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PCOC Boating Test overview

PCOC Boating Test Mock Exam 5

Same format as the real test. Answers stay hidden until you submit. The official time limit is not published; the timer is a practice setting.

  • 36 questions
  • untimed
  • Pass mark 27/36
0/36
Mock exam 5 · Question 10 answered

How long does a buoyant smoke signal produce orange smoke?

All 36 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

  1. How long does a buoyant smoke signal produce orange smoke?

    1. About 3 minutes
    2. About 50 seconds
    3. About 10 minutes
    4. About 30 seconds

  2. In general, what must a seaplane on the water do?

    1. Stay within marked channels
    2. Hold course while boats give way
    3. Keep well clear of all vessels
    4. Sound one prolonged blast

  3. In which province does the 10 km/h shoreline speed limit apply on all waters?

    1. New Brunswick
    2. Quebec
    3. Prince Edward Island
    4. Saskatchewan

  4. Why is a cell phone not a substitute for a marine radio in a distress situation?

    1. It can't reach the Coast Guard
    2. It is illegal on the water
    3. It works only in daylight
    4. It won't alert nearby vessels

  5. Why is boating near overhead power lines especially risky at night?

    1. Power is shut off at night
    2. Lines are higher at night
    3. Lines sag into the water
    4. The lines are harder to see

  6. On which side of the boat should you bring a person back aboard?

    1. The leeward side
    2. The windward side
    3. Over the bow only
    4. Over the motor

  7. What do the coloured bands on a red and green bifurcation buoy tell you?

    1. The bottom band shows the deeper side
    2. The buoy must be avoided
    3. The top band shows the main channel
    4. It marks a swimming area

  8. Which factor must you consider when choosing a safe speed?

    1. The colour of your hull
    2. The time you are due home
    3. Visibility and nearby traffic
    4. Your engine's top speed

  9. From your boat you notice people acting suspiciously near a hydro dam. What should you do?

    1. Approach and question them
    2. Ignore it; it's not your concern
    3. Film them up close
    4. Report it to police without approaching

  10. A first conviction for impaired boating can lead to which penalty?

    1. A one-season PCOC suspension only
    2. Only a $100 ticket
    3. A ban on driving a car as well as a boat
    4. Only a warning

  11. Your 14 m sailboat is motoring along the coast in daylight with its sails up. What shape must it display?

    1. A black ball in the rigging
    2. A diamond on the mast
    3. A cone, point down, forward
    4. A cylinder at the stern

  12. Which rope meets the rules for a buoyant heaving line?

    1. Any dock line at least 15 m long
    2. The anchor line, if it floats
    3. Two short floating ropes tied together to reach 15 m
    4. One continuous floating rope kept for safety only

  13. In a historic canal, how close to a lock gate or dam may you swim?

    1. No closer than 10 m
    2. No closer than 100 m
    3. No closer than 40 m
    4. Anywhere outside the channel

  14. What kind of numbers does a green port hand buoy carry?

    1. Depth in metres
    2. Odd numbers
    3. Even numbers
    4. Letters only

  15. A 15-year-old asks to drive a personal watercraft while her father rides behind her. Is this allowed?

    1. Yes, during daylight only
    2. Yes, with direct supervision
    3. Yes, if the PWC is under 40 hp
    4. No, under 16 cannot operate a PWC

  16. What can happen to someone who sends a false distress signal?

    1. A verbal warning only
    2. A free courtesy check
    3. Criminal Code charges
    4. A $50 fine only

  17. Can you use a remote-controlled boat to tow a person on a kneeboard?

    1. No, never
    2. Yes, in daylight
    3. Yes, under 10 km/h
    4. Yes, with a spotter on shore

  18. Why are bilge cleaners a poor fix for oily bilge water?

    1. They are illegal everywhere
    2. They only break oil into smaller drops
    3. They quickly damage the bilge pump seals
    4. They make oil float higher

  19. You are running a power boat in fog. What must you have ready?

    1. Your engines, for immediate manoeuvre
    2. Your flares, ready to fire every minute
    3. Your anchor, ready to drop
    4. Your liferaft, inflated

  20. What lights may a canoe or kayak show when paddling at night?

    1. No lights are needed
    2. A white flashlight or lantern, shown in time
    3. A flashing yellow light mounted on the stern
    4. A red and green bow light only

  21. Which sound appliance must a vessel 12 m or longer carry?

    1. A siren
    2. A bell only
    3. A gong
    4. A whistle

  22. What is the MMSI programmed into a DSC marine radio?

    1. Your pleasure craft licence number
    2. A 4-digit radio password
    3. A 9-digit number that identifies your vessel
    4. Your operator card number

  23. When fuelling, which is a green boating habit?

    1. Rinse spills into the water
    2. Fill until fuel overflows
    3. Leave the engine running
    4. Don't top off the tank

  24. What does an orange diamond on a white buoy mark?

    1. A swimming area
    2. A mooring spot for visiting boats
    3. A hazard such as a rock or shoal
    4. A fuel dock

  25. At night, what colour light does a lighted port hand buoy show?

    1. Green
    2. White
    3. Red
    4. Yellow

  26. How often does a vessel at anchor in fog ring its bell rapidly for about 5 seconds?

    1. Every 5 minutes
    2. Only when it hears a boat
    3. Every 2 minutes
    4. At least every minute

  27. Why throw something that floats to a person who has fallen overboard?

    1. It helps them float and marks the spot
    2. It slows the boat down
    3. It keeps the boat from drifting
    4. It shows rescuers the current

  28. You see a white buoy with an orange diamond containing an orange cross. What does it mean?

    1. All vessels are banned from the area
    2. A speed limit is in effect in the area
    3. A rock or shoal lies below
    4. Information about a marina

  29. As the give-way vessel in a crossing situation, what should you avoid doing if you can?

    1. Passing astern of it
    2. Slowing down
    3. Crossing ahead of the other boat
    4. Altering course to starboard

  30. Are portable toilets allowed on Ontario waters?

    1. Yes, if emptied daily
    2. Yes, on boats under 6 m
    3. Yes, on any boat
    4. No, they are illegal there

  31. In which situation may you go without nautical charts and publications?

    1. Your boat is under 6 m
    2. You stay within 5 km of shore and only in daylight
    3. You have a GPS app
    4. Under 100 tons and you know the waters very well

  32. The skier you are about to tow is not wearing a lifejacket. What must you have?

    1. A signed waiver
    2. A second spotter watching the skier
    3. A tow rope over 30 m
    4. A lifejacket on board for them

  33. You tow a small dinghy with a 15 hp motor behind your cruiser. Does the dinghy need its own licence?

    1. No, tenders are always exempt
    2. Only if it is used after dark
    3. No, the cruiser's licence covers it
    4. Yes, tenders with 10 hp or more need one

  34. What colour is the sidelight on a boat's port (left) side?

    1. Yellow
    2. Green
    3. White
    4. Red

  35. Over what arc of the horizon does a masthead light shine?

    1. 360 degrees
    2. 112.5 degrees
    3. 225 degrees
    4. 135 degrees

  36. What kind of top does an unlighted starboard hand buoy have?

    1. A round top
    2. A pointed (conical) top
    3. A yellow X topmark
    4. A flat top

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