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.


26: Wind direction may be determined by observing all of the following EXCEPT __________.


90: When the moon is new or full, which type of tides occur?


148: When possible, a DR plot should always be started from where?


149: You are underway on course 050°T and your maximum speed is 13 knots. The eye of a hurricane bears 100°T, 120 miles from your position. The hurricane is moving towards 275°T at 25 knots. What course should you steer at 13 knots to have the maximum CPA?

    N a. 339°
    Y b. 333°
    N c. 326°
    N d. 320°

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

249: When using GPS, how many theoretical position lines are required for a three-dimensional fix that takes into account altitude?

    N a. 1
    N b. 2
    N c. 3
    Y d. 4

270: You are entering port and have been instructed to anchor, as your berth is not yet available. You are on a SW'ly heading, preparing to drop anchor, when you observe the range lights as shown on your starboard beam. You should __________. (D047NG )

    N a. drop the anchor immediately as the range lights mark an area free of obstructions
    N b. drop the anchor immediately as a change in the position of the range lights will be an indication of dragging anchor
    Y c. ensure your ship will NOT block the channel or obstruct the range while at anchor
    N d. NOT drop the anchor until the lights are in line

290: The true wind is from 330°T, speed 6 knots. You want the apparent wind to be 30 knots from 10° on your port bow. To what course and speed must you change?

    N a. Cn 240°, 28.0 knots
    N b. Cn 270°, 28.0 knots
    N c. Cn 180°, 30.0 knots
    Y d. Cn 090°, 32.5 knots

379: The steady current circling the globe at about 60°S is the __________.

    N a. Prevailing Westerly
    N b. Sub-Polar Flow
    Y c. West Wind Drift
    N d. Humboldt Current

394: An instrument designed to maintain a continuous record of atmospheric pressure is a(n) __________.

    N a. mercurial barometer
    N b. aneroid barometer
    Y c. barograph
    N d. thermograph

482: Which statement about a gnomonic chart is correct?

    N a. A rhumb line appears as a straight line.
    N b. Distance is measured at the mid-latitude of the track line.
    N c. Meridians appear as curved lines converging toward the nearer pole.
    Y d. Parallels, except the equator, appear as curved lines.

500: The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency) would produce a chart of the coast of __________.

    N a. Alaska
    Y b. Canada
    N c. Puerto Rico
    N d. Hawaii

516: A hurricane moving northeast out of the Gulf passes west of your position. You could expect all of the following EXCEPT __________.

    N a. higher than normal swells
    N b. high winds
    N c. winds veering from south, through west, to northwest
    Y d. gradual pressure gradient

543: A radar display which is oriented, so that north is always at the top of the screen, is called a(n) __________.

    N a. relative display
    N b. composite display
    Y c. stabilized display
    N d. unstabilized display

584: The correction(s) which must be applied to an aneroid barometer reading include(s) __________.

    Y a. height error
    N b. gravity error
    N c. temperature error
    N d. All of the above

620: Chart legends which indicate a conspicuous landmark are printed in __________.

    Y a. capital letters
    N b. italics
    N c. boldface print
    N d. underlined letters

629: The rise and fall of the ocean's surface due to a distant storm is known as __________.

    N a. sea
    N b. waves
    N c. fetch
    Y d. swell

637: Your draft is 24 feet. You wish to pass over an obstruction near Lovell Island, MA, on 6 May 1983. The charted depth is 22 feet. Allowing a safety margin of 3.0 feet, what is the earliest time after 0200 DST (ZD +4) that this passage can be made?

    N a. 0215
    N b. 0245
    N c. 0310
    Y d. 0347

657: Current refers to the __________.

    N a. vertical movement of the water
    Y b. horizontal movement of the water
    N c. density changes in the water
    N d. None of the above

690: What level of development of a tropical cyclone has a hundred mile radius of circulation, gale force winds, less than 990 millibars of pressure and vertically formed cumulonimbus clouds?

    N a. A tropical disturbance
    N b. A tropical depression
    Y c. A tropical storm
    N d. A typhoon

693: Which general statement concerning radar is FALSE?

