If You Are Considering Taking Your Boater Exam® Online, Here Is What You Need To Know:

There several online sites where you can get the Pleasure Craft Operator Card.  However, not all of these sites are equal.

I spent considerable time surfing around and finding all the sites where I thought I could get my pleasure craft operating card.  Once I had a list of all the sites, I cross referenced them with the official Government of Canada approved sites.

What I found was a little surprising.  Here is what I discovered:

1. Not all the sites that claimed to be approved are actually approved
2. Some of the sites have had their rights removed by Transport Canada
3. Most sites offer the boater exam® for $49.95, but some charge as much as $74.95
4. Many sites only let you write the test once.  If you fail you have to pay to re-write.
5. Some sites are accepting credit card payment over a Non-Secured site (very dangerous)

After realizing that not all Pleasure Craft Operating Card examination sites are created equal, I decided to make a short list of the best ones.  That way I could recommend a good site when it came up in conversation with others.  Additionally, I wanted to make sure that when I paid my $50.00 I actually would receive my card once I passed the boaters exam®.

With no exception, the best site I found is
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Boater Exam®

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– Boater Exam® charges $49.95

– Boater Exam® gives you a Free study guide

– Boater Exam® Gives you unlimited retries (One per 24 hour period)

– Boater Exam® lets you print a temporary Operators Card to use until the real one arrives in the mail

– Boaters Exam® uses a secure internet connection to accept payment

– Boater Exam® is a Canadian Company, based out of Ottawa, ONT.

– Boater Exam® is approved by the Better Business Bureau

If you spend a little time surfing around as I did, I am certain you will discover the same results; not all of the Pleasure Craft Operators Card testing sites are equal.  If you are looking for a no-hassle, reliable, and authorized site to take your boaters exam®, then hands down, I recommend
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Boater Exam®.  Good Luck on the test!

Like any Government policy, the Pleasure Craft License has it’s fair share of doubters. As of September 15ht, 2009, all boaters in Canada must have the Pleasure Craft Operators Card to legally operate a pleasure craft. The catch is that it costs $50 to take the exam. The real controversy is that the test is too easy and really doesn’t ensure safe boating. On top of that, you can take the boater exam® online, so it’s not exactly a closed book deal. Although, you do have to have someone watch over you to make sure you don’t cheat.

For people who are new to boating, it is my hope that they realize there is much more to safe boating then just taking the $50 online boating exam® to get their pleasure craft license.

For people how have been boating for years, chances are you already know this stuff, so it a blow to the stomach to have to pay 50 bucks to prove it.

Like it or not, you face a $250 fine for not having your
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pleasure craft license this summer.

The Canadian Boating License refers to the Pleasure Craft Operating Card.  As of September 15^th, 2009, every person operating a recreational boat equipped with a motor must have successfully completed the boater exam.  Non-compliance could lead to a fine of $250.  Even if you are operating a sailboat, if it has a motor (on or off) you must have this recreational boat license.

There is a little confusion out there as to exactly what the Canadian boating license is.  The main source of this confusion is that Transport Canada has licensed private companies to administer the ‘boating exam’®.  These private companies have in turn used their own terminology to brand their own product.

The official title is the “Pleasure Craft Operators Card”.  That is what is written on the actual certification card you will receive.  If you do a search on the internet you will see it referred to under countless names, such as: boater exam®, Canadian boating license, Canadian boaters certificate, safe boating license…This list goes on and on.

The term license is somewhat in accurate.  This is a certification that cannot be taken away from the user.  Once you have it, you have it for life.  Technically a license is something that can be revoked.  That being said, the boaters card is somewhat similar to obtaining a license.

Regardless of what you call it, if you plan to operate a pleasure craft in Canadian waters this summer, you must have the card by law.

Getting your Canadian boating license in not too hard.  You can study the free course material then challenge the boating exam® online.  There are a few rules you must follow, such as being supervised by a non-family member, however it is not too complicated.  Many sites will allow you to re-write the boaters exam® (only once per 24 hour period) should you fail on your first attempt.

The most important thing you must be sure of is that you are taking the boaters exam® from a Transport Canada certified provider.  Some of the providers have been suspended, so again be sure the company you use is legit.

