What to Bring to the USCG Captain's License Exam (REC Checklist)

What to Bring to Your REC Appointment

The Regional Examination Center (REC) is where you take the USCG captain's license exam. Showing up without required documents means you don't take the exam that day — and you may lose your appointment slot. Here's everything you need to have in hand.

Required Documents

Government-issued photo ID. Driver's license, passport, or military ID. It must be current and not expired.

TWIC card. Your Transportation Worker Identification Credential. This is a hard requirement — no TWIC, no exam. If you're still waiting on your TWIC, reschedule your REC appointment rather than showing up without it.

Completed application package. The specific forms vary depending on whether you're applying for a new credential, adding an endorsement, or upgrading. Contact your REC before your appointment to confirm exactly which forms they want in hand versus which go to the National Maritime Center separately. At minimum, have your CG-719B (application form) filled out.

Sea service documentation. Your logbook entries or CG-719S letters from vessel operators documenting your 360 days of sea service. Some RECs review this at the exam appointment; others handle it as part of the application package review. Confirm with your specific REC.

Physical exam results (CG-719K). Your completed physical, signed by the examining physician.

Drug screen results. From an approved collection facility, typically within the last 12 months.

CPR/First Aid certification. Current card showing certification through a recognized provider (American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or equivalent). Must not be expired.

Payment for the credential fee. Approximately $140 for a new Merchant Mariner Credential. Check the current fee on the NMC website before your appointment — fees are updated periodically. RECs typically accept credit cards and money orders; confirm payment methods with your specific REC.

What's Allowed During the Exam

The USCG exam is computer-based, and the REC provides the workstation. Here's what you can bring into the exam room:

Calculator. A basic non-programmable calculator is allowed and strongly recommended. Navigation problem questions involve speed/time/distance math, current corrections, and compass calculations that are tedious to do by hand under time pressure. Bring a calculator you're comfortable with — not the time to learn a new one.

Scratch paper. Provided by the REC, or you can bring your own. Use it for navigation math, compass error calculations, and working through multi-step problems.

Nautical chart and plotting tools. For the navigation sections, you may be given or allowed to bring a practice nautical chart and parallel rulers or a course plotter. Confirm with your specific REC what chart materials they provide versus what you should bring. Know how to use your plotting tools before exam day — this is not the time to figure out how a parallel ruler works.

Bowditch or Coast Pilot. Some RECs allow certain reference publications for specific sections. Ask your REC in advance what references are permitted — allowances vary by REC and exam type.

What you cannot bring: Cell phones, notes, study guides, or any materials not explicitly approved by the REC. Leave your phone in the car or turned off in your bag.

What Happens on Exam Day

You'll check in with REC staff, present your documents, and be directed to a computer workstation. The exam is multiple choice — four options, one correct answer. You'll see the questions one at a time and can flag questions to review before submitting each section.

You take each subject area as a separate section. Most RECs allow you to see your score on each section immediately after completing it. If you pass a section, that result stands even if you need to retake other sections. Failed sections can be retaken — there's a waiting period and a retake fee, so the goal is to pass everything in one visit.

The exam is timed per section. The OUPV sections total about 70 minutes across all subject areas. Budget your time — navigation problem questions take longer than rules-of-the-road questions. Don't spend 10 minutes on one compass calculation when you have 15 questions left.

Before You Leave the House

Run through this checklist the night before:

• Government-issued photo ID (not expired)
• TWIC card
• Completed application forms
• Sea service documentation
• Physical exam (CG-719K)
• Drug screen results
• CPR/First Aid card (current)
• Payment method for credential fee
• Calculator
• Scratch paper (optional — REC usually provides it)
• Plotting tools if your REC requires you to bring them

Call your specific REC the week before to confirm their current document requirements and any exam-day policies. RECs can have slightly different procedures, and requirements do change. A 5-minute phone call saves you a wasted trip.

The Day Before: What to Do (and Not Do)

The day before your exam, take a short timed practice run — maybe 20 questions across your weakest topics — just to keep your recall sharp. Don't do a full marathon study session. At this point, you either know the material or you don't, and exhausting yourself the night before costs you more than it gains.

Get your documents organized in a folder. Know where your REC is and how long the drive takes. Bring water. Eat before you go.

If you haven't done a full timed practice exam yet, The Chartroom's exam simulation replicates the actual format and time limits — it's the closest thing to a dress rehearsal you can do from home. Run it at least once before your REC appointment so the real thing feels familiar.