Certification and Qualification Programs


Certifications

The following certifications require rigorous testing and are designed to qualify officers for certain hazardous or alert-situation duties. Officers seeking certification must demonstrate proficiency in the relavent areas via a series of tests in order to earn the qualification notation in their service jacket.

How to Obtain your Certifications

The certifications can be administered by either an officer of the Training Office or the Executive Officer in the same manner as a LOE or an OER test.

Qualification depends on a series of +contests which will determine success or failure, and the tests are listed for each individual certification. When testing for each certification you can spend courage on one (1) skill/specialty combination only. In other words each certification is comprised of two or three sets of subtests and you can spend courage on one of them only.

For the purposes of scoring a Dramatic Success counts as 2, a Success and Marginal Success as 1, a Marginal Failure and Failure as 0 and a Dramatic Failure as -1.

What Happens If You Fail?

If you pass two of the three subtests, but fail the third, you can keep your scores on the first two, and come back in a week to retest the third. However, if you don't make it back before two weeks have passed, you miss the window and must retest all three subtests after a month. If you only pass one of the tests, you must wait a month to retest, and must retest all areas.

  1. Flight Control

    The Flight Control certification is a joint Command and Operations test and is required of any officer who wishes to sit at Flight Control on anything larger than a Runabout. The certification reflects basic competence in plotting courses either manually or with computer assistance. It also tests an officer's ability to plot the courses from memory or strict coordinates as well as execution of the courses and basic maneuvering.

    Tests for certification

    The officer will +contest the following subtests. A score of 6/10 on each subtest is considered passing.
    1. Shipboard Systems/Flight Control vs routine x 5
      Shipboard Systems/Flight Control vs moderate x 3
      Shipboard Systems/Flight Control vs challenging x 2

    2. Space Sciences/Stellar Cartography vs routine X 5
      Space Sciences/Stellar Cartography vs moderate x 3
      Space Sciences/Stellar Cartography vs challenging x 2

    3. Space Sciences/Astrogation vs routine x 5
      Space Sciences/Astrogation vs moderate x 3
      Space Sciences/Astrogation vs challenging x 2

  2. EMT (Emergency Medical Technician)

    The EMT certification is a Medical test reflecting basic knowledge of the following: Diagnosis of injuries via tricorder scan, treatment of simple injuries, and proper placement in medical stasis for those injuries beyond the EMT's immediate skill. Medical department officers, with the exception of non-M.D. Counselors, hold this certification concurrent with their billet. Counselors who are not Medical Doctors may test for this certification.

    Tests for certification

    The officer will +contest the following subtests. A score of 6/10 on each subtest is considered passing.
    1. First Aid/Triage vs routine x 5
      First Aid/Triage vs moderate x 3
      First Aid/Triage vs challenging x 2

    2. Shipboard Systems/Medical vs routine X 5
      Shipboard Systems/Medical vs moderate x 3
      Shipboard Systems/Medical vs challenging x 2

    3. Personal Equipment/Tricorder vs routine x 5
      Personal Equipment/Tricorder vs moderate x 3
      Personal Equipment/Tricorder vs challenging x 2

  3. HAZMAT

    The HAZMAT certification is a joint Medical and Engineering test focusing on the officer's ability to clean up hazardous spills and messes.

    Required skill:

    • The first and third tests require you to +prove the skill and specialty that you are testing against.

    Tests for certification

    The officer will +contest the following subtests. A score of 6/10 on each subtest is considered passing.
    1. First Aid/Biological or Chemical vs routine x 5
      First Aid/Biological or Chemical vs moderate x 3
      First Aid/Biological or Chemical vs challenging x 2

    2. Personal Equipment/Environmental Suit vs routine X 5
      Personal Equipment/Environmental Suit vs moderate x 3
      Personal Equipment/Environmental Suit vs challenging x 2

    3. Shipboard Systems/Environmental or
        Systems Engineering/Environmental vs routine X 5
      Shipboard Systems/Environmental or
        Systems Engineering/Environmental vs moderate x 3
      Shipboard Systems/Environmental or
        Systems Engineering/Environmental vs challenging x 2


  4. Rapid Response

    A joint Command and Security qualification, certifying the individual is capable of a high degree of readiness for rapid response missions. If the Rapid Response Officer billet is filled then that officer can administer the certification.

