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.


18: A vessel's position should be plotted using bearings of __________.


28: When using a buoy as an aid to navigation which of the following should be considered?


108: A position that is obtained by using two or more intersecting lines of position taken at nearly the same time, is a(n) __________.


164: The part of a sextant mounted directly over the pivot of the index arm is the __________.

    Y a. index mirror
    N b. horizon glass
    N c. micrometer drum
    N d. telescope

185: A ship is in longitude 54°00'W on a true course of 270°. The ship's clocks are on the proper time zone. At what longitude should the clocks be changed to maintain the proper zone time?

    N a. 45°00'W
    N b. 52°30'W
    N c. 60°00'W
    Y d. 67°30'W

218: Lines of position may be __________.

    N a. hyperbolas
    N b. straight lines
    N c. arcs
    Y d. All of the above

225: The equation of time is 8m 40s. The apparent Sun is ahead of the mean Sun. If you are on the central meridian of your time zone, the apparent Sun will cross your meridian at __________.

    Y a. 11-51-20 ZT
    N b. 12-00-00 ZT
    N c. 12-04-20 ZT
    N d. 12-08-40 ZT

260: The National Ocean Service publishes the __________.

    N a. Light Lists
    Y b. Coast Pilots
    N c. pilot charts
    N d. Sailing Directions

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

345: A navigator fixing a vessel's position by radar __________.

    N a. should never use radar bearings
    N b. should only use radar bearings when the range exceeds the distance to the horizon
    Y c. can use radar information from one object to fix the position
    N d. must use information from targets forward of the beam

414: The barometer is an instrument for measuring the __________.

    N a. temperature
    N b. relative humidity
    N c. dew point
    Y d. atmospheric pressure

418: In most cases, the direction of the apparent wind lies between the bow and __________.

    Y a. the direction of the true wind
    N b. true north
    N c. the beam on the windward side
    N d. the beam on the lee side

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)

470: You are underway on course 120°T and can make 12 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 150°T at 120 miles. The hurricane is on course 295° at 20 knots. What course should you steer at 12 knots to have the maximum CPA?

    N a. 312°
    N b. 330°
    Y c. 348°
    N d. 001°

555: The letter D shown represents the __________. (D006NG )

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

613: Your radar indicates a target; however, there is no visible object at the point indicated. A large mountain, approximately 50 miles away on the same bearing as the target, is breaking the horizon. You should suspect the radar target is caused by __________.

    N a. a submerged submarine
    Y b. ducting
    N c. sub-refraction
    N d. ionospheric skip waves

626: What indicates the arrival of a hurricane within 24 to 36 hours?

    N a. The normal swell becoming lower and from a steady direction
    N b. Long bands of nimbostratus clouds radiating from a point over the horizon
    N c. The barometer drops 2 millibars between 1000 and 1600
    Y d. Unusually good weather with above average pressures followed by a slow fall of 4 millibars in six hours

630: What kind of weather would you expect to accompany the passage of a tropical wave?

    Y a. Heavy rain and cloudiness
    N b. Good weather
    N c. A tropical storm
    N d. Dense fog

631: A light characteristic of composite group flashing indicates that there is a(n) __________.

    N a. sharp turn in the channel
    N b. narrowing in the channel at that point
    Y c. junction in the channel
    N d. obstruction that must be left to port

673: You are underway at 5 knots and see on your radar a contact 10 miles directly astern of you. 12 minutes later, the contact is 8 miles directly astern of you. What is the estimated speed of the contact?

    N a. Dead in the water
    N b. 1 knot
    N c. 10 knots
    Y d. 15 knots

715: The length of the year with respect to the vernal equinox is the __________.

    Y a. tropical year
    N b. sidereal year
    N c. anomalistic year
    N d. All of the above

727: What is an ebb current?

    N a. A current at minimum flow
    N b. A current coming in
    Y c. A current going out
    N d. A current at maximum flow

756: What is a common unit of measure for atmospheric pressure?

    N a. centimeters
    Y b. Inches
    N c. Degrees
    N d. Feet

777: With respect to a reversing current, slack water occurs when there is __________.

    Y a. little or no horizontal motion of the water
    N b. little or no vertical motion of the water
    N c. a weak ebb or flood current
    N d. when winds cause water to back up in a river mouth

810: The position labeled B is a(n) __________. (D051NG )

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

826: In the U.S., in which direction do air masses usually move?

    Y a. Easterly
    N b. Southerly
    N c. Northerly
    N d. Southwesterly

836: In North America the majority of the weather systems move from __________.

    N a. north to south
    N b. south to north
    N c. east to west
    Y d. west to east

837: The Brazil Current flows in which general direction?

    N a. Northwesterly
    Y b. Southwesterly
    N c. Southeasterly
    N d. Northerly

925: Your vessel is at the equator at midnight on 1 January, and a star is observed rising. At what time will this same star rise on 1 February, assuming your vessel's location is still at the equator?

    N a. 2208
    N b. 2110
    Y c. 2158
    N d. 2317

926: When a low pressure area is approaching, the weather generally __________.

    N a. improves
    Y b. worsens
    N c. remains the same
    N d. is unpredictable

937: The north equatorial current flows to the __________.

    N a. east
    N b. northeast
    N c. southwest
    Y d. west

1010: What is a characteristic of a rhumb line?

