USCG License Exam: What's on the Test, How to Study, and Retake Rules
The USCG written exam is taken at a Regional Exam Center before you submit your MMC application. Here is every module, the study resources that actually work, and what happens if you fail.
Updated May 2026 · 9 min read
How the REC Exam Works
The USCG written examination is administered at Regional Exam Centers (RECs) and, for some endorsements, at approved testing centers. You schedule an appointment, appear in person with valid ID and your TWIC card, and take the exam on a computer terminal. Navigation Problems is typically done on paper with a provided training chart.
There is no single sitting time limit — you can work through questions at your own pace. Each module is scored separately, and you need a 70% or higher on every module to pass. You do not need to pass all modules in the same appointment. Failed modules can be retaken individually.
Exam Modules by Endorsement
Rules of the Road
All endorsements
COLREGS (International Rules) + Inland Rules. Most candidates find this the hardest module. Exact text of the rules appears verbatim — memorize the rule numbers and their content.
Deck General
All officer endorsements
Seamanship, lines and rigging, anchoring, marlinspike, tides, weather interpretation, vessel terminology. Broad practical knowledge.
Navigation General
All officer endorsements
Chart reading, aids to navigation, buoyage, lights and day shapes, compass use, tides and currents, celestial basics. Heavy emphasis on buoy colors and meanings.
Navigation Problems
OUPV NC, Master 100+ GT
Plotted on paper charts using parallel rules, dividers, and a pencil. Chart #1210-Tr (training chart) is used. Dead reckoning, fixes by bearing, speed/time/distance. Most paper-based module remaining.
Meteorology
Near coastal and ocean endorsements
Weather patterns, fronts, fog types, Beaufort scale, barometric pressure interpretation, storm systems. Practical seamanship knowledge.
Stability
Master 100 GT and above
Basic vessel stability concepts: GM, righting arm, free surface effect, loading calculations. Not required for OUPV.
Deck Safety
All endorsements
Fire prevention, SOLAS equipment, lifesaving appliances, man overboard procedures, emergency signals. Practical safety knowledge.
First Aid
Near coastal OUPV
For some REC offices, a separate first aid certificate (Red Cross, AHA) satisfies this — verify with your REC before studying for this module.
Rules of the Road: The Hard One
Rules of the Road is the module that surprises most first-time exam takers. The questions are drawn directly from the text of the COLREGS (72 COLREGS, International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) and the Inland Navigation Rules. The exact wording of rules appears in the questions.
What to memorize
- Rule numbers and their titles (Rule 2 — Responsibility; Rule 5 — Lookout; Rule 13 — Overtaking, etc.)
- Light configurations for all vessel types — power-driven, sailing, fishing, towing, NUC, RAM, constrained by draft, pilot vessel
- Day shapes for the same vessel types
- Sound signals — one short, two short, five short, fog signals by vessel type
- Differences between International and Inland Rules (anchor lights, Western Rivers rules, Great Lakes variations)
- Crossing, meeting, and overtaking stand-on / give-way rules
Most candidates spend 20–40 hours specifically on Rules of the Road before the exam. Lapware's question bank has over 1,000 RoR questions — do them all, repeatedly, until you are consistently above 85%.
Study Resources That Work
Lapware
lapware.com
The gold standard. Same question bank format as the actual NMC exam. Organized by module. Detailed explanations. ~$30/month. Worth every dollar.
MarineExam.com
marineexam.com
Free question bank with a large library. Less polish than Lapware but covers the same material. Good supplement.
Chapman's Piloting & Seamanship
Reference book. Best for Deck General and Navigation General — covers seamanship fundamentals in plain language.
72 COLREGS booklet
The actual text of the rules. Download free from USCG or buy a pocket edition. Read the rules verbatim — the exam quotes them exactly.
NOAA training chart 1210-Tr
The chart used on the Navigation Problems module at most RECs. Practice your plotting on this specific chart before the exam.
If You Fail a Module
Failing a module does not end your application — it just means you retake that specific module. The rules under 46 CFR 10.215:
- You may retake a failed module after a waiting period (typically 30 days)
- Three failures of the same module in a 12-month period requires a 1-year waiting period before another attempt
- Your exam results are valid for 3 years — you do not need to retake passed modules if you need to retry a failed one
Study Timeline Recommendations
Rules of the Road — read the text, then drill Lapware questions
Navigation General + chart plotting practice
Deck General — broad seamanship review
Full practice exams — simulate real exam conditions
Review only the modules where you are below 80% on practice tests
Log exam date, credential expiry, sea service — everything in one place.