Ground school
for the helm.
Pass your USCG Captain’s exam — OUPV (Six-Pack) or Master 100 GT — with a source-backed study cockpit: lessons, timed drills, mock exams, flashcards, and a weekly plan that keeps the hard rules in front of you.
No credit card. No email-only signup wall on the sample below.
Citation-backed · NMC mock · no credit card
Sample · MARPOL and discharge regulations
A manned U.S.-flagged vessel is 30 feet in length and operates on coastal waters. Under 33 CFR §151.51, which MARPOL Annex V requirement applies to this vessel?
1,054
Citations indexed
1,054
Source chunks
70%
Pass mark on NMC
$0
Course price
What you get
Built for serious mariners,
not test-prep mills.
Four pillars that make the difference between cramming questions and actually understanding the rules you’ll be tested on.
Cited, not invented
Every lesson and drill question links to the rule it tests — 33 CFR §83.06, COLREGs Rule 5, Bowditch Ch. 7. Click the chip, see the source.
Mock exams that match the NMC
70 questions × 90 minutes, with a real countdown timer, flag-for-review, and a question grid navigator. Mirrors the form your REC actually uses.
Plan that fits your weeks
Tell us your exam date and weekly hours. We sequence Rules of the Road first and reserve the final week for full mocks.
Spaced flashcards (FSRS)
FSRS-4 scheduler. The hardest topic this week becomes the lightest by exam day.
Where to start
Pick your path through the prep
The anchor guides covering the questions every candidate runs into — credential choice, cost, sea time, practice, where to test, renewal, and the rules the exam actually tests.
Step by step
How to get your Captain's license
Sea time, medical, drug screen, TWIC, exam — the full path from logbook to credential.
Read guideBudget
What it costs end-to-end
USCG fees, CG-719K physical, drug test, TWIC, CPR, plus what prep services charge.
Read guideEntry credential
OUPV (Six-Pack) license
Up to six paying passengers, vessels under 100 GT — the typical first license.
Read guideInspected vessels
Master 100 GT license
Inspected passenger work up to 100 GT — adds Plotting and a tighter General module.
Read guideHardest module
COLREGs Rules of the Road
38 rules from Lookout to Distress Signals — the 90%-pass module candidates fail most.
Read guideUS waters
Inland Navigation Rules
The 33 CFR Part 83 rule set for inland endorsements, Western Rivers, and Great Lakes traffic.
Read guideRule comparison
Inland Rules vs COLREGs
The five exam-relevant differences: Rules 9, 10, 24, 28, and 34 side by side.
Read guideBy state
REC locations and state notes
Where to test, regional sea-time quirks, and which states pair with charter operators.
Read guideExam format
USCG exam modules and pass marks
ONC07, GLI07, and ONC06 module lists with 90% Rules and Chart Plot thresholds, retest rules, and where to test.
Read guidePractice tests
USCG captain license practice tests
Free samples for Rules of the Road, Deck, Navigation, General Knowledge, and Chart Plotting modules.
Read guideWhere to test
Regional Exam Centers
The USCG REC and Monitoring Unit network — where to sit the exam and submit your application, by region.
Read guideKeep it current
USCG license renewal
The five 46 CFR 10.227 professional options, the $95 evaluation-plus-issuance fee, and the one-year grace window.
Read guideComparison
How we compare
Most prep services either copy NMC question banks (no explanation, no source) or charge $400–900 for a video course you can’t skim.
| Feature | CaptainsGround | In-person courses | Generic Q-bank apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citation-backed answers | every Q linked to source | — | — |
| NMC-style timed mock exam | 70 Q × 90 min | ✓ | partial |
| Adaptive study plan | from exam date + hours | — | — |
| FSRS-4 spaced repetition | FSRS-4 scheduler | — | basic Anki |
| Free tier | entire product | $600–900 | $30–80/mo |
| Source corpus you can verify | /sources page, live counts | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked
Is this affiliated with the USCG or NMC?
No. CaptainsGround is an independent prep tool. The corpus is built from public-domain federal sources — 33/46 CFR, COLREGs, Inland Rules, NGA Bowditch, and USCG manuals.
Why is it free?
Year 1 we’re focused on building the best prep tool, not on monetisation. Early users will be grandfathered when we add paid tiers.
Will this prepare me for the actual NMC exam?
Our mock exam mirrors NMC OUPV format — 70 questions × 90 minutes, weighted by module, 70% pass mark. Pass our final mock and you’ll likely pass the real one. Drills, lessons, and FSRS deck cover the same material.
What credentials do you cover?
OUPV (Inland and Near-Coastal — both Six-Pack), Master 25/50/100 GT. Set yours during onboarding; the plan adapts.
How long does prep take?
Most candidates finish in 6–10 weeks at 8h/week. Tight 2-week sprints work for experienced mariners willing to do 15h/week.
Can I use this on my phone?
Yes — full mobile UI, drill and flashcards work on any screen. Offline support for lessons and due cards is being added.
What if I find a wrong answer?
Every drill question is judge-validated against the cited source before publishing. Found a discrepancy? Email us — corrections re-run through the pipeline.
Ready to start?
3-step onboarding · 5-minute diagnostic · personalised plan. Skip the diagnostic if you want — we’ll just take longer to learn what you already know.