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 so you can see your weak areas, plus an overall score against the pass mark, 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 is 20 questions, spread across every module in the same proportions as the real exam. The full bank contains every question from the NMC's current published sample examinations for this credential, with written explanations on the popular small-vessel credentials, one-off $29, lifetime access on up to 3 devices, all credentials included.
| Delivered by | US Coast Guard National Maritime Center; exams are sat at Coast Guard Regional Exam Centers (RECs) |
|---|---|
| Official exam | Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) endorsement examinations |
| Questions | Set per credential in your Approval to Test letter; the NMC does not publish module question counts |
| Time | Each module is sat in a 3½-hour examination period; modules are taken in consecutive periods |
| Passing score | Rules of the Road 90%; Deck General and Deck Safety 70% (NMC notice, January 2018) |
| Exam fee | Set by 46 CFR 10.219: for an original officer endorsement, evaluation $100, examination $95 (lower level) or $110 (upper level), issuance $45 |
| Pre-licensing or eligibility | Apply to the Coast Guard first; you need the NMC's Approval to Test letter before you can book. The application stays valid for 12 months |
| Book your exam | dco.uscg.mil/nmc/Examinations |
Checked 11 October 2026 from the official sources below. Rules and fees change, so confirm with US Coast Guard National Maritime Center; exams are sat at Coast Guard Regional Exam Centers (RECs) before you book.
Wheelhouse is a $29 question bank built from the Coast Guard's own sample exams, not an approved course. Here is how it compares with the courses and tools mariners usually consider, including where they are the better choice. See the comparison with Mariners Learning System, Sea School, MPT and others.
You must pass each module separately. Most modules require 70% to pass.
The exam covers 2 modules: Deck Safety – Stability Problems, Navigation and Deck General – Safety.
This page includes free sample questions drawn from the official USCG sample examinations, with a full bank of around 78 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.
Last updated 12 June 2026. The bank is refreshed whenever the Coast Guard publishes revised sample examinations.
A selection of free questions from the official USCG sample examinations. Use the interactive modules above for timed, scored drills.
Each crewmember has an assigned firefighting station. Where is this assignment listed?
Which statement is TRUE concerning a motor lifeboat?
A tug should not come alongside a tank vessel in way of its cargo tanks while it is loading grade A, B, or C cargo without the permission of the __________.
The sailing drafts are: FWD 23'-02", AFT 24'-06" and the GM is 2.8 feet. Use the information in Section 1, the blue pages, of the Stability Data Reference Book to determine the available righting arm at 30° inclination.
At all angles of inclination, which is the true measure of a vessel's stability?
The SS AMERICAN MARINER is loaded with the cargo shown in table ST-0143 below. Use the white pages of The Stability Data Reference Book to determine the amount of liquid loading required in the double bottom tanks to meet a one compartment standard.
A flame screen __________.
What is the basic principle of the magnetic compass?
What is the minimum number of deck officers, able seaman or certificated persons required to command each lifeboat on a vessel in ocean service?
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?
The single turn method of returning to a man overboard should be used ONLY if which condition exists?
Which space(s) on your cargo vessel must have a fire detection system?
What is the purpose of a devil's claw?
Why does a centrifugal bilge pump require priming?
Which maneuver will return your vessel to a person who has fallen overboard in the shortest time?
Fire hose stations shall be marked in red letters and figures such as Fire Station No. "1", "2", "3", etc. Which is the minimum height of the letters and figures required by regulation?
Which term indicates the rise in height of the bottom plating from the plane of the base line?
What should be given, as a minimum, to personnel who are involved in crane cargo handling?
A large vessel is equipped with a controllable pitch propeller. Which statement is TRUE?
Which topic is NOT required to be discussed at the pre-transfer conference?