SRC (VHF) Exam Preparation

Prerequisites

The lesson VHF Radio Basics, which covers channels, prowords, the phonetic alphabet and the priority messages as a crew member uses them.
The lesson VHF and DSC Operation, which covers GMDSS, the MMSI, the channel plan, DSC calls, the full Mayday, Pan-Pan and Securite procedures, and false alert cancellation in depth.
Access to a DSC radio or a DSC simulator (many radio manufacturers and training centres offer free software simulators) so you can rehearse the button sequences.

This lesson does not reteach those topics. It turns them into an exam plan: what the Short Range Certificate assessment looks like, what you must be able to do from memory, and how to practise until you can.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to (RYA Day Skipper shorebased syllabus: Communications, and the RYA/MCA syllabus for the Short Range Certificate):

Describe the SRC course routes, the age rule, and the two parts of the assessment (SRC syllabus: assessment).
Explain the licensing package: Ship Radio Licence, Ship Portable Radio Licence, MMSI and call sign, and what the SRC itself covers (SRC syllabus: licences).
Send a DSC distress alert, designated and undesignated, in the correct order, and follow it with a voice Mayday (SRC syllabus: distress procedures).
Write out a complete Mayday, Pan-Pan and Securite for a given scenario, in the form the written paper expects.
Respond correctly to a received DSC distress alert and voice Mayday, including when to relay.
Cancel a false alert.
Choose the right channel for each purpose and recall the key channel numbers without notes.
Answer typical written test questions under time pressure.

RYA Syllabus Map

Syllabus item	Where it is covered
SRC: course and assessment format	The Certificate and the Exam
SRC: licences, MMSI and call signs	Licences You Need to Talk About
SRC: distress, DSC alert and voice Mayday	The DSC Distress Alert, Step by Step; Voice Scripts
SRC: urgency and safety procedures	Voice Scripts
SRC: receiving and relaying distress	Receiving an Alert in the Exam
SRC: cancelling a false alert	Cancelling a False Alert
SRC: channels and routine calls	Channels to Know Cold
Day Skipper shorebased: Communications	Whole lesson, with the two VHF lessons

The Certificate and the Exam

What the SRC is

The Short Range Certificate is the operator qualification for a DSC-equipped marine VHF radio used in coastal waters (GMDSS Sea Area A1). In the UK it is issued under authority from Ofcom, with the RYA administering the course and the examinations on behalf of the MCA. Anyone operating a fixed or handheld marine VHF must hold the certificate or be supervised by someone who does. On a Day Skipper course the radio content is introduced, but the SRC is a separate qualification, and most charter companies and many insurers expect the skipper to hold one.

Routes to the certificate

There are three ways in:

Classroom course. Usually one full day at an RYA Training Centre, with lessons, practice on simulator radios, and the assessment at the end of the day.
Online course, then an exam. You work through the RYA online material at home, then book a separate exam session at a centre. The online course and the exam are not the same booking: check where and when you can sit the practical exam before buying the online course.
Exam only. Experienced users can book the assessment without a course. This is only sensible if you already handle DSC radios regularly and can write a Mayday from memory.

Age. You must be at least 16 on the day of the exam to be awarded the full certificate. Training centres set their own rules for younger candidates on courses.

Fees. The course fee goes to the training centre. There is also a separate exam fee payable to the RYA, which covers the examiner and the issue of the certificate. The RYA quoted £76 at the time of writing; check the current figure on the RYA website when you book, as it changes.

What you bring. A passport style photograph and a form of identification are normally required for the certificate application. Your centre will tell you exactly what to bring.

The two parts of the assessment

The assessment has a written theory paper and a practical test on a DSC radio or simulator. You must pass both.

Part	Format	Typical length	What it tests
Written theory	Closed book, short answers and a written Mayday	About 30 minutes	Distress and urgency procedure, channels, MMSI, licensing, prowords, phonetics, EPIRB, SART, NAVTEX, forbidden calls
Practical	You operate the set while the examiner plays other stations	About 30 to 45 minutes, often in a small group	DSC alerts, voice procedure, receiving alerts, relays, cancelling, routine calls, entering MMSIs

The examiner is not looking for speed. They are looking for a correct order, a calm voice, a position given in a usable form, and a candidate who knows what to do next. A single procedural slip is usually corrected on the spot and repeated; a candidate who cannot produce a Mayday in order without prompting is the classic fail.

Licences You Need to Talk About

You will be asked about licences in the written paper, and the practical exam assumes you know which identity belongs to which piece of equipment. The lesson VHF and DSC Operation sets out the full table; for the exam, learn these points.

