Note: All questions below are original practice questions written specifically for this article. They are NOT leaked Marlins questions — the real Marlins test belongs to Ocean Technologies Group and is confidential. But the format is made as close as possible to the real test so your practice is effective.
What Is the Marlins Test and Why Does Grammar Matter?
The Marlins Test (Marlins English Language Test) is the shipping industry’s standard English test, used by many shipping companies and crewing agencies to select seafarers. If you apply through a manning agency, you’ll very likely be asked to take it — and it isn’t cheap. Failing means paying again. So preparation is an investment, not an expense.
The seafarer version of the Marlins test: 85 questions in 60 minutes, split into sections — listening, grammar (28 questions!), vocabulary, reading, and time & numbers. That means nearly one-third of the whole test is grammar, mostly testing tenses. This is the most “trainable” part — the patterns repeat and there are formulas.
This article contains 25 original practice questions: 10 grammar (tenses) questions, 5 odd-word-out (maritime vocabulary), 5 sentence-ordering questions, and 5 time & numbers questions. Do them all first, then check the answer key and explanations at the end.
Part 1 — Grammar: Fill in the Blank (10 Questions)
Choose the correct word/phrase to complete the sentence.
1. The chief engineer ___ the main engine every morning before departure.
- a. checks
- b. check
- c. checking
- d. is check
2. Right now, the deck crew ___ the mooring lines on the aft deck.
- a. is preparing
- b. are preparing
- c. prepares
- d. prepared
3. We ___ from Singapore to Jakarta when the storm hit us last Tuesday.
- a. sailed
- b. were sailing
- c. have sailed
- d. sail
4. The captain ___ the safety drill by the time we reached the muster station.
- a. already started
- b. has already started
- c. had already started
- d. starts
5. By next month, I ___ my contract on this vessel for one full year.
- a. will complete
- b. will have completed
- c. have completed
- d. completed
6. Look at those dark clouds! It ___ heavily soon.
- a. is going to rain
- b. rains
- c. rained
- d. rain
7. The oiler ___ the filters yesterday, so the system is running smoothly now.
- a. replaces
- b. has replaced
- c. replaced
- d. will replace
8. She ___ as a cook on tankers since 2019.
- a. works
- b. is working
- c. has been working
- d. worked
9. If the weather gets worse, the captain ___ the departure.
- a. will delay
- b. delays
- c. would delay
- d. delayed
10. The lifeboat ___ during the last port state control inspection.
- a. was tested
- b. tested
- c. is tested
- d. has tested
Part 2 — Odd Word Out: Maritime Vocabulary (5 Questions)
Three words in each group are related. Find the ONE word that doesn’t belong.
11. anchor – mooring line – gangway – propeller
12. starboard – port – bow – engine
13. muster station – lifeboat – life raft – cargo hold
14. helm – rudder – compass – galley
15. bulk carrier – container ship – tanker – lighthouse
Part 3 — Sentence Ordering (5 Questions)
Arrange the jumbled words into a correct English sentence.
16. yesterday / the / inspected / surveyor / lifeboats
17. must / wear / crew / all / lifejackets / members
18. the / before / check / departure / must / we / engine
19. heavy / due to / delayed / was / weather / the / arrival
20. on / the / is / bridge / the / now / captain
Part 4 — Time & Numbers (5 Questions)
This section tests reading time and numbers the maritime way — also important for VHF communication on board.
21. In maritime English, “14:30” is read as…
- a. fourteen thirty
- b. four thirty p.m.
- c. fourteen and thirty
- d. thirty past fourteen
22. “The vessel’s draft is 8.5 meters.” The number 8.5 is read as…
- a. eight point five
- b. eight comma five
- c. eight and five
- d. eight five
23. “ETA 0630” in radio communication is read as…
- a. zero six three zero
- b. six thirty
- c. oh six thirty
- d. sixty thirty
24. “Switch to channel one six.” This means VHF channel…
- a. 16
- b. 6
- c. 61
- d. 106
25. “The ship is making twelve knots.” One knot means…
- a. one nautical mile per hour
- b. one kilometer per hour
- c. one land mile per hour
- d. one meter per second
Answer Key & Explanations
Part 1 — Grammar
1. Answer: a. checks
“Every morning” signals simple present tense (habit/routine). The subject the chief engineer is third-person singular, so the verb takes -s: checks.
