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.
21: Which buoy is NOT numbered?
N a. Green can buoy Y b. Preferred-channel buoy N c. Red lighted buoy N d. Green gong buoy 31: When approaching a preferred-channel buoy, the best channel is NOT indicated by the __________.
Y a. light characteristic N b. color of the uppermost band N c. shape of an unlighted buoy N d. color of the light 37: What does the term "tide" refer to?
N a. Horizontal movement of the water Y b. Vertical movement of the water N c. Mixing tendency of the water N d. Salinity content of the water 41: Mean high water is the reference plane used for __________.
N a. all vertical measurements Y b. heights above water of land features such as lights N c. soundings on the East and West Coasts N d. water depths on the East Coast only 77: When there are small differences between the heights of two successive high tides or two low tides, in a tidal day, the tides are called __________.
N a. diurnal Y b. semidiurnal N c. solar N d. mixed 100: You are underway on course 050°T and your maximum speed is 12 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 080°T, 100 miles from your position. The hurricane is moving towards 265°T at 22 knots. What course should you steer at 12 knots to have the maximum CPA?
N a. 219° Y b. 208° N c. 199° N d. 190° 140: You are underway on course 050°T and your maximum speed is 12 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 080°T, 100 miles from your position. The hurricane is moving towards 265°T at 22 knots. If you maneuver at 12 knots to avoid the hurricane, what could be the maximum CPA?
N a. 76 miles N b. 69 miles Y c. 63 miles N d. 56 miles 168: Your vessel is making way through the water at a speed of 12 knots. Your vessel traveled 30 nautical miles in 2 hours 20 minutes. What current are you experiencing?
N a. A following current at 2.0 knots N b. A head current of 2.0 knots Y c. A following current of 0.9 knot N d. A head current of 0.9 knot 197: Chart legends printed in capital letters show that the associated landmark is __________.
Y a. conspicuous N b. inconspicuous N c. a government facility or station N d. a radio transmitter 213: When using GPS, how many theoretical position lines are required for a two-dimensional fix?
N a. 1 N b. 2 Y c. 3 N d. 4 264: Which of the four adjustable errors in the sextant is the principle cause of index error?
N a. Telescope not being parallel to the frame Y b. Index mirror and horizon glass not being parallel N c. Index mirror not being perpendicular to the frame N d. Horizon glass not being perpendicular to the frame 324: Index error of a sextant is primarily caused by __________.
N a. improperly correcting the other errors in a sextant N b. the horizon glass not being parallel to the horizon mirror Y c. the horizon glass not being parallel to the index mirror N d. human error in taking a celestial observation 349: The direction of the southeast trade winds is a result of the __________.
N a. equatorial current N b. humidity Y c. rotation of the earth N d. change of seasons 386: Your vessel is on course 180°T speed 22 knots. The apparent wind is from 70° off the port bow, speed 20 knots. The true direction and speed of the wind are __________.
N a. 45°T, 21.0 knots Y b. 51°T, 24.0 knots N c. 58°T, 21.2 knots N d. 64°T, 26.0 knots 499: Which of the symbols shown represents an occluded front? (D018NG )
N a. A N b. B N c. C Y d. D 511: A survey (special purpose mark) buoy __________.
N a. must be lighted N b. may have a flashing red light N c. may have a fixed white light Y d. None of the above 562: You wish to measure the distance on a Mercator chart between a point in latitude 42°30'N and a point in latitude 40°30'N. To measure 30 miles at a time you should set the points of the dividers at __________.
Y a. 41°15' and 41°45' N b. 41°45' and 42°15' N c. 42°15' and 42°45' N d. 42°00' and 42°30' 650: What classification of tropical cyclone would have closed isobars, counter clockwise rotary circulation, and sustained winds between 34 and 63 knots?
N a. A tropical disturbance N b. A tropical depression Y c. A tropical storm N d. A hurricane 663: You are underway at 10 knots. At 1800 you note a radar contact dead ahead at a range of 10 miles. At 1812 the contact is dead ahead at a range of 8 miles. The estimated speed of the contact is __________.
