Do I Need to Revalidate My MTCS Certificate of Competence?

Personnel continuing at their existing grade and level of work often ask whether they need to revalidate their MTCS Certificate of Competence. A common concern is whether this means repeating the full assessment process and submitting a new Portfolio of Evidence.

The answer depends on how your original certificate was awarded and which assessment route was used at that grade.

MTCS certificates are awarded using one of two recognised and independent assessment methods. Each route has a clear and defined revalidation process.

How MTCS Certificates Are Originally Awarded

When MTCS is the awarding organisation, a Certificate of Competence is issued through one of the following routes:

• Grade Assessment (GA)
• Individual Competence Assessment (ICA)

The revalidation requirements are directly linked to which of these routes was used for your original certification.

Grade Assessment (GA)

Grade Assessment involves workplace assessment over an extended period, typically between 6 and 12 months. During this time, the individual builds a personal Portfolio of Evidence that demonstrates competent performance in the role.

Evidence collected during a Grade Assessment may include:

• Observation records
• Answers to knowledge-based questions
• Evidence of manufacturing, maintenance, or repair activities
• Supporting written reports
• Witness statements from colleagues or managers
• Supervisor or manager appraisals
• Logbook pages and valid survival and medical certificates
• Assessor feedback
• Photographs or videos of tasks being carried out

This evidence confirms competence in safety-critical, operational, and where applicable, technical activities.

Revalidation for Grade Assessment

If the individual has continued working in the same role since their certificate was awarded, revalidation can be completed by submitting:

• A witness statement
• Copies of two appraisals completed within the last 18 months
• Valid and current survival and medical certificates

This route is possible because the original Grade Assessment clearly demonstrates that workplace assessment took place over a significant period.

Individual Competence Assessment (ICA)

The Individual Competence Assessment allows individuals to certify competence in the role they currently perform and have done for at least the previous 12 months.

This route requires less evidence than a Grade Assessment and is suitable for personnel who intend to remain in their current role.

Evidence typically includes:

• A witness statement
• An appraisal
• A short written assignment
• Logbook extracts
• Valid survival and medical certificates

Revalidation for Individual Competence Assessment

Certificates awarded through the ICA route must be revalidated by completing another full ICA at the three-year point. This means re-submitting the required evidence and undergoing the assessment process again.

Why Revalidation Requirements Differ

The key principle behind every MTCS Certificate of Competence is that it is awarded only when sufficient, valid, and authentic evidence demonstrates competence against recognised industry standards.

Both GA and ICA achieve this, but they do so in different ways.

Grade Assessment includes prolonged workplace assessment, which allows revalidation to rely on employer or agency confirmation of continued competence. The ICA route provides evidence of experience and current capability but is intentionally a lighter assessment.

For this reason, individuals originally certified through ICA must complete a full ICA again when revalidating.

The Value of Competence Certification

MTCS clients expect Certificates of Competence to be issued through assessment and verification processes that are independent, impartial, and robust.

This is essential for organisations that must demonstrate competence during audits, inspections, and client assurance processes.

A strong competence certification process also plays a critical role in risk management. It acts as a structured audit of personnel working on safety-critical offshore and maritime projects.

This aligns with guidance from the Health and Safety Executive, which highlights competence as a fundamental requirement for managing risk in safety-critical work.

Grandfather Rights and Acquired Rights

Some personnel believe that long service or experience alone, often referred to as grandfather or acquired rights, removes the need for formal competence certification.

These arguments typically arise when industry standards, legislation, or approved processes change and affect experienced workers.

While acquired rights have been applied in some industries, such as UK road haulage, they carry inherent risk. Time spent in a role does not automatically prove competence.

Major oil and energy companies raised concerns that relying on acquired rights introduced unacceptable assumptions and allowed unsafe practices to go unchallenged.

MTCS worked with industry stakeholders to develop the independent and evidence-based competence certification processes now recognised across the global offshore energy and maritime sectors.

Getting Support with Certificate Revalidation

If you would like to discuss revalidation of your Grade Assessment or Individual Competence Assessment certificate, the MTCS UK support team is available to help.

Please email [email protected] and include one of the following in the subject line so your query reaches the right team:

You can also find further guidance and assessment resources in the MTCS Support Centre, including revalidation support and assessor guidance.