USCG 6-Pack License Exam: The Complete OUPV Study Guide

The USCG OUPV (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels) license — universally called the "6-pack" — is the first federal captain's credential most recreational mariners pursue. It lets you carry up to six paying passengers on an uninspected vessel. It's not a trivial exam, but it's far more approachable than the 100-ton or 200-ton, and the right study approach makes the difference.

Here's everything you need to know about what's actually on the exam, the question counts, passing requirements, and how to prepare efficiently.

What the OUPV License Lets You Do

The OUPV license under 46 CFR Part 10 authorizes you to operate uninspected passenger vessels carrying up to six passengers for hire. The route is either near coastal (within 100 nautical miles offshore) or inland waters, depending on what you qualify for. You can operate charter fishing boats, dolphin tours, dive charters, water taxi runs — anything that moves paying passengers under that six-person limit.

What it does NOT allow: carrying more than six passengers for hire, operating inspected vessels, or serving as master of a commercial freight vessel. For any of that, you need a higher license.

The Exam Structure

The USCG NMC (National Maritime Center) in Martinsburg, WV administers and validates all merchant mariner credentials. The actual testing happens at a USCG-approved Regional Exam Center (REC), or increasingly at approved testing providers like Pearson VUE.

The OUPV exam is structured around modules. For near coastal:

| Module | Question Count | |--------|---------------| | Rules of the Road (COLREGS + Inland) | 50 questions | | Deck General | 60 questions | | Navigation General | 40 questions | | Chart Plotting | variable (plotted exercises) |

For an inland-only endorsement, the Rules of the Road module covers Inland Rules only. Near coastal includes both COLREGS and Inland.

Passing score: 70% on each module. You must pass each module separately — a 90% on Rules of the Road doesn't compensate for a 65% on Deck General. Every module is its own gate.

Chart plotting is particularly important for near coastal candidates. These are practical exercises using actual NOAA charts (currently Chart 116 is common), a parallel ruler, dividers, and a compass rose. You'll be asked to plot courses, determine deviation using deviation tables, calculate distance run, and find ETAs. Speed here matters — you're under time pressure.

What the Exam Actually Tests

Rules of the Road (COLREGS): The 1972 COLREGS Convention and U.S. Inland Rules as incorporated in 33 CFR Part 83. Expect questions on:

• Lights and shapes for all vessel types (power, sail, fishing, towing, pilot, NUC, RAM, constrained by draft)
• Sound signals — both fog signals and maneuvering/warning signals
• Steering and sailing rules: the overtaking rule, head-on situations, crossing situations, stand-on vs. give-way
• Lookout and safe speed (Rule 5 and Rule 6)
• Narrow channels and traffic separation schemes (Rules 9 and 10)
• Anchoring, not-under-command, and restricted visibility rules

Deck General: Seamanship and vessel operations. Anchoring, lines and rigging, fire prevention and firefighting on small vessels, weather interpretation, stability basics, first aid, distress signals, and towing procedures.

Navigation General: Compass use, magnetic vs. true bearing conversions, chart reading, tides and currents, basic celestial (sun and Polaris), the Nautical Almanac, and dead reckoning.

The Sea Service Requirement

Before you can even sit the exam, you need to document sea service. For OUPV near coastal, that's:

• 360 days total sea service, with at least 90 days occurring within the 3 years immediately before application
• At least 90 days on coastal or offshore waters (not just inland)

Sea service days are calendar days, not hours. One day underway = one day. The logbook is your evidence — start logging now if you haven't been.

How to Study Effectively

Most people fail Rules of the Road, not seamanship. Here's why: COLREGS is detail-heavy and the questions are designed to catch people who learned the general concept but missed a specific exception.

The most effective study sequence:

1. Read the Rules cold, all 38 of them. Don't memorize yet — just understand the structure. Rules 1-3 are scope and definitions. Rules 4-10 are conduct in general. Rules 11-18 are conduct in sight of one another. Rules 19-37 are lights, shapes, and signals.

1. Work through Bowditch (American Practical Navigator) Chapters 1 and 3 for navigation fundamentals. It's free on the NGA website.

1. Practice chart plotting with actual plotting equipment — not a computer screen. The exam is on paper with real tools. Buy a set of dividers and a parallel ruler.

1. Drill Rules of the Road questions daily in the final 3-4 weeks. The NMC publishes the full question bank. Every question on your exam comes from it.

Common Mistakes That Sink Candidates

Not checking application requirements before studying. The NMC processes applications and many candidates lose weeks waiting on documentation issues — missing sea service logbook entries, unsigned forms, or an expired medical. Start your application at least 90 days before you want to test.

Confusing COLREGS and Inland Rules. They're similar but not identical. Rule 9 (narrow channels) has differences. The whistle signals for meeting situations differ. The exam will probe exactly where they diverge.

Skipping chart plotting practice. This is the section candidates underestimate. Being able to solve a chart problem mentally doesn't help when you're doing it by hand under time pressure. Practice plotted exercises until you can complete them in under 4 minutes each.

Not knowing the light sectors. Lights for power-driven vessels, sailing vessels, fishing vessels, vessels being towed — these need to be memorized in exact arc widths (112.5°, 135°, 225°, 360°). The exam loves to test these precisely.

After You Pass

Once all exam modules are cleared, submit your completed application to the NMC. Processing typically takes 4-6 weeks (longer during high-volume periods). Your MMC will arrive by mail and is valid for 5 years. The OUPV endorsement is listed on your MMC and ties to your route.

Renewals require demonstrating recent sea service (1 year of sea service in the prior 5), a current USCG-approved physical (CG-719K), and a drug test through a certified MRO.

Practice with Binnacle School

The fastest path to passing the USCG 6-pack exam is deliberate, targeted practice on the actual question formats. [Binnacle School](/school) gives you full-length OUPV practice exams with the same module structure as the real test, real-time scoring by module so you know exactly where you're weak, and detailed explanations for every question.

The difference between candidates who pass on the first try and those who need a second attempt usually comes down to whether they drilled questions the way the NMC asks them — not just read the rules. Start a free practice session at Binnacle School →

Binnacle AI is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard or the NMC. Exam structures and question counts reflect current NMC guidance as of 2026 — confirm at the NMC website before sitting your exam. This article is informational, not legal or licensing advice.