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.


10: The wind at Frying Pan shoals has been northwesterly at an average velocity of 22 knots. The predicted set and drift of the rotary current are 125° at 0.6 knot. What current should you expect?


29: You are approaching a multiple-span bridge at night. The main navigational channel span will be indicated by __________.


80: When the moon is at first quarter or third quarter phase, what type of tides will occur?


177: How many high waters usually occur each day on the East Coast of the United States?

    N a. One
    Y b. Two
    N c. Three
    N d. Four

276: The region of high pressure extending around the Earth at about 35°N latitude is called the __________.

    N a. prevailing westerlies
    Y b. horse latitudes
    N c. troposphere
    N d. doldrums

309: You are underway on course 050°T and your maximum speed is 12 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 120°T, 110 miles from your position. The hurricane is moving towards 285°T at 25 knots. What course should you steer at 12 knots to have the maximum CPA?

    N a. 332°
    N b. 339°
    Y c. 346°
    N d. 357°

352: Which chart projection would be most suitable for marine surveying?

    N a. Gnomonic
    N b. Lambert conformal
    N c. Mercator
    Y d. Polyconic

358: What will be the set of the rotary current at Nantucket Shoals at 1245 (ZD +5) 14 January 1983?

    N a. 015°
    Y b. 125°
    N c. 162°
    N d. 225°

437: Your vessel will be docking at Chester, PA, during the evening of 22 April 1983. The chart shows a depth of 20 feet (6.1 meters) at the pier. What will be the depth of water available at 1856 EST (ZD +5)?

    N a. 22.4 feet (6.8 meters)
    Y b. 23.4 feet (7.2 meters)
    N c. 24.9 feet (7.6 meters)
    N d. 25.7 feet (7.8 meters)

444: A sylphon cell is a part of a __________.

    N a. maximum thermometer
    Y b. barograph
    N c. thermograph
    N d. hygrometer

478: The velocity of the apparent wind can be more than the true wind, and come from the same direction, if certain conditions are present. One condition is that the __________.

    N a. ship's speed must be less than the true wind velocity
    N b. true wind must be from dead astern
    N c. true wind velocity must be faster than the ship's speed
    Y d. true wind must be from dead ahead

489: You are anchored in the Aleutian Island chain and receive word that a tsunami is expected to strike the islands in six hours. What is the safest action?

    Y a. Get underway and be in deep, open-ocean water when the tsunami arrives.
    N b. Increase the scope of the anchor cable and drop the second anchor underfoot at short stay.
    N c. Get underway and be close inshore on the side of the island away from the tsunami.
    N d. Plant both anchors with about a 60° angle between them, and let out a long scope to each anchor.

520: On charts of U.S. waters, a magenta marking is NOT used for marking a __________.

    Y a. 5-fathom curve
    N b. prohibited area
    N c. lighted buoy
    N d. radio beacon

533: You are using a radar in which your own ship is shown at the center, and the heading flash always points to 0°. If bearings are measured in relation to the flash, what type of bearings are produced?

    Y a. Relative
    N b. True
    N c. Compass
    N d. Magnetic

603: What is the approximate wave length of an X Band Radar operating on a frequency of approximately 9500 MHz?

    Y a. 3 cm
    N b. 10 cm
    N c. 30 cm
    N d. 100 cm

660: What is the length of a nautical mile?

    N a. 1,850 meters
    N b. 5,280 feet
    N c. 1,760 yards
    Y d. 6,076 feet

716: Standard atmospheric pressure in inches of mercury is __________.

    N a. 30.00
    N b. 28.92
    Y c. 29.92
    N d. 29.00

725: The First Point of Aries is the position of the Sun on the celestial sphere on or about __________.

    Y a. March 21
    N b. June 21
    N c. September 21
    N d. December 21

841: Under the IALA-A Buoyage system, a buoy marking the port hand of the channel when approaching from seaward may NOT have a __________.

    N a. red light
    Y b. conical shape
    N c. group-flashing light
    N d. square topmark

869: Tropical storms and hurricanes are most likely to form in the Southern hemisphere during __________.

    Y a. January through March
    N b. April through May
    N c. June through August
    N d. September through November

904: All of the following are associated with cumulonimbus clouds EXCEPT __________.

