USCG General Navigation: Master's License

This is an interactive test. Read each question and select the proper answer by clicking on the appropriate answer. If a "Y" appears, your choice is correct. If a "N" appears, more study may be in order.


84: When using an echo sounder in deep water, it is NOT unusual to __________.


92: When utilizing a Pacific Coast chart, the reference plane of soundings is __________.


152: A chart with a natural scale of 1:160,000 is classified as a __________.


235: When the equation of time is taken from the Nautical Almanac for use in celestial navigation, it is used to determine __________.

    N a. zone time
    N b. sunrise
    Y c. time of local apparent noon
    N d. local mean time

279: As a vessel changes course to starboard, the compass card in a magnetic compass __________.

    Y a. remains aligned with compass north
    N b. also turns to starboard
    N c. first turns to starboard then counterclockwise to port
    N d. turns counterclockwise to port

317: The time meridian used for tide computations in New York Harbor is __________.

    N a. 52°30'W
    N b. 60°00'W
    Y c. 75°00'W
    N d. 82°30'W

318: Vessels required to have an Automatic Radar Plotting Aid must have a device to indicate the __________.

    N a. distance to the next port
    Y b. speed of the vessel over the ground or through the water
    N c. time of the next navigational satellite pass
    N d. None of the above

336: You are steaming eastward in the North Atlantic in an extratropical cyclonic storm and the wind is dead ahead. According to the law of Buys Ballot, the center of the low pressure lies __________.

    N a. ahead of you
    N b. astern of you
    N c. to the north
    Y d. to the south

416: A ship is on course 195° at a speed of 15 knots. The apparent wind is from 40° on the port bow, speed 30 knots. The direction and speed of the true wind are __________.

    N a. 068°T, 30 knots
    Y b. 127°T, 21 knots
    N c. 263°T, 42 knots
    N d. 292°T, 42 knots

462: For what purpose would using a Lambert conformal chart be more convenient than using a Mercator?

    Y a. Plotting radio bearings over a long distance
    N b. Determining latitude and longitude of a fix
    N c. Measuring rhumb line distances
    N d. Measuring rhumb line directions

589: What is the index error of sextant D? (D050NG )

    N a. 7'10" on the arc
    N b. 6'50" on the arc
    N c. 3'00" on the arc
    Y d. 2'10" on the arc

687: The drift and set of tidal, river, and ocean currents refer to the __________.

    N a. position and area of the current
    Y b. speed and direction toward which the current flows
    N c. type and characteristic of the current's flow
    N d. None of the above

696: The diurnal pressure variation is most noticeable in the __________.

    N a. polar regions
    N b. horse latitudes
    N c. roaring forties
    Y d. doldrums

739: The upper vertex of a great circle track is in LONG 156°00'E. Sailing eastward, the great circle track will cross the equator in LONG __________.

    Y a. 114°00'W
    N b. 110°00'W
    N c. 66°00'W
    N d. 66°00'E

745: Retrograde motion is the __________.

    N a. movement of the points of intersection of the planes of the ecliptic and the equator
    Y b. apparent westerly motion of a planet with respect to stars
    N c. movement of a superior planet in its orbit about the Sun
    N d. movement of the celestial north pole in an elliptical pattern in space

750: On a working copy of a weather map, a cold front is represented by what color line?

    N a. Red
    Y b. Blue
    N c. Alternating red and blue
    N d. Purple

761: Under the IALA Buoyage Systems, a safe water mark may NOT __________.

    N a. be spherical
    N b. display a white light
    N c. be lettered
    Y d. show a quick flashing light

772: You are hove to in a hurricane on a heading of 328°T. The wind is from 030° true at 119 knots. How should this be encoded on the weather report form under Nddff. (D041NG )

    N a. 80312
    N b. 83011
    N c. 83099
    Y d. 80399

775: A sidereal day is shorter than a solar day. This difference is due to __________.

    N a. irregularities in the daily rotational rate of the Sun
    N b. the space motion of the solar system
    N c. the precession of the equinoxes
    Y d. the use of different reference points

846: Weather systems in the middle latitudes generally travel from __________.

    N a. east to west
    N b. north to south
    Y c. west to east
    N d. None of the above

855: Which condition exists at the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere?

    N a. The north polar regions are in continual darkness.
    N b. The Northern Hemisphere is having short days and long nights.
    Y c. The Southern Hemisphere is having winter.
    N d. The Sun shines equally on both hemispheres.

954: A thin, whitish, high cloud popularly known as "mares' tails" is __________.

