Rules of the Road: Don't have to test if taken with 12 months CFR Location

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Hello,

Where would I be able to where it states in the CFR’s about not having to take a Rules of the Road Exam if it was last taken within 12 months? Thanks in advance for your help.

Pat

2

It’s not in the CFR, and is not USCG policy. You take whatever exams are specified in the exam guide.

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3

Thanks jdcavo. What was I thinking? I guess I wasn’t! Thanks again!

Pat

4

Maybe not. In the now distant past some RECs, including New Orleans had their own, unwritten policy that no matter what you were applying for (including tankerman and radar observer), if you had not had a rules test in the past year, you had to take one. Kind of the reverse of what you asked, but might be the root of it.

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5

I took a couple of different upgrades in the Summer of 2025 (500 Master/1600 Mate) at RECNY. For the second upgrade I took I didn’t have to take the Rules Module because I took the Rules Module on the first upgrade and it was within a year. I’m just trying to find out where that policy would be located. Thanks.

Pat

6

If you are testing for more than one endorsement at the same time, I’m almost certain you don’t have to take any module more than once even if it shows up in the exam guide for more than one endorsement.

7

Agee years ago I tested for 5 endorsements the same week in Boston. I only had to take RULES once, but I had to take all the other things, like Deck General 5 times.

8

I believe taking a rules test at every upgrade is superfluous. Why continue to retest on same information you have already proven your competency.

9

We are now subjected to a lot of mandatory training with little practical value that is most just a grossly overpriced profit making opportunity for the schools.

It’s important to know the Rules and have a deep understanding of them.

Studying for the USCG exams can be a good Rules refresher. However, there is little practical value to memorizing the USCGs trick questions, or identifying distractions, or splitting hairs over which answer the USCG thinks is most correct.

I’m in favor of good periodic rules training or retraining. Good training would involve handling difficult scenarios in a simulator, and examining the nuances of court cases.

The point is to become better at applying the rules under a high work load.

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10

Great idea. You could call it the “Farwell’s Forum”