Y a. dead in the water N b. 5 knots N c. 10 knots N d. 15 knots 680: The apparent wind's speed can be zero, but only when two conditions are present. One condition is that the true __________.
N a. wind must be on the beam N b. wind's speed must be zero N c. wind must be from dead ahead Y d. wind's speed equals the ship's speed 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 21 773: What is the basic principle of the magnetic compass?
Y a. Magnetic materials of the same polarity repel each other and those of opposite polarity attract. N b. The Earth's magnetic lines of force are parallel to the surface of the Earth. N c. Magnetic meridians connect points of equal magnetic variation. N d. The compass needle(s) will, when properly compensated, lie parallel to the isogonic lines of the Earth. 996: Warm air masses will generally have __________.
N a. turbulence within the mass Y b. stratiform clouds N c. heavy precipitation N d. good visibility 998: The navigable semicircle of a tropical storm in the South Indian Ocean is located on which side of the storm's track?
N a. Rear N b. Front N c. Left Y d. Right 1052: What is the approximate geographic range of Southwest Ledge Light, Connecticut, if your height of eye is 32 feet (9.8 meters)? Refer to "Reprints from the LIGHT LISTS AND COAST PILOTS" .
Y a. 15.5 nm N b. 13.4 nm N c. 8.7 nm N d. 6.9 nm 1057: One of the causes of ocean currents is density differences in the water. This is true because __________.
N a. in an area of high density the water's surface is lower than in an area of low density Y b. surface water flows from an area of high density to one of low density N c. the lesser the density gradient the freer the water is to move N d. it is the density differences that cause the currents to stay in the troughs 1089: You are enroute to assist vessel A. Vessel A is underway at 5.5 knots on course 033°T, and bears 248°T at 64 miles from you. What is the course to steer at 13 knots to intercept vessel A?
Y a. 262° N b. 269° N c. 276° N d. 281° 1126: When a warm air mass is adjacent to a cold air mass, the separation line between the two is called a(n) __________.
Y a. front N b. isobar N c. isotherm N d. equipotential line 1189: Concerning a celestial observation, the azimuth angle is measured from the principal vertical circle to the ____________ .
N a. Greenwich celestial meridian N b. hour circle of the body N c. local celestial meridian Y d. vertical circle of the body 1196: In the Northern Hemisphere, gusty winds shifting clockwise, a rapid drop in temperature, thunderstorms or rain squalls in summer (frequent rain/snow squalls in winter) then a rise in pressure followed by clearing skies, indicate the passage of a(n) __________.
N a. warm front N b. tropical cyclone N c. anticyclone Y d. cold front 1295: The best estimate of the wind direction at sea level can be obtained from observing the direction of the __________.
N a. cloud movement N b. vessel heading Y c. waves N d. swells 1331: When trying to sight a lighthouse you notice a glare from a town in the background. The range at which the light may be sighted due to this glare is __________.
Y a. considerably reduced N b. increased slightly due to extra lighting N c. unchanged N d. increased if the light is red or green due to contrast with the glare 1333: If a magnetic compass is not affected by any magnetic field other than the Earth's, which statement is TRUE?
Y a. Compass error and variation are equal. N b. Compass north will be true north. N c. Variation will equal deviation. N d. There will be no compass error. 1346: Cirrus clouds followed by cirrostratus then altostratus, stratus, and occasionally nimbostratus indicate the approach of a(n) __________.
N a. cold front Y b. warm front N c. tropical front N d. occluded front 1356: The first indications a mariner will have of the approach of a warm front will be __________.
N a. large cumulonimbus (thunderclouds) building up Y b. high cirrus clouds gradually changing to cirrostratus and then to altostratus N c. fog caused by the warm air passing over the cooler water N d. low dark clouds accompanied by intermittent rain 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 1499: You are scanning the radar screen for a buoy fitted with racon. How should this signal appear on the PPI display?
Y a. Starting with a dash and extending radially outward from the target N b. As a broken line from center of PPI to the target N c. Starting with a dot and extending radially inward from the target N d. Starting with a dash and extending to the right of the target 1597: The dense black cumulonimbus clouds surrounding the eye of a hurricane are called __________.
