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USCG Navigation General Practice Test

1,807 Navigation General questions from 24 of the National Maritime Center’s published sample exams, each with the NMC’s answer key. Questions that need an illustration, a chart or a reference book are left out.

1,452 of them come with the closest regulation or reference section, shown with the answer.

Take a quiz of 10 drawn at random, or read the 10 sample questions and answers below.

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10 at random from all 1,807, with each answer as soon as you pick.

10 sample Navigation General questions with answers

The same 10 on every visit. A related section is the closest match RegKnot found in the regulations and references; it is not part of the NMC’s answer key.

  1. Question 1 · Master Uninspected Fishing Vessels

    Yesterday your chronometer read 11h 59m 59s at the 1200 GMT time tick. Today the chronometer reads 11h 59m 57s at the 1200 time tick. What is the chronometer rate?

    • A.-3s
    • B.+2s
    • C.-2s (correct answer)
    • D.+3s

    Answer: C. -2s

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.1710 — Bowditch Ch.17 Time — 1710. Chronometer Time

  2. Question 2 · Mate Offshore Supply Vessels

    When trying to sight a lighthouse you notice a glare from a town in the background. How does this affect the range at which the light may be sighted?

    • A.Increased slightly due to extra lighting
    • B.Considerably reduced and difficult to distinguish (correct answer)
    • C.Unchanged
    • D.Increased if the light is red or green due to contrast with the glare

    Answer: B. Considerably reduced and difficult to distinguish

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.820 — Bowditch Ch.8 Short Range Aids to Navigation — 820. Factors Affecting Range and Characteristics

  3. Question 3 · Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV)

    Which term is given to a line on a weather chart connecting places which have the same barometric pressure?

    • A.Isotherm
    • B.Isallobar
    • C.Isotope
    • D.Isobar (correct answer)

    Answer: D. Isobar

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.3910 — Bowditch Ch.39 Weather Elements — 3910. Isobars and Wind

  4. Question 4 · Second/Third Mate of Unlimited Tonnage

    What wind reverses directions seasonally?

    • A.Secondary winds
    • B.Monsoon winds (correct answer)
    • C.Hooked trades
    • D.Jet stream

    Answer: B. Monsoon winds

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.3903 — Bowditch Ch.39 Weather Elements — 3903. The Doldrums; 3904. The Trade Winds

  5. Question 5 · Master Less than 500-1600 Gross Registered Tons Rivers

    On a working copy of a weather map what color is the line that represents a stationary front?

    • A.Blue
    • B.Purple
    • C.Red
    • D.Alternating red and blue (correct answer)

    Answer: D. Alternating red and blue

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.3912 — Bowditch Ch.39 Weather Elements — 3912. Cyclones and Fronts

  6. Question 6 · Master Uninspected Fishing Vessels

    Which is the most important information to be obtained from a barometer?

    • A.The weather indications printed on the dial (such as "cold, wet, etc.") under the pointer
    • B.The difference between the reading of the two pointers, which shows wind direction
    • C.The last two figures of the reading of the pointer, such as .87, .76, or .92
    • D.The present reading of the pressure, combined with the changes in pressure observed in the recent past (correct answer)

    Answer: D. The present reading of the pressure, combined with the changes in pressure observed in the recent past

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.4101 — Bowditch Ch.41 Weather Observations — 4101. Atmospheric Pressure

  7. Question 7 · Master Uninspected Fishing Vessels

    A magnetic compass card is marked in how many degrees?

    • A.90
    • B.180
    • C.360 (correct answer)
    • D.400

    Answer: C. 360

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.918 — Bowditch Ch.9 Compasses — 918. The Compass and the Binnacle

  8. Question 8 · Master Less than 500-1600 Gross Registered Tons

    Which radar control shortens all echoes on the display and reduces clutter caused by rain or snow?

    • A.The receiver gain control
    • B.The brilliance control
    • C.The fast time constant (differentiator) (correct answer)
    • D.The sensitivity time control (sea clutter control)

    Answer: C. The fast time constant (differentiator)

    Further reading: Pub 1310 Ch.2 Sec.7 — Pub 1310 Ch.2 Radar Operation — Performance Controls - Adjustments According to; Operating Conditions

  9. Question 9 · Mate Less than 500-1600 Gross Registered Tons

    Which defines a wave's fetch?

    • A.The time in seconds required for two crests to pass a given point
    • B.The distance a wave travels between formation and decay
    • C.The stretch of water over which a wave-forming wind blows (correct answer)
    • D.The measurement of a wave's steepness

    Answer: C. The stretch of water over which a wave-forming wind blows

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.4111 — Bowditch Ch.41 Weather Observations — 4111. Estimating the Wind at Sea

  10. Question 10 · Apprentice Mate of Towing Vessels

    Which maritime radio system, consisting of a series of coast stations, transmits coastal warnings?

    • A.SAFESEA
    • B.NAVTEX (correct answer)
    • C.HYDROLANT/HYDROPAC
    • D.NAVAREA

    Answer: B. NAVTEX

    Further reading: Bowditch Art.3106 — Bowditch Ch.31 Maritime Safety Systems — 3106. NAVTEX

Exams these questions come from

Choose one when you start the quiz. A question can appear in more than one exam, so these add up to more than 1,807.

  • Mate Less than 500-1600 Gross Registered Tons236 questions
  • Master Less than 500-1600 Gross Registered Tons187 questions
  • Apprentice Mate of Towing Vessels134 questions
  • Master/Chief Mate Offshore Supply Vessels130 questions
  • Second/Third Mate of Unlimited Tonnage128 questions
  • Master/Chief Mate of Unlimited Tonnage127 questions
  • Mate Offshore Supply Vessels126 questions
  • Mate Uninspected Fishing Vessels91 questions
  • Master Uninspected Fishing Vessels89 questions
  • Master or Mate Less than 200 Gross Registered Tons87 questions
  • Mate of Unlimited Tonnage65 questions
  • Master of Unlimited Tonnage63 questions
  • First Class Pilot62 questions
  • Master Near Coastal Less than 100 Gross Registered Tons47 questions
  • Master or Mate Less than 200 Gross Registered Tons Rivers47 questions
  • Towing Vessels – Western Rivers47 questions
  • Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessel Near Coastal (OUPV)46 questions
  • Master Less than 500-1600 Gross Registered Tons Rivers45 questions
  • Master Unlimited Tonnage Rivers45 questions
  • Master Less than 100 Gross Registered Tons Rivers44 questions
  • Able Seafarer (AB) Unlimited, Limited, Special…42 questions
  • Master Less than 100 Gross Registered Tons41 questions
  • Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV)41 questions
  • Limited Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessels (Limited OUPV)19 questions

More USCG practice tests

The questions and answer keys are from the U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center’s published sample exams. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard or the National Maritime Center. A practice score does not predict your exam result; check the NMC for current exam requirements.