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.


101: A lighted preferred-channel buoy may show a __________.


129: In working out a local apparent noon sight for your latitude, you subtract the Ho from 90°. The 90° represents the angular distance from __________.


159: The apparent wind can be zero when the true wind is from __________.


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

221: In United States waters, a buoy having red and white vertical stripes has a light characteristic of __________.

    N a. group occulting
    Y b. Morse (A)
    N c. interrupted quick flashing
    N d. quick flashing

272: What does the symbol shown indicate on a chart? (D033NG )

    N a. A sunken vessel marked by a buoy
    Y b. A safe water beacon
    N c. A red and white can buoy
    N d. A can buoy with a rotating white light

385: The difference of latitude (l) between the geographic position (GP) of a celestial body and your position, at the time of upper transit, is represented by __________.

    N a. colatitude
    N b. codistance
    Y c. zenith distance
    N d. altitude

399: Where will you find information about the duration of slack water?

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

401: You are steaming in a westerly direction along the Gulf Coast. You see ahead of you a lighted buoy showing a red isophase light. Which action should you take?

    Y a. Alter course to port and leave the buoy to starboard.
    N b. Alter course to starboard and leave the buoy to port.
    N c. Alter course and leave the buoy near by on either side.
    N d. Alter course and pass the buoy well-off on either side.

402: All of the following can be found on a Pilot Chart EXCEPT information concerning the __________.

    N a. percentage of frequency of wave heights
    N b. percentage of poor visibility conditions
    N c. sea surface temperatures
    Y d. amounts of precipitation

458: The prevailing westerlies of the Southern Hemisphere blow 18-30 knots __________.

    Y a. all year long
    N b. during the summer months only
    N c. during the winter only
    N d. during spring only

466: In the relatively calm area near the hurricane center, the seas are __________.

    N a. moderate but easily navigated
    N b. calm
    Y c. mountainous and confused
    N d. mountainous but fairly regular as far as direction is concerned

494: Aneroid barometers are usually calibrated to indicate atmospheric pressure in __________.

    N a. inches of mercury and centimeters
    N b. feet of mercury and millibars
    N c. inches of mercury and millimeters
    Y d. inches of mercury and millibars

542: The only cylindrical chart projection widely used for navigation is the __________.

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

608: In which voyage, between two points, is the rhumb line distance NOT approximately the same as the great circle distance?

    N a. The two points are in low latitudes in the same hemisphere.
    Y b. The two points are in high latitudes in the same hemisphere.
    N c. The two points are near the equator, but in different hemispheres.
    N d. One point is near the equator, one point is in a high latitude, and both are near the 180th meridian.

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

651: Which topmark shown identifies an isolated danger? (D023NG )

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

654: Your ARPA has automatic speed inputs from the log. Due to currents, the log is indicating a faster speed than the speed over the ground. What should you expect under these circumstances?

    N a. The generated CPA will be less than the actual CPA.
    N b. The generated TCPA will be later than the actual TCPA.
    N c. The range of initial target acquisition will be less than normal.
    Y d. The targets true course vector will be in error.

710: What is the FIRST sign of the existence of a well developed tropical cyclone?

    N a. Gale force winds from the north
    Y b. An unusually long ocean swell
    N c. Steep, short-period waves and light wind
    N d. Thunderstorms and higher than usual humidity

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

737: What describes an ebb current?

    N a. Horizontal movement of the water away from the land following low tide
    N b. Horizontal movement of the water toward the land following low tide
    Y c. Horizontal movement of the water away from the land following high tide
    N d. Horizontal movement of the water toward the land following high tide

785: An amplitude of the Sun in high latitudes __________.

    N a. is most accurate before sunrise
    N b. is most accurate after sunset
    N c. should only be observed when the Sun's lower limb is above the horizon
    Y d. is most accurate when the Sun's center is observed on the visible horizon

892: When a buoy is in position only during a certain period of the year, where may the dates when the buoy is in position be found?

    Y a. Light List
    N b. Notice to Mariners
    N c. On the chart
    N d. Coast Pilot

908: From LAT 07°12'N, LONG 80°00'W, to LAT 47°12'S, LONG 169°18'E, the initial great circle course angle is 137.25°. How would you name this course?

