Your examiner asks: "What is 'stowage factor,' and why does it matter when deciding how to load a cargo?"

A. Stowage factor is the volume occupied by a unit weight of cargo (e.g. cubic metres per tonne), used to determine how much hold space a given cargo weight will require and, by extension, what permeability/void space remains — relevant to both cargo planning (will it fit, broken stowage allowance) and stability (a cargo with a higher stowage factor occupies more volume for the same weight, which affects centre of gravity and the hold's effective permeability for flooding/stability calculations).

B. Stowage factor is the maximum permitted moisture content for a Group A cargo, identical in meaning to the TML.

C. Stowage factor refers only to the deadweight tonnage available for cargo and has no relationship to hold volume.

D. Stowage factor is a safety margin applied only to dangerous goods stowage plans, with no application to general bulk cargo.

A. Group A: cargoes that may liquefy if carried at a moisture content exceeding their Transportable Moisture Limit (TML). Group B: cargoes that possess a chemical hazard which could give rise to a dangerous situation (e.g. self-heating, toxic, flammable). Group C: cargoes not liable to liquefy (Group A hazard) and not possessing chemical hazards (Group B hazard), though they may still have other physical hazards. Some cargoes can fall into more than one group simultaneously (e.g. both A and B).

B. The IMSBC Code uses the same Class 1-9 numbering system as the IMDG Code, with no separate A/B/C grouping.

C. There are only two categories: hazardous and non-hazardous, with no further sub-classification.

D. Group A cargoes are chemical-hazard cargoes; Group B cargoes are liquefaction-risk cargoes — the definitions are the reverse of common usage.

A. A shipper's declaration of the cargo's properties (including any chemical hazards relevant to Group B classification, such as self-heating or methane generation for coal), a signed certificate of the Transportable Moisture Limit, and a signed certificate of the actual Moisture Content at the time of shipment — all of which the Master/OOW should review and retain before agreeing to load.

B. No documentation is required for coal cargo specifically, since it is a long-established bulk trade.

C. Only a bill of lading is required; TML and moisture content certification apply only to mineral concentrates, not coal.

D. The shipper's declaration covers quantity and price only; moisture/TML certification is the receiving port's responsibility, not the shipper's.