    Y a. steady rainfall
    N b. hail storms
    N c. thunderstorms
    N d. tornadoes or waterspouts

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

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

958: You are preparing a weather report form. Twenty-five percent of the sky is covered with clouds, and the anemometer indicates that the apparent wind is from 062° relative at 13 knots. You are on course 238°T at 22 knots. How should you encode group Nddff? (D041NG )

    Y a. 20220
    N b. 20613
    N c. 30219
    N d. 32413

1040: An occluded front is usually caused by a __________.

    N a. cold front becoming stationary
    N b. warm front becoming stationary
    Y c. cold front overtaking a warm front
    N d. warm front dissipating

1044: The dry-bulb temperature is 78°F and the wet-bulb temperature is 62°F. What is the relative humidity?

    N a. 16%
    N b. 24%
    Y c. 39%
    N d. 79%

1084: As the temperature of an air mass decreases, the __________.

    N a. absolute humidity decreases
    Y b. relative humidity increases
    N c. specific humidity decreases
    N d. dew point rises

1222: On entering from seaward, a starboard side daymark will __________.

    N a. show a fixed red light if lighted
    N b. show a Morse (A) white light
    N c. be square in shape
    Y d. have an even number if numbered

1230: Weather forecast messages are usually __________.

    N a. given only to TV stations
    N b. transmitted only by commercial broadcast stations
    Y c. broadcast in plain language
    N d. broadcast immediately on VHF Channel 16 and 2182 kHz

1280: A current perpendicular to a vessel's track has the greatest effect on the vessel's course made good __________.

    N a. at high vessel speeds
    Y b. at low vessel speeds
    N c. in shallow water
    N d. in deep water

1300: You are approaching a sea buoy which emits a racon signal. This signal is triggered by which type of radar?

    Y a. 3 cm
    N b. 10 cm
    N c. Both 3 cm and 10 cm
    N d. Signal does not depend on radar type.

1366: Clouds appearing in the following order: cirrus, cirrostratus, altostratus, stratus, and nimbostratus usually indicate the approach of a(n) __________.

    Y a. warm front
    N b. occluded front
    N c. medium front
    N d. cold front

1445: The planet Mars will have its greatest magnitude when at __________.

    N a. conjunction
    Y b. opposition
    N c. east quadrature
    N d. west quadrature

1462: Altocumulus clouds are indicated by which number? (D039NG )

    N a. 1
    N b. 3
    N c. 4
    Y d. 5

1550: Cirrus clouds are indicated by which number? (D039NG )

    Y a. 1
    N b. 4
    N c. 5
    N d. 7

1569: Three or four feet of the total height of a storm surge in a hurricane can be attributed to __________.

    N a. an increase in temperature
    N b. an increase in the wave period
    N c. the wind velocity
    Y d. the decrease in atmospheric pressure

1571: Which sextant in illustration D043NG reads 29°42.7'? (D043NG )

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

1616: Which picture in illustration D034NG shows a Morse (A) light? (D034NG )

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

1634: A lighted buoy to be left to starboard, when entering a U.S. port from seaward, shall have a __________.

    Y a. red light
    N b. white light
    N c. green light
    N d. light characteristic of Morse (A)

1692: The force resulting from the earth's rotation that causes winds to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere is called __________.

    N a. pressure gradient
    Y b. Coriolis effect
    N c. aurora borealis
    N d. ballistic deflection

1786: You are downbound approaching a lock and see 3 green lights in a vertical line. This indicates __________.

    N a. that the lock chamber is open and ready to receive your tow
    N b. that you should hold up until the signal changes to 2 green lights
    Y c. the upstream end of the river wall
    N d. the upstream end of the land wall

2059: 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 E in the illustration? (D038NG )

    Y a. One red light
    N b. Two red lights
    N c. Two green lights
    N d. Three green lights

2119: Which stock number indicates an NGA (NIMA) chart designed for fixing positions at sea and DR plotting while on a long voyage?

    Y a. WOAGN520
    N b. PILOT16
    N c. 16BCO16212
    N d. WOPZC5245

2178: The Flinders bar and the quadrantal spheres should be tested for permanent magnetism at what interval?

    N a. They are not subject to permanent magnetism; no check is necessary.
    N b. Semiannually
    Y c. Annually
    N d. Every five years

2351: A position obtained by applying ONLY your vessel's course and speed to a known position is a __________.

