The company currently recruits around four hundred deck and engine cadets worldwide for the 200 plus ships it manages.

"Over 1500 applications are received by us each year," said Capt Pradeep Chawla, director for quality assurance and training at Anglo-Eastern.

"The aim of introducing on-line testing is to standardise our recruitment procedures worldwide and to allow applicants to take the test from any part of the world, sitting at home or even in a cyber-cafe."

The tests will cover Maths, Science and English. Reasoning Ability and General Knowledge modules, similar to those found in the American SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Tests), can be taken by students entering university.

The new system offers instantaneous results, and can also compare the scores achieved by applicants in different countries, against the national and international averages.

Peter Cremers, CEO of Anglo-Eastern Group, also commented: "With the worldwide shortage of officers continuing to grow, we have to compete with other industries globally to attract the best talent for the modern ships. This testing creates an opportunity for us to explore new crew sources worldwide."

The web based 'Competency Management & Examination' testing platform was developed by Core Competency Marine Training, a New Delhi based software company, which has produced computer and web based training material for Anglo-Eastern in the past.