    N a. Raising the antenna height increases the radar range.
    Y b. The ability of radar to detect objects is unaffected by weather conditions.
    N c. Radar bearings are less accurate than radar ranges.
    N d. Radar should be checked regularly during clear weather to ensure that it is operating properly.

695: An azimuth angle for a body is measured from the __________.

    Y a. observer's meridian
    N b. Greenwich meridian
    N c. body's meridian
    N d. zenith distance

834: In many areas "atoll" clouds (clouds of vertical development) are produced over small islands. These are the result of __________.

    Y a. rising air currents produced by the warm islands
    N b. warm air from the sea rising over higher land areas
    N c. cool land air mixing with warm sea air
    N d. descending air over the islands

875: Sidereal hour angle is always __________.

    N a. measured westward from the hour circle containing the first point of Aries
    N b. measured from the point on the celestial sphere occupied by the Sun at the vernal equinox
    N c. subtracted from the LHA of the star to obtain the LHA of Aries
    Y d. All of the above

936: A cyclone in its final stage of development is called a(n) __________.

    N a. tornado
    N b. anticyclone
    Y c. occluded cyclone or occluded front
    N d. polar cyclone

937: The north equatorial current flows to the __________.

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

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

1000: You are inbound in a channel marked by a range. The range line is 309°T. You are steering 306°T. The range appears as shown and is closing. Which action should you take? (D047NG )

    Y a. Continue on course until the range is closed, then alter course to the right.
    N b. Continue on the present heading until the range is in line, then alter course to the left.
    N c. Immediately alter course to the right to bring the range in line.
    N d. Immediately alter course to 309°T to bring the range in line.

1016: A source of an air mass labeled mTw is __________.

    N a. the equator
    Y b. the Gulf of Mexico
    N c. Alaska
    N d. Canada

1022: What is the approximate geographic range of Fenwick Island Light, Delaware, if your height of eye is 37 feet (11.6 meters)? Refer to "Reprints from the LIGHT LISTS AND COAST PILOTS" .

    N a. 24.8 nm
    Y b. 17.8 nm
    N c. 15.9 nm
    N d. 10.3 nm

1023: Which compensates for induced magnetism in the horizontal soft iron of a vessel?

    Y a. Iron spheres mounted on the binnacle
    N b. A single vertical magnet under the compass
    N c. The Flinders bar
    N d. Magnets in trays inside the binnacle

1073: Chart legends printed in capital letters show that the associated landmark is __________.

    N a. inconspicuous
    N b. a radio transmitter
    Y c. conspicuous
    N d. a government facility or station

1124: The region containing 3/4 of the mass of the atmosphere and the region to which are confined such phenomena as clouds, storms, precipitation and changing weather conditions is called __________.

    N a. stratosphere
    Y b. troposphere
    N c. stratopause
    N d. tropopause

1153: Heeling error is defined as the change of deviation for a heel of __________.

    N a. 2°While the vessel is on an intercardinal heading
    Y b. 1°While the vessel is on a compass heading of 000°
    N c. 2° and is constant on all headings
    N d. 1° while the vessel is on a compass heading of 180°

1187: Off Barnegat, NJ, with the wind coming out of the east, the wind-driven current will be flowing approximately __________.

    N a. 016°
    N b. 106°
    Y c. 254°
    N d. 286°

1237: What will be the velocity of the tidal current at Port Royal, VA, at 1505 DST (ZD +4) on 4 June 1983?

    N a. 0.0 knot
    N b. 0.1 knot
    Y c. 0.4 knot
    N d. 0.7 knot

1290: In addition to the National Weather Service, what agency provides plain-language radio weather advisories for the coastal waters of the United States?

    N a. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
    N b. U.S. Hydrological Survey
    Y c. U.S. Coast Guard
    N d. American Meteorological Service

1337: What will be the time of maximum flood current at Sagamore Bridge on the Cape Cod Canal during the morning of 6 December 1983 (ZD +5)?

    Y a. 0708
    N b. 0712
    N c. 0716
    N d. 1020

1348: Vessel required to have an Automatic Radar Plotting Aid must have a device to indicate the __________.

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

1441: Your height of eye is 40 feet (12.2 meters). What is the approximate geographical distance at which Ambrose Light, NY, could be visible? Refer to "Reprints from the LIGHT LISTS AND COAST PILOTS".

