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RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased Theory

Practice Questions100 questions

Exam Review

Key Facts: Yachtmaster Ocean Exam

600 NM / 96 hrs

Qualifying Passage Minimum

RYA Yachtmaster Ocean requirements

GBP 199

2026 Exam Fee

RYA exam fees 2026

4 seconds = 1 NM

Time-to-Longitude Error

Earth rotates 15 degrees per hour

June-November

North Atlantic Hurricane Season

Worldwide meteorology syllabus

Epoch 2025.0

AP3270/NP303 Vol 1 Stars Edition

UKHO Rapid Sight Reduction Tables

Yachtmaster Offshore

Required Prerequisite

RYA entry requirements

The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean is the top certificate in the RYA scheme and is taken by experienced skippers who already hold Yachtmaster Offshore and have completed a qualifying ocean passage of at least 600 NM and 96 hours (200 NM of it over 50 miles from land, within 10 years) using astro navigation. Assessment is a written paper plus an oral of about 1.5 to 2 hours. The written paper covers celestial navigation (sextant use, index error, dip and refraction corrections, sun/star/planet/moon sights), sight reduction via the PZX triangle and the intercept method using AP3270/NP303 tables, meridian altitude and Polaris for latitude, time (UT, zone time, the chronometer) and worldwide meteorology including the ITCZ, trade winds, and tropical revolving storms with dangerous-semicircle avoidance. The oral also explores great circle and composite sailing, ocean passage planning, routeing charts, yacht preparation and communications. The 2026 RYA exam fee is GBP 199. The written paper is waived for holders of the Ocean shorebased certificate or an MCA deck officer CoC.

Sample Yachtmaster Ocean Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Yachtmaster Ocean exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1When taking a sun sight with a marine sextant, what does the term 'index error' describe?

A.The residual error remaining when the horizon and reflected horizon are aligned but the reading is not exactly zero

B.The difference between the observed altitude and the calculated altitude

C.The correction applied for the observer's height of eye above the sea

D.The error caused by abnormal atmospheric refraction near the horizon

Explanation: Index error is the instrument error found by setting the sextant to zero and noting the reading when the true and reflected horizons coincide; if it is not exactly zero, the residual is the index error, applied 'off the arc' or 'on the arc'.

2An observer with a height of eye of 4 metres takes a sextant altitude of the sun. In which sense is the dip correction always applied to the sextant altitude?

A.Always subtracted, because dip depresses the visible horizon below the horizontal

B.Always added, because dip raises the apparent horizon

C.Added in the morning and subtracted in the afternoon

D.It is only applied to star sights, not sun sights

Explanation: Dip arises because the observer's eye is above sea level, so the visible horizon lies below the true horizontal; the dip correction is therefore always subtracted from the sextant altitude. For 4 m, dip is about 3.5'.

3When reducing a lower-limb sun sight, the main correction from the Nautical Almanac altitude correction tables principally combines which effects?

A.Index error and dip only

B.Dip and the equation of time

C.Refraction, semi-diameter and parallax in altitude

D.Variation and deviation of the compass

Explanation: After applying index error and dip to obtain apparent altitude, the main 'altitude correction' for the sun combines refraction, the sun's semi-diameter (lower limb) and parallax in altitude into a single tabulated figure.

4Refraction correction in the altitude correction tables is greatest for a body observed at which altitude?

A.Near the zenith (about 90 degrees)

B.About 45 degrees

C.Low altitudes near the horizon (a few degrees)

D.Refraction is constant at all altitudes

Explanation: Atmospheric refraction is greatest for low-altitude bodies because the light passes obliquely through a long path of atmosphere; it is near zero at the zenith. Sights below about 15 degrees are generally avoided for this reason.

5In the Marcq St Hilaire (intercept) method, if the observed altitude Ho is greater than the calculated altitude Hc, the intercept (terminal point) is plotted:

A.Towards the geographical position of the body, along the azimuth

B.Away from the geographical position of the body, along the reciprocal of the azimuth

C.Perpendicular to the azimuth in either direction

D.Along the observer's meridian towards the pole

Explanation: The mnemonic is 'Ho-Mo-To': if Ho is More than Hc, the intercept is Towards the body. A greater observed altitude means the observer is closer to the body's geographical position, so the position line is laid off towards the azimuth.

