The 25/50/100-Ton Master captain’s license exam consists of five modules totaling 230 questions: four OUPV modules (Chart Plotting, Navigation General, Deck General/Safety, and Rules of the Road) plus a 70-question Master’s Upgrade module. Rules of the Road and Chart Plotting require 90% to pass. All other modules require 70%.
One of the most common questions we get at Mariners Learning System is "What’s the Master’s exam actually like?" And I get it. If you haven’t taken a proctored exam in years, not knowing the format adds a layer of anxiety on top of the material itself.
The good news: once you know the structure, passing scores, and timing, the exam feels a lot less intimidating. We’ve designed our course to prepare you for every module, and we wrote the exam ourselves, so what you study is what you’re tested on. No surprises.
Here’s exactly what to expect.
The 25/50/100-Ton Master captain’s license exam is split into two parts: the OUPV exam (four modules) and the Master’s Upgrade (one module). You complete both parts to earn the Master credential. Together, they satisfy the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) written examination requirement for the Master’s license.
The Master’s exam totals 230 questions across five modules, with two modules requiring a 90% passing score and three requiring 70%. Here’s the full breakdown:
|
Module |
Number of Questions |
Minimum Passing Score |
Questions You Can Miss |
|
Chart Plotting |
10 |
90% |
1 |
|
Navigation General |
50 |
70% |
15 |
|
Deck General and Safety |
50 |
70% |
15 |
|
Rules of the Road |
50 |
90% |
5 |
|
Master’s Upgrade |
70 |
70% |
21 |
All questions are multiple choice with four answer options. You can view the full course and testing details on the Master’s Online Testing tab.
If you’re taking the Master’s course from scratch (not upgrading from an existing OUPV/Six-Pack), we recommend that you complete the full OUPV course first, then the Master’s Upgrade course. Both final exams are taken online through your Mariners Learning System account. No trip to a Coast Guard Regional Exam Center required.
The OUPV portion covers four modules: Chart Plotting, Navigation General, Deck General/Safety, and Rules of the Road. These are the same four modules OUPV-only students take. The Master’s Upgrade is a single additional module with 70 questions.
If you already hold an OUPV/Six-Pack license and are upgrading, you take the Master’s Upgrade module separately. You can view the OUPV/Six-Pack Upgrade to Master course for details on that path. The upgrade exam can be taken at a different time from the OUPV final exam.
No. If you already hold an active OUPV/Six-Pack, you take only the Master’s Upgrade module. The four OUPV modules are waived.
Two modules carry a 90% passing threshold: Rules of the Road and Chart Plotting. These are the areas where the USCG holds mariners to the tightest standard, and for good reason. Getting navigation rules or chart work wrong on the water has real consequences.
Rules of the Road covers right-of-way rules, navigation lights, day shapes, fog signals, and maneuvering signals. With 50 questions and a 90% threshold, you can miss only five, making this the module that demands the most preparation. It's not just about passing the exam, either. These are the rules that tell you who has right-of-way and what to do in a close-quarters situation, and knowing them cold, so the reasoning comes with the answer, can matter in a life-or-death moment on the water.
Chart Plotting is 10 questions at 90%, meaning you can miss exactly one. You’ll use the physical training chart and a set of parallels and dividers shipped with your course materials. Like every other module, it’s closed-book: no course notes or study materials allowed. The skills tested are hands-on: plotting positions, calculating courses, and measuring distances. You can use a basic calculator for this module.
For study strategies that cover every module, see our captain’s license exam study guide.
The average student completes all five Master’s modules in about three hours total. Each module has a 3.5-hour time limit, which gives you more than enough time.
Once you begin a section, you need to complete it in that same sitting. You have five business days to work through your sections, so you can take everything in one day or spread your sections out over your allotted time, just not pause partway through a section and pick it back up later.
Testing is done online through your Mariners Learning System account. The "Testing" tab on your course page unlocks once you've completed the course, and from there you can test on your own schedule. For more on what to expect, see our post on how hard the captain’s license exam is.
If you don’t pass a module on your first attempt, you will get an email from our team with appropriate next steps.
If you’ve already looked into the OUPV/Six-Pack exam, you’ve seen most of what the Master’s covers. The first four modules are identical. The only addition is the 70-question Master’s Upgrade.
|
Exam |
Total Questions |
Total Modules |
Additional Module |
|
OUPV/Six-Pack |
160 |
4 |
None |
|
25/50/100-Ton Master |
230 |
5 |
Master’s Upgrade (70 Questions, 70%) |
The Master’s Upgrade module covers topics beyond the OUPV scope, focused on the additional knowledge required to operate inspected vessels and carry seven or more passengers. If you meet the sea time requirements for the Master, there’s no reason not to go for it. The additional module is one more step, and you earn the highest license available at this tonnage level.
For a full comparison of which license type fits your goals, see our license type guide.
All modules are closed book. For Chart Plotting, you use the physical training chart and plotting tools provided with your course, but you can’t reference course notes or study materials during the exam.
For Chart Plotting, you need a set of parallels and dividers plus the training chart shipped with your course. All other modules require only a computer with a webcam and microphone with internet access.
Once you pass and we issue your Certificate of Completion, you have 12 months to submit it with your captain’s license application. Don’t let it expire by waiting too long to complete the rest of your application packet.
The 25/50/100-Ton Master captain’s license exam tests what you need to know to operate commercially and keep your passengers safe. That’s the point. Prepare with intention, take the highest-stakes modules seriously, and lean on our course and support team when you hit a rough patch.
If you have questions about the Master’s exam or any other part of the licensing process, the team at Mariners Learning System is here to help. We’ve guided more than 200,000 students through this process, and we’re not going to let paperwork be the reason you don’t get your license.
USCG exam requirements and module structures can change. Verify the current format with the National Maritime Center or your course provider before testing. This blog post is for informational purposes and doesn’t constitute legal or regulatory advice.
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