Professional Qualifying Examinations (PQE)

The Professional Qualifying Examinations (PQEs) form the pinnacle of the Institute's qualifications. Passing these 7 exams demonstrates your developed knowledge and understanding of the commercial shipping industry. The PQE programme comprises seven exams, taken over a period of up to five years. Of these, four exams are compulsory and the remaining three can be chosen from a list of 12 optional subjects (see the syllabus section on our website).

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Many people complete the full programme in about 2 or 3 years, and some are eligible for exemptions from some exams, based on industry experience and prior qualifications. Exemptions do not apply to the Diplomas, so if you are eligible for a few, it may make sense to start your journey with PQE.

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The PQE is a flexible and modular programme that can be completed in steps. Typically candidates would start with a shorter programme - an ICS Diploma covering 2 modules only. After taking a Diploma - Foundation or Advanced or both - candidates would proceed and take the remaining PQE modules, till all 7 have been successfully covered.

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When completing the 7 modules in the PQE programme, candidates are then eligible to apply for membership of the Institute.