On this page
If you are drawn to ships, engines and the sea, the main pre-sea degree and diploma courses for a seagoing career start with one exam: the Indian Maritime University Common Entrance Test, IMU CET. It is a science exam, but it also tests English and general aptitude, and the eligibility rules include a medical standard and an age limit that catch some families out. This post covers what the official prospectus says.
Why does IMU CET matter for a merchant navy career?
The IMU Prospectus 2026-27 explains that, under DGS Training Circular 12 of 2020, all maritime training institutes regulated by the Directorate General of Shipping must admit candidates on the basis of IMU CET ranking. So for pre-sea courses such as B.Tech (Marine Engineering), B.Sc. (Nautical Science) and the Diploma in Nautical Science, you need an IMU CET rank whether you join an IMU campus, an affiliated college or a non-affiliated institute approved by DG Shipping.
Other institutions use it too. CUSAT's CAT 2026 prospectus says its B.Tech Marine Engineering seats are filled from the IMU CET rank list. Our post on CUSAT CAT covers CUSAT's other B.Tech routes.
What is the IMU CET pattern for UG programmes?
The prospectus describes the UG technical CET as 200 multiple-choice questions on English, general aptitude, physics, chemistry and mathematics at Class 12 level, with 0.25 mark deducted for every wrong answer. It is used for B.Sc. Nautical Science, B.Tech Marine Engineering, B.Tech Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, B.Tech Naval Architecture and Ship Building, and the DNS batches.
IMU's sample papers for UG give the split by section: English 40, general aptitude 40, mathematics 50, physics 50 and chemistry 20, which adds to 200. An older UG sample paper shows a duration of three hours. Use the current year's notification for the final pattern.
Note the weighting: physics and maths are 100 of the 200 questions, while chemistry is only 20.
A sample physics question, worked through
This question is from IMU's 2024 UG physics sample paper. A vessel of capacity 5,700 m³ is full of water and takes 12 hours to drain. Water has density 1 g/cm³. What is the mass flow rate in kg/s?
Convert density: 1 g/cm³ = 1,000 kg/m³.
Mass of water: 5,700 × 1,000 = 5,700,000 kg.
Time: 12 × 3,600 = 43,200 s.
Rate: 5,700,000 ÷ 43,200 ≈ 131.9 kg/s, which matches the option 132 kg/s.
The common mistake is step 1. If you treat 1 g/cm³ as 1 kg/m³, you get about 0.13 kg/s, a thousand times too small. Units questions like this are where a fast, careful habit pays off.
How do percentile scores work in IMU CET?
For 2026 the UG CET was held in two shifts on 24 May. IMU's normalisation notification explains that raw marks are turned into a percentile within your shift:
Percentile = 100 × (candidates in your shift with raw score equal to or less than yours) ÷ (total candidates in your shift)
Example with sample numbers. In a shift of 20,000 candidates, if 15,000 scored equal to or less than you, your percentile is 100 × 15,000 ÷ 20,000 = 75. In a harder shift of 25,000 candidates, a lower raw score could still give 19,000 ÷ 25,000 × 100 = 76. The percentile, calculated to seven decimal places, is used for the merit list, not your raw marks.
What medical standards apply?
Seafaring programmes require medical fitness, including eyesight and hearing, under the Merchant Shipping (Medical Examination) Rules, 2000, with a certificate from a doctor approved by DG Shipping. The prospectus lists eyesight standards for each programme. If you wear glasses or have any doubt about colour vision, get checked by an approved medical officer early, before you spend months preparing.
How to prepare for IMU CET
Physics and maths first: half the paper. Use your board and JEE Main material.
English and aptitude: 80 questions together. Practise reading comprehension, sentence completion and number series in timed sets.
Units drill: five conversion questions a day (g/cm³ to kg/m³, hours to seconds, knots if you meet them).
Sample papers: do IMU's official UG sample papers under time limits.
If a physics idea such as flow rate or relative velocity feels shaky, revise it on its own. The Fermi Concept Library covers every concept in physics and mathematics, each with its own lesson.
Read the eligibility and medical sections of the current IMU prospectus on imu.edu.in before you register.