N a. spiral rainbands Y b. cloud walls N c. funnel clouds N d. cyclonic spirals 1613: Where would you find information concerning the duration of slack water?
N a. Tide Tables Y b. Tidal Current Tables N c. American Practical Navigator N d. Sailing Directions 1667: Air masses near the earth's surface __________.
N a. move from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure N b. are deflected by the earth's rotation in both hemispheres N c. are deflected by the "Coriolis effect" Y d. All of the above 1676: Lighted information markers show __________.
N a. green lights Y b. white lights N c. yellow lights N d. red lights 1678: Which information is NOT provided in broadcasts by the National Institute of Standards and Technology?
N a. Storm Warnings N b. Time Announcements N c. GPS Information Y d. NAVAREA Warnings 1726: How can you estimate the position of a tropical storm's center?
N a. With a radio weather bulletin or weather fax N b. using shipboard radar N c. observe the wind direction and apply Buys Ballot's law Y d. All of the above 1806: Sometimes foreign charts are reproduced by NGA (NIMA). On such a chart a wire dragged (swept) area may be shown in purple or __________.
Y a. green N b. red N c. magenta N d. yellow 2212: Which information is found in the chart title?
N a. Number of the chart N b. Edition date N c. Variation information Y d. Survey information 2236: Which is TRUE of a downbound power-driven vessel, when meeting an upbound vessel on the Western Rivers?
N a. She has the right of way. N b. She shall propose the manner of passage. N c. She shall initiate the maneuvering signals. Y d. All of the above 2300: When a magnetic compass is not in use for a prolonged period of time it should __________.
Y a. be shielded from direct sunlight N b. be locked into a constant heading N c. have any air bubbles replaced with nitrogen N d. have the compensating magnets removed 2309: The plane of the ecliptic is inclined to the plane of the celestial equator by what angle?
N a. 00°23' Y b. 23°27' N c. 45°00' N d. 90°00' 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 2373: The vertical distance from the tidal datum to the level of the water is the __________.
N a. actual water depth N b. range of tide N c. charted depth Y d. height of tide 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 2399: Which statement about the time diagram shown is TRUE? (D008NG )
N a. The Greenwich date is one day later than your date. N b. The diagram is valid only if you are in the southern hemisphere. N c. The LHA of the Sun is approximately 40°. Y d. The diagram represents a morning Sun sight. 2469: A tow that is properly aligned to pass through a narrow opening between two bridge piers is "________________".
N a. on course N b. headed fair N c. holding on Y d. in shape 2482: When a vessel changes course from one cardinal heading to another cardinal heading while adjusting the compass, which action should be taken?
N a. The course change should be made rapidly to prevent transient induced magnetism while passing the intercardinal headings. Y b. After the new heading is reached, the vessel should steam on that course for at least two minutes before the adjustment. N c. During the course change, you should gently tap the compass to remove any error caused by friction on the pivot bearing. N d. After steadying on the new heading, the compass card should be slewed by a magnet and allowed to oscillate freely to remove any gaussin error. 2608: You should plot your dead reckoning position __________.
N a. from every estimated position N b. every three minutes in pilotage waters Y c. from every fix or running fix N d. only in pilotage waters 2636: You are ascending a river and exchanging navigational information via radiotelephone with a descending vessel. If the descending vessel advises you to "watch for the set" above point X, what would you expect to encounter above point X?
N a. An increase in current velocity N b. Slack water N c. Shallow water Y d. A sideways movement of your vessel 2726: A daymark used as a special mark is indicated by which letter in the diagram? (D045NG )
N a. A Y b. B N c. C N d. D 2779: The buoy indicated by the letter B in illustration D044NG is a __________.
N a. nun N b. can Y c. spar N d. pillar 2925: A single line of position combined with a dead-reckoning position results in a(n) __________.
N a. running fix N b. fix N c. assumed position Y d. estimated position 2950: On an Army Corps of Engineers navigation map, each mile A.H.P. on the Lower Mississippi River is marked by a __________.
N a. dashed red line N b. number showing mileage N c. navigation light Y d. red circle