GP rating course and salary

IS IT GOOD TO JOIN GP RATING IN MERCHANT NAVY IN 2020 ?

After GP rating either u work in Deck or Engine as trained… then it becomes u r permanent department after getting promotion

In deck your responsibility is deck maintenance by chipping rust, painting, also keep watch along with duty navigation officer. You are helmsman (so they call quarter master) & Mostly in port busy on internet & phone calls while on watch

In engine either u are with a duty engineer on watch (4 + 4 hour / day) or in new unmanned ships u work in day time.. so u have to maintain your area clean, assist engineer in overhauling, check oil level/ parameter of machinery i.e. watch keeping ..

The two quick benefits of GP Rating:

·       You get Indian CDC after 6 months & you become eligible to sail across the globe.

·       While you are pursuing the course you get time to decide which department to join i.e., engine department or deck department.

Why do you want to pursue this course?

·       Get job on a Foreign Going Vessel,

·       handsome non-taxable salary in dollars,

·       An opportunity to see different countries.

·       But the very first thing is JOB.

Before doing this course make sure of the job availability part because if you don’t get a job you won’t be able to achieve the above mentioned benefits for which you signed up the course.

Now how do you break this vicious circle?

 There are 3 ways to get your first contract:

·       You should have a godfather (A CAPT. or Chief Engineer); with reference of this person you can easily get the job.

·       In case if you don’t have an approach in the industry, be ready to pay to an agent somewhere between Rs. 2.5 lac to Rs. 4 lac, for a job which will fetch you a salary of $350-$450, in the first contract.

·       You might also get a job in coastal vessels for free of cost, salary ranging from Rs. 8K - 12K. After 9 months of experience you can apply for Watch keeping certificate from MMD (Marine Mercantile Department), this certificate might help you in getting a FGV ship, chances are very little. You don’t get to learn lot in these smaller vessels that you get to work for free i.e., without paying service charge to agent.

Now, if you ask me if GP Rating is a good course for a ‘long term career and better future’

For following mentioned reasons my reason will be No

·       It’s a very labor-class course.

·       After you complete 36 months of sailing, you will appear for exams to get a COC (Certificate of Competence) so that you can sail as 3rd Officer/4rth Engineer. The exam and course duration for Ratings is more time consuming than B. SC/ B.E. / B. Tech cadets.

·       After you get your COC, still B. SC/ B.E. / B. Tech people would preferred because they are graduates. Any company would prefer educated employees over labor class employees, irrespective of work experience.

·       You will not get an opportunity to complete your graduation once start sailing. Being graduate is very important in this country and Merchant Navy first about gathering all fancy documents, then gaining experience. Do take some time to check some Merchant Navy guy how many documents he has.

My advice to you before you joins Merchant Navy:

If you are joining it primarily for money, please don’t! There are several ways to earn money. You might give up on your career soon and you will find yourself stranded in mid nowhere.

Please join Merchant Navy if you’re really passionate about it.

If you want to do a job, make sure you are an ‘A’ player. Every industry passes through a bad phase, ‘A’ players survive, and rest suffers.

With GP Rating, initially you will do well, later your career will become slow and you will remain option less.

Decide which department you want to join, i.e., engine or deck. Once you have done with that opt for B. SC Nautical Science or Marine Engineering from some top training institutes where you can get job in campus interview itself. Initially you will suffer; later your career becomes much simpler and faster.

After G.P. Rating Course, one need to have a sea time of total 36 months in which at least 6 months Bridge Watch Keeping duties should be carried out by individual under supervision of master or qualified navigation officer.

Generally as a crew a person is provided with 9 MONTHS contract (plus or minus one month) so assuming if a person sail for 9 months and take 1 month rest and continue to do this practice for upcoming 4 contracts so basically he will doing his required sea time in 40 months.

After completing 36 months of Sea time one need to appear for 2nd Mate Exam which is usually a process of 9–10 months given you are intelligent enough to clear all the exams in first attempt.

This generally implies that after G. P. Rating course it will around 50 or 52 months i.e. 4yrs and 5–6 months given that one will not engage in very long haul of rest in order to complete his 36 months swiftly.

Note: People often say that there are very less companies who accept an officer from Ratings background and up to some extent they are correct also but let me be frank and tell you Most of Fresher officers from Ratings Background face a crisis for the job just for the first time once you get a company everything will be fine for future.

Captain from GP rating 

After G.P. Rating Course, one needs to have a sea time of total 36 months in which at least 6 months Bridge Watch Keeping duties should be carried out by individual under supervision of master or qualified navigation officer.
Generally as a crew a person is provided with 9 MONTHS contract (plus or minus one month) so assuming if a person sail for 9 months and take 1 months rest and continue to do this practice for upcoming 4 contracts so basically he will doing his required sea time in 40 months.
After completing 36 months of Sea time one need to appear for 2nd Mate Exam which is usually a process of 9–10 months given you are intelligent enough to clear all the exams in first attempt.
This generally implies that after G. P. Rating course it will around 50 or 52 months i.e. 4yrs and 5–6 months given that one will not engage in very long haul of rest in order to complete his 36 months swiftly.
Note: People often say that there are very less companies who accept a officer from Ratings background and upto some extent they are correct also but let me be frank and tell you Most of Fresher officers from Ratings Background face a crisis for the job just for the first time once you get a company everything will be fine for future.


Highest rank in Merchant Navy is Captain and you can start from Trainee Ordinary Seafarer whereas for Engineers is called Chief Engineer. 100% Yes, can do after GP Rating Course. It takes about 12 Years in India to become Captain or C/E for GP Rating Course. Many have become and a fought estimate is that 15% of Indian off hear are from Rating background.
After GP Rating Course, join as wiper and take promotion as Oiler for Engineering line.
Upon completion of 36 months, go to UK and do Class 4 Motor Exams or 2nd Mates (FG) exams.
Then it’s normal process of having 18 months Sea time to do Chief a Mates Exams or Class 2 Motor Exams followed by 12 months Sea time to do Master Exams or Class 1 Motor Exams.
Thus a total Sea time required is 72 months which is 6 Years. If you spend 50% time on Ship, 40% in Exams and 10% in vacation then you can be Master or C/E in 12 Years on Merchant Ship.