India has raised the fee for two exit exams for new seafarers. The exams are for General Purpose (GP) Ratings and for the Certificate Course in Maritime Catering (CCMC). The new total is ₹2,500 per candidate, plus GST. The old total was ₹1,700.
The change comes from Directorate General of Maritime Administration (DGMA) Order 24 of 2026, dated 8 October 2026. The new rates started on 1 November 2026.
What GP Ratings and CCMC are
GP Ratings is the entry course for people who want to work as deck or engine ratings on merchant ships. After the course and exit exam, many join as an ordinary seaman or a similar first rank.
CCMC is a six-month catering course. It prepares people for cook and steward jobs on ships. Exit exams for both courses are run by the Board of Examinations for Seafarers (BES), under DGMA rules.
The new fee parts
For GP Ratings, the ₹2,500 total is made of:
GP-GSK practical or orals: ₹440 (was ₹300)
GP-MEK practical or orals: ₹440 (was ₹300)
GP-GSK online exam: ₹810 (was ₹550)
GP-MEK online exam: ₹810 (was ₹550)
For CCMC, the ₹2,500 total is made of:
Online exam: ₹850 (was ₹568)
Practical: ₹825 (was ₹566)
Orals: ₹825 (was ₹566)
GST and other legal charges are extra. The order says these base rates should stay for five years, unless there are special reasons and formal approval.
How the money is split
Maritime Training Institutes (MTIs) collect the fee. For each fresher candidate, they must send ₹2,200 to BES and ₹300 to DGMA. The DGMA share is meant to improve training standards.
Until a new Section 8 body is set up, MTIs may keep the DGMA share for a short time. They must keep a clear record of what they owe DGMA.
What trainees should do now
Ask your MTI for a written fee list before you pay. Check that it matches Order 24 of 2026: ₹2,500 plus GST for a fresher exit exam.
Keep receipts for every payment to the institute and for the exam.
Do not pay any person who asks for cash outside the official MTI or BES process.
If your institute asks for more than the order allows, ask for the order number in writing. You can also check DGMA notices on the DGMA website.
Engineer candidates have a separate written-exam seat rule. Read how to book an MEO Class 2 or 4 written exam seat at another centre.
Before you join a ship, check that certificates are genuine online.
Official help lines and certificate checks are on Crewboard's useful links page.
Cover photo: An oil tanker at the Cochin Oil Terminal, India. Illustrative photo for Indian shipping and ratings careers, not linked to this exam. Photo: Rangan Datta Wiki/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped).
Sources: DGMA Order No. 24 of 2026: Revision of Rates for GP Ratings and CCMC Courses Exit Examinations (8 Oct 2026, PDF), DGMA Orders and Notices list (includes Order 24 of 2026).
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