    N a. 18.3 nm
    N b. 19.5 nm
    Y c. 21.0 nm
    N d. 22.8 nm

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

1770: A Doppler speed log indicates speed over ground __________.

    N a. at all times
    Y b. in the bottom return mode
    N c. in the volume reverberation mode
    N d. only when there is no current

1811: To find a magnetic compass course from a true course you must apply __________.

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

1928: "Rotation" is the __________.

    N a. wobbling of the Earth about its axis
    N b. motion of bodies in the solar system relative to the stars
    N c. motion of a celestial body in its orbit
    Y d. spinning of a celestial body about its axis

1944: In the horizon system of coordinates what is the equivalent to the celestial equator of the celestial equator system?

    Y a. Horizon
    N b. Prime vertical circle
    N c. Prime meridian
    N d. Principal vertical circle

1961: What kind of pressure systems travel in tropical waves?

    N a. Subsurface pressure
    N b. Terrastatic pressure
    N c. High pressure
    Y d. Low pressure

2006: What is the relative bearing of an object broad on the port beam?

    N a. 315°
    N b. 300°
    Y c. 270°
    N d. 235°

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

2387: You are on a voyage from New Orleans to Boston and navigating off the Florida coast. You will get the greatest benefit from the Gulf Stream if you navigate __________.

    N a. about 5 miles east of Cape Canaveral
    N b. about 15 miles east of Daytona
    N c. along the 50-fathom curve
    Y d. about 20 miles east of Jupiter Inlet

2429: The lock chamber is 600 feet X 110 feet. Your towboat is 150 feet X 35 feet. Which of these tows will require a double lockage?

    N a. A set-over single
    N b. 4 standard barges abreast next to your boat's head and 3 jumbo abreast in the lead
    N c. 6 jumbo (3 abreast and 2 long) with a standard on each side of your boat
    Y d. 9 jumbo barges

2534: You must construct a Mercator plotting sheet on a piece of paper measuring 26" by 30". The area includes latitude 28°15'N to 35°45'N and longitude 174°00'E to 178°00'W. Allow a three-quarter inch neat line on all sides. What is the maximum distance between each degree of longitude that will permit the area of the plotting sheet to be drawn within the stated limitation?

    N a. 2.76 inches
    N b. 2.92 inches
    Y c. 3.06 inches
    N d. 3.19 inches

2546: A structure, usually made of stone, or cement pilings, which extends from the bank at approximately right angles to the current is called a __________.

    Y a. dike
    N b. revetment
    N c. cutoff
    N d. crib

2609: The letter A in illustration D006NG represents the __________. (D006NG )

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

2640: In the celestial equator system of coordinates what is the equivalent to the meridians of the Earth system of coordinates?

    N a. Horizon
    Y b. Hour circles
    N c. Vertical circles
    N d. Parallel of declination

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

2742: A white diamond daymark with an orange border is a(n) __________.

    N a. special mark
    Y b. information or regulatory mark
    N c. lateral aid on the intracoastal waterway
    N d. safe water mark

2868: You are inbound in a channel marked by a range. The range line is 309°T. You are steering 306°T and have the range in sight as shown. Which action should you take? (D048NG )

    N a. Continue on the present heading until the range is in line then alter course to the right.
    Y b. Immediately alter course to the right to bring the range in line.
    N c. Immediately alter course to the left to bring the range in line.
    N d. Immediately alter course to 309°T if the range is closing.

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

3069: The database resulting from (1) the transformation of the electronic navigational chart (ENC) by ECDIS for appropriate use, (2) the updates to the ENC by appropriate means, and (3) the additional data added by the mariner, is called the __________.

    N a. display base information
    N b. standard display information
    Y c. system electronic navigational chart
    N d. chart display information

3129: Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding automatic identification systems (AIS) ?

    Y a. The master may, at his/her discretion, turn off the AIS if he/she believes that it may compromise the safety or security of the vessel.
    N b. Under no circumstances shall AIS be turned off while underway as this could endanger the vessel and those around her.
    N c. AIS is always required to be operating if the vessel is in or in the vicinity of a VTS area.
    N d. AIS is always required to be operating if the vessel is within 100 nautical miles of the coastline.