    N a. running fix
    N b. probable position
    N c. fix
    Y d. dead-reckoning position

2354: A vessel is heading magnetic east and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 093°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?

    N a. If the blue ends of the magnets are to port you should raise the athwartships tray.
    N b. If the red ends of magnets are to port you should lower the athwartships tray.
    N c. If the red ends of the magnets are aft you should lower the fore-and-aft tray.
    Y d. If the blue ends of the magnets are forward you should raise the fore-and-aft tray.

2434: A vessel is heading magnetic east and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 093°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?

    N a. If the red ends of the magnets are aft you should lower the fore-and-aft tray.
    Y b. If the red ends of the magnets are forward, and the fore-and-aft tray is at the bottom, you should remove some magnets.
    N c. If the red ends of the magnets are to port you should raise the athwartships tray.
    N d. If the red ends of the magnets are to port, and the athwartships tray is at the top, you should reverse the magnets.

2438: The radar control that reduces weak echoes out to a limited distance from the ship is the __________.

    Y a. sensitivity time control (sea-clutter control)
    N b. receiver gain control
    N c. brilliance control
    N d. fast time constant (differentiator)

2474: A vessel is heading magnetic north and its magnetic compass indicates a heading of 356°. What action should be taken to remove this error during compass adjustment?

    N a. If the blue ends of the magnets are to port, and the athwartships tray is at the top, you should remove some of the magnets.
    Y b. If the blue ends of the magnets are to starboard, and the athwartships tray is at the bottom, you should remove some magnets.
    N c. If the red ends of the magnets are to starboard, and the athwartships tray is at the bottom, you should reverse the magnets.
    N d. If the blue ends of the magnets are to starboard, you should raise the athwartships tray.

2539: Under the IALA cardinal system, a mark with quick white light showing 3 flashes every 10 seconds indicates that the safest water in the area is on the __________.

    N a. north side of the mark
    N b. west side of the mark
    Y c. east side of the mark
    N d. south side of the mark

2674: In the U.S. Aids to Navigation System on the Western Rivers, a preferred channel buoy to be left to port while proceeding downstream will __________.

    N a. have the upper band red
    N b. show a red light if lighted
    N c. have a characteristic of composite group flashing if lighted
    Y d. All of the above

2682: Sidereal time is used by navigators when __________.

    N a. used with the equation of time
    Y b. used in the form of LHA Aries
    N c. calculating the time of moonrise
    N d. determining local apparent time

2690: Right ascension is primarily used by the navigator for __________.

    N a. calculating amplitudes
    N b. calculating great circle sailings by the Ageton method
    N c. entering the Air Navigation Tables (Selected Stars) Pub 249
    Y d. plotting on star finders

2707: You will find information about the duration of slack water in the __________.

    Y a. Tidal Current Tables
    N b. Tide Tables
    N c. American Practical Navigator
    N d. Sailing Directions

2739: A daymark used to indicate the starboard side of the channel when approaching from seaward will have the shape indicated by what letter in illustration D045NG?

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

2762: You take a bearing of 176° of a lighthouse. Which bearing of another object would give the best fix?

    Y a. 079°
    N b. 151°
    N c. 176°
    N d. 292°

2816: The length of a wave is the length __________.

    N a. of the wave's crest
    N b. of the wave's trough
    N c. measured from crest to trough
    Y d. measured from crest to crest

2895: A white buoy with an orange rectangle on it is a(n) __________.

    N a. junction buoy
    N b. safe water buoy
    Y c. informational buoy
    N d. All of the above

2920: Navigation charts of the Upper Mississippi River are published by __________.

    N a. National Ocean Service
    N b. Lake Survey
    Y c. Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army
    N d. U.S. Coast Guard

2970: The Light List shows a lighted aid to navigation on the left bank. This means that the light can be seen on the port side of a vessel __________.

    N a. ascending the river
    Y b. descending the river
    N c. crossing the river
    N d. proceeding from seaward

3107: Automatic identification systems (AIS) are expected to broadcast all of the following information EXCEPT __________.

    Y a. Port of origin
    N b. Name of vessel
    N c. Course and speed over ground
    N d. Draft of vessel