What is the PPCDL?
Anyone who drives a powered pleasure craft in Singapore port waters must hold a pleasure craft driving licence issued by the Port Master of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). For craft under 24 metres this is the Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence (PPCDL). Craft of 24 metres or more need the Advanced licence (APPCDL), which you can only take once you already hold a PPCDL (MPA (Pleasure Craft) Regulations, reg 31(3)).
Who can take the PPCDL examination?
Under regulation 31 of the MPA (Pleasure Craft) Regulations, to sit the PPCDL examination you must:
- be at least 16 years old;
- have completed an approved course in handling a powered pleasure craft, run by an institution, club or association recognised by the Port Master. MPA lists 9 recognised PPCDL centres; and
- produce a certificate from a medical practitioner showing that you have passed a sight test and are not physically handicapped. The sight test certificate is valid for 6 months.
The examination is conducted in English or in another official language decided by the Port Master, and MPA's fee table lists both a written and an oral theory examination. When you are granted the licence you choose a 5-year licence or a lifetime licence. Holders must pass a medical examination from age 65 and every 3 years after that.
The test format
| Who sets the syllabus | The Port Master (MPA (Pleasure Craft) Regulations, reg 38) |
|---|---|
| Theory examination | Written or oral, as listed in MPA's fee table |
| Language | English, or another official language the Port Master decides |
| Number of questions, time and pass mark | Not published on the MPA pages we checked. Ask your course centre. |
Because MPA does not publish the question count or pass mark, our timed practice round uses 50 questions in 50 minutes. It is a practice format, not the official one.
What our questions cover
Our 200 questions are written from the regulations and international rules that apply in Singapore port waters, grouped into six areas:
- Licensing and MPA rules: who needs a PPCDL or APPCDL, age and medical rules, licence validity, craft licences (SZ and SZH), reporting accidents within 48 hours, carrying capacity, personal watercraft and water-skiing rules, speed limits in rivers, Cruise Bay, the East Johor Strait and the pier approaches, and no anchoring in channels or fairways.
- Collision regulations: steering and sailing: look-out, safe speed, risk of collision, narrow channels and traffic separation schemes, overtaking, head-on and crossing situations, give-way and stand-on duties, and restricted visibility.
- Lights, shapes and sound signals: masthead lights, sidelights and sternlights, the lights small craft may show, vessels not under command, restricted in their ability to manoeuvre, fishing, at anchor and aground, manoeuvring and fog signals, and the port sound signals in the Port Regulations.
- Buoyage and navigation marks: the IALA system with red marks to port and green to starboard when entering from seaward (Region A), cardinal marks and their light rhythms, isolated danger, safe water, special and emergency wreck marks.
- Safety equipment and emergencies: the VHF radio, charts, lifejackets, lifebuoys, buoyant lifelines, hand flares and fire extinguishers a private pleasure craft must carry, recognised distress signals, and the VHF channels used for distress and incident reports.
- Seamanship, weather and tides: spring tides and strong currents, places where the current runs hard, monsoon conditions, tending moorings, anchoring and route planning.
Our site does not show pictures, so every light, shape and buoy is described in words. In your course you will see diagrams too, so learn the pictures as well as the words.
Free official resources, and what we add
The rules themselves are free to read. The MPA (Pleasure Craft) Regulations, the MPA (Port) Regulations and the collision regulations are all published on Singapore Statutes Online, and MPA publishes its port marine circulars on its website.
TestReady SG is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with MPA or with any PPCDL course centre, and our questions are not official exam questions. Here is what our pack adds:
- 200 original questions, so you can test yourself again and again before your exam.
- An explanation for every answer that names the regulation, collision rule or MPA circular it comes from, so you can check it yourself.
- Practice one topic at a time, which helps with the parts people find hard, like lights at night, cardinal marks and fog signals.
How to prepare
- Book your course at a recognised PPCDL centre and get your sight test done (it is valid for 6 months).
- Take the free 10-question test here to see where you stand.
- Learn the collision rules for head-on, crossing and overtaking situations until you can answer without thinking.
- Learn the lights and sound signals: what you see at night tells you what the other vessel is doing and who must give way.
- Learn the buoyage: red to port and green to starboard when entering from seaward, and the cardinal marks by their topmarks and flash patterns (3 for east, 6 plus a long flash for south, 9 for west).
- Learn the local numbers: 5 knots in rivers, 6 knots in Cruise Bay and the pier approaches, 12 knots in the East Johor Strait, accidents reported within 48 hours.
- Practise by topic, then sit timed rounds until you get nearly every question right.
Practice questions with answers
Tap a question to see the correct answer and explanation.
What is the minimum age to qualify as a candidate for the Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence (PPCDL) examination?
- 18 years
- 21 years
- 14 years
- 16 years
Answer: D, 16 years. A candidate for the PPCDL examination must be at least 16 years of age. MPA (Pleasure Craft) Regulations, reg 31(1)(a).
Two power-driven vessels are meeting head-on, so that there is a risk of collision. What must each of them do?
