Quality Control Policy

This policy defines the quality management system (QMS) that governs the design, development, delivery, assessment, and certification of all training courses offered by Maritime Expert Solutions, including STCW Basic Training, advanced and specialist maritime courses, and any course added to the Company catalogue.

It applies to all employees, contractors, instructors, subject-matter experts, and affiliates involved in the creation, delivery, or administration of training, and to all processes that affect course quality — from curriculum design and content authoring through to learner assessment, certificate issuance, and post-course review.

The policy is a controlled document. It is reviewed at least annually and re-issued whenever a material change to the QMS, the regulatory framework, or the Company's scope of training occurs.

The Company has determined the external and internal issues that affect its ability to achieve the intended results of its QMS, including:

• External: the STCW Convention and Code; IMO model courses; flag-state and port-state-control requirements; the ABS Guide for Certification of Maritime Education Facilities & Training Courses; the evolving needs of the maritime industry; technological change in training delivery; and the regulatory landscape across the regions served.
• Internal: the Company's mission and values; its organizational structure and resources; the competence of its instructors and staff; its digital training platform and infrastructure; and its commitment to accessibility and learner success.

The Company has identified its interested parties — learners, shipowners and employers, flag and port authorities, ABS and other classification societies, affiliates, instructors, staff, and the public — and the requirements they place on the QMS. The QMS is designed to meet these requirements.

Top management provides leadership and commitment to the QMS, ensures the quality policy is understood and applied, integrates the QMS requirements into the Company's business processes, and promotes a culture of quality and continual improvement. The following roles and responsibilities are defined:

• Quality Management Representative (QMR): responsible for maintaining the QMS, reporting on its performance, liaising with external auditors and certification bodies (including ABS), and overseeing corrective action and continual improvement.
• Course Development Lead: responsible for the design, authoring, and review of course content, ensuring alignment with STCW and ABS requirements.
• Instructors & Subject-Matter Experts: responsible for the technical accuracy of content, the design of assessments, and the validation of learning outcomes.
• Platform & Operations Team: responsible for the reliability, accessibility, and security of the digital training platform and for learner support.
• Assessment Coordinator: responsible for the integrity of quizzes, examinations, and the issuance of certificates.

The Company establishes measurable quality objectives consistent with the quality policy, including:

• A first-attempt assessment pass rate target of ≥ 85% per module, indicating that learning content is effective and appropriately calibrated.
• A learner satisfaction rating of ≥ 90% positive across all delivered courses.
• A certificate issuance accuracy of 100%, with zero certificates issued to learners who have not met the documented completion criteria.
• An annual review of 100% of active course content for currency and regulatory alignment.
• A response time of ≤ 2 business days for all learner support enquiries.

The Company identifies and addresses the risks and opportunities that can affect the QMS. Risks include outdated content, technical platform failures, assessment integrity breaches, instructor unavailability, and regulatory change. Each risk is assessed for likelihood and impact, and a mitigation is defined — content review cycles, platform monitoring and backups, assessment design controls, instructor cross-training, and regulatory monitoring.

The Company determines and provides the resources needed for the establishment, implementation, maintenance, and continual improvement of the QMS.

Competence. Instructors and subject-matter experts are selected on the basis of demonstrated maritime experience, relevant qualifications (including STCW certification where applicable), and instructional competence. Records of qualifications, experience, and continuing professional development are maintained. The Company supports the ongoing development of its personnel through training, review, and mentorship.

Awareness. All personnel are made aware of the quality policy, their contribution to the QMS, the implications of nonconformity, and the importance of learner success. New personnel receive QMS induction; existing personnel receive periodic refresher communication.

Documented information. The QMS is documented through this policy, controlled procedures, course specifications, assessment records, learner records, audit reports, and management review records. Documents are controlled for version, approval, and retention; records are protected against loss, alteration, and unauthorized access.

7.1 Course design & development. Each course is designed against documented learning objectives derived from the relevant STCW competence, IMO model course, or industry standard. Content is authored by subject-matter experts and reviewed for technical accuracy, pedagogical soundness, and accessibility. A course is approved for release only after documented review and sign-off by the Course Development Lead and the QMR.

7.2 Course delivery. Courses are delivered through the Company's digital training platform, which provides structured modules, video and reading content, knowledge-check quizzes, and progress tracking. The platform is monitored for availability and performance, and is supported by backup and recovery procedures to protect learner progress and records.

7.3 Assessment & certification. Each module includes a knowledge-check quiz with a defined passing score. A learner's progress is recorded against the documented completion criteria. A certificate of completion is issued only when all modules have been completed and all quizzes passed. Certificate numbers are unique and verifiable through the public certificate verification service. The integrity of assessments is protected through randomized question delivery, attempt limits, and secure record-keeping.

7.4 Control of nonconforming output. Where a course, an assessment, or a certificate is found not to conform to requirements, the nonconformity is documented, the affected output is segregated or corrected, and a corrective action is initiated to prevent recurrence. Learners affected by a nonconformity are notified and provided with a remedy.

The Company's QMS is structured to support certification under the ABS Guide for Certification of Maritime Education Facilities & Training Courses. The following ABS requirements are addressed:

• Quality management system: a documented QMS covering course design, delivery, assessment, records, and continual improvement, as set out in this policy and its supporting procedures.
• Training course specification: each course has a documented specification defining the scope, objectives, duration, prerequisites, syllabus, assessment method, and passing criteria.
• Instructor qualifications: instructors hold qualifications and experience appropriate to the courses they deliver, evidenced and recorded.
• Facilities & equipment: the digital training platform and any physical facilities meet the requirements for the delivery of the courses, with documented maintenance and support.
• Course content: content is current, technically accurate, and aligned with STCW and applicable IMO model courses; it is reviewed on a defined cycle.
• Assessment: assessment methods are valid, reliable, and documented; assessment records are retained.
• Records: learner, assessment, and certification records are maintained and retrievable for audit.
• Internal audit & management review: the QMS is audited internally and reviewed by management on a defined schedule, with records maintained.
• Corrective action: nonconformities identified by audit, review, or learner feedback are corrected and prevented from recurring.

The Company cooperates fully with ABS surveys and audits and maintains the records and evidence required to demonstrate conformity with the Guide.

Monitoring & measurement. The Company monitors learner outcomes (pass rates, completion rates, time-to-completion), learner satisfaction (post-course surveys and support feedback), platform performance, and the accuracy and timeliness of certification. Results are recorded and analyzed.

Internal audit. The QMS is audited internally at least annually by personnel independent of the area being audited. Audit findings are documented, and corrective actions are tracked to closure. The audit programme covers all QMS processes over a defined cycle.

Management review. Top management reviews the QMS at least annually to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness. The review considers audit results, learner feedback, process performance and conformity, the status of corrective actions, changes in external and internal issues, and opportunities for improvement. Review outputs include decisions and actions for improvement.

The Company continually improves the suitability, adequacy, and effectiveness of the QMS through the use of audit results, management review, learner feedback, performance data, and corrective and preventive action.

Nonconformity & corrective action. Nonconformities are identified through audit, review, learner feedback, and process monitoring. Each nonconformity is analyzed to determine its cause, and a corrective action is defined and implemented to eliminate the cause and prevent recurrence. The effectiveness of corrective actions is reviewed.

Continual improvement. The Company pursues continual improvement as a permanent objective — refining course content, assessment design, learner support, and platform capability on the basis of evidence. Improvement opportunities are identified, prioritized, and acted upon, and the results are fed back into the QMS.