Ballast Water Management requires which combination?

• A. Ballast Water Management Certificate only.
• B. Ballast Water Management Plan and record-keeping.
• C. Ballast Water Management Certificate and record-keeping.
• D. Ballast Water Management Certificate and ballast water testing log.

Answer: (C)

The requirement tested here is evidence of formal compliance with ballast water management: you must have a valid Ballast Water Management Certificate and you must keep a Ballast Water Management Record Book on board. The certificate shows the vessel has been surveyed and found to meet the ballast water management standards set by the applicable rules. The record book is about documenting ballast water operations, treatments, and related actions, so inspectors can verify that proper procedures were followed during uptake and discharge.

While having a Ballast Water Management Plan on board is indeed essential for guiding how ballast water is managed, the question focuses on what combination is required to demonstrate compliance in practice, which is the certificate plus the record-keeping. A separate ballast water testing log isn’t a standard mandated item beyond what the official record book covers, and the plan alone does not substitute for the certificate and records.