I obtained my boating license through
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Boater Exam® .  I had a great experience with them and can recommend them to anyone who requires the Pleasure Craft Operators Card.

First of all, the Canada boater exam® is a boating exam, not a replacement for a full boating education.  The Canadian boating exam® is what you will have to pass to obtain your Pleasure Craft Operators Card.

The Pleasure Craft Operators Card became mandatory as of September 15, 2009 for all motorized pleasure craft.

The
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Canadian boating course was initiated to make sure all boaters have at least the bare minimum of safety education before heading out on the water.  Unlike driving a car, boaters in Canada have never had to pass a test or have a license to operate a boat.

While the Canada boater exam® will teach you the basics of safety and the basic navigational skills you will require, it certainly is not a replacement for a full boating course and practical experience from a knowledgeable boater.

It is easy to go out and buy a boat and head out on the water.  What is not so easy is learning the skills you may one day need in an emergent situation.  The $250 fine you could receive for not having your Pleasure Craft Operators Card is perhaps the least of your worries.   If you do not have the basic boating skills you or one of you passengers may well end up injured or worse, dead.

If you are a knowledgeable boater, by all means, take the simple online boaters exam® and have a wonderful summer on the water.

If you are a beginner boater, take the boater exam® and also enroll in a full boating course in your area.  The skills you will learn will serve you well and you will be confident when heading out on the water that you are prepared for most situations.

If you are going to take the boaters exam® online, make sure it is from a Transport Canada accredited site.  I got my Pleasure Craft Operators Card from
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Boater Exam®.

As of September 15th, 2009 All Canadian Boaters Are Required To Be Licensed.

There are several ways to get your
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Pleasure Craft Operator Card, but perhaps the easiest is to take the boater exam® online.  For a small fee (you won’t be able to avoid the fee anywhere), you can access all the training material you need to study for you boater exam®.  Then once you are ready, you can actually take the test online.  You will have to be supervised by a non-relative, so this really works on the honor system.

Once you pass the exam, you are certified for life.

There are several sites that can grant you your operator card, however, not all of them are accredited by the government of Canada.  You must make sure the one you choose is on the approved list.

To save you a little time, I have research these and have found the easiest site to use:

This is where I took my boaters test

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Whether you like it or not, it is now the law in Canada (and several states) to have passed a simple boater exam® to operate a pleasure craft in Canadian waters

There are people who support both sides of the
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boating exam®, but the fact remains boating accidents and deaths are on rise, and a little education may not be such a bad thing.  Many of us live in rural areas, and there really are not too many boats on the lakes and oceans we recreate on.  On the other hand, there are tons of lakes and coastal areas that see tremendous boater traffic, and if all these boats are not all aware of the basic “rules of the road”, then accidents are bound to happen.

I grew up sailing, so the basic boating rules are obvious to me as I learned them at a very young age.  However, this is not the case for the bulk of pleasure craft operators.  Many people think operating a boat is easy and requires no special skill or specific knowledge.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Is is too easy to just buy or rent a boat and head out on the water with no knowledge or skill.  The real problem occurs when a situations arises where you, as the pleasure craft operator, are required to make a fast decision and you don’t have the knowledge to do it.

The pleasure craft operators card test will not eliminate all the variables, nor will it provide a full education of what a boater really needs to know.  For that you need a mentor and lots of practical experience.

What the pleasure craft operator card will do is educate you on the basic knowledge you must have.  This is the knowledge that can save your life and those of the people on the boat with you.

The good news is, you only have to take the boater exam® once, and given you pass, you are certified for life.

The easiest way to get your pleasure craft operator card is to take an online boater exam®.  All the study material is provided and this saves you from having to spend hours at a training course.  Although, if you have absolutely no boating experience, perhaps a boating safety course is a good idea.

I recently took my boating exam online.  After a lengthy search for a Transport Canada accredited provider, I found
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this site to be the best.

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Boaterexam® provided full training and study materials and lets you take the boater exam® as many times as you like until you pass (only once per 24 hour period).  The best part was I was able to immediately print out a temporary certification card until the real one arrived in the mail.

Have a wonderful and safe summer on the water!!