    Tests for certification

    The officer will make tests, and will need to score 6/10 in the following two sections to pass:
    1. Planetary Tactics/Small-Unit vs routine x 5
      Planetary Tactics/Small-Unit vs moderate x 3
      Planetary Tactics/Small-Unit vs challenging x 2

    2. Planetary Tactics/Guerilla Warfare vs routine X 5
      Planetary Tactics/Guerilla Warfare vs moderate x 3
      Planetary Tactics/Guerilla Warfare vs challenging x 2

    Required citation for most recent Tier I OER:

    1. Expert Marksman (3.0) and Superior Fitness (2.0) or
    2. Master Fitness (3.0) and Sharpshooter Marksman (2.0)

    Optional Test

    If the testee does not have a recent Tier I OER score, or his/her recent Tier I OER scores are not sufficient to meet one of the two above requirements then he/she can make a Tier I Physical Readiness Test and Tier I Basic Phaser Marksmanship on the spot, pursuant to the normal Tier I rules for administering the test. In order to qualify for the certification the testee must score 7/10 on the PRT and 8/10 on the BPM.

  5. Threat Response

    This is a Security section test which qualifies one to take a Security or Tactical station in the Operations Center or on an auxiliary vessel. It is considered cross-training in certain limited, emergency duties. The tests reflect knowledge of how to use the ship's weaponry, the protocols for internal security emergency response, and the rules governing use of external or internal force. By definition, all Tactical and Security officers on active and unrestricted duty, as well as certain officers designated by billet assignment (such as the Diplomatic Security Officer), hold this certification for as long as they hold their billet.

    Tests for certification

    The officer will +contest the following subtests. A score of 6/10 on each subtest is considered passing.
    1. Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs routine x 5
      Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs moderate x 3
      Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs challenging x 2

    2. Security/Peace Keeping vs routine X 5
      Security/Peace Keeping vs moderate x 3
      Security/Peace Keeping vs challenging x 2

    3. Law/Starfleet Regulations vs routine x 5
      Law/Starfleet Regulations vs moderate x 3
      Law/Starfleet Regulations vs challenging x 2

  6. Demolitions/EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal)

    A joint Security and Engineering test which qualifies an officer to handle explosive ordinance for both placement and disposal.

    Tests for certification

    The officer will +contest the following subtests. A score of 6/10 on each subtest is considered passing.
    1. Demolitions/Bomb Disposal vs routine x 5
      Demolitions/Bomb Disposal vs moderate x 3
      Demolitions/Bomb Disposal vs challenging x 2

    2. Physical Sciences/Chemistry vs routine X 5
      Physical Sciences/Chemistry vs moderate x 3
      Physical Sciences/Chemistry vs challenging x 2

    3. Material Engineering/Structural vs routine x 5
      Material Engineering/Structural vs moderate x 3
      Material Engineering/Structural vs challenging x 2

      4. NOTE: If the officer being tested can +prove Demolitions/Military Explosives, that skill/specialty can be substituted for either the Physical Sciences or the Material Engineering roll.

  7. Mission Operations

    The Mission Operations certification is an Operations test which qualifies an officer to serve as a Deputy Mission Operations officer, as noted in '+sop deputy mission ops' (Not everyone has access to this, as SOP is controlled by bucket access). The Operations Manager, Assistant Operations Manager, Mission Operations Officer and Junior Mission Operations Officer are all assumed to have this certification concurrent to their billets. Up to two other individuals may obtain this certification. They will be chosen by joint determination of the Training Officer and the Mission Operations Officer (or the Operations Manager if the Mission Operations Officer billet is vacant).

    Tests for certification

    The officer will +contest the following subtests. A score of 6/10 on each subtest is considered passing.
    1. Law/Starfleet Regulations vs routine x 5
      Law/Starfleet Regulations vs moderate x 3
      Law/Starfleet Regulations vs challenging x 2

    2. Administration/Logistics vs routine X 5
      Administration/Logistics vs moderate x 3
      Administration/Logistics vs challenging x 2

    3. Shipboard Systems/Mission Ops vs routine x 5
      Shipboard Systems/Mission Ops vs moderate x 3
      Shipboard Systems/Mission Ops vs challenging x 2

  8. Mission Security

    The Mission Security certification is a Security test which will qualify an officer to serve as a Security operative on an Away Team. Concurrent with their billets, all Security Section officers on active and unrestricted duty hold this certification. Medical personnel, due to interstellar laws prohibiting medical officers from bearing sidearms on Away Missions, may not take this certification. Sciences officers are discouraged as well. This certification is intended for Operational Support personnel (Operations and Engineering officers) as well as junior Command personnel who wish to be authorized to bear sidearms and serve as adjunct Security personnel on Away Missions. By definition, active/unrestricted duty Security Section officers hold this certification for as long as they maintain their billet in good standing.

