Photo: Micah Sittig
There’s a right way to earn your captain’s license—and there’s a long, frustrating way. At Confident Captain, we’ve seen thousands of mariners go through our program. The successful ones have a few things in common… and the ones who struggle? They usually make one (or more) of these five mistakes.
If you want to pass your exam and earn your license, don’t do these five things:
1. Trying to Memorize Multiple Choice Questions
The Mistake:
You’re trying to memorize the multiple-choice questions and answers. That’s not learning—it’s cramming. And it won’t work.
The Truth:
Back in the day, folks would go to the USCG REC and memorize the publicly available question pool. That ship has sailed. I wrote the questions in this course, and you will not see them until test day. There’s no shortcut. Learn your material. I promise, it will be easier and far more effective to do it right.
2. Learning from Friends, YouTube, or Other Outside Sources
The Mistake:
You’re patching together advice from friends, random YouTube videos, or someone who “used to be a captain.”
The Truth:
Look—there are lots of ways to do things on the water. But when it comes to this course and test, there’s only one right way: ours. I wrote the program. I wrote the test. No one is better equipped to help you pass than a Confident Captain instructor. Learn it our way for the test. Do whatever you want once you pass.
3. Lack of Discipline
The Mistake:
You’re inconsistent. You start strong and then ghost your studies for two weeks. Or you think you’ll just wing it last minute.
The Truth:
This isn’t a YouTube rabbit hole—it’s a professional credential. Make yourself a schedule and stick to it. We’ve even written a whole blog post on how to do it. Pick an approach that fits your life, but follow through. Make yourself the promise—and keep it. Do the work and reap the benefits!
4. Assuming Experience Alone Will Get You Through
The Mistake:
You’ve got lots of experience. You’ve run boats. You assume that’ll be enough.
The Truth:
It’s not. This is a government-promulgated course and test, and while we’ve worked hard to strip out the government jargon, you still need to know the testable material. Think “test,” not “experience.” Once you pass the test, your real-world knowledge will make you a great captain. But to pass, learn the material as it’s presented.
5. Over-focusing on Rules of the Road and Plotting
The Mistake:
You spend all your time studying rules and chart plotting and ignore the rest.
The Truth:
Yes, rules and plotting matter—but so do general navigation, deck seamanship, and safety. These topics count. You must study them if you want to pass. Don’t be the person who crushes plotting and then stumbles on the basics of survival gear or buoyage.
Bottom Line: Learn It the Right Way.
Our program is designed by captains, for captains. It’s fully online and built with one goal in mind: to help you pass! But you’ve got to meet us halfway. Avoid these five mistakes, follow the program, and we promise—you’ll come out the other side with your license, your confidence, and a solid foundation to be a great captain.
📍Not enrolled yet? Head to our course page and get started today.
📬 Already a student with questions? Reach out to our support crew at [email protected].
Let’s get you licensed and confident.Fair winds,
Captain Kent
Confident Captain