Bridge Team Management (BTM) |
BTM - BRIDGE TEAM MANAGEMENT LATEST EXAM
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS - VERIFIED ANSWERS
2026/2027
1. What is the primary objective of Bridge Team Management?
A. To make effective use of all available resources, people, equipment and
information, to achieve a safe passage
B. To reduce the number of officers required on the bridge
C. To replace the master's authority with group decision-making
D. To transfer navigational responsibility from the master to the OOW
A. To make effective use of all available resources, people, equipment and
information, to achieve a safe passage
BTM coordinates every bridge resource so that one person's error is caught by the
team before it becomes an incident.
2. Which set of STCW amendments made Bridge Resource Management and
leadership and teamwork training mandatory for deck officers?
A. The original 1978 Convention
B. The 1995 Amendments
C. The 2010 Manila Amendments
D. The Maritime Labour Convention 2006
C. The 2010 Manila Amendments
The Manila Amendments of 2010 introduced mandatory BRM, leadership and
teamworking competences into the STCW Code.
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, Bridge Team Management (BTM) |
3. The "error chain" concept in bridge team management holds that:
A. Accidents are usually caused by one single catastrophic mistake
B. Errors made by senior officers cannot be corrected by junior officers
C. Most accidents result from a sequence of errors, and breaking any one link can
prevent the accident
D. Equipment failure is the root cause of nearly all marine casualties
C. Most accidents result from a sequence of errors, and breaking any one
link can prevent the accident
Casualty investigations show a series of linked errors, so detecting and breaking
any single link stops the chain.
4. Which of the following is the most effective way of breaking an error chain
on the bridge?
A. Timely challenge and cross-checking by another member of the bridge team
B. Increasing the ship's speed to clear the area quickly
C. Relying on a single, highly accurate position source
D. Leaving all decisions to the most experienced officer present
A. Timely challenge and cross-checking by another member of the bridge
team
An independent check by another team member is the quickest way to detect and
stop an error in progress.
5. In Endsley's model, the first level of situational awareness is:
A. Projection of the future status of the situation
B. Comprehension of the meaning of the information
C. Perception of the relevant elements in the environment
D. Execution of the chosen course of action
C. Perception of the relevant elements in the environment
Level 1 is noticing what is there, such as targets, lights, depths and alarms, before
any interpretation is made.
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, Bridge Team Management (BTM) |
6. The third and highest level of situational awareness involves:
A. Projecting the future status of the situation
B. Detecting a radar target for the first time
C. Acknowledging an alarm on the ECDIS
D. Recording observations in the deck log
A. Projecting the future status of the situation
Level 3 awareness allows the officer to anticipate how the situation will develop
and act ahead of time.
7. A steep authority gradient on the bridge is most likely to result in:
A. Improved sharing of information between team members
B. Decisions being delayed through excessive consultation
C. Too many people trying to take charge at once
D. Junior officers being reluctant to voice concerns to the master or pilot
D. Junior officers being reluctant to voice concerns to the master or pilot
When the gap in authority is too great, juniors stay silent even when they see an
error developing.
8. An excessively flat authority gradient is most likely to lead to:
A. Rigid adherence to the passage plan
B. Lack of clear leadership and delayed decision-making
C. Juniors being afraid to speak up
D. Faster response in emergencies
B. Lack of clear leadership and delayed decision-making
With no clear leader, decisions can be debated rather than made, which is
dangerous when time is short.
9. Closed-loop communication on the bridge is achieved when:
A. The message is written in the deck log
B. All messages are passed using the VHF radio
C. The receiver repeats the message back and the sender confirms that it is
correct
D. The sender speaks slowly and clearly
C. The receiver repeats the message back and the sender confirms that it is
correct
Read-back and confirmation make sure the message was received and understood
exactly as intended.
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, Bridge Team Management (BTM) |
10. The master orders "Starboard twenty." The correct response from the
helmsman is to:
A. Wait until the order is repeated a second time
B. Repeat the order, apply the helm, and report "Wheel starboard twenty" when it
is on
C. Apply the helm without replying to save time
D. Reply "Yes, sir" and apply the helm
B. Repeat the order, apply the helm, and report "Wheel starboard twenty"
when it is on
The helmsman repeats the order, carries it out and reports back, closing the
communication loop.
11. "Challenge and response" on the bridge refers to:
A. A team member questioning an action they believe to be unsafe, and the
person in charge acknowledging and resolving the concern
B. A radio check carried out with the VTS centre
C. The pilot testing the knowledge of the OOW
D. The master checking that the lookout is awake
A. A team member questioning an action they believe to be unsafe, and the
person in charge acknowledging and resolving the concern
Challenging unsafe actions and responding to them positively is central to
effective bridge teamwork.
12. Which of the following is a recognised warning sign that situational
awareness is being lost?
A. A briefing held before arrival
B. Ambiguity or conflicting information between two sources
C. Helm orders being repeated back correctly
D. Position fixes taken at regular planned intervals
B. Ambiguity or conflicting information between two sources
Conflicting or unexplained information is a classic clue that the team's picture no
longer matches reality.
