USCG Exam Prep
Free OUPV / Six-Pack Study Plan
Most candidates pass the OUPV exam with 4–8 weeks of part-time study. Here's a free 6-week schedule that puts the hardest module first and gets you to the real passing thresholds — 70% on most subjects, 90% on Rules of the Road.
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- 1Week 1
Rules of the Road — start here
It's the hardest module and the only one needing 90%. Lights, shapes, and the steering & sailing rules. Take the diagnostic first so you know your starting point.
- 2Week 2
Rules of the Road — finish + sound signals
Restricted-visibility signals, maneuvering & warning signals, distress signals, and inland-vs-international differences. Drill until you're consistently above 90%.
- 3Week 3
Navigation General
Chart basics, the latitude scale, buoyage (IALA Region B), compass (TVMDC), tides, and dead reckoning. Plot a few fixes by hand.
- 4Week 4
Deck General + Safety
Knots and lines, firefighting classes and agents, basic stability (GM, free-surface effect), PFDs and immersion suits, GMDSS, and search & rescue.
- 5Week 5
Meteorology + weak-area cleanup
Pressure, fronts, cloud types, and wind/sea-state warnings. Then re-run the diagnostic and spend the rest of the week on whatever it flags red.
- 6Week 6
Full timed exams + final review
Run full USCG-format timed exams until you're passing every module — 70% on most, 90% on Rules of the Road. Review every miss with the explanation, not just the answer.
A few things that aren't studying
- • Sea time: the OUPV needs 360 days of boating experience, 90 of them in the last 3 years. Log it early — it gates your application, not your exam score.
- • TWIC, physical, and drug test: start these in parallel; the paperwork takes longer than people expect.
- • Pick a cadence you'll keep: 30–45 focused minutes a day beats a cram weekend. That's what the reminders are for.
Or jump to Rules of the Road practice · take the diagnostic