THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, MARCH 27, 1931.
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58. Verbals.-The Examiner should deal with practical, rather than theoretical, questions in this division of the examination, and no candidate should be failed in the verbal examination without having been well cross-questioned on the points on which failure takes place.
Questions on the management of engines and boilers at sea, the duties of the super- vising Engineer, the work to be done to the engines, boilers and auxiliary machinery in port, and the periodical examinations of the working parts, should form part of the verbal. examination.
It is considered of great importance that candidates for examination should have an extensive knowledge of the particulars of actual casualties which have occurred at sea, and be able to state how these might have been prevented, and how they were remedied.
Should a candidate have had no personal experience of any defects, and be unable to describe casualties to machinery which may have occurred in the experience of others, he should be closely questioned as to his knowledge of boiler and engine construction and repair.
As it is possible for a candidate to obtain pass marks in Practical Mathematics, al- though apparently unable to calculate horse-power from indicator diagrams, strength of boiler seams, etc., and, further, as a drawing may be passed as such although containing faults of a practical description, Examiners should, as far as practicable, scrutinise the worked papers, and in each candidate's verbal examination include questions on such practical deficiencies as may appear in his papers.
59. Examination Results.-The results of examinations should be communic- ated to all candidates.
60. Voluntary Retirement to be discouraged.-Voluntary retirement from any examination should be discouraged. Each First and Second Class candidate should be taken through the whole examination,, at least on first presenting himself, in order that his ability in all four sections of the examination may be ascertained and recorded.
61. Failure in Examination. -Failure in subjects ignorance of which might lead an Engineer to do something actually unsafe in the management of any part of a ship's machinery (e.g., questions on manipulation and reading of the water-gauge, the danger of fire and explosion in motor vessels, etc.), will be regarded as failure in practical knowledge, and any candidate so failing may not present himself for re-examination until be can produce proofs of six months' further service at sea in a qualifying capacity, as Engineer on watch on the main engines or boilers of a foreign-going ship, or its equivalent in the home trade (nine months), subsequent to the date of failure.
Should a candidate fail through ignorance of fundamental principles, or on account of general defectiveness throughout the examination, he should not be re-examined for any certificate until after a lapse of six months. In such a case, if the candidate's defi- ciencies indicate the necessity for further study rather than practical experience, he need not be required to perform additional sea service.
In ordinary cases of failure, the candidate may present himself for re-examination at any time, but if he fails three times in any part or parts of the examination within any period of three months, he will not be re-examined until after a lapse of three months from the date of the last failure.
In any cases of failure the re-examination must embrace all the subjects.
COUNCIL CHAMBER,
18th March, 1931.
D. W. TRATMAN,
Clerk of Councils,
NOTE.-Particulars of books recommended for study by intending candidates for examination, specimen papers, and forms to be filled up by and other information useful to such candidates may be seen or obtained at the Harbour Office, Victoria, Hong Kong.