Reeds Marine Distance Tables, 16th Edition was compiled to assist students studying for the Department of Trade Engineering Drawing examination for a First and Second Class Certificate of Competency. It will also benefit anyone studying for the Engineering Knowledge paper in Part B of the exam.

The DoT requirements differ from standard drawing office practice. In order to determine the engineering knowledge of a candidate, a general assembly drawing is required. Details of the drawing are given in the form of dimensioned pictorial views of the individual components for an item of marine engineering machinery. The candidate's skill as a draughtsman is judged from his attempt at the drawing. It is expected that the particular piece of machinery could be manufactured from the drawing, which necessitates inserting dimensions on a general assembly drawing - a practice not common elsewhere.