Wheelhouse Prep

Lifeboatman, Revision & Practice Exams

Lifeboatman. Built from official USCG NMC sample examinations (public domain).
Content last updated 12 June 2026

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Revise with instant feedback: the moment you pick an answer you see whether it was right, with the explanation where available. Untimed — ideal before you sit a mock exam. Questions you miss keep coming back until you know them.

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Exam-day conditions: no feedback until you submit, each module scored separately like the real test, with a full question-by-question review at the end.

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The real exam is passed module by module: Rules of the Road requires 90%, most other modules 70%. Chart-plotting modules are taken on paper and not included.

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The free sample gives you 20 to 30 questions per module. The full bank contains every available official question, with written explanations on the popular small-vessel credentials, one-off $29, lifetime access on up to 3 devices, all credentials included.

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Frequently asked questions

What score do I need to pass the Lifeboatman exam?

You must pass each module separately. Most modules require 70% to pass.

What modules are on the Lifeboatman exam?

The exam covers 1 module: Lifeboat Operator.

How many practice questions are available for Lifeboatman?

This page includes free sample questions drawn from the official USCG sample examinations, with a full bank of around 49 questions across all modules available with lifetime access.

Are these real USCG exam questions?

Every question comes from the U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center's published sample examinations, which are U.S. government works in the public domain. Wheelhouse Prep is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Do I need to create an account?

No. The free practice tests work in your browser with no signup. Your score history is saved on your own device.

Sample Lifeboatman practice questions

A selection of free questions from the official USCG sample examinations. Use the interactive modules above for timed, scored drills.

When is it recommended that the external flotation bladder on an immersion suit be inflated?

  1. Only after two hours in the water
  2. Only after four hours in the water
  3. Upon entry into the water ✓
  4. Before entry into the water

You are involved in an emergency landing of a helicopter on the water. When should you inflate your life jacket?

  1. After reaching the water, but prior to exiting the helicopter
  2. After exiting clear of the helicopter ✓
  3. Prior to reaching the water
  4. Upon entering the helicopter

What would be the result of physical exertion on the part of a person who has fallen into cold water?

  1. It will increase the rate of heat loss from the body ✓
  2. It will increase the water temperature between the body and layers of clothing
  3. It will decrease exposure of the body surface to cold water
  4. It will increase survival time in the water
Show all 10 sample questions with answers & explanations

When launching a lifeboat, when should frapping lines be rigged?

  1. Before the boat is moved from the davits
  2. Before the gripes are released
  3. When the boat is at the embarkation deck ✓
  4. Only after the boat is in the water

A motor lifeboat shall carry sufficient fuel to operate continuously for a period of which duration?

  1. 12 hours
  2. 18 hours
  3. 24 hours ✓
  4. 36 hours

What is the purpose of the hydrostatic release on an inflatable liferaft?

  1. To test the rafts hydrostatically
  2. To release the raft from the cradle automatically as the ship sinks ✓
  3. To inflate the raft automatically
  4. None of the above

Why: If the ship sinks before the raft can be launched, water pressure (typically around 10-15 feet) trips the hydrostatic release, freeing the raft container from its cradle so it floats up; the painter then triggers inflation.

Which action should be taken once fueling has been completed?

  1. Open the fuel line and drain a small amount of gasoline into the bilge to clear the line of sediment
  2. The engine should be started immediately to prevent vapor lock in the fuel line
  3. The fuel tank fill pipe should be left open to allow vapors to vent from the tank
  4. All hatches should be opened, and all compartments should be ventilated ✓

Why: After fueling, gasoline vapors may have accumulated below. Opening hatches and ventilating all compartments (and running the blower) before starting the engine removes explosive vapors. Never start the engine first.

What statement about immersion suits is TRUE?

  1. Immersion suits should be worn while performing routine work on deck.
  2. During the annual maintenance, the front zipper should be lubricated using light machine oil or mineral oil.
  3. No stowage container for immersion suits may be capable of being locked. ✓
  4. Any tear or leak will render the suit unserviceable and it must be replaced.

Why: Survival equipment must be instantly accessible, so stowage containers for immersion suits may not be capable of being locked. Zippers are waxed (not oiled), and minor tears are repairable.

You abandoned ship in the North Atlantic and one of the crew members is hypothermic. During a SAR helicopter extraction which lifting device should be avoided when hoisting this patient to the aircraft?

  1. The rescue litter
  2. The rescue basket
  3. The rescue net
  4. The rescue sling ✓

If an inflatable liferaft inflates upside down, you can right it by taking which action?

  1. Getting at least three or four men to push down on the side containing the CO2 cylinder
  2. Standing on the CO2 bottle, holding the bottom straps, and throwing your weight backwards ✓
  3. Pushing up on one side of the raft
  4. doing nothing; it will right itself after the canopy supports inflate