PCOC Boating Test study guide and books
Start with the free official guide — it is what the test is written from. Books only help if you want printed practice or a structured course.
- 4 official
Free
Official guide
Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 2026) — Transport Canada
Transport Canada, Office of Boating Safety · Free PDF · 2026
Transport Canada's free overview of the rules for pleasure craft: proof of competency, equipment by boat length, lights, buoys, rules of the road, emergencies and cold water. It is not the official PCOC course manual, but most questions on this site cite a page of it. Read the equipment tables and the reference cards at the back first.
Guide de sécurité nautique (TP 511F, 2026) — Transports Canada
Transports Canada, Bureau de la sécurité nautique · PDF gratuit · 2026
Official French edition of the Safe Boating Guide, for candidates who will take the test in French.
An Owner's Guide to Private Buoys — Transport Canada
Transport Canada, Navigation Protection Program · Free PDF · 2021
Short illustrated guide that explains buoy colours, odd and even numbers, flat and pointed tops, light colours and the white special buoys with orange symbols. A clear companion to the buoy reference cards in the Safe Boating Guide.
The Canadian Aids to Navigation System (2023) — Canadian Coast Guard
Canadian Coast Guard · Free online · 2023
The full Coast Guard standard for buoys, daybeacons and lights, including cardinal buoy colour patterns and flash characters. More detail than the PCOC test needs, but the definitive reference if a buoy question puzzles you.