Career upgrade: Learn practical AI skills for better jobs and higher pay.
Level up
PracticeVideosBlogFlashcardsEspañol
All Practice Exams

100+ Free USCG Lifeboatman Practice Questions

Pass your USCG Lifeboatman / STCW Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSC) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

✓ No registration✓ No credit card✓ No hidden fees✓ Start practicing immediately
Not publicly disclosed Pass Rate
100+ Questions
100% Free
1 / 100
Question 1
Score: 0/0

Which of these is NOT recognized as a distress signal under the Annex IV of COLREGS?

A
B
C
D
to track
Same family resources

Explore More USCG Captain Licenses

Continue into nearby exams from the same family. Each card keeps practice questions, study guides, flashcards, videos, and articles in one place.

USCG OUPV Six-Pack Captain License

Practice Questions
1 blog

STCW Basic Safety Training

Practice Questions

USCG Master 100-Ton Captain License

Practice Questions

USCG Able Seafarer (Able Seaman) Limited

Practice Questions

USCG Able Seafarer (Able Seaman) Special

Practice Questions

USCG Able Seafarer (Able Seaman) Unlimited

Practice Questions

More From This Family

Videos and articles for deeper review.

ArticleFREE USCG OUPV Six-Pack Captain License Guide 2026: Pass First Try27 min read
2026 Statistics

Key Facts: USCG Lifeboatman Exam

50

Q445 Written Questions

USCG NMC Q445 sample exam

70%

Passing Score

USCG NMC sample exams

$95

Q445 Exam Fee

NMC fee schedule

2 min

Immersion Suit Donning Limit

SOLAS LSA Code

406 MHz

EPIRB Distress Frequency

Cospas-Sarsat / SOLAS

Every 3 mo

Lifeboat Launch Drill Interval

SOLAS Chapter III drill requirements

As of May 13, 2026, the Coast Guard's Q445 Lifeboatman sample-exam path is a 50-question written exam (70% to pass) combined with a mandatory practical demonstration of survival-craft launching, recovery, equipment, and operation. A USCG-approved Proficiency in Survival Craft (PSC) course completion is the most common alternative to the Q445 written exam. Topic coverage continues to follow SOLAS Chapter III and the LSA Code: lifeboats and liferafts, davit launching gear (sea painter, falls, gripes, frapping lines), distress signals under COLREGS Annex IV, 406 MHz EPIRBs, 9 GHz SARTs, GMDSS basics, abandon-ship and immersion-suit procedures, and survival actions including hypothermia care and sea-anchor use.