- Alter course to port and pass starboard to starboard
- Alter course to starboard and pass port to port
- The smaller vessel stops and the larger one carries on
- Both keep their course and sound five short blasts
Answer: B, Alter course to starboard and pass port to port. In a head-on situation each power-driven vessel alters course to starboard so that each passes on the port side of the other. COLREGS, as given effect by the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Collisions at Sea) Regulations, Rule 14(a).
You are entering harbour from seaward in IALA Region A. On which side should you keep a red can-shaped lateral buoy?
- On your port side
- On your starboard side
- Either side, if there is enough water
- Directly ahead, passing close to it
Answer: A, On your port side. In Region A, red port hand marks show the port side of the channel when you travel in the conventional direction of buoyage, which is generally the direction taken when approaching a harbour from seaward. IALA Recommendation R1001, The IALA Maritime Buoyage System, sections 2.1.1 and 2.1.3.
A power-driven vessel in sight of you gives one short blast on her whistle. What does it mean?
- "I am altering my course to port"
- "I am operating astern propulsion"
- "I am altering my course to starboard"
- "I doubt that you are keeping clear"
Answer: C, "I am altering my course to starboard". One short blast means "I am altering my course to starboard", two short blasts mean "to port" and three short blasts mean "I am operating astern propulsion". COLREGS, as given effect by the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Collisions at Sea) Regulations, Rule 34(a).
Under the Fourth Schedule safety requirements, how many lifejackets must a pleasure craft licensed for private use carry?
- One for every person carried on board
- One for every two persons on board
- Two in total, whatever the craft size
- Only enough for the children on board
Answer: A, One for every person carried on board. The scale of life-saving appliances requires one lifejacket per person carried on board, for craft of all lengths. MPA (Pleasure Craft) Regulations, Fourth Schedule, para 10.
When are tidal currents around Singapore especially strong?
- During neap tides, at the first and last quarter
- During spring tides, at a full moon or a new moon
- Only at the exact moment of high water
- Only in the hours just after sunset
Answer: B, During spring tides, at a full moon or a new moon. MPA warns that tidal currents are especially strong during spring tides, which occur during a full moon or a new moon. MPA Port Marine Circular No. 35 of 2021, para 4.
What is the speed limit for a vessel navigating in a river within the port?
- 8 knots
- 10 knots
- 5 knots
- 3 knots
Answer: C, 5 knots. No person may cause or permit a vessel navigating in a river to proceed at a speed exceeding 5 knots. MPA (Port) Regulations, reg 62(1).
When does one vessel count as overtaking another under the collision regulations?
- When coming up from anywhere forward of her beam
- When she is the faster of the two vessels
- When coming up from within 10 degrees of her bow
- When coming up from more than 22.5 degrees abaft her beam
Answer: D, When coming up from more than 22.5 degrees abaft her beam. A vessel is overtaking when coming up with another from a direction more than 22.5 degrees abaft her beam, so that at night she would see only the other vessel's sternlight. COLREGS, as given effect by the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Collisions at Sea) Regulations, Rule 13(b).
At night you see a vessel showing two all-round red lights in a vertical line. What does this tell you?
- She is a pilot vessel on duty
- She is a vessel engaged in trawling
- She is a sailing vessel under way
- She is a vessel not under command
Answer: D, She is a vessel not under command. A vessel not under command shows two all-round red lights in a vertical line (and two balls by day). COLREGS, as given effect by the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Collisions at Sea) Regulations, Rule 27(a).
What does a North cardinal mark tell you?
- Safer water lies to the south of the mark
- Safer water lies to the north of the mark
- The danger itself lies to the north of it
- It marks the northern end of an anchorage
Answer: B, Safer water lies to the north of the mark. Cardinal marks show where safer water lies; for example, safer navigable water lies to the north of a North cardinal mark, so you pass it on its north side. IALA Recommendation R1001, The IALA Maritime Buoyage System, section 2.2.1.
Which licence must the driver hold to drive a powered pleasure craft of 24 metres or more in length?
- A Powered Pleasure Craft Driving Licence (PPCDL)
- A Port Limit Steersman manning licence
- An APPCDL (Advanced PPCDL)
- No licence, if the owner is on board
Answer: C, An APPCDL (Advanced PPCDL). The Fifth Schedule requires a PPCDL for craft under 24 m and an APPCDL for craft of 24 m or more. MPA (Pleasure Craft) Regulations, reg 28(1) and Fifth Schedule; MPA, Licensing of Pleasure Craft.
How must every vessel keep a look-out?
- By sight, hearing and all available means
- By sight alone, but only when in busy waters
- By radar alone, if radar is fitted
- Only at night and in restricted visibility
Answer: A, By sight, hearing and all available means. Every vessel must at all times keep a proper look-out by sight and hearing and by all available means, to fully appraise the situation and risk of collision. COLREGS, as given effect by the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Collisions at Sea) Regulations, Rule 5.
Between what times must the navigation lights required by the collision regulations be shown?
- Only between midnight and 0600, every night
- Sunset to sunrise, and in poor visibility
- Only when other craft are within sight of you
- Only when the craft is at anchor
Answer: B, Sunset to sunrise, and in poor visibility. Lights must be shown from sunset to sunrise and, if carried, also from sunrise to sunset in restricted visibility. COLREGS, as given effect by the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Collisions at Sea) Regulations, Rule 20(b) and (c).