    N a. It is the shortest distance between two points on the Earth.
    N b. It plots as a straight line on a Lambert conformal chart.
    Y c. It cuts each meridian at the same angle.
    N d. The course angle constantly changes to form the loxodromic curve.

1095: The celestial coordinate of a star that is relatively constant in value is the __________.

    N a. Greenwich hour angle
    N b. local hour angle
    Y c. sidereal hour angle
    N d. meridian angle

1172: Which position shown would likely have stratus or stratocumulus clouds, occasional light drizzle, steady southerlies around 10 knots, and steady temperatures? (D049NG )

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

1204: Which of the symbols in illustration DO18NG designates a stationary front? (D018NG )

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

1228: "An electronic or electric device that indicates the rate of turn of a vessel," defines a/an _____________ .

    N a. magnetic compass
    N b. gyro-compass
    Y c. swing meter
    N d. odometer

1243: Magnetic heading differs from compass heading by __________.

    N a. compass error
    N b. true heading
    N c. variation
    Y d. deviation

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

1253: The horizontal angle between the magnetic meridian and the north-south line of the magnetic compass is __________.

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

1265: When reporting wind direction, you should give the direction in __________.

    Y a. true degrees
    N b. magnetic compass degrees
    N c. relative degrees
    N d. isobaric degrees

1282: Entering from sea, a daymark on the port side of the channel would be indicated on a chart by a __________.

    N a. red triangle with the letter R
    N b. white triangle with the letters RG
    Y c. green square with the letter G
    N d. white square with the letters GR

1415: Planetary aberration is due, in part, to __________.

    N a. refraction of light as it enters the Earth's atmosphere
    N b. rotation of the Earth on it's axis
    Y c. the body's orbital motion during the time required for its light to reach Earth
    N d. a false horizon

1510: During daylight savings time the meridian used for determining the time is located farther __________.

    N a. west
    Y b. east
    N c. east in west longitude and west in east longitude
    N d. west in west longitude and east in east longitude

1540: You are sailing south on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) when you sight a green can buoy with a yellow square painted on it. Which of the following is TRUE?

    N a. You should pass the buoy close aboard on either side.
    N b. The buoy marks the end of the ICW in that area.
    Y c. You should leave the buoy to port.
    N d. The yellow square is retroreflective material used to assist in sighting the buoy at night.

1755: Which weather system produces strong cold winds called "Northers" during the winter months in the Gulf of Mexico?

    N a. An anticyclone
    N b. A high pressure system
    N c. A cyclone
    Y d. Both A and B

1879: A chart projection depicting the poles and a small area on either side of a connecting meridian, that is sometimes used for star charts, is the __________.

    N a. azimuthal gnomonic projection
    N b. Lambert conformal projection
    Y c. transverse Mercator projection
    N d. polyconic projection

1925: Above-normal tides near the center of a hurricane may be caused by the __________.

    N a. high barometric pressure
    N b. jet stream
    Y c. storm surge
    N d. torrential rains

1989: In the horizon system of coordinates what is the equivalent to the meridians on the Earth?

    N a. Horizon
    N b. Hour circle
    Y c. Vertical circles
    N d. Celestial meridians

2030: A vessel heading NE is on a course of __________.

    N a. 022.5°
    Y b. 045.0°
    N c. 067.5°
    N d. 090.0°

2103: The description "Racon" beside an illustration on a chart would mean a __________.

    N a. radar calibration beacon
    N b. circular radio beacon
    N c. radar conspicuous beacon
    Y d. radar transponder beacon

2389: The autumnal equinox is the point where the Sun is at __________.

    N a. maximum declination north
    N b. maximum declination south
    N c. 0° declination going to northerly declinations
    Y d. 0° declination going to southerly declinations

2418: While proceeding downriver, you sight a red triangular-shaped daymark on the left bank. Under the U.S. Aids to Navigation System on the Western Rivers this is a __________.

    N a. special purpose signal
    Y b. passing daymark
    N c. mark with no lateral significance
    N d. crossing daymark

2420: You are on course 355°T and take a relative bearing of a lighthouse of 275°. What is the true bearing of the lighthouse?

    N a. 080°
    N b. 085°
    N c. 280°
    Y d. 270°

2514: Sidereal time is NOT used __________.

    N a. as the basis for star charts
    N b. to enter a star finder
    N c. in sight reduction using Pub 249
    Y d. in sight reductions of planet observations

2673: A bluff bar is a bar __________.

    N a. extending out from a bluff alongside the river
    N b. that tends to give a false indication of its position
    Y c. that has a sharp drop off into deep water
    N d. that is perpendicular to the current

2720: When pushing barges ahead close to a steep revetment where there is no current, what is MOST likely to occur?

    N a. The stern of the towboat will tend to sheer away from the revetment.
    N b. Your speed over the ground will increase.
    Y c. The head of the tow will tend to sheer away from the revetment.
    N d. All of the above

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

2973: You should plot a dead reckoning position after every __________.

    N a. course change
    N b. speed change
    N c. fix or running fix
    Y d. All of the above

2999: When entering a channel from seaward, the numbers on buoys __________.

    N a. are the same as their Light List number
    N b. are marked in 6 inch figures with retroreflective material
    Y c. increase with the even numbers to starboard
    N d. decrease with the odd numbers to starboard

3008: You take a bearing of 086° of a lighthouse. Which bearing of another object would give the best fix?

    N a. 291°
    N b. 261°
    N c. 242°
    Y d. 196°