AMSA Master (Inland waters) near coastal: pathway and assessment

The Master (Inland waters) near coastal certificate is a domestic commercial vessel certificate for inland operations. AMSA says it allows you to command commercial vessels under 45 metres long in inland waters, and to work as a General Purpose Hand.

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 (Inland waters) 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

Master Inland Waters or the Master (Inland waters) NC certificate

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 Inland Waters 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 does not list an AMSA oral exam for this certificate.

• The assessment is run by your registered training organisation, not booked with an AMSA examiner.
• AMSA publishes a guidance notice for this certificate. Read it with the syllabus before you start the course.

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:

• Command commercial vessels under 45 metres long in inland waters.
• Work as a General Purpose Hand near coastal.

Who this certificate is for

• Deck hands and General Purpose Hands who want to command vessels on inland waters.
• Operators of commercial vessels under 45 metres on inland waters who need a master certificate.

Official AMSA requirements

AMSA sets the requirements for the Master Inland Waters 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, completing a medical practitioner assessment under AMSA’s medical requirements (AMSA lists form 1850).
• Have sea service on vessels at least 7.5 metres long, in a deck or deck-and-engineering role: with an AMSA task book, 60 days on commercial vessels; without one, 120 days on commercial or recreational vessels.
• Complete a Certificate III in Maritime Operations (Master Inland Waters Near Coastal) with a registered training organisation.
• Hold a current “Provide first aid” certificate (HLTAID011) or equivalent.
• Apply through myAMSA, or print AMSA form 426 and submit it at a participating Australia Post outlet. AMSA lists form 771 for the record of sea service.

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 1115: Master (Inland waters), skills and knowledge required for Marine Order 505.

AMSA organises the skills and knowledge into these 5 tables:

1. Elements of shipboard safety
2. Follow sound environmental work practices
3. Ship construction
4. Stability
5. 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 Inland Waters 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 <24 m Near Coastal (certificate guide). AMSA says Master <24 m near coastal also allows you to work as Master (Inland waters), and it covers more operating areas.
• Coxswain Grade 1 Near Coastal (certificate guide). Coxswain Grade 1 is a smaller-vessel near coastal certificate, covering vessels under 12 metres in inshore waters.
• Master <45 m Near Coastal (oral exam preparation). Master <45 m near coastal is the certificate AMSA lists with an oral exam for larger domestic vessels.
• All AMSA certificate guides, including the other certificates this site covers.