BoatU.S. Foundation Online Course 1 - 2 - 3
- Review your state's mandatory education requirement - click here then click on your state.
- Read through the boating safety materials in our Online Course Study Topics - click here.
- Take the Final Exam - click here then click "Go to Exam Now" at the bottom the page.
Reprinting Your Certificate
Yes, if you need to reprint your certificate after having successfully completed the Online Course, you can do so from any computer with a printer and Internet access.
- Return to the BoatUS Foundation's Online Course home page,
- Click the option that says "Reprint Certificate" and select the course you took from the list that appears on your screen. It is important that you chose the correct test before logging in or you will not have the option to reprint a certificate from another course.
- On the login screen that comes up next, you will need to enter your email address and first name exactly as they were entered when you completed the test.
- After logging in, you will see your personal information. Verify that this is all correct (you can click "Make Changes" to edit any of the information here)
- At the bottom of the screen with your personal information there will be an option that says "Get Previous Certificate". Important: If you do not see this option you may have chosen the wrong course in step 2 above. If you are certain that you selected the correct course, double-check you email address and first name for errors and try again.
- On the next page, click on "Certificate Options" Important: If you live in Florida, Oregon or Washongton, you will need to fill out an additional form to get your state boating card, on this page you will see links for all three states. Before click "Certificate Options," click on your state to open a new window with more infromation and instructions on obtaining your state card.
- Next, click on the button that says "Continue"
- On this last screen you will have the option of printing your certificate on your own printer, or you can ask the Foundation to send you a copy of your certificate for a $5 fee. To print your certificate yourself, click on "Print Certificate" to bring up the certificate screen. In Internet Explorer, click the printer icon to print the page.
History…
The BoatU.S. Foundation acknowledged
in 1996 that there was a need for using the internet to deliver a free boating safety
course to a segment of the public that was not being reached by traditional courses. After
investing several thousand hours and dollars for development, the Online Boating Safety
Course was launched to the public in April 1997. Designed to provide a basic overview of
survival skills on the water, we encourage all boaters to continue their boating safety
education through in-depth classroom courses.
Features…
- This course is approved by the National Association of
Boating Law Administrators and recognized by the US Coast Guard. The course meets
and exceeds their defined minimum education standards. Most insurance companies offer
education discounts for courses that are NASBLA approved and USCG recognized.
- This
course is offered FREE of charge. Upon successful completion of the test with a score of
80% or better, you may request a certificate be sent to you
for a fee of $5.00, OR you may print
out your own certificate free of charge.
- The 75 multiple choice questions offered in this test are randomly generated
from a large pool of questions after you complete the registration form.
A new test will be generated each time you opt to take a new test.
- This
test is a teaching test. If you choose the wrong answer, it will explain
why your answer is wrong and offer you the correct answer.
- You
may receive 10 or more multiple choice questions from the boating office of
the state in which you boat. While not all states accept the on-line course,
most have provided questions pertaining to the boating conditions in their
state. You will need to contact your state's boating office to determine
whether our course fulfills any mandatory education requirements.
- This
course is designed for the novice and the experienced boater. We recommend
you study topics you may be unfamiliar with in advance. To do so,
click on the Study Topics link. If you feel you do not need advance
preparation, you may just begin the exam.
- A glossary is available
to help you with nautical terms.
Introduction…
- This test will evaluate your knowledge of boating
safety and teach you as you proceed.
- You will have
the opportunity to answer each question once to receive credit for that
question. If you choose the incorrect answer, the correct answer will be
shown at that time.
- You may take
the test as often as necessary to pass.
- If you wish to leave the
test, your score will automatically be saved. Your test is saved under
your first name and email address. Be careful to type in exactly what
you entered the first time you registered.
- Those who pass the test and receive
their certificate will not be eligible for additional certificates for one
year. At that point you may return and test your knowledge again.
You may take the test as often as necessary to pass, however.
- Please feel free to fill out the
comment form at the conclusion of the test. The comments of test users
helps us fix problems and add new features that are beneficial to future test
takers.
- Our test contains cookies. These
cookies are used ONLY to track your randomized selection of questions in the
event you choose to leave the test. When you return, the cookie can tell
the database exactly which questions you were offered, in what order, and
where you left off (and your score, of course). That is the ONLY purpose for cookies.
- All personal information is kept on servers that
are off-line, and on a private network. These servers are not
accessible over the internet--you must be directly connected to the
network to access the information. While no security system
is perfect, having your information stored off-line offers an extremely
high level of security for your personal information.
- If
you do chose to "leave and return later", your initial question will not
show your current score. You must answer at least one question to
generate an up to date score.
Reminder…
This course is a general overview of the
basics in boating safety, requirements, navigation, and operation. This course is not
intended to replace the in-depth training a formal classroom course will provide, but
instead to give you a new avenue to access important educational information. The BoatU.S.
Foundation encourages you to sign up for one of the US Power Squadron or US Coast Guard
Auxiliary or state courses available through the Foundation
Courseline.
Remember,
laws and rules change, and it is easy to forget the numerous requirements
and rules that boating has. Taking a refresher test at the start of
the season is a great way to pass the time and brush up on your skills.
Question Review
While taking the test, you will be presented with 50 questions,
similar to the following examples. You will also receive 15 questions dealing with
the boating laws used by your state.
Please review the following questions to familiarize yourself
with the question format, and also review the study topics prior to taking the test.
All questions are multiple choice and have four answers
to choose from.
Sample Question 1:
If you see a boat off your boat's starboard beam, you are seeing
it:
- straight out from the middle of your boat's left side.
- straight ahead of your boat.
- straight out from the middle of your boat's right side.
- in your boat's danger zone.
In the above question,
there are four distinct (a,b,c,d) possible answers, so you must choose which of the five
answers is the BEST choice. In this question, only "c" is correct, so
"c" is your BEST choice.
Take your time and enjoy the course! |
