Element 3 & Element 7
Free online practice tests for GMDSS Element 3 and Element 7.
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is a vital life-saving system found on vessels. Knowing how to operate GMDSS equipment is critical, and the FCC and USCG make sure of it through their licensing programs.
Passing your GMDSS Radio Operator License Exam can be hard. The exam includes plenty of obscure trick questions, and the best way to get comfortable, and learn to spot those trick questions, is to take as many GMDSS practice tests as you can.
We compiled a database of hundreds of questions to give you the practice you need, covering both GMDSS Element 3 and GMDSS Element 7, which you can conveniently study online.
Click a link below to start an instant GMDSS element quiz.
General radiotelephone operator knowledge: radio law, operating procedures, and equipment basics.
605 questions · Start an instant quiz →
GMDSS radio operating practices: DSC, INMARSAT, NAVTEX, EPIRBs, SART, and distress procedures.
600 questions · Start an instant quiz →
GMDSS questions center on the equipment and procedures that keep a distress call from going unanswered. Expect questions on digital selective calling (DSC) on VHF and MF/HF, satellite communications, NAVTEX and maritime safety information, EPIRBs and search and rescue transponders, watchkeeping requirements, and the exact procedures for distress, urgency, and safety traffic.
The questions reward precision. Frequencies, channel numbers, alarm signals, and priority orders are all fair game, and the wrong answers are written to look plausible. Repetition with the real question pool is the reliable way to make the details stick.
These are real questions from the U.S. Coast Guard question pool, exactly as they appear in the bank. Click through to any question to answer it and see whether you got it right.
Element 3 covers general radiotelephone operator knowledge: radio law, operating procedures, and equipment fundamentals. Element 7 covers GMDSS operating practices in depth, including DSC, satellite systems, and distress procedures. The GMDSS Radio Operator license requires passing both.
Crew members responsible for radio communications on vessels required to carry GMDSS equipment, which includes most commercial vessels on international voyages. Many deck officers earn it as part of their STCW credentials.
Each element is a multiple-choice exam drawn from a published pool of several hundred questions. You can practice both complete pools on this site with instant grading.
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