AMSA Master less than 45 metres near coastal oral exam preparation

The Master less than 45 metres near coastal certificate is a domestic certificate of competency for operating in Australian waters. AMSA says it lets you work as master on commercial vessels up to 45 metres long within the exclusive economic zone, as master on vessels up to 100 metres long in inshore waters, as chief mate or deck watchkeeper on vessels up to 100 metres long within the exclusive economic zone, and as a General Purpose Hand.

AMSA says you need to pass a final oral exam before it issues the certificate, in which an examiner asks you to answer questions verbally to test your skills and knowledge. This page covers what AMSA publishes for that exam and how AMSA organises the topics. It is a domestic commercial vessel (DCV) qualification, assessed under AMSA’s national law framework rather than the international STCW system.

AMSA certificate name

Master less than 45 metres near coastal

Type

Domestic commercial vessel (near coastal) certificate

Oral examination

Required before AMSA issues the certificate; scheduled for 2 hours

AMSA examiner checklist

AMSA 1099

Also called

the Master 45 orals, Master 45, M45, or the Master <45 m near coastal oral

About the AMSA oral examination for this certificate

AMSA schedules oral exams for two hours. Most are held online using Microsoft Teams, and you can request a face-to-face exam when you book, subject to examiner availability. For near coastal certificates, AMSA sends an invitation to sit the oral exam after it has assessed your application. AMSA publishes an examiner checklist (AMSA 1099) and a syllabus for this certificate.

AMSA’s current Master <45 m near coastal examination checklist is AMSA 1099, and AMSA publishes the syllabus alongside it on its Prepare for your oral exam page. Direct links to both documents are listed under Official AMSA sources below. For a full explanation of how AMSA oral exams are booked, run and assessed, read the AMSA oral exam preparation guide.

Who this certificate is for

• People who have completed sea service while holding a Master <24 m or Mate <80 m certificate and are working towards Master <45 m.
• Candidates who have completed, or are completing, the Certificate IV in Maritime Operations (Master up to 45 metres Near Coastal) and now need to prepare for the oral exam.

Official AMSA requirements

AMSA sets the requirements for the Master <45 m Near Coastal certificate. In summary, as AMSA listed them on 3 October 2026:

• Be at least 16 years old on the certificate issue date, be able to speak, read and understand English, and be medically fit for the duties (using AMSA’s medical certificate, form 1850, or a current form 303).
• Have completed sea service while holding a Master less than 24 metres or a Mate less than 80 metres certificate (the Mate <80 m was phased out on 1 January 2023), in charge of the navigational watch on commercial vessels at least 12 metres long. With an AMSA task book AMSA requires 180 days including 120 days in charge of the navigational watch. Without one it requires 360 days including 240 days in charge.
• Complete a Certificate IV in Maritime Operations (Master up to 45 metres Near Coastal) at a registered training organisation, and hold a current first aid certificate (HLTAID011 or equivalent) and a marine radio long range operator certificate of proficiency (LROCP) or higher.
• Apply through myAMSA or with the Certificate of competency application (AMSA form 426) at a participating Australia Post outlet.
• Pass a final oral exam. AMSA says that once it has assessed your application it will invite you to book the exam (if you have not already passed an AMSA exam at your training organisation). You pay an exam fee, and if you do not pass you can try again, paying the fee each time.

This is a summary only, and requirements change. Check AMSA’s certificate page, linked under Official AMSA sources below, for the current requirements before you plan your pathway or book.

What to prepare for: AMSA’s own syllabus and checklist

AMSA publishes a syllabus and an examiner checklist for this certificate. This section follows the headings AMSA itself uses, and summarises them only to show how AMSA organises the material. Download AMSA’s documents, linked under Official AMSA sources, for the full topic lists.

AMSA’s syllabus

Master <45 m Near Coastal – Skills and Knowledge Required for Marine Order 505 (Certificates of competency – national law) 2022

AMSA’s syllabus is organised into these 7 tables:

1. Table 2: Elements of shipboard safety
2. Table 3: Follow sound environmental work practices
3. Table 8B: Coastal navigation
4. Table 8C: Radar
5. Table 9: Vessel construction and machinery
6. Table 9A: Stability and stress conditions
7. Table 9B: Nautical knowledge

AMSA’s examiner checklist

AMSA 1099 – Master <45 m NC examination checklist (aide memoire). AMSA groups the checklist topics under these 14 headings: Management and shipmaster’s business; Standards of watchkeeping; Bridge equipment; Navigational charts and publications; Stress and stability; Cargo work; Marine engineering systems; Ship handling; Prevention of pollution; Emergency situations, response and equipment; Dry docking; Search and rescue; Essential shipboard equipment and machinery; Collision regulations.

