the text and select the correct word or phrase from the drop-down menu.

Time and Numbers

This is tested quite thoroughly as it's something that's especially important. The questions ask how numbers are expressed.

Different sounds and pronunciation 

You have a list of words which have the same / similar letters and you're asked to choose the word that has a different sound. eg Which of the /k/ sounds is different? eg. kettle, keel, knot, kink. - the answer is 'knot' as the /k/ is silent and not pronounced.