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.
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.
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.
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.
You must pass each module separately. Most modules require 70% to pass.
The exam covers 2 modules: Deck General – Safety, Navigation General – Rivers.
This page includes free sample questions drawn from the official USCG sample examinations, with a full bank of around 116 questions across all modules available with lifetime access.
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.
No. The free practice tests work in your browser with no signup. Your score history is saved on your own device.
A selection of free questions from the official USCG sample examinations. Use the interactive modules above for timed, scored drills.
Which is the BEST way to reduce your wake in a narrow channel?
A fire in electrical equipment should be extinguished by using which type of extinguishing agent?
A situation has occurred where it becomes necessary for you to be towed. What action should be taken to prevent your vessel from yawing?
Why: Shifting weight aft sets the stern deeper, increasing drag aft so the towed vessel trails straight behind the towline like a weathervane instead of sheering from side to side.
How are chart legends which indicate a conspicuous landmark printed?
Which is TRUE as the temperature of the air reaches the dew point?
Your vessel is on course 150°T, speed 17 knots. The apparent wind is from 40° off the starboard bow, speed 15 knots. What is the speed of the true wind?
As a warm front approaches how does barometric pressure change?
Which of the signals listed is required to be displayed at night while bunkering at a dock?
What can be done to prevent small oil spills on deck from going overboard?
Which U.S. agency assigns an official number to a vessel?
Why: Official numbers for documented U.S. vessels are assigned by the Coast Guard through the National Vessel Documentation Center. ABS is a classification society, and Customs no longer handles vessel documentation.
There is a fire in the crew's quarters of your vessel. Which action should you take FIRST?
What is the purpose of a striking plate?
Safe water buoys may show ONLY which type of light?
Which term describes a light, feathery deposit of ice by sublimation of water vapor directly into the crystalline form on objects whose temperatures are below freezing?
A green buoy has a yellow triangle on it. What type of buoy is this?
On an isomagnetic chart, which term is used for the line of zero variation?
Buoys which mark dredging areas are painted which color?
To find the specific phase characteristic of a lighthouse on a sound of the United States you would use which reference?
Why: The Light List gives each light's complete characteristic, including rhythm, period, and colors, in more detail than the chart abbreviation. The Coast Pilot describes waters generally but is not the reference for light characteristics.
As a general rule, how will your vessel lie when it is drifting in a locale where there is no current?
Which action should be taken prior to assuming the Deck Watch while the vessel is in port?
Why: In port the moorings are the vessel's primary safety concern; tide, current, and cargo operations constantly change line tension. The relieving watch officer must verify moorings are adequate before accepting responsibility. There is no such thing as a blue mooring light.