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United States · Captain’s license

USCG captain’s license practice test: 20 questions with answers

Here are 20 free questions to check what you know before the captain’s license exam, each with an explanation and the rule it comes from. This USCG captain’s license practice test is our own, written from the Navigation Rules, NOAA’s chart publications and the Coast Guard’s licensing regulations. The real exam is split into sections that depend on the endorsement you’re after, and ours has no chart plotting. So use it as a quick check, not a stand-in for the exam or an approved course.

  • 20Practice questions on this page
  • 9On the Navigation Rules
  • 14Right answers for our 70% target
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Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Question 1 of 20

In open water, two power-driven vessels are meeting on nearly reciprocal courses, with risk of collision. What should each do?

20 practice questions in the style of the exam.

What’s in this USCG captain’s license practice test?

The Navigation Rules get the biggest share, because the head-on, crossing, overtaking and sound signal rules come up again and again on the water. Next come charts, buoys, compass work and NOAA’s publications, then a few of the licensing rules you’ll meet when you apply.

Aim for 14 right out of 20. That’s our own target, not the Coast Guard’s passing score.

AreaOur 20
Navigation Rules (Inland Rules, 33 CFR Part 83)9
Charts, aids to navigation and publications6
OUPV routes, sea service, age and the credential5

How close is it to the real Coast Guard exam?

Table 2 to 46 CFR 11.910 lists the exam subjects for each deck endorsement, from chart navigation and the Navigation Rules to firefighting and emergency procedures. The National Maritime Center publishes how many questions each section has and the score you need.

Our questions cover only part of that list. If you take a Coast Guard-approved course instead of the Coast Guard’s exam, the school tests you and its certificate goes with your application.

Exam subjects and retest rules →Approved courses compared →
Sources: eCFR · NOAA Office of Coast Survey and 2 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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