Not really. Sounds like a divisional exam that was passed out. Problem is in nuke world, NR (Naval Reactors) has always had this very goofed up notion that tests should be in a nice neat little box...GPA too high, too low, too many failures, NO failures, etc., always seems to bring up unwanted scrutiny.
On the boats of late it seems like qual exams and continuing training exams are getting more like the Spanish Inquisition than a test of knowledge on a particular system or subject. My BEQ exam when I initially qualified was 4 hours long. My RO and SRO exams were 8 hours each. Lock me in a room with no RPM's or other study materials, come back when the time is up or I'm done. That's pretty much how it was back in the day.
And if you didn't pass, doom on you--none of this "wink and a nod" and don't look at those books when you take that test (wink, wink) BS--not if you wanted to keep your NEC and crow. I don't know why the boats (by decree of NR) decided to make brain surgeons out of operators, or try to anyway, but the exam system is pretty much out of control. In addition to all the other BS we have to deal with back aft, we have to deal with developing our own training programs too, with an ever-changing expectation? WTF? Why not have NR come up with a standard program and make all the boats adhere to that, with any additional information class or boat specific?
My heart goes out to the skipper and his family. A wonderful carear come to a stop because of crap going on without his knowledge.
However as I told Radioguy, the Captain has to stand or fall on his watch. What his crew are doing that he knows nothing about is no excuses in the law of the high seas, the Skipper is responsible for every thing regardless if he knows about it or not.
Not a job for the faint of heart, the Skipper has to know his boat as he knows the body of his wife.
Too many Skippers run their ships as civilians do a company's are the CEO but have no idea who is sweeping the floors at night.
The skipper cannot point his finger at anyone but himself, ---if his crew is cheating on exams, that is the problem of the Captain to not have been aware of.
Frustrating for Skippers that have Officers assigned to them and the men are not to be relied on. The Skipper can holler to high heaven to get these men off their boat, but in the end they are left to attempt to sail with these idiots aboard and find a way to get back into home port re guardless of the incompetence of his Officers.
Then the not be spoken of world of politics, if a skipper is not popular with the powers that be, any little thing can remove him from his comand.
