二副面前前主要应准备关于职责范围内的问题，如画海图（电子海图）、如何修正海图、地理常识、海事专业出版物及船上图书馆的管理、制定航路计划、船上药品管理、装卸货值班、正常海上值班、垃圾处理、其他所负责的设备的维护和保养等问题。当然职位的船员的英文水平和业务水平越来越好。对于没有外派经历的二副，建议抓紧时间补习英文，特别是专业英语。下面收集了一部分问题，可供参考。
1. Can you tell me about your education background and working experience?
(Omitted) Please refer to the same questions for the master.
2. Can you tell me about your last vessel?
(Omitted) Please refer to the same questions for the master or chief officer.
3. What are your responsibilities as a Second Officer?
The Second Officer is the navigational officer and sometimes also medical officer on board. Besides, the Second Officer shall assist the Chief Officer. His duties may include the following.
(1) Navigation watch keeping (from 1200 to 1600, and from 0000 to 0400)
(2) Chart and navigational publication corrections
(3) Passage plan making
(4) Usually working as the designated communication officer
(5) Maintenance of communication equipment, instruments and spare parts on board the ship
(6) Care of all the basic navigation equipment and instruments, in cluding magnetic compass, gyrocompasses, gyro repeaters, time changes, depth sounders and course record.
(7) Maintenance of inventories of the stationery
(8) Medical duties, and other duties designated by the Master or Chief Officer.
(9) Some other work designated by master or Chief Officer.
二副应该能用自己的语言流利地说出自己的职责。
4. Please briefly describe the procedure of dealing with navigational warnings.
Firstly, I shall register the navigational warnings in the Register Book and record the warning number in the card. Secondly, I shall select the charts that are affected by the warnings. Then I shall use pens, scissors and glues to fix permanent notices. I shall also use pencils to fix temporary and preliminary notices. The charts are to be corrected according to all the concerned warnings. When I correct the chart, I shall frequently consult the geographical index.
5. Can you describe the charts correction procedures?
Please refer to the same question for the Master.
Firstly, the Second Officer has to make sure that he has received the latest Notice to Mariner and that he has to write the notice request on time. The Master shall make emergency request if the latest is not received.
Secondly, the Second Officer has to record the Notice to Mariner on the correction logs on time according to the chronological order.
Thirdly, when correcting the chart, he has to make sure that the last small correction has been made on the chart.
Erasure should never be made when deleting information crossed through. Instead, series of short double strokes should be used while correction fluid should not be used.
Always insert information before you delete any information.
如何画海图和维护海图是二副最重要的职责之一，对于海图更新的有关程序是考官经常考到的题目，一定要好好准备。关键是如何有自己的话表达出这个复杂的过程。
6. Who should draft the passage plan on board? What are included in passage plan? When you make the passage plan, what information do you need?
Usually, the passage plan should be prepared by the Second Officer and approved by the Master. During passage, when an error or mistake is found about the passage plan, it should be reported to the Master first and corrected afterwards by the Secord Officer. But during voyage the passage plan cannot be changed without the Master’s approval.
The passage plan should include such information as way points, the distance between way points, courses, current, tide, weather conditions and means of communications, means of fixing position and interval and so on.
Besides, the following information and publications are necessary in making the passage plan: sailing directions, pilot book, port entry guidance, tide table’s local area warning, warning from the NAVAREA areas, list of light and radio signals, Admiralty Notice to Mariner, sea chart and catalogue of admiralty charts and other publications.
7. What is the scope the passage plan cover? If you miss one or two big or small scale for next voyage, can the ship give sea going or not?
The passage plan should cover the sailing route from berth to berth. Lack of information for some areas may lead to some serious accidents.
The ship cannot go if one or two charts are not available.
8. If the signal of “three red lights vertically aligned” is found on board a ship during night voyage, what do you think is wrong with the ship? If a motor ship is moving under the way, but not under command, what kind of signals should she use? On what occasion do you display two black balls during the day?
The vessel is constrained by her draught. It is very hard for her to maneuver. Our vessel should give a wide berth and take actions to keep away from her.
The motor ship should use not-under-control lights, i.e., two red lights vertically aligned during night time, and two black balls vertically aligned during day time.
We shall display two black balls when our vessel cannot get out the way of another.
各种信号灯的含义和英文表示也是面试中经常提到的问题。希望二副们全面复习一下这方面的知识。请参阅COLREG 1972“NAVIGATION LIGHTS”部分。
9. Please describe how you take care of the magnetic compass.
The liquid magnetic compass should be regularly checked for air bubbles and it should always be covered when it is not in use. The deviation of the compass should be checked and observed during very watch.
10. How do you set and adjust gyrocompass?
The Second Officer should frequently check the gyrocompass’ error. Actually, gyrocompass accuracy should be checked at least once a day at sea and at anchor, and for each course steered. During the watch, the simultaneous check should be made at least hourly. If there is any significant deviation error, the Second Officer should report it to the Master and record in the Compass Record Book and Deck Logbook. The electronic devices should be kept away from the compasses in a reasonable distance. The Chief Officer or other designated officers sh