    Required citation for most recent Tier I OER:

    • Acceptable Marksman (1.0) and Superior Fitness (2.0) or
    • Acceptable Fitness (1.0) and Sharpshooter Marksman (2.0)

    Tests for certification

    The officer will +contest the following subtests. A score of 6/10 on each subtest is considered passing.
    1. Planetary Tactics/Small-Unit vs routine x 5
      Planetary Tactics/Small-Unit vs moderate x 3
      Planetary Tactics/Small-Unit vs challenging x 2

    2. Law/Starfleet Regulations vs routine X 5
      Law/Starfleet Regulations vs moderate x 3
      Law/Starfleet Regulations vs challenging x 2

    3. Security/Law Enforcement vs routine x 5
      Security/Law Enforcement vs moderate x 3
      Security/Law Enforcement vs challenging x 2

    Optional Test

    If the testee does not have a recent Tier I OER score, or his/her recent Tier I OER scores are not sufficient to meet the requirements then he/she can make an Tier I Physical Readiness Test and Tier I Basic Phaser Marksmanship on the spot, pursuant to the normal Tier I rules for administering the test. In order to qualify for the certification the testee must score 7/10 on the PRT and 7/10 on the BPM.



Line Officer Exam

The Line Officer Exam is designed to begin command training and preparation for junior officers. The testing process will examine the character's skills and abilities and, if the character passes, qualify them to command away missions or take charge in emergencies. All new characters coming into the game will not be line qualified, with the possible exception of special applications (for Department Heads and the like). This applies even if the character held a line job prior to arriving on the station.

The Line Officer Exam must be completed before the officer's first eligible OER cycle. (Please see the OER page for further details). This means most officers have approximately four to six months to complete the exam. There is one exception to this. If an officer promotes into a Line Officer billet as part of the OER process then that officer will have six months to complete the exam, rather than the full year until his or her next OER cycle.

How to Obtain Your Line Officer Qualification

If your character is required to be Line Officer Qualified as he or she fills a Line Officer billet or if your character is in a non-Line Officer billet and is rank Lieutenant JG or better and wishes to become Line Officer Qualified, the character will contact the training office. In the latter case, when an officer is not in a Line Officer billet, the officer will not be considered a Line Officer even if qualified. The training officer will supply training material and the character will choose his or her elective skill (detailed below). If the character has been on the station for more than one month and the character has not started the Line Officer process then the character must submit to a psychological exam. Once counseling staff has signed off on the character's mental and emotional competence, the training office is obligated to test.

The Line Officer Exam can be administered by either an officer of the Training Office or the Executive Officer in the same manner as an OER test.

The Line Officer Exams are simulated exams. As such, any skill that is not Intellect-based already as per that skill's +info will be tested against the combination of Intellect/Logic & the skill/specialty. This change is noted in the test outline below.

The officer will choose one elective skill from the list and notifiy the Training Office of that choice. The Training Officer will further choose another skill from the elective skill list based on what area they feel the testing officer must be challenged in. The Training Office's choice will remain secret until the officer reports for the Line Officer Exam.

Line Officer Examination Tests

The Line Officer Exams are simulated exams. As such, any skill that is not Intellect-based already as per that skill's +info will be tested against the combination of Intellect/Logic & the skill/specialty. This change is noted in the test outline below.

For Stage 2 - Elective tests, the officer will choose one elective skill from the list and notifiy the Training Office of that choice. The Training Officer will further choose another skill from the elective skill list based on what area they feel the testing officer must be challenged in. The Training Office's choice will remain secret until the officer reports for the second stage of the Line Officer Exam.

Stage 1 - Core Tests

In order to pass Stage 1 the officer must pass each test set with a score of 6/10 or better. The officer may spend courage on one of the three tests each time he or she tests.

