USCG Master 100 exam-day guide
USCG Master 100 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Unexpired government-issued photo ID
Driver's license or passport. The name must match the name on your application and approval documents. Check the expiration date a week ahead - an expired ID will typically stop the process at the door.
TWIC card
Bring your Transportation Worker Identification Credential. (needs_review - confirm with the REC whether the physical card must be presented at check-in or whether the credential is verified electronically.)
Notice of Approval to Test / application approval
The approval issued after your application is reviewed, showing the modules you are authorized to take. (needs_review - confirm with the REC whether a printed copy is required or an electronic copy on your phone is acceptable; assume printed unless told otherwise.)
Your module list and any prior test results
Know exactly which modules you are sitting for and which, if any, you have already passed. Bring any paperwork documenting prior module passes if the REC told you to.
Plotting tools
Parallel rulers (or rolling ruler), dividers, and triangles for the chart-plotting portion. (needs_review - confirm with the REC whether plotting equipment is supplied at the testing station or you must bring your own, and whether any specific type is disallowed.)
Approved calculator
A basic non-programmable calculator for navigation problems. (needs_review - confirm with the REC whether a calculator is provided, whether personal calculators are allowed, and what features are prohibited.)
Reference publications used during the exam
Depending on the module, you may be working from the CFRs, Light List, Coast Pilot, tide and current tables, and Notice to Mariners. (needs_review - confirm with the REC which volumes are furnished at the station and which, if any, you are expected to bring.)
Pencils, eraser, sharpener, and scratch paper
Bring several No. 2 pencils and a soft eraser; navigation problems require intermediate work. (needs_review - confirm whether scratch paper is provided and whether personal paper is allowed into the room.)
Simple wristwatch or silent timer
Useful for pacing modules without relying on a phone, which will not be in the room. (needs_review - confirm with the REC whether a non-smart watch is permitted at the desk.)
Logistics: address, parking, arrival time
Confirm the Regional Exam Center address, parking or transit plan, and the check-in time on your appointment. Plan to arrive well before your scheduled start; check-in and security screening take time.
Water, snack, and any medication
Testing blocks are long. (needs_review - confirm with the REC where personal items are stored and whether food or drink is allowed in the testing room or only during breaks.)
Leave the electronics behind
Phone, smartwatch, earbuds, and any other connected device should stay in your bag or vehicle. Assume they cannot enter the testing room, and confirm the storage policy with the REC.
Plan the day
Re-read your approval letter and appointment confirmation. Confirm the modules scheduled, the start time, the REC address, and what the REC says to bring. Resolve every unclear item on this checklist with a phone call now, not on exam morning.
Do a final pass on your weakest module only. For Rules of the Road, drill lights, shapes, sound signals, and right-of-way scenarios. For navigation problems, run two or three timed plotting sets end to end with the exact tools you will use.
Physically pack the bag: ID, TWIC, approval paperwork, plotting tools, calculator, pencils, eraser, watch. Put it by the door so morning-of is not a search.
Shift your sleep schedule so you are awake and functional at your scheduled start time, and protect the two nights before the exam.
Light review only - a skim of Rules of the Road flash material and a re-read of your own notes on plotting procedure. No new topics, no marathon cramming.
Confirm the trip: route, parking, fuel or transit fare, and the alarm. Lay out clothes and the packed bag.
Eat a normal dinner, limit caffeine and alcohol, and get a full night's sleep. Fatigue causes more failures on navigation problems than knowledge gaps do.
Eat a real breakfast and hydrate moderately. Arrive at the REC ahead of your appointment with the packed bag and ID in hand.
At check-in, present your ID and paperwork, store prohibited items as directed, and listen carefully to the proctor's instructions on timing, breaks, and how to submit each module.
Read each question completely before answering, and watch for qualifiers like 'except,' 'not,' 'greatest,' and 'first action.' Many misses are misreads, not knowledge gaps.
Pace yourself against the clock: note the time at the start of each module and check it at the halfway point. If a question stalls you, mark it, move on, and return.
On plotting and navigation problems, write down each intermediate step so you can recheck your work quickly. Recheck bearing conversions and time-speed-distance arithmetic before finalizing.
Answer every question - a blank is a guaranteed miss. Before submitting a module, sweep for unanswered items and for answers you flagged to revisit.
Raise your hand and wait for the proctor if you need to leave the room for a break, and follow their sign-out procedure.
Rules to check
Bring valid, unexpired photo identification. If the name on your ID does not match your application, or the ID is expired, expect to be turned away; confirm the accepted ID types with the REC in advance.
Modules are scored separately. Passing one module does not offset a failure in another - you must meet the passing score on each module you are examined in.
Passing scores vary by module, and Rules of the Road is held to a higher standard than most others. (needs_review - confirm the exact passing percentage for each module you are taking with the NMC or your Regional Exam Center before exam day.)
Treat the testing room as a no-electronics environment: phones, smartwatches, earbuds, and similar devices must be off and stored. Confirm where they are to be kept.
Bring only approved materials to the desk. Reference publications, plotting equipment, calculators, and scratch paper are permitted only as the proctor allows - ask before the exam starts rather than mid-question.
No talking or sharing of materials during the exam. If you believe a question is defective, note it and continue; raise it with the proctor after you submit rather than arguing it at the desk.
Breaks are typically available on request but may be counted against your testing time and may require sign-out. (needs_review - confirm the break policy and whether the clock stops with your proctor.)
If you do not pass a module, do not reschedule on your own assumptions. (needs_review - confirm the retake waiting period and the rescheduling procedure with the Regional Exam Center or NMC.)