Under some of those headings, AMSA’s checklist lists topics such as the following (a summary, not the full list):

• Management and shipmaster’s business: limits to near coastal certificates and area of operation; load line rules; the roles of AMSA and accredited surveyors; the national law, Marine Orders and the NSCV; safety management systems, risk assessments and the master’s authority; OHS/WHS legislation; record keeping; certificates, survey schedules and notices; joining a vessel as Master; reporting of incidents, near misses and deficiencies.
• Marine engineering systems: engineering systems such as steering gear; engine room alarms and failures.
• Ship handling: berthing and unberthing in different conditions including tidal waters; anchoring and use of anchors; interaction between vessels, shallow water effect, bank effect and under-keel clearance.
• Emergency situations, response and equipment: blackout or steering failure; grounding; collision; water ingress; confined space entry; distress, urgency and safety messages; towing; man overboard; the Master’s obligation to render assistance; controlling flooding when fighting a fire; heavy weather, weather forecasting and tropical revolving storms; damage control.

Examples of topics AMSA rates A

AMSA says A-rated topics are safety-critical knowledge you must demonstrate to pass, and advises spending the most time on them. On this checklist, examples of topics AMSA rates A include:

• Management and shipmaster’s business: limits to near coastal certificates and area of operation; safety management systems, risk assessments, master’s authority and drills; OHS/WHS legislation; responsibilities and duties; certificates, survey schedules and notices; joining a vessel as Master; reporting of incidents, near misses and deficiencies.
• Standards of watchkeeping: maintaining a proper lookout; watchkeeping in different conditions; position fixing using different techniques; voyage planning (practical application).
• Navigational charts and publications: chart corrections, symbols, chart datum and publications; electronic chart systems and chart plotters.
• Stress and stability: principles of flotation and the effect of density on draft; load line marks and draft reading; weight distribution, angle of loll and free surface effect; interpreting a GZ curve and stability definitions; the stability booklet.
• Cargo work, Ship handling and Prevention of pollution: cargo securing; lifting gear and safety precautions; berthing and unberthing; anchoring; interaction, shallow water and bank effect; action in a pollution incident and to prevent pollution; the garbage placard and disposal.
• Emergency situations, response and equipment: blackout or steering failure; grounding; collision; water ingress; confined space entry; man overboard; the Master’s obligation to render assistance; controlling flooding when fighting a fire; avoiding tropical revolving storms.
• Collision regulations: buoyage Region A; Rules 1, 2, 3 and the annexes; Rules 4–18, 19, 20–31 and 32–35.

What AMSA tells candidates

• AMSA’s checklist says questions should be framed around managing the ship as a whole.
• AMSA says the examiner checklist shows the topics you need to understand and the level of knowledge expected, and that the syllabus lists the knowledge and skills you will be assessed against.
• The syllabus tables are taken directly from AMSA 730, Skills and Knowledge Required for Marine Order 505, and only the tables specific to this certificate are included.

Suggested study structure

This is our own suggested study structure. It is not an AMSA syllabus and it is not a list of actual exam questions.

• Use the checklist headings as your timetable. AMSA’s 14 checklist headings make a natural study timetable. Within each heading, start with the topics AMSA rates A.
• Link each syllabus table to your task book and sea service. For each of the seven syllabus tables, pick one real job from your sea service or task book you could describe in the orals.

How AMSA Examiner helps you prepare

AMSA Examiner is a study platform. After you register and enrol for a rank, it gives you these tools:

• Learning topics that you work through in order.
• A Quiz Bank for practice questions.
• Mind maps for revision.
• A study plan built around your exam date.
• Weak-area identification and a revision book.
• Exam readiness reports.

The content you see depends on the rank you enrol for and on what has been published for that rank. AMSA Examiner’s practice material is study material. It is not official AMSA examination content, and it cannot predict the questions you will be asked.

Preparation strategy

AMSA’s own advice is to use the checklist as your study plan, prepare examples from your sea service, practise answering aloud and check your readiness before you book. For this certificate, that advice looks like this:

Related certificates

• Master <100 m Near Coastal oral exam preparation. Master <100 m near coastal is the next domestic step, and AMSA lists Master <45 m among its eligible prerequisites.
• Master <500 GT oral exam preparation. AMSA lists Master <45 m near coastal (unrestricted) as a route into the international Master <500 GT certificate.
• All AMSA oral exam preparation guides, including the other certificates this site covers.