  1. Intellect/Logic & Command/Starship vs routine x 5
    Intellect/Logic & Command/Starship vs moderate x 3
    Intellect/Logic & Command/Starship vs challenging x 2
  2. Law/Starfleet Regulations vs routine x 5
    Law/Starfleet Regulations vs moderate x 3
    Law/Starfleet Regulations vs challenging x 2
  3. Starship Tactics/Naval vs routine x 5
    Starship Tactics/Naval vs moderate x 3
    Starship Tactics/Naval vs challenging x 2

Stage 2 - Elective Tests

Stage 2 testing does not occur until the officer has successfully completed Stage 1. In order to pass Stage 2 the officer must pass each test set with a score of 6/10 or better. The officer may spend courage on one of the two tests each time he or she tests.

  1. Character's Elective vs routine x 5
    Character's Elective vs moderate x 3
    Character's Elective vs challenging x 2
  2. Training Office's Elective vs routine x 5
    Training Office's Elective vs moderate x 3
    Training Office's Elective vs challenging x 2
Elective Skills:
  • Administration/Starbase
  • Intellect/Logic & Diplomacy/Federation Law
  • Intellect/Logic & Mediation/Political
  • Planetary Tactics/Small-Unit
  • Shipboard Systems/Command

What happens if I fail?

The officer can test Stage 1 three times, and if he or she fails all three attempts then the officer will be subject to a command review. Once the officer passes Stage 1, he or she can attempt the Stage 2 tests three times. Each time the officer tests Stage 2 the Training Office can choose a new elective. Again, if the officer fails three attempts then the officer will be subject to a command review.

General LOE Notes

Planetary Tactics will be an oft-used skill. If you don't focus on it, the training officer might, and it's an auto-fail if you don't have it. So be warned.

Yes, we are aware of the potential to minmax Intellect/Logic to do well on exams. Remember, however, that you can only have one Edge per Attribute, and some Intellect skills are based on Intellect/Perception. Bear in mind that, by definition, min-maxing does leave holes in your character sheet, and staff will exploit those in episodes to humble you if we must -- even Kirk had to lose the occasional fist-fight in order to hear the villain's monologue.

Please note as well that while you don't need Presence for the Line Officer Exam, rolling many of the Line Officer skills on a mission will depend on Presence, so it will be unwise to raise Intellect and not Presence.




General Qualifications

Unlike the above certifications, there are three general qualifications which may be added to an officer's service jacket. These qualifications require only that an officer be able to +prove the required skills and specialties. No tests are required. These qualification categories enable an officer to man a console in the Station 419 Operations Center only and do not apply to Away Missions or that USS Thomas Paine. In addition, during an alert situation, a officer sitting at a department station under General Qualification is expected to ensure their console is manned by a more qualified officer. This will be accomplished one of two ways: 1) The officer will summon a replacement, or 2) The officer will accept the direction of a better qualified officer at an alternate console for that function. (Ex: Taking orders from an Engineering Ensign at Engineering I, when an LTJG from Security is sitting at Engineering II with the QMED general qualification.) These General Qualifications are intended to provide a spring-board for cross-training, and open doors to preparation for more rigorous certification in the future. Or, in some cases, they will prepare the way for a departmental transfer. General Qualifications do not apply to individuals already serving in the department.

How to Obtain your General Qualifications

Role Play is required to obtain your General Qualification notation. Only the officers of the Training Office, the Department Head of the department you are qualifying for, or the Executive Officer may Qualify an officer.

  1. QMED - Qualified Member of the Engineering Department

    Permits an officer to sit at Engineering I and Engineering II in the S419 Operations Center. The officer is permitted to take the console during non-alert status unsupervised, but must be supervised by a more qualified officer of that department during alert status or must ensure the console is turned over to a more qualified officer.

    Required skills:

    • Systems Engineering 2
    • Systems Engineering/Engineering
    • Shipboard Systems/Engineering


  2. QMSD - Qualified Member of the Sciences Department

    Permits an officer to sit at Science I or Science II in the S419 Operations Center. The officer is permitted to take the console during non-alert status unsupervised, but must be supervised by a more qualified officer of that department during alert status or must ensure the console is turned over to a more qualified officer.

    Required skills:

    • Space Sciences 2
    • Physical Sciences 1
    • Shipboard Systems/Sensors


  3. QDO - Qualified Deck (Operations) Officer

    Permits an officer to sit at Operations I or Operations II in the S419 Operations Center. The officer is permitted to take the console during non-alert status unsupervised, but must be supervised by a more qualified officer of that department during alert status or must ensure the console is turned over to a more qualified officer.

    Required skills:

    • Shipboard Systems 2
    • Shipboard Systems/Sensors
    • Shipboard Systems/Communications