    N a. altostratus
    N b. stratus
    N c. cumulus
    Y d. cirrus

959: What is the index error of sextant B in illustration D050NG? (D050NG )

    N a. 0'30" off the arc
    N b. 1'00" off the arc
    Y c. 3'30" off the arc
    N d. 1'30" on the arc

1005: The refraction correction table given in the Nautical Almanac is based on a standard or average atmospheric density with a temperature of 50°F (10°C) and atmospheric pressure of __________.

    N a. 29.72 inches (1006 millibars)
    Y b. 29.83 inches (1010 millibars)
    N c. 29.89 inches (1012 millibars)
    N d. 29.93 inches (1014 millibars)

1017: Which statement(s) concerning the effect of Coriolis force on ocean currents is(are) correct?

    N a. The deflection of the current is to the left in the Northern Hemisphere.
    N b. The Coriolis force is greater in the lower latitudes.
    Y c. The Coriolis force is more effective in deep water.
    N d. All of the above

1043: You are about to go to sea and adjust the magnetic compass. To expedite the adjustment at sea, in what order should the following dockside adjustments be made?

    N a. Flinders bar first, then the heeling magnet and spheres
    N b. Heeling magnet first, then the Flinders bar and spheres
    Y c. Flinders bar first, then the spheres and heeling magnet
    N d. Spheres first, then the Flinders bar and heeling magnet

1050: The passing of a low pressure system can be determined by periodically checking the __________.

    N a. thermometer
    N b. hygrometer
    Y c. barometer
    N d. anemometer

1060: Isobars on a weather map are useful in predicting __________.

    N a. temperature
    N b. dew point
    Y c. wind velocity
    N d. relative humidity

1175: Solid green arrows on the main body of a pilot chart indicate __________.

    N a. prevailing wind directions
    Y b. prevailing ocean current directions
    N c. probable surface current flow
    N d. shortest great circle routes

1223: The difference between magnetic heading and compass heading is called __________.

    N a. variation
    Y b. deviation
    N c. compass error
    N d. drift

1248: On 6 July 1983, at 1520 DST (ZD +4) what will be the predicted height of tide at Newburgh, NY?

    N a. 2.1 feet
    N b. 1.7 feet
    N c. 1.2 feet
    Y d. 0.6 foot

1272: What are the colors of a mid-channel daymark?

    N a. Black and red
    Y b. Red and white
    N c. Green and red
    N d. Green and white

1365: The same side of the Moon is always toward the Earth, but more than half of its surface has been seen due to libration. Libration in latitude occurs because __________.

    Y a. the axis of rotation is tilted about 6.5° to the axis of revolution
    N b. the speed of revolution varies, while the rotational speed is essentially constant
    N c. of the rotational oscillation of the Moon with respect to its radius vector
    N d. of augmentation

1529: Widely spaced isobars on a weather map indicate __________.

    N a. high winds
    Y b. gentle breezes
    N c. ice, snow or frozen rain
    N d. probability of tornados

1532: The position labeled "E" was plotted because __________. (D051NG )

    Y a. a dead reckoning position is plotted for each speed change
    N b. a dead reckoning position is plotted within a half-hour of each course change
    N c. the position is a running fix
    N d. the vessel's position was fixed at 1145

1546: You are sailing south on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) when you sight a red nun buoy with a yellow triangle painted on it. Which statement is TRUE?

    N a. Geometric symbols such as squares and triangles replace letters and numbers on ICW aids to navigation.
    Y b. The ICW and another waterway coincide in this geographical area.
    N c. The yellow triangle identifies a sharp turn (over 60°) in the channel.
    N d. This is an information or regulatory buoy that also has lateral significance.

1633: To find a magnetic compass course from a true course you must apply __________.

    Y a. deviation and variation
    N b. deviation
    N c. variation
    N d. magnetic anomalies (local disturbances)

1680: A weather front exists when __________.

    N a. air masses of the same temperature meet
    Y b. air masses of different temperatures meet
    N c. many clouds create a differential in air density
    N d. two lows are separated by a ridge of higher pressure

1701: Which general weather conditions should you expect to find in a low pressure system?

    N a. Fair weather
    Y b. Precipitation and cloudiness
    N c. Scattered clouds at high elevations
    N d. Gradual clearing and cooler temperatures

1760: A Doppler log in the bottom return mode indicates the __________.

    N a. velocity of the current
    N b. bottom characteristics
    N c. depth of the water
    Y d. speed over the ground

1873: Lighted information markers show __________.