    N a. N 137.25°E
    N b. S 137.25°E
    Y c. N 137.25°W
    N d. S 137.25°W

971: You are in British waters on course 090°T when you sight a flashing white light with a characteristic of VQ(9)10s. You immediately change course to 030°T. After one hour, you sight another flashing white light with the characteristic of VQ. You must pass well __________.

    N a. south of this buoy
    N b. west of this buoy
    Y c. north of this buoy
    N d. east of this buoy

983: Error may be introduced into a magnetic compass by __________.

    N a. making a structural change to the vessel
    N b. a short circuit near the compass
    N c. belt buckles
    Y d. All of the above

1013: The purpose of the soft iron spheres mounted on arms on the binnacle is to compensate for __________.

    N a. the vertical component of the permanent magnetism of the vessel
    N b. the residual deviation
    N c. magnetic fields caused by electrical currents in the vicinity
    Y d. induced magnetism in the horizontal soft iron

1034: The expression "the air is saturated" means __________.

    Y a. the relative humidity is 100%
    N b. the vapor pressure is at its minimum for the prevailing temperature
    N c. precipitation has commenced
    N d. cloud cover is 100%

1045: The Light List shows that a navigational light has a nominal range of 15 miles and a height above water of 40 feet (12.2 meters). Your height of eye is 25 feet (7.6 meters) and the visibility is 5 miles. At about what range will you FIRST sight the light?

    N a. 6.2 miles
    Y b. 9.5 miles
    N c. 12.9 miles
    N d. 14.2 miles

1051: Under the IALA Buoyage Systems, a cardinal mark may NOT be used to __________.

    N a. indicate that the deepest water in an area is on the named side of the mark
    N b. indicate the safe side on which to pass a danger
    N c. draw attention to a feature in the channel such as a bend, junction, bifurcation, or end of a shoal
    Y d. indicate the port and starboard sides of well-defined channels

1083: Magnets are placed in horizontal trays in the compass binnacle to compensate for the __________.

    N a. induced magnetism in the vessel's horizontal soft iron
    N b. change in the magnetic field when the vessel inclines from vertical
    Y c. permanent magnetism of the vessel
    N d. magnetic fields caused by electrical currents in the vicinity

1088: Which statement about an estimated position is TRUE?

    N a. It is more reliable than a fix based on radar bearings.
    Y b. It may be based on a single LOP or questionable data.
    N c. When a 3-LOP fix plots in a triangle, the center of the triangle is the estimated position.
    N d. It is usually based on soundings.

1120: You are on course 042°T. To check the course of your vessel you should observe a celestial body on which bearing?

    N a. 090°
    Y b. 132°
    N c. 180°
    N d. 222°

1163: The total magnetic effects which cause deviation of a vessel's compass can be broken down into a series of components which are referred to as __________.

    N a. divisional parts
    Y b. coefficients
    N c. fractional parts
    N d. equations

1375: The Moon rises earlier on succeeding days when the __________.

    N a. retardation effect of the revolution of the Moon is greater than the effect due to change of declination
    Y b. effect due to change of declination is larger than that due to revolution
    N c. the revolution effect and the declination effect act in the same direction
    N d. the Moon is on the equator and the revolution effect is at a maximum

1378: The latitude of the upper vertex of a great circle is 36°N. What is the latitude of the lower vertex?

    N a. 36°N
    N b. 0°
    Y c. 36°S
    N d. Cannot be determined from the information given

1438: In the Northern Hemisphere you are caught in the dangerous semicircle of a storm with plenty of sea room available. The best course of action is to bring the wind on the __________.

    N a. port quarter and make as much headway as possible
    N b. starboard quarter and make as much headway as possible
    Y c. starboard bow and make as much headway as possible
    N d. port bow and make as much headway as possible

1443: At the master gyrocompass, the compass card is attached to the __________.

    N a. spider element
    Y b. sensitive element
    N c. link arm
    N d. pickup transformer

1501: What is the distance from the bottom of a wave trough to the top of a wave crest?

    N a. Wave length
    Y b. Wave height
    N c. Wave breadth
    N d. Wave depth

1505: At 0000 you fix your position and change course to 090°T. At 0030 you again fix your position and it is 0.5 mile east of your DR. Which statement is TRUE?

    Y a. The current is easterly.
    N b. The drift is 0.5 knot.
    N c. You should alter course to the right to regain the track line.
    N d. The current is perpendicular to your track line.

