Start with the same published rules
Girls and women candidates should review the current age, 10+2 PCM, English, colour vision and medical requirements for the course they are considering.
Women and girls · IMU CET preparation
Women and girls preparing for Merchant Navy careers: start with IMU CET clarity
For Class 12 PCM students — Physics, Chemistry, Maths · age 17 to 27 (relaxations apply) · girls and boys. Not PCM? This path is not open to you.
A practical, equal-opportunity starting point for students considering deck or engine officer routes — with eligibility guidance before course decisions.
Girls and boys train in the same batch, with the same mentors and the same standards. Selection rests with the company.
A clear first conversation
What to check before choosing a Merchant Navy course
The rules are the same for girls and boys: published eligibility first, then the right course and steady preparation.
Choose a route with context
Compare DNS, B.Sc Nautical Science and marine engineering with a counsellor, including training, medical expectations and the realities of life at sea.
Prepare for the company interview
Build subject confidence, spoken English and interview skills with company-specific modules, led by actively sailing officers.
A light-touch journey view
IMU CET is one milestone, not the whole career
After the entrance milestone, students still have to compare an approved course, complete required training, meet medical standards and navigate each employer’s own selection process. The first ship and officer route are decisions worth understanding before admission.
Read the Merchant Navy career ladder for the deck and engine routes. It shows each step from Class 12 to your first ship.
The official eligibility rules and an approved medical examination apply to every candidate, girl or boy. NavPath prepares you for the exam and for the company interview.
Research-led reading
Women in Merchant Navy: practical guides
These original guides separate published rules from planning advice and link to official maritime sources.
How a woman can join the Merchant Navy in India
A step-by-step route from course research to medical checks, approved training and employer selection.
18-year-old girl checklist
Documents, course-fit questions, medical planning, safety and money checks before paying anyone.
Female IMU CET guide
Official eligibility context, deck versus engine routes, preparation and May 2027 unknowns.
Is the Merchant Navy safe for girls?
Questions about onboard safety systems, complaint procedures, welfare and emergency preparation.
Women in Merchant Navy statistics
A careful reading of the IMO-WISTA 2024 global survey.
What DNS sponsorship means for girls
How company sponsorship works, and how to prepare for the selection tests and interview.
Ready to check the route?
Check your eligibility, then apply for NEST, our IMU CET model test.