Alexandria Regional Examination Center (AREC)

Along the years the Examination Center has developed its performance and achieved a high degree of efficiency to the extent that IMO has utilized its technical expertise to develop examinations procedures and regulations in other countries.

Considering the national and international standards and regulations for exams, in which national standards are more higher than the minimum requirements of the International standards stated in STCW, accordingly the rules and regulations for sitting exams differs from place to another and from country to another. Also the type of questions and the in-depth level are changing and differs from country to another. Accordingly, it is clear that examinations and assessments in need of two actions:

1. Establishing International Examination Center considering only the STCW convention requirements for harmonizing the regulations to be followed up for setting examination.
2. Developing and maintaining an International bank of questions and model answers to be for all countries.
   • In this regard, AASTMT has established the Alexandria Regional Examination Center in 1993 and demonstrated its capabilities on the maritime safety Committee on its Nov. 1993 session.
   • This Regional Examination Center considers only the International Regulations regardless the Egyptian regulations. Standards of computerized systems developed and databank used in AREC was highly appreciated by all experts of IMO, WMU and visitors from Mediterranean and Arab countries.
   • Turkey and Lebanon has signed a MoU with the academy in recognizing AREC certificates.
   • AASTMT planning to cooperate with the Mediterranean countries in signing similar agreements for recognizing the Center as Mediterranean Maritime Exam Center achieving standards of IMO in evaluation and assessment.