Why I Created Alfidelfi.com — the story behind this site, built to help Chief Engineer and 2nd Engineer candidates prepare for real oral and written exam questions asked at MMD offices across India.
Practical guidance on how to prepare for and pass the Chief Engineer oral exam, covering how surveyors ask questions, what they expect in an answer, and common mistakes candidates make under pressure.
The story of how this website was hijacked, and what happened to recover it — a cautionary account for anyone running a long-standing exam prep site.
A frequently asked MMD oral exam question: what actions a Chief Engineer must take when one of two generators running in parallel suddenly loses excitation, including load-sharing and safety steps.
Covers the correct emergency response when a running generator's frequency starts fluctuating, a common scenario question asked in Chief Engineer oral exams.
Explains the key differences between two similar-sounding oral exam scenarios — loss of excitation versus frequency fluctuation — and how a Chief Engineer's response differs for each.
An explanation of the Himalaya Clause, a shipping law provision that extends carrier liability protections to servants, agents, and independent contractors — a question regularly asked in Chief Engineer oral exams.
Guidance on how a Chief Engineer should respond to oral exam questions about reverse mentoring — junior crew sharing knowledge upward — and why examiners ask about it.
Breaks down IACS Procedural Requirement PR 17, which governs how ISM management system failures and non-conformities are reported, and how to explain it clearly to an examiner.
Compares MAN B&W's ME electronically controlled engines with Wärtsilä's RT-Flex engines, covering the key operational and design differences examiners expect a Chief Engineer to know.
Explains the MAN B&W Alpha cylinder lubrication system — how it works and what points examiners typically probe — for Chief Engineer oral exam preparation.
Covers alternative marine e-fuels (such as e-methanol and e-ammonia), why the shipping industry is adopting them, and how to discuss them confidently in an oral exam.
Step-by-step actions a Chief Engineer should take in the event of a container fire onboard, a standard emergency-response question in oral exams.
Explains what UNCLOS Articles 91 (nationality of ships) and 94 (duties of the flag state) require, and why examiners test candidates on these provisions.
Looks at the MSC Elsa 3, a container ship that capsized and sank off the Kerala coast in May 2025 while carrying hazardous cargo, and the lessons Chief Engineer candidates can draw from the incident.
Explains methane slip in LNG-fuelled engines and Tier III NOx emission compliance requirements, two increasingly common topics in modern oral exams.
Covers how to structure a strong answer on alternative marine fuels — LNG, methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen — when asked by an MMD surveyor.
Explains shipboard sanitation requirements and disease vector control measures under maritime health regulations, and how to answer this oral exam topic.
Reviews a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) explosion and sinking incident, and what safety and operational lessons it holds for Chief Engineer exam candidates.
Explains how ballast tank capacity on bulk carriers is regulated, and what examiners expect a Chief Engineer to know about ballast water management rules.
Covers the Inchmaree Clause, a marine insurance provision covering losses from crew negligence or latent defects, and how to explain it in an oral exam setting.