NFCP Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts

What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and What It Does Not)

This is a one-page-style review of the National First Class Pilot (NFCP) examination content administered by the United States Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC). The relevant exam is listed as FCP01, and its modules run from Q100 through Q375. Think of this page as a map: it tells you which modules exist, which ones apply to your route, and which topics sit inside each.

It is deliberately not a promise about exam length, question counts, or domain percentages. The published NMC Examination Guide (regulations effective 2014-03-24) does not supply official percentage weights for these groups, and it is not a new 2026 universal exam specification. Your individual approval to test and the current NMC module-topic index determine what you actually sit. If you want the deeper walk-through of each area after this overview, the NFCP Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas expands every group.

The Six Preparation Groups at a Glance

The published guide (section 2.1.2.4) requires one Rules module and one chart-plot module. That is why the count is six groups rather than seven: Q100 and Q300 are alternatives for the same slot, and Q372 and Q373 are alternatives for another.

Groups 1 through 4 have a published topic catalog you can study against. Groups 5 and 6 do not, and that distinction shapes everything about how you prepare. If you are still confirming whether you qualify to test at all, see NFCP Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

Rules of the Road: Q100 or Q300 by Route

Your route decides which Rules module applies. Q100 covers the International and Inland rules; Q300 covers Inland only. You sit one of them, not both.

A practical note: because the module you take depends on your route, do not memorize both rule sets to the same depth on day one. Confirm your route first, then commit most of your Rules study to the module you will actually be tested on. Where a route uses Q100, expect to know how the international and inland regimes differ, since the module name itself signals both.

Deck General/Safety (Q370): Seamanship, Handling, Firefighting, Law

This is the broadest module in the published catalog and the one most tied to hands-on piloting work. The catalog groups it into several clusters.

The handling topics reward conceptual understanding over rote recall. Be able to explain why bank effect pushes a bow off, how shallow water changes a vessel's response, and how advance and transfer relate to a turn circle. Those relationships, not isolated definitions, are what the topic list is pointing at. If you are gauging how demanding this material is in practice, How Hard Is the NFCP Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 gives context.

Navigation General (Q371): Position, Compass, Weather, Tides

Q371 is the theory side of navigation. Its catalog entries cluster into a handful of families.

Navigation and Position Determination

• Estimated time of arrival
• Piloting and distance off
• Bearing problems
• Fix or running fix
• Chart navigation and dead reckoning
• Electronic navigation
• Instruments and accessories
• Aids to navigation
• Charts, navigation publications, and Notices to Mariners

Watchkeeping and Safety Regulation

• Basic principles of watchkeeping
• Navigation Safety Regulations (33 CFR 164)

Compass Work

• Principles of the magnetic compass
• Gyro compass error and correction
• Magnetic compass error and correction
• Determination of compass error by terrestrial observation

Environment

• Meteorology and oceanography
• Tides and tidal currents

Chart Plot: Q372 or Q373

You take one chart-plot module. Q373 is the river-route module; Q372 is for other routes. The published topic catalog for this group is the practical-application twin of Q371:

• Piloting and distance off
• Bearing problems
• Fix or running fix
• Chart navigation and dead reckoning
• Electronic navigation
• Instruments and accessories
• Aids to navigation
• Charts, navigation publications, and Notices to Mariners

The skill here is working problems accurately with real plotting instruments and chart conventions. Speed and precision come only from repetition, so do not treat Q371 reading as a substitute for plotting practice. Because the river and non-river modules are separate, confirm which one your route requires before you spend weeks drilling the wrong set.

Local Knowledge (Q374) and Chart Sketch (Q375)

These two groups are where candidates most often go wrong, because there is no national syllabus to memorize. Per the published guide, both are determined by the Coast Guard Sector for the local area and desired route. The instruction is to contact the Regional Examination Center (REC) for details.

For how Local Knowledge and Chart Sketch fit into the broader preparation picture, the NFCP Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt covers planning in more depth.

Route Extensions and Master/Mate Over 1600 GRT Cases

Not every candidate takes the ordinary complete exam. The published guide distinguishes it from route extensions and from qualified Master/Mate-over-1600-GRT cases. For those cases, its table requires Local Knowledge and Chart Sketch only.

Whether you fall into one of the reduced categories is determined through your individual approval to test, not by this article. If you believe a reduced set applies, confirm it with the REC before you plan your study time, since it changes your workload dramatically.

Sequencing Your Prep Around the Route

One short plan, tied to the structure above rather than to generic habits. The logic: lock down route-dependent decisions first, build theory before plotting, and reserve your freshest weeks for the locally defined material that no book can supply.

Adjust the timing to your own situation; the sequence matters more than the week counts. To check your readiness along the way, the NFCP practice test lets you work through exam-style questions on the published topic areas.

Pre-Exam Checklist

1. Route confirmed: you know which Rules module and which chart-plot module apply.
2. Approval in hand: your individual approval to test matches the modules you prepared for.
3. REC contacted: you have the Sector's Local Knowledge and Chart Sketch requirements in writing or notes.
4. Handling concepts explainable: turn circle, pivot point, advance and transfer, bank and passing-ship interaction.
5. Compass error routine: you can determine and apply magnetic and gyro error without hesitation.
6. Plotting fluency: fixes, running fixes, distance off, and dead reckoning done accurately with your instruments.
7. Sketch rehearsed: courses, distances, aids, depths, and key route features reproduced from memory.

For scheduling and fee mechanics, check current guidance directly with the NMC and your REC, since this article does not state dates or amounts. Our pieces on NFCP Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling and NFCP Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown explain what to ask and where to look.

Frequently Asked Questions

For a broader foundation on the credential itself, see What Is NFCP?, and for a plan beyond this one-pager, return to the full NFCP study guide or the practice test site.