USCG captain's license exam modules by credential
For OUPV Near Coastal (exam code ONC07), the NMC Deck and Engineering Examination Guide lists Q100 Rules of the Road: Inland and International (50 questions, 90%), Q170 Deck General/Safety (50 questions, 70%), Q171 Navigation General: Near Coastal (50 questions, 70%), and Q172 Navigation Problems: Chart Plot (10 questions, 90%). That means a candidate can miss only 5 Rules questions and only 1 plotting question.
For OUPV Great Lakes and Inland (GLI07), the guide lists Q100 Rules of the Road: Inland and International, Q300 Rules of the Road: Inland, Q356 Deck General/Safety, Q357 Navigation General Great Lakes and Inland, and Q358 Chart Plot. The route requested controls whether the Inland-only Rules module creates a COLREGS limitation.
For Master less than 100 GRT Near Coastal (ONC06), original candidates commonly see Q100 Rules of the Road, Q160 Deck General, Q161 Deck Safety, Q162 Navigation General: Near Coastal, and Q163 Chart Plot. OUPV Near Coastal holders raising grade to Master less than 100 GRT often take Q165 Navigation and Deck General/Safety instead of repeating the whole original Master sequence, but the ATT letter controls the final module list.
Practice-test sources and question strategy
Use the NMC sample examinations as format checks, not as a promise that the live exam will reuse the same questions. The sample sets show module structure, answer style, and topic spread; your study plan still needs topic drilling across Rules of the Road, Deck General/Safety, Navigation General, and Chart Plot.
A practical sequence is: take one sample module cold, tag misses by topic, drill those topics with citations open, then retake a timed module. Rules and Chart Plot deserve the most buffer because their passing marks are 90%. A 50-question Rules module allows five misses; a 10-question plotting module allows one. If you are sitting for Master, keep plotting in the plan even if your deck-general scores look comfortable.
Approval to Test, time limits, and retests
The Approval to Test (ATT) letter is the document to build your exam calendar around. It identifies the exam modules, directs payment of the exam fee before testing, and sets the deadline for completing the exam series. Under 46 CFR 10.217, the examination fee covers the original, raise-of-grade, renewal, or endorsement exam series taken within 1 year from the application approval date.
NMC's retest policy for officer endorsements is more forgiving if you fail one or two sections: you may retest those failed sections twice during the next 3 months. If you fail three or more sections, you must take a complete re-examination. All examinations and retests still have to fit within 1 year of approval for examination, so do not use the first attempt as a diagnostic if your ATT clock is already running.
REC testing vs approved-course testing
You can test at a USCG Regional Examination Center or Monitoring Unit after the NMC evaluates your application and issues the ATT. REC testing keeps the exam separate from prep: you pay the Coast Guard exam fee, schedule the appointment, and sit the NMC modules at the REC.
A USCG-approved course may include course-final exams that satisfy the Coast Guard exam requirement for that approved scope, but that authority is specific to the course approval. Before paying for a course, verify whether it covers your exact credential, route, and tonnage. If you only need practice, use sample exams and public drills first; if you need bundled exam authority, compare the total course cost against the REC path.
Exam-day materials and planning
For REC testing, plan around the REC/MU appointment rules: schedule after the ATT is issued, bring the Pay.gov exam-fee receipt, and arrive early enough for registration. NMC's exam FAQ points mariners to the published Examination Room Materials list for what can enter the room; do not assume a phone, programmable calculator, notes, or course handouts are allowed.
Build your practice around the materials you will actually have in the room: plotting tools, chart-plot workflow, a non-programmable calculator when permitted, and the reference material listed for the module. The gap between an untimed practice set and a REC module is usually pacing, not knowledge. Time full modules before you schedule the REC appointment.