2. Answer: b. are preparing
“Right now” = happening at this moment → present continuous (am/is/are + verb-ing). The deck crew is treated as plural here (the ABs), so use are.
3. Answer: b. were sailing
Classic pattern: an ongoing action (past continuous) interrupted by another past action (simple past: hit). We were sailing when the storm hit.
4. Answer: c. had already started
“By the time we reached…” (past) → an action completed before that past point uses past perfect: had + verb-3.
5. Answer: b. will have completed
“By next month” (a future point); the action will already be finished before that point → future perfect: will have + verb-3.
6. Answer: a. is going to rain
“Look at those dark clouds!” = prediction based on visible present evidence → use be going to.
7. Answer: c. replaced
“Yesterday” = finished past time → simple past: verb-2. Present perfect can’t be used with a specific past-time marker.
8. Answer: c. has been working
“Since 2019” = started in the past and still continuing now → present perfect continuous: has/have been + verb-ing.
9. Answer: a. will delay
First conditional: If + present simple, … will + base verb.
10. Answer: a. was tested
The lifeboat is the object being tested → past passive: was/were + verb-3.
Part 2 — Odd Word Out
11. Answer: propeller — anchor, mooring line, gangway are mooring/berthing equipment; a propeller is the ship’s propulsor.
12. Answer: engine — starboard, port, bow are directions/parts of the ship; the engine is machinery.
13. Answer: cargo hold — muster station, lifeboat, life raft are life-saving equipment; the cargo hold is a cargo space.
14. Answer: galley — helm, rudder, compass are steering/navigation equipment; the galley is the ship’s kitchen.
15. Answer: lighthouse — bulk carrier, container ship, tanker are merchant ship types; a lighthouse is a shore/coastal structure.
Part 3 — Sentence Ordering
16. The surveyor inspected the lifeboats yesterday.
17. All crew members must wear lifejackets.
18. We must check the engine before departure.
19. The arrival was delayed due to heavy weather.
20. The captain is on the bridge now.
Part 4 — Time & Numbers
21. Answer: a. fourteen thirty — the 24-hour format is read in two-digit pairs, no a.m./p.m.
22. Answer: a. eight point five — the decimal mark is read as point, not “comma”.
23. Answer: a. zero six three zero — on maritime radio each digit is read one by one.
24. Answer: a. 16 — one six = channel 16 (the international VHF distress channel).
25. Answer: a. one nautical mile per hour — 1 knot = 1 nautical mile (1.852 km) per hour.
Tips for the Grammar Section on Test Day
- Find the time marker first. Yesterday, last week → simple past. Since, for → perfect. By + future time → future perfect. Right now → present continuous. Every day → simple present.
- Check whether the subject is singular or plural before choosing — the is/are and -s traps are always there.
- Memorize the 3 conditional patterns: type 1 (if + present, will), type 2 (if + past, would), type 3 (if + had + V3, would have + V3).
- When unsure, eliminate first. Cross out options that are clearly ungrammatical; usually two remain.
- Don’t get stuck on one question. 85 questions in 60 minutes = under 45 seconds per question.
Closing
Grammar is the most “trainable” part of the Marlins test — the patterns are limited, the formulas are clear, and 28 questions await. Practice works best a little at a time, regularly — not cramming overnight.
Want more practice? Keep an eye on InfoPelaut’s Maritime English section — next up: maritime vocabulary drills, advanced time & numbers, and tips for the listening section. The better prepared you walk into the test room, the smaller the chance of paying twice. Good luck!