The three requirements

Any marine radio transmission from a UK vessel needs three things in place:

Approved equipment. The set must carry the correct conformity marking for sale and use in the UK and Europe. A radio bought for the American market may be missing international channels.
A licence for the equipment. The Ship Radio Licence, issued by Ofcom, covers the radio installation on a named vessel: fixed VHF, handheld VHF used on that vessel, AIS, radar, EPIRB and SART. It is free when applied for online and must be revalidated every 10 years. It also has to be updated when you add equipment or sell the boat.
A qualified operator. The SRC holder, or someone under their direct supervision.

Identities that come with the licence

Call sign. An international call sign is issued with the Ship Radio Licence. UK yacht call signs typically start with M or 2 and contain letters and numbers, spoken phonetically on air (for example MIKE ALFA BRAVO SIX SEVEN).
MMSI. A nine-digit Maritime Mobile Service Identity, also issued by Ofcom with the licence. A UK ship station MMSI starts with the Maritime Identification Digits 232, 233, 234 or 235. Coast stations start with 00, group calls with a single 0.
Ship Portable Radio Licence. For a handheld that moves between boats. It is linked to the person, not the vessel, and has its own call sign and, if the handheld has DSC, its own MMSI.
EPIRB and PLB. These do not use the MMSI as their identity. They carry a beacon hex ID and must be registered with the UK Beacon Registry.

Exam traps on licensing

The SRC licenses the person; the Ship Radio Licence licenses the boat's equipment. Candidates often mix them up.
A handheld VHF used only aboard your own licensed vessel is covered by the Ship Radio Licence. Taken to another boat, it needs a Ship Portable Radio Licence.
An MMSI is entered into the radio once. Many sets lock after the first entry, so a mistake needs a dealer reset.
The SRC does not cover MF, HF or satellite equipment; that needs the Long Range Certificate.

Channels to Know Cold

You will lose marks in both parts if you hesitate over channel numbers. Learn this table until you can recite it.

Channel	Use	Exam notes
16	Distress, urgency and safety calling; routine calling where no working channel is arranged	Keep calls short and move off it
70	DSC only	Never used for voice. No voice test calls on 70
67	UK small craft safety channel, used by HM Coastguard for working	The Coastguard often moves you here after a Pan-Pan or safety call
06, 08, 72, 77	Intership	06 is also used for search and rescue co-ordination with aircraft
10, 23, 73, 84, 86	Coastguard Maritime Safety Information broadcasts (announced first on 16)	Listen for the announcement, then switch
12, 14	Port operations, typical	Check the almanac for each port
80	UK marinas, primary	M (37) and M2 are also used by marinas and clubs
13	Bridge to bridge navigation safety	Ships keep watch here in some areas

Power settings

Use low power (1 watt) for short-range calls such as marinas and nearby boats. Use high power (25 watts) for distant stations and for distress. Some channels, such as 15 and 17 for on-board communication, are low power only. In the written test, a question that asks what you would check before calling a distant Coastguard station is often after "high power selected".

The DSC Distress Alert, Step by Step

This is the single most important skill in the assessment. Read the full background in VHF and DSC Operation; here the aim is a sequence you can perform without thinking.

Undesignated alert (when there is no time)

Lift the protective cover over the red DISTRESS button.
Press and hold the button for about 5 seconds until the display confirms the alert has been sent. On most sets a countdown or beeps show progress.
The radio transmits your MMSI, position and time (from GPS, or the last manual entry) on Channel 70, with the nature of distress shown as "undesignated".
The radio automatically switches to Channel 16 and turns to high power.
Go straight to the voice Mayday (below).

Designated alert (when you have a few seconds more)

Lift the cover and press the DISTRESS button briefly (do not hold), or open the distress menu.
Scroll to the nature of distress: fire or explosion, flooding, collision, grounding, listing or capsize, sinking, disabled and adrift, abandoning ship, piracy, man overboard.
Check or enter the position and time if there is no GPS.
Press and hold the DISTRESS button for about 5 seconds to send.
The set changes to Channel 16. Send the voice Mayday.

What happens next

The radio repeats the alert automatically about every 3.5 to 4.5 minutes until it is acknowledged by a coast station.
A Coastguard acknowledges by DSC on Channel 70 and by voice on 16. Your set stops repeating.
If you hear nothing, keep repeating the voice Mayday. Ships nearby will hear the alert even if no coast station does.

Practical-exam checklist

The examiner will usually set a scenario with the GPS disconnected. Expect to:

Enter a position manually in latitude and longitude, and a time in UTC.
Choose the nature of distress that fits the scenario.
Say aloud what you are doing as you do it ("I am selecting flooding").
Switch to high power and Channