What is ECDIS generic training (IMO Model Course 1.27)?

It is the standardised shore-based course that teaches deck officers to use any Electronic Chart Display and Information System safely to maintain the safety of navigation. It supports the STCW Table A-II/1 and A-II/2 ECDIS competence and is typically a 40-hour, five-day course with written and simulator assessment.

How is generic ECDIS training different from type-specific familiarization?

Generic training covers ECDIS principles common to all systems and ends with a standardised assessment at an approved centre. Type-specific familiarization is conducted onboard under the ISM Code for the particular make and model installed; it has no standardised exam. Officers normally need both.

Is the ECDIS generic course assessed by multiple-choice exam?

Each approved training centre sets its own end-of-course assessment, which commonly includes a written multiple-choice component plus simulator or practical exercises. The IMO does not publish a single fixed question count for the course.

What are CATZOC and the safety contour?

CATZOC (category zone of confidence) rates ENC survey data quality from A1 (best, about +/-5m position accuracy) down to D (about +/-500m) and U for unassessed. The safety contour separates safe from unsafe water for the ship and drives the crossing-safety-contour anti-grounding alarm; it is calculated from draft plus under-keel clearance.

Why is RCDS mode limited compared with full ECDIS mode?

RCDS mode uses raster charts (RNCs), which are images with no embedded object data, so chart-based safety alarms such as crossing the safety contour are not available. IMO guidance requires an appropriate, up-to-date folio of paper charts to be carried for areas covered only by raster charts.

Do US deck officers need ECDIS training?

Without approved ECDIS training, the USCG places the limitation 'not valid on vessels equipped with ECDIS' on an officer's endorsement under 46 CFR 11.309. In practice, deck officers serving on ECDIS-fitted vessels need the generic course plus type-specific familiarization.

Which IMO performance standards apply to ECDIS?

Depending on installation date, an ECDIS complies with Resolution A.817(19), MSC.232(82) of 2006, or MSC.530(106) of 2022. Chart data follows IHO standards: S-57 (and the newer S-101) for data, S-52 for presentation, and S-63 for data protection.

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ECDIS Exam

40 hours

Generic Course Length

IMO Model Course 1.27 (2012)

A1 to D plus U

CATZOC Quality Categories

IHO ENC data quality

+/-5 m

CATZOC A1 Position Accuracy

IHO zones of confidence

5 subject areas

Model Course 1.27 Structure

IMO Model Course 1.27 (2012)

MSC.232(82)

2006 ECDIS Performance Standard

IMO Maritime Safety Committee

46 CFR 11.309

USCG ECDIS Training Rule

US Coast Guard

ECDIS Generic Training (IMO Model Course 1.27) is the standardised, shore-based course that qualifies deck officers to use ECDIS to maintain the safety of navigation under STCW Tables A-II/1 and A-II/2. It is a 40-hour, five-day course with a written assessment (commonly multiple choice) plus simulator/practical exercises set by a flag-state-approved centre. Core domains are the legal framework (SOLAS V/19 carriage and back-up, ENC vs RNC, RCDS-mode limits, IMO performance standards), charts and data quality (vector ENC S-57/S-101, S-52 presentation, CATZOC A1 to D and U, weekly updating), route planning and safety settings (safety contour from draft plus under-keel clearance, safety depth, XTD, look-ahead), route monitoring and the alarm-versus-indication hierarchy, sensor integration (GNSS, radar overlay, AIS, echo sounder), and errors/over-reliance (GNSS jamming, datum mismatch, alarm fatigue). The course is separate from manufacturer type-specific familiarization done onboard; without approved ECDIS training the USCG limits endorsements to 'not valid on vessels equipped with ECDIS' (46 CFR 11.309).

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1Generic ECDIS training delivered to the standard of IMO Model Course 1.27 is required to support which STCW competence?

A.Maintain a safe engineering watch

B.Operate life-saving appliances

C.Use of ECDIS to maintain the safety of navigation

D.Conduct cargo handling and stowage operations

Explanation: Model Course 1.27 supports the STCW Code Table A-II/1 and A-II/2 competence 'Use of ECDIS to maintain the safety of navigation', the deck-officer navigation function.

2What is the essential difference between ECDIS generic training and type-specific (familiarization) training?

A.Generic training covers a single manufacturer's equipment; type-specific covers all systems

B.Generic training teaches ECDIS principles applicable to any system; type-specific covers the operation of one particular installed model

C.Both are identical and interchangeable for certification

D.Type-specific training is completed ashore at an approved centre with an MCQ exam

Explanation: Generic (Model Course 1.27) training covers ECDIS principles common to all systems with an end-of-course assessment, while type-specific familiarization addresses the specific make/model installed onboard, conducted under the ISM Code with no standardized exam.

3Under SOLAS Chapter V, an ECDIS that is to replace paper charts as the primary means of navigation must use which type of chart data?

A.Raster Navigational Charts (RNC) only

B.Privately produced electronic charts

C.Scanned paper chart images

D.Official vector Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC)

Explanation: Only official vector ENCs (S-57/S-101) allow ECDIS to operate in full ECDIS mode and satisfy the paper-chart-equivalent carriage requirement; RNCs only permit the limited RCDS mode.

4An ENC area is symbolised with a triangular pattern of two stars. What does this CATZOC value indicate?

A.The highest data quality (CATZOC A1)

B.The lowest assessed data quality (CATZOC D)

C.Unassessed data (CATZOC U)

D.A temporary navigational warning

Explanation: CATZOC is symbolised by star counts: six stars indicate A1 (best) down to two stars for D (lowest assessed quality). Two stars therefore mean CATZOC D, with a position accuracy of about 500 m.

5For CATZOC A1, the indicative horizontal position accuracy of charted features is approximately:

A.+/-50 m

B.+/-5 m plus 5% of depth

C.+/-500 m

D.Worse than 500 m / unassessed

Explanation: CATZOC A1 represents the best assessed quality with position accuracy of about +/-5 m (plus 5% of depth) and full seafloor coverage.

6The IHO transfer standard that defines the structure and format of vector ENC data currently in widest service is:

A.S-52

B.S-63

C.S-57

D.S-100

Explanation: S-57 is the IHO Transfer Standard for Digital Hydrographic Data, the format of the ENCs presently loaded in most ECDIS; S-101 is its successor under the S-100 framework.

7Which IHO standard specifies the colours, symbols and presentation library used by ECDIS to portray ENC data?

A.S-57

B.S-52

C.S-63

D.S-101

Explanation: S-52 specifies chart content and display aspects of ECDIS, including the Presentation Library that controls symbols, colours and day/night palettes.

8The safety contour on an ECDIS primarily serves to:

A.Set the alarm volume level

B.Control the brightness of the display

C.Separate navigable water from water too shallow for the ship, triggering anti-grounding alarms

D.Define the radar range scale

Explanation: The safety contour divides safe (deeper) water from unsafe (shallow) water for the vessel; ECDIS uses it as the principal reference for the anti-grounding 'crossing safety contour' alarm.

9A vessel has a maximum static draft of 9.8 m. When the ECDIS cannot match this exact value to an available ENC depth contour, the safety contour should be set to:

A.The next shallower available contour (e.g. 5 m)

B.Exactly 9.8 m regardless of available contours

C.The deepest contour on the chart

D.The next deeper available contour (e.g. 10 m)

Explanation: If the calculated safety contour value is not available, ECDIS automatically selects (and the navigator should accept) the next DEEPER contour, ensuring the safety contour errs on the side of safety.

10On an ECDIS, the 'safety depth' setting principally affects:

A.The colour boundary between deep and shallow water shading

B.The chart update permit expiry

C.Whether individual soundings equal to or shallower than the value are highlighted (made bold/black)

D.The AIS target filter range

Explanation: Safety depth controls the emphasis of individual spot soundings: soundings equal to or less than the safety depth are shown in a bold/highlighted style to warn the navigator.

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