6In sight reduction, the position line obtained from a single sight is drawn:

A.Along the azimuth of the body

B.At right angles to the azimuth (bearing) of the body

C.Parallel to the body's geographical position

D.Along the local hour angle circle

Explanation: A celestial position line is a small segment of a circle of equal altitude; over a short distance it is drawn as a straight line at right angles to the azimuth of the observed body, passing through the intercept terminal point.

7The PZX (navigational) triangle used in sight reduction has its three vertices at:

A.The geographical position, the assumed position and the dead-reckoning position

B.The celestial equator, the ecliptic and the First Point of Aries

C.Greenwich, the observer's meridian and the Sun

D.The elevated pole P, the observer's zenith Z, and the position of the body X

Explanation: The PZX triangle is formed on the celestial sphere by the elevated pole (P), the observer's zenith (Z) and the geographical position of the body (X). Its sides are co-latitude, polar distance (co-declination) and zenith distance (co-altitude).

8In the PZX triangle, the side PX (from the elevated pole to the body) is equal to:

A.The co-latitude of the observer

B.The polar distance, equal to 90 degrees minus declination when the body is on the same side as the pole

C.The zenith distance of the body

D.The local hour angle

Explanation: PX is the polar distance (co-declination). For a body whose declination is the same name as the elevated pole, PX = 90 degrees minus declination; for contrary name it is 90 degrees plus declination.

9Using NP303 / AP3270 Rapid Sight Reduction Tables Volumes 2 and 3, the navigator must enter the tables with whole-number values. This is achieved by choosing an assumed position whose:

A.Latitude is a whole degree and longitude gives a whole-degree local hour angle

B.Latitude and longitude are both the nearest whole degree

C.Longitude equals the DR longitude and latitude is rounded to 0.5 degree

D.Latitude and longitude both equal the geographical position of the body

Explanation: AP3270/NP303 Vols 2 and 3 are entered with whole-degree latitude and whole-degree LHA. The assumed latitude is the nearest whole degree, and the assumed longitude is chosen so that LHA (GHA combined with longitude) is a whole number of degrees.

10AP3270 / NP303 Volume 1 'Selected Stars' is published for a specific epoch (currently Epoch 2025.0). Why is a new edition issued every few years?

A.To account for precession of the equinoxes, which slowly changes the stars' positions relative to Aries

B.Because the stars physically change brightness over time

C.Because the Earth's rotation rate changes measurably each year

D.To update the sun's declination tables

Explanation: Volume 1 tabulates seven selected stars against LHA Aries; precession of the equinoxes gradually shifts star positions relative to the First Point of Aries, so a fresh epoch edition (e.g. 2025.0) is issued roughly every five years to keep accuracy.

About the Yachtmaster Ocean Exam

The RYA Yachtmaster Ocean is the highest certificate in the RYA Yachtmaster scheme, recognised by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Candidates must already hold the Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence and complete a qualifying ocean passage of at least 600 nautical miles and 96 hours using astro navigation. The exam combines a written paper on sights, sight reduction and worldwide meteorology with an oral examination covering ocean passage making, navigation, meteorology, crew management and yacht preparation. The written paper is waived for holders of the RYA/MCA Ocean shorebased course completion certificate or an MCA deck officer Certificate of Competence.

Exam sponsor: Royal Yachting Association (RYA), with certificates issued under the UK MCA. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Question count not published by the exam provider

Time Limit

Oral approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, plus the written paper where not exempt

Passing Score

Assessed to the Yachtmaster Ocean standard by an RYA examiner; a pass is required in both the written paper and the oral

Exam / Certification Fees

GBP 199 (2026 RYA exam fee)

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

30%

Celestial Navigation & Sextant Work

Use and care of the sextant, reading the micrometer, index error on/off the arc, dip for height of eye, refraction and the combined sun lower-limb correction, parallax for the moon, and sun, star, planet and moon sights including twilight star rounds and low-altitude limits

25%

Sight Reduction & Position Fixing

The PZX (navigational) triangle of co-latitude, polar distance and zenith distance, LHA at the pole and azimuth at the zenith, the intercept (Marcq St Hilaire) method with Ho-Mo-To, AP3270/NP303 tables and assumed positions, calculator methods, meridian altitude for latitude, Polaris and the sun-run-sun running fix