1713: When a tornado moves over the water from land it is called a __________.

    N a. tornado
    Y b. waterspout
    N c. hurricane
    N d. cyclone

1735: A vessel entering the eye of a hurricane should expect __________.

    N a. moderating winds and heavy confused seas to strike his vessel from all directions
    N b. the winds to increase to hurricane force and strike from a different direction as the eye passes
    N c. the barometer to reach the lowest point
    Y d. All of the above

1771: Which type of precipitation is a product of the violent convection found in thunderstorms?

    N a. Snow
    N b. Freezing Rain
    Y c. Hail
    N d. Sleet

1772: The GP of a body for a high altitude sight is determined from the declination and the __________.

    Y a. Greenwich hour angle
    N b. azimuth
    N c. zenith distance
    N d. right ascension

1794: Why are low altitude sun sights not generally used?

    Y a. Errors due to unusual refraction may exist.
    N b. Sextants may have large errors at small angles of elevation.
    N c. Modern sight reduction tables are not complete for low altitudes below 5°.
    N d. The glare on the horizon causes irradiation errors.

1816: A white buoy with an orange circle marked on it indicates __________.

    N a. danger
    N b. vessels are excluded from the area
    N c. a mooring buoy
    Y d. operating restrictions are in effect

2089: Permission to leave the riverward chamber of twin locks is given by the lockmaster and consists of which sound signal?

    N a. One short blast
    Y b. Two short blasts
    N c. One long blast
    N d. Two long blasts

2121: In plotting a running fix, how many fixed objects are needed to take your lines of position from?

    N a. Three
    N b. Two
    Y c. One
    N d. None

2243: Which aid is NOT marked on a chart with a magenta circle?

    N a. Radar station
    N b. Radar transponder beacon
    Y c. Aero light
    N d. Radio beacon

2508: Normal pool elevation is the height in feet of the section of river above a dam. This height is measured from __________.

    N a. low steel on the Huey P. Long Bridge
    Y b. mean sea level
    N c. the local water table
    N d. the minimum dam control level

2626: What information is found in the chart title?

    N a. Date of the first edition
    N b. Date of the edition and, if applicable, the revision
    Y c. Information on the sounding datum
    N d. Information on which IALA buoyage system applies

2703: Which publication indicates the HYDROLANTS or HYDROPACS issued since the previous working day?

    N a. Broadcast Notice to Mariners
    N b. Local Notice to Mariners
    Y c. Daily Memorandum
    N d. Summary of Corrections

2706: The following types of vessels are awaiting lockage on the upper Mississippi. Which type of vessel is normally passed through the lock first?

    N a. Pleasure craft
    N b. Commercial towboats
    Y c. Commercial passenger vessels
    N d. Commercial fishing vessels

2842: The draw span of a floating drawbridge may be marked with __________.

    N a. two white lights
    Y b. a yellow diamond
    N c. flashing blue lights
    N d. three red lights on each side of the draw

2844: The signal from a ramark will show on the PPI as a __________.

    N a. coded signal on the same bearing and at a greater range then the transponder
    N b. circle surrounding the transponder
    Y c. radial line from the transponder to the center of the PPI
    N d. dashed circle at the same range as the transponder

2947: A position obtained by crossing lines of position taken at different times and advanced to a common time is a(n) __________.

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

2949: On 13 November 1981 you observe a back sight of the upper limb of the Sun. The sextant altitude (hs) is 109°26.3'. The height of eye is 66 feet, and the index error is 2.0' on the arc. What is the observed altitude (HO)?

    N a. 70°56.6'
    N b. 70°38.0'
    Y c. 70°27.2'
    N d. 70°23.2'

2965: Which symbol represents a 10-fathom curve?

    N a. ____ ____ ____
    N b. ... ____ ... ____
    Y c. ____ . _____ . ____ . ____
    N d. ........

3020: A mooring buoy, if lighted, shows which color light?

    N a. Yellow
    Y b. White
    N c. Blue
    N d. Any color except red or green

3062: If the electronic chart is part of an ECDIS, it must display the minimum data required by IMO/IHO, to include all of the following EXCEPT __________.

    N a. hydrography
    N b. aids to navigation
    Y c. tidal currents
    N d. regulatory boundaries