A Dedicated Examiner (DE) is a specific type of assessor – a USCG licensed mariner, authorized to appraise a mariner’s ability to meet a set of standards outlined by the USCG for completion of the Towing Officer Assessment Record (TOAR). DE’s are often in-company assessors, reviewing and certifying apprentice mates seeking to be trained as mate-pilots, who can then stand their own watch. In early 2021, however, several SCI customers advised our Center for Maritime Education that their training captains were finding it difficult to renew their DE status due to updated USCG regulations. Right away, CME got to work designing a new class to meet the necessary requirements so our training partners and supporters could close the certification gap for their DEs and resume steersman training onboard.

As of June 2022, CME was able to offer their first DE course—a mix of in-class instruction and simulator training, with CME instructors evaluating trainer effectiveness. Key educational goals for CME’s DE certification are:

1. • An understanding of the role of a Designated Examiner.
2. • Knowledge of the five-step assessment process and how to apply the process in practice in the simulator.
3. • The ability to complete a TOAR assessment on a candidate.
4. • The ability to conduct effective, thorough, and objective assessments.

For more information, email us at [email protected]