    N a. green lights
    N b. red lights
    N c. yellow lights
    Y d. white lights

1887: The Light List indicates that a light has a nominal range of 10 miles and is 11 feet high. If the visibility is 15 miles and your height of eye is 20 feet, at what approximate distance will you sight the light?

    N a. 12.0 miles
    N b. 11.0 miles
    N c. 10.0 miles
    Y d. 9.0 miles

2018: Which magnetic compass corrector(s) can be set while the vessel is on a heading of magnetic east or magnetic west?

    N a. Quadrantal spheres
    N b. Heeling magnet
    Y c. Flinders bar
    N d. Athwartships magnets

2131: The white lights in a vertical line on a multiple-span bridge indicate __________.

    Y a. the main channel
    N b. the draw span is inoperable
    N c. the river is obstructed under that span
    N d. scaffolding under the span is reducing the vertical clearance

2152: Permanent magnetism is found in __________.

    Y a. hard iron
    N b. soft iron
    N c. vertical iron only
    N d. horizontal iron only

2191: The chart indicates the variation was 3°45'E in 1988, and the annual change is increasing 6'. If you use the chart in 1991 how much variation should you apply?

    N a. 3°27'E
    N b. 3°27'W
    N c. 3°45'E
    Y d. 4°03'E

2276: A vessel is heading magnetic east and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 086°. Which action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?

    Y a. If the blue ends of the magnets are aft, and the fore-and-aft tray is at the top, you should add some magnets.
    N b. If the blue ends of the magnets are aft you should lower the fore-and-aft tray.
    N c. If the blue ends of the magnets are aft, and the fore-and-aft tray is at the top, you should reverse the magnets.
    N d. If the blue ends of the magnets are forward, and the fore-and-aft tray is at the bottom, you should add some magnets.

2292: The points on the earth's surface where the magnetic dip is 90° are __________.

    N a. along the magnetic equator
    N b. connected by the isoclinal line
    N c. the isopors
    Y d. the magnetic poles

2324: Deneb is found in what constellation?

    Y a. Cygnus
    N b. Pegasus
    N c. Ursa Major
    N d. Andromeda

2338: A group of stars which appear close together and form a striking configuration such as a person or animal is a __________.

    N a. cluster
    N b. shower
    Y c. constellation
    N d. galaxy

2376: A large group of stars revolving around a center is known as a __________.

    N a. cluster
    N b. shower
    N c. constellation
    Y d. galaxy

2397: The letter D in illustration D006NG represents the __________.

    N a. sensible horizon
    N b. celestial horizon
    N c. visible horizon
    Y d. geometrical horizon

2448: What is the equivalent of 37 min. 32 sec. in arc units?

    N a. 4°47'
    N b. 6°38'
    N c. 7°41'
    Y d. 9°23'

2524: What is the equivalent of 2° 35' in time units?

    Y a. 10 min. 20 sec.
    N b. 9 min. 10 sec.
    N c. 7 min. 06 sec.
    N d. 6 min. 43 sec.

2528: Illustration D038NG represents a fixed C of E lock and dam. What navigational light(s) is(are) exhibited at the position indicated by the letter A in the illustration? (D038NG )

    N a. One red light
    N b. Two red lights
    N c. Two green lights
    Y d. No light

2594: At McAlpine L & D, normal upper pool elevation is 420.0 feet (130.8 meters) MSL, equal to 12.0 feet (3.7 meters) on the upper gage. The vertical clearance at the Clark Memorial Highway bridge is 72.6 feet (22.1 meters) above normal pool. What is the clearance if the gage reads 10.6 feet (3.2 meters)?

    N a. 84.6 feet (25.8 meters)
    N b. 83.2 feet (25.4 meters)
    Y c. 74.0 feet (22.6 meters)
    N d. 62.0 feet (18.9 meters)

2620: The navigator is concerned with three systems of coordinates. Which system is not of major concern?

    N a. Terrestrial
    Y b. Ecliptic
    N c. Celestial horizon
    N d. Celestial equator

2829: A spar buoy is indicated by which letter in illustration D044NG?

    N a. A
    Y b. B
    N c. C
    N d. D

2924: You take a bearing of 264° of a lighthouse. What bearing of another object would give the best fix?

    N a. 289°
    Y b. 350v
    N c. 081°
    N d. 120°

3075: Chart information details to be used in ECDIS should be the latest edition of information originated by a government-authorized hydrographic office and conform to the standards of (the) __________.

    N a. International Maritime Organization
    Y b. International Hydrographic Organization
    N c. NASA
    N d. US Coast Guard