12%

Time & the Celestial Sphere

Universal Time (UT/GMT), LMT, standard and zone time, the chronometer and its rate (4 seconds of time equals 1' of longitude), GHA and declination from the Nautical Almanac, LHA by east-add-west-subtract, SHA and GHA Aries for stars, the geographical position and the equation of time

10%

Great Circle & Composite Sailing

Rhumb line (loxodrome) versus great circle, the shortest-distance advantage at high latitude, gnomonic charts on which great circles plot straight, transferring waypoints to a Mercator chart, the vertex, limiting latitude and composite great-circle tracks

13%

Ocean Passage Planning & Yacht Preparation

Routeing/pilot charts (wind roses, currents, ice and gale frequencies) and Ocean Passages for the World, ocean currents and the trade-wind route, victualling and water/fuel planning, chafe protection, spares and maintenance, rig checks and heavy-weather equipment

10%

Worldwide Meteorology

Global circulation and the Hadley cell, the ITCZ/doldrums, trade winds, horse latitudes and subtropical highs such as the Azores high, the Roaring Forties and monsoons, tropical revolving storms (formation, season, warning signs and dangerous/navigable semicircle tactics), Buys Ballot's law and ocean weather sources

Preparing for the Yachtmaster Ocean Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Assessed to the Yachtmaster Ocean standard by an RYA examiner; a pass is required in both the written paper and the oral
Assessment: Question count not published by the exam provider
Time limit: Oral approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, plus the written paper where not exempt
Exam / certification fees: GBP 199 (2026 RYA exam fee) Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

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Yachtmaster Ocean: Suggested Study Strategy

1Practise full sun-run-meridian altitude (sun-run-sun) fixes from your own logged sights, applying index error, dip and the main altitude correction in the right order before plotting the intercept

2Memorise the intercept rule Ho-Mo-To: if observed altitude is more than calculated altitude, lay the intercept off towards the body along the azimuth, then draw the position line at right angles

3Learn the PZX triangle cold: PZ is co-latitude, PX is polar distance (90 degrees minus declination, same name), ZX is zenith distance (90 degrees minus altitude), the angle at P is LHA and the angle at Z is azimuth

4Drill time: 4 seconds of chronometer error equals 1' of longitude (about 1 NM), and find LHA by adding east longitude or subtracting west longitude from GHA

5Know tropical revolving storm tactics: in the northern hemisphere the right-hand semicircle is dangerous, and a yacht in the navigable semicircle runs with the wind on the starboard quarter; the season is roughly June to November

6Use a gnomonic chart to draw the great circle as a straight line, lift off waypoints every 10 degrees of longitude, and impose a limiting latitude with a composite track for high-latitude passages

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean exam?

It is the highest qualification in the RYA Yachtmaster scheme, recognised by the UK MCA. Candidates already holding Yachtmaster Offshore and a qualifying ocean passage are assessed by a written paper on sights, sight reduction and worldwide meteorology, plus an oral examination on ocean passage making.

What does the written paper cover?

The written paper covers astro navigation - taking and reducing sextant sights of the sun, stars, planets and moon, the intercept method and meridian altitude - and worldwide meteorology, including global circulation, trade winds and tropical revolving storms.

Can the written paper be waived?

Yes. The written exam is waived for holders of the RYA/MCA Yachtmaster Ocean shorebased course completion certificate, provided the final exam was invigilated at an RYA Recognised Training Centre, or for holders of an MCA deck officer Certificate of Competence.

What is the qualifying passage requirement?

Candidates must complete a non-stop passage of at least 600 nautical miles and 96 hours, with at least 200 miles more than 50 miles from land, within 10 years of the exam, acting as skipper or watch leader and using astro navigation including sun sights and a compass check.

How much does the Yachtmaster Ocean exam cost in 2026?

The RYA sets the exam fee centrally; for 2026 the Yachtmaster Ocean exam fee is GBP 199. Partial re-exams of specific elements are charged at a lower rate, and training-centre course fees are separate.

What sight reduction tables are used?

The exam expects familiarity with the Nautical Almanac and the AP3270/NP303 Rapid Sight Reduction Tables (Volume 1 selected stars, Volumes 2 and 3 for sun, moon and planets), with awareness of calculator and app-based reduction methods.

Is Yachtmaster Ocean a multiple-choice exam?

No. The real assessment is a worked written paper plus an oral examination. These free practice questions are multiple-choice study aids that drill the same astro navigation, sight reduction, sailing and meteorology knowledge tested in the exam.