Sample USCG Lifeboatman Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your USCG Lifeboatman exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1What is the primary purpose of the sea painter on a lifeboat?
A.To secure the gripes during stowage
B.To hold the lifeboat alongside the ship while loading and to assist clearing the ship after launch
C.To act as a brake on the falls during lowering
D.To support the boat cover when not in use
Explanation: The sea painter is a long line led well forward from the lifeboat to the ship. It holds the boat alongside during embarkation and, with the ship still making way, helps sheer the lifeboat clear of the ship's side after the falls are released.
2Which device is used to keep the lifeboat from swinging against the ship's side while being lowered in a seaway?
A.Gripes
B.Frapping lines
C.Tricing pendants
D.Bowsing tackle
Explanation: Frapping lines are short lines secured to the falls and tended at the embarkation deck. They are used to prevent the lifeboat from swinging into the ship's side as the boat is lowered, especially in a seaway with vessel motion.
3What is the function of the gripes on a lifeboat?
A.To haul the boat into the water
B.To secure the boat to its stowage position against the davit
C.To attach the painter to the bow
D.To control descent of the falls
Explanation: Gripes are bands or wires that hold the lifeboat firmly against the davit head or cradle while the vessel is underway. They must be slipped (released) before the lifeboat can be swung out and lowered.
4Which of the following is the term for the wire ropes that lower the lifeboat from the davits?
A.Painters
B.Falls
C.Gantlines
D.Lifelines
Explanation: The falls are the wire ropes (or chains) reeved through the davit blocks that physically lower and raise the lifeboat between the embarkation deck and the water.
5What is the most common type of davit used for a modern enclosed lifeboat?
A.Radial davit
B.Quadrantal davit
C.Gravity davit
D.Roller davit
Explanation: Gravity davits use the lifeboat's own weight to roll outboard and lower under controlled braking once the gripes are released and the brake is lifted. They are the standard for modern enclosed lifeboats.
6Under SOLAS, what minimum number of persons must each enclosed lifeboat on a cargo ship be capable of accommodating?
A.It varies by ship design with no SOLAS minimum
B.Sufficient capacity for at least 100% of persons on board on each side, in totally enclosed lifeboats
C.Up to 50 persons only
D.Capacity equal to crew minus the master
Explanation: On cargo ships, SOLAS Chapter III generally requires totally enclosed lifeboats with combined capacity of at least 100% of persons on board on each side (or equivalent free-fall arrangements), so the ship can abandon with either side unusable.
7Which item is REQUIRED equipment in every SOLAS lifeboat?
A.A handheld GPS receiver
B.A first-aid kit, drinking water, food rations, and a sea anchor
C.A spare propeller and shaft assembly
D.A laptop computer
Explanation: SOLAS Chapter III lifeboat equipment lists include a first-aid kit, fresh-water rations, food rations, a sea anchor with shock line, signaling equipment, bailers, and other survival items. A handheld GPS is not part of the mandatory list.
8What is the purpose of the manropes (also called life lines) rigged along the falls during lifeboat operations?
A.To provide a means for crew at the embarkation deck to descend to the lifeboat if needed
B.To act as a sea anchor
C.To replace the painter in heavy weather
D.To support the boat cover
Explanation: Manropes (life lines) are rigged from the davit head to give personnel a hand-over-hand means to descend along the falls into the lifeboat if the embarkation deck cannot be used.
9What is the bowsing tackle used for during lifeboat operations?
A.To pull the lifeboat in tight against the ship's side at the embarkation deck for boarding
B.To release the falls automatically
C.To rig the sea anchor
D.To inflate the liferaft
Explanation: Bowsing tackles (also called bowsing-in lines) are used at the embarkation deck to hold the lifeboat snug against the ship's side so personnel can board safely.
10Which color must a SOLAS lifeboat exterior be painted for visibility?
A.Black
B.White
C.International (chrome) orange
D.Yellow
Explanation: SOLAS requires the exterior of survival craft and rescue boats to be a highly visible color, in practice international orange (chrome orange), so they can be sighted easily from the air and from other vessels.

About the USCG Lifeboatman Exam

The USCG Lifeboatman exam (Q445) is the written test path for the merchant mariner lifeboatman endorsement and aligns with the STCW Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats (PSC) competency. It validates that the mariner can take charge of a survival craft during and after launch, operate survival-craft equipment, manage distress signaling and EPIRB/SART use, and handle first-aid and survival actions at sea.

Assessment

Q445 Lifeboatman: 50-question written multiple-choice exam covering survival-craft equipment, launching procedures, distress signals, EPIRB/SART/GMDSS basics, abandon-ship procedures, and first aid in survival craft. A mandatory practical demonstration of survival-craft launching, recovery, equipment, and operation is required in addition to the written test. Completion of a USCG-approved Proficiency in Survival Craft (PSC) course is a common alternative to the Q445 written exam.

Time Limit

Up to 3.5 hours for the Q445 written module at an REC

Passing Score

70%

Exam Fee

$95 NMC exam fee for the Q445 written test; PSC course tuition varies if used as the alternative path (U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) / Regional Exam Centers)

USCG Lifeboatman Exam Content Outline

25 questions

Survival Craft Equipment & Operation

Lifeboats, liferafts, davits, sea painter, falls, gripes, frapping lines, drain plug, hydrostatic release units, on-load release hooks, and required SOLAS equipment lists.

15 questions

Launching Procedures and Recovery

Davit lowering sequence, brake-release wire, bowsing tackle, tricing pendants, list/trim launching limits, drill frequency, and recovery to stowed position.

15 questions

Distress Signals

Rocket parachute flares, hand-held red flares, buoyant orange smoke, COLREGS Annex IV distress signals, signaling mirror, whistle, and VHF Channel 16 Mayday format.