Page 4 of 56
BTM - BRIDGE TEAM MANAGEMENT LATEST EXAM
QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS - VERIFIED ANSWERS
2026/2027
1. What is the primary objective of Bridge Team Management?
A. To make effective use of all available resources, people, equipment and
information, to achieve a safe passage
B. To reduce the number of officers required on the bridge
C. To replace the master's authority with group decision-making
D. To transfer navigational responsibility from the master to the OOW
A. To make effective use of all available resources, people, equipment and
information, to achieve a safe passage
BTM coordinates every bridge resource so that one person's error is caught by the
team before it becomes an incident.
2. Which set of STCW amendments made Bridge Resource Management and
leadership and teamwork training mandatory for deck officers?
A. The original 1978 Convention
B. The 1995 Amendments
C. The 2010 Manila Amendments
D. The Maritime Labour Convention 2006
C. The 2010 Manila Amendments
The Manila Amendments of 2010 introduced mandatory BRM, leadership and
teamworking competences into the STCW Code.
Page 1 of 56
, Bridge Team Management (BTM) |
3. The "error chain" concept in bridge team management holds that:
A. Accidents are usually caused by one single catastrophic mistake
B. Errors made by senior officers cannot be corrected by junior officers
C. Most accidents result from a sequence of errors, and breaking any one link can
prevent the accident
D. Equipment failure is the root cause of nearly all marine casualties
C. Most accidents result from a sequence of errors, and breaking any one
link can prevent the accident
Casualty investigations show a series of linked errors, so detecting and breaking
any single link stops the chain.
4. Which of the following is the most effective way of breaking an error chain
on the bridge?
A. Timely challenge and cross-checking by another member of the bridge team
B. Increasing the ship's speed to clear the area quickly
C. Relying on a single, highly accurate position source
D. Leaving all decisions to the most experienced officer present
A. Timely challenge and cross-checking by another member of the bridge
team
An independent check by another team member is the quickest way to detect and
stop an error in progress.
5. In Endsley's model, the first level of situational awareness is:
A. Projection of the future status of the situation
B. Comprehension of the meaning of the information
C. Perception of the relevant elements in the environment
D. Execution of the chosen course of action
C. Perception of the relevant elements in the environment
Level 1 is noticing what is there, such as targets, lights, depths and alarms, before
any interpretation is made.
Page 2 of 56
, Bridge Team Management (BTM) |
6. The third and highest level of situational awareness involves:
A. Projecting the future status of the situation
B. Detecting a radar target for the first time
C. Acknowledging an alarm on the ECDIS
D. Recording observations in the deck log
A. Projecting the future status of the situation
Level 3 awareness allows the officer to anticipate how the situation will develop
and act ahead of time.
7. A steep authority gradient on the bridge is most likely to result in:
A. Improved sharing of information between team members
B. Decisions being delayed through excessive consultation
C. Too many people trying to take charge at once
D. Junior officers being reluctant to voice concerns to the master or pilot
D. Junior officers being reluctant to voice concerns to the master or pilot
When the gap in authority is too great, juniors stay silent even when they see an
error developing.
8. An excessively flat authority gradient is most likely to lead to:
A. Rigid adherence to the passage plan
B. Lack of clear leadership and delayed decision-making
C. Juniors being afraid to speak up
D. Faster response in emergencies
B. Lack of clear leadership and delayed decision-making
With no clear leader, decisions can be debated rather than made, which is
dangerous when time is short.
9. Closed-loop communication on the bridge is achieved when:
A. The message is written in the deck log
B. All messages are passed using the VHF radio
C. The receiver repeats the message back and the sender confirms that it is
correct
D. The sender speaks slowly and clearly
C. The receiver repeats the message back and the sender confirms that it is
correct
Read-back and confirmation make sure the message was received and understood
exactly as intended.
Page 3 of 56
, Bridge Team Management (BTM) |
10. The master orders "Starboard twenty." The correct response from the
helmsman is to:
A. Wait until the order is repeated a second time
B. Repeat the order, apply the helm, and report "Wheel starboard twenty" when it
is on
C. Apply the helm without replying to save time
D. Reply "Yes, sir" and apply the helm
B. Repeat the order, apply the helm, and report "Wheel starboard twenty"
when it is on
The helmsman repeats the order, carries it out and reports back, closing the
communication loop.
11. "Challenge and response" on the bridge refers to:
A. A team member questioning an action they believe to be unsafe, and the
person in charge acknowledging and resolving the concern
B. A radio check carried out with the VTS centre
C. The pilot testing the knowledge of the OOW
D. The master checking that the lookout is awake
A. A team member questioning an action they believe to be unsafe, and the
person in charge acknowledging and resolving the concern
Challenging unsafe actions and responding to them positively is central to
effective bridge teamwork.
12. Which of the following is a recognised warning sign that situational
awareness is being lost?
A. A briefing held before arrival
B. Ambiguity or conflicting information between two sources
C. Helm orders being repeated back correctly
D. Position fixes taken at regular planned intervals
B. Ambiguity or conflicting information between two sources
Conflicting or unexplained information is a classic clue that the team's picture no
longer matches reality.
Page 4 of 56
