FBC PA - Pennsylvania Boating Safety Education Multiple Choice Test Questions and Answers

1. How should a vessel's registration number and validation decal be displayed?

a. On both sides of the stern of the boat
b. On only the starboard side of the boat
c. On both sides of the bow of the boat
d. On only the port side of the boat

2. What is most important when selecting the right PFD for a passenger?

a. Total number of passengers on board
b. Color of the PFD
c. Passenger's body weight and chest size
d. Passenger's age and gender

3. What is the most important safety information on a boat's capacity plate?

a. Minimum number of PFDs required to be on board
b. Minimum number of seats for the operator and passengers
c. Maximum weight and/or number of people the boat can carry safely
d. Maximum capacity of the fuel tanks

4. If you have a recreational vessel with installed toilet facilities, what other equipment must be on board?

a. An operable marine sanitation device
b. A serviceable discharge sensor
c. An ignition control device
d. A waste management placard

5. In Pennsylvania, at what age is a child required to wear a life jacket while underway on a vessel 20 feet or less in length?

a. 6 years old and younger
b. 8 years old and younger
c. 10 years old and younger
d. 12 years old and younger

6. Which type of PFD will turn most unconscious persons face up in the water?

a. Type I
b. Type II
c. Type III
d. Type IV

7. Which side of a vessel has a green light at night?

a. Starboard (right) side
b. Port (left) side
c. Stern
d. Bow

8. Where is the best place to store a fire extinguisher on a boat?

a. Near the engine
b. In a storage compartment
c. In a readily accessible location
d. In a locker with the dock lines and other gear

9. What do the symbols on a fire extinguisher indicate?

a. Minimum charge level
b. Type of fire it will extinguish and relative size of extinguisher
c. Number of times the extinguisher can be used
d. Recommended frequency of inspections

10. What is the purpose of an inboard engine's ventilation system?

a. Provide a flow of fresh air for the cabin area
b. Provide a flow of fresh air for the carburetor intake
c. Avoid backfiring of the carburetor
d. Avoid explosions by removing flammable gases

11. When boating on Lake Erie in an 18-foot boat, what equipment are you legally required to have on board?

a. Blue and white International Code Flag A (or Alfa flag)
b. U.S. Coast Guard-approved visual distress signals
c. Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
d. Compass and Map

12. What sound producing device(s) is required when boating on Pennsylvania state waters in a 28-foot powerboat?

a. None
b. A whistle or other mechanical sound-producing device
c. A power-operated whistle and a bell
d. A power-operated whistle, a horn, and a bell

13. What does a falling barometer indicate?

a. Fair weather
b. Little change in weather for two days
c. Foul weather approaching
d. No winds expected tomorrow

14. What part of a low-head dam poses the greatest hazard from a strong, recirculating current or boil?

a. Top of the dam face
b. Base of the dam
c. 100-150 feet upstream from the dam
d. upstream gate of the lock

15. Which of these should you leave with a friend or relative before taking an extended outing on the water?

a. Float plan for your trip
b. Vessel registration certificate
c. Operator's license
d. Insurance policy

16. What should you do before fueling your boat?

a. Shut off the engine and open all windows, ports, doors, and other openings.
b. Shut off the engine and close all windows, ports, doors, and other openings.
c. Turn on the engine and open all windows, ports, doors, and other openings.
d. Turn on the engine and close all windows, ports, doors, and other openings.

17. Why should you never use a boat's engine to drive it onto a trailer (power load)?

a. You may damage the propeller on the launch ramp.
b. You may damage the engine.
c. The boat's forward motion will likely uncouple the trailer hitch.
d. The propeller's wash can erode sediment just beyond the ramp's surface.

18. When should you turn on the power ventilation system to help eliminate fuel vapors in the bilge?

a. Before filling the fuel tanks
b. While the fuel tanks are being filled
c. After fueling and before starting the engine
d. After starting the engine

19. What equipment does Pennslvania law require on a boat trailer?

a. Orange flag on a 12-foot pole
b. Cushioned bunks
c. Power winch
d. Two safety chains

20. How full should you fill the fuel tank on a PWC?

a. Leave a little empty space in the tank.
b. Fill the tank all the way up.
c. Tip the PWC to top off the fuel tank.
d. Overfill slightly to avoid any air pocket.

21. How can you prevent transporting nuisance species (plants or animals) with your vessel from one waterway to another?

a. Rinse your freshwater live well before leaving an area.
b. Run your vessel through vegetation to cut it up.
c. Release your live bait into the water before leaving an area.
d. Drain the bilge and clean the prop before leaving a waterway.

22. Why should you avoid operating your motorboat or PWC above "slow, now wake speed" near shore?

a. Engine efficiency is reduced.
b. It helps prevent erosion.
c. It's harder to stop a fast boat in shallow water.
d. It's more likely to swamp or capsize near shore.

23. What is the main function of an ignition safety switch?

a. To shut off the engine if the operator is thrown overboard
b. To shut off the engine when the PWC or boat is beached
c. To prevent operation by unauthorized persons
d. To prevent theft when the PWC or boat is left unattended

24. In Pennsylvania, how far must you be from a shoreline, a dock, a person in the water, or an anchored boat if you are operating a boat above "slow, no wake speed"?

a. 25 feet
b. 50 feet
c. 100 feet
d. 200 feet

25. How does the effect of alcohol consumed while boating compare to the effect on land?

a. About the same effect whether on land or out boating
b. Much greater effect while boating
c. Much greater effect when on land
d. Slightly greater effect when on land

26. Which is true about operating a boat in Pennsylvania while "under the influence" of alcohol?

a. Drinking alcohol is not considered to be dangerous.
b. Operating while under the influence does not carry criminal penalties.
c. An officer can stop a boat and use a pre-arrest breath test to determine if an operator is under the influence.
d. A boater paddling a canoe is less likely to be affected as much as someone operating a motorboat.

27. When two vessels are operating in the same general area, who is responsible for avoiding a collision?

a. The operators of both vessels
b. The operator of the stand-on vessel
c. The operator of the give-way vessel
d. The operator of the smaller vessel

28. When boating at night, what does a single white light on a vessel tell you?

a. A sailing vessel is approaching on your starboard (right) side.
b. A sailing vessel is approaching on your port (left) side.
c. A power-driven vessel is approaching head-on.
d. You are overtaking another vessel or it is anchored.

29. What is the main purpose of the lateral system of red and green buoys and markers?

a. To show the outer boundaries of federally controlled waterways
b. To mark channels outside of which it is illegal to boat
c. To mark the edges of safe water areas
d. To provide convenient mooring locations

30. According to Pennsylvania law, what is an illegal operation for a boat less than 20 feet in length moving at greater than "slow, no wake" speed?

a. The boat operating in a clockwise direction
b. The boat operating within 200 feet of a shoreline
c. A person kneeling on or in the boat
d. A person standing on or in the boat