15 questions

EPIRB / SART / GMDSS Basics

406 MHz EPIRB activation and registration, 9 GHz SART radar display and deployment, survival-craft portable VHF radios, and GMDSS distress alerting basics.

15 questions

Abandon-Ship Procedures

General-alarm signal, muster list duties, immersion-suit donning and entry technique, lifejackets and lights, post-boarding survival-craft actions, and heavy-weather handling.

15 questions

First Aid & Survival at Sea

Hypothermia treatment, HELP and HUDDLE positions, water and food rationing, sea anchor use, shock and seasickness care, thermal protective aids, and helicopter rescue technique.

How to Pass the USCG Lifeboatman Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 70%
  • Assessment: Q445 Lifeboatman: 50-question written multiple-choice exam covering survival-craft equipment, launching procedures, distress signals, EPIRB/SART/GMDSS basics, abandon-ship procedures, and first aid in survival craft. A mandatory practical demonstration of survival-craft launching, recovery, equipment, and operation is required in addition to the written test. Completion of a USCG-approved Proficiency in Survival Craft (PSC) course is a common alternative to the Q445 written exam.
  • Time limit: Up to 3.5 hours for the Q445 written module at an REC
  • Exam fee: $95 NMC exam fee for the Q445 written test; PSC course tuition varies if used as the alternative path

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

USCG Lifeboatman Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master the difference between sea painter, falls, gripes, frapping lines, bowsing tackle, and tricing pendants until you can identify each from a one-line description.
2Drill the full davit launching sequence from gripe-release to falls-release to sea-painter release until it is automatic.
3Memorize the SOLAS lifeboat distress-signal load: 4 rocket parachute flares, 6 hand-held red flares, 2 buoyant orange smoke signals.
4Learn 406 MHz EPIRB activation, hydrostatic release behavior, registration, and the 121.5 MHz homing role.
5Be able to describe the 9 GHz SART's 12-blip radar return and how high to deploy it for maximum line-of-sight range.
6Practice the immersion-suit donning rule (within 2 minutes) and the feet-first crossed-arm water-entry technique.
7Lock in the survival priorities: protection from elements, location/signaling, water, food, and the rule that you do not drink seawater or alcohol.
8Know the SOLAS drill frequencies: lifeboats launched and maneuvered every 3 months; rescue boats targeted monthly and at minimum every 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the USCG Lifeboatman written exam?

The Coast Guard's Q445 Lifeboatman sample exam is a 50-question multiple-choice written test. In addition to the written exam, candidates must pass a practical demonstration of survival-craft launching, recovery, equipment, and operation.

What passing score do I need?

The Q445 Lifeboatman written exam requires 70% to pass, consistent with standard NMC sample-exam passing scores for non-Rules modules.

Can I skip the Q445 written exam by taking a course?

Yes. A completion certificate from a USCG-approved Proficiency in Survival Craft (PSC) course is a common alternative to the Q445 written exam. The course also covers the required practical demonstration. You still must apply through NMC for the lifeboatman endorsement.

What is included in the practical demonstration?

The practical typically covers survival-craft launch and recovery, operating the lifeboat engine, identifying and using SOLAS-required survival-craft equipment, donning an immersion suit and lifejacket, deploying a liferaft and sea anchor, and demonstrating signaling devices.

How much does the Q445 exam cost?

The current NMC fee schedule lists a $95 examination fee. Add a $45 issuance fee for MMC credential changes, plus any application/evaluation fee that applies to your endorsement path. PSC course tuition, if used as the alternative path, is set by each training provider.

What topics matter most for scoring?

Focus on survival-craft equipment and launching procedures (sea painter, falls, gripes, frapping lines, davits, drain plug, HRU), distress signals under COLREGS Annex IV, 406 MHz EPIRB and 9 GHz SART operation, abandon-ship and immersion-suit procedures, and first-aid plus survival actions (hypothermia, HELP/HUDDLE, sea anchor).

How often must lifeboats and rescue boats be drilled?

Under SOLAS Chapter III, each lifeboat must be launched and maneuvered in the water by its assigned operating crew at least once every three months. Rescue boats must be launched with their assigned crew aboard at least once a month so far as is reasonable and practicable, and in any case not less than once every three months.