AMSA Master less than 24 m near coastal: pathway and assessment

The Master less than 24 metres near coastal certificate is a domestic commercial vessel certificate. AMSA says it allows you to work as master on commercial vessels up to 24 metres long within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Unlike Master <45 m and Master <100 m near coastal, this certificate is not on AMSA’s list of near coastal certificates that need an oral exam. This page explains the pathway AMSA describes instead: eligibility, training, sea service and the practical assessment.

AMSA certificate name

Master less than 24 metres near coastal

Type

Domestic commercial vessel (near coastal) certificate

Oral examination

Not listed by AMSA for this certificate

Assessment AMSA describes

AMSA says you must complete an AMSA Mandated Practical Assessment (AMPA) with a registered training organisation.

Also called

the Master <24 m NC certificate or Master 24 m near coastal

About the AMSA examination for this certificate

AMSA’s oral exam page lists the certificates that need an AMSA oral exam. For near coastal certificates, that list is Master <45 m, Master <100 m, Marine Engine Driver Grade 1 and Engineer Class 3. Master <24 m Near Coastal is not on it, and AMSA says an oral exam is not needed for near coastal certificates that are not listed.

AMSA says you must complete an AMSA Mandated Practical Assessment (AMPA) with a registered training organisation. AMSA’s page does not state how long it takes, and does not list an AMSA oral exam for this certificate.

• The assessment is run by your registered training organisation as part of the qualification, not booked with an AMSA examiner like the near coastal oral exams.
• Ask your training organisation how and when it schedules the AMPA, and which evidence it needs from your sea service.

For how AMSA oral exams work for the certificates that do need one, read the AMSA oral exam preparation guide.

What the certificate allows you to do

As AMSA describes it on its certificate page:

• Work as master on commercial vessels up to 24 metres long within the EEZ.
• Work as chief mate or deck watchkeeper on vessels up to 45 metres long within the EEZ.
• Work as chief mate or deck watchkeeper on vessels up to 100 metres long in inshore waters.
• Perform General Purpose Hand duties and work as Master (Inland waters).

Who this certificate is for

• Deck hands and General Purpose Hands working towards command of smaller commercial vessels.
• Coxswains and other near coastal seafarers stepping up to master.
• Candidates who may later want Mate <500 GT, because AMSA lists Master <24 m near coastal (unrestricted) as one of the certificates that make you eligible for it.

Official AMSA requirements

AMSA sets the requirements for the Master <24 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, and be able to speak, read and understand English.
• Be medically fit for the duties, following AMSA’s medical requirements (AMSA lists form 1850, with form 303 as an alternative).
• Have sea service on vessels at least 7.5 metres long, in a deck or deck-and-engineering role: with an AMSA task book, 120 days on commercial vessels; without one, 360 days, at least half of them on commercial vessels.
• Complete a Certificate III in Maritime Operations (Master less than 24 m Near Coastal) with a registered training organisation.
• Hold a current “Provide first aid” certificate (HLTAID011) and a marine radio Long Range Operator Certificate of Proficiency (LROCP).
• Apply through myAMSA, or on AMSA form 426 at a participating Australia Post outlet.

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.

AMSA’s syllabus for this certificate

AMSA 1100: Master <24 m Near Coastal, skills and knowledge required for Marine Order 505.

AMSA organises the skills and knowledge into these 7 tables:

1. Elements of shipboard safety
2. Follow sound environmental work practices
3. Ship construction
4. Stability
5. Coastal navigation
6. Radar
7. Nautical knowledge

These are the table headings AMSA prints in its syllabus for this certificate. They show how AMSA organises the knowledge; they are not a list of questions.

Preparing for the assessment

This is our own study advice. It is not an AMSA syllabus and it is not a list of actual assessment questions.

AMSA Examiner and this certificate

AMSA Examiner is built around AMSA oral exam preparation. Because AMSA does not list an oral exam for Master <24 m Near Coastal, the oral-exam checklist and mock oral tools are not what this certificate’s assessment uses. If this rank is available to you, the study tools below can still help you revise the underlying knowledge, but they do not replace your training provider’s course or any assessment AMSA requires.

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.

Related certificates

• Master <45 m Near Coastal (oral exam preparation). The next certificate up. Unlike Master <24 m, AMSA does list an oral exam for Master <45 m near coastal.
• Master Inland Waters Near Coastal (certificate guide). AMSA says Master <24 m near coastal also allows you to work as Master (Inland waters).
• Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal (certificate guide). Coxswain Grade 1 is a smaller-vessel near coastal certificate, covering vessels under 12 metres.
• Mate <500 GT (oral exam preparation). AMSA lists Master <24 m near coastal (unrestricted) as one of the certificates that make you eligible for Mate <500 GT.
• All AMSA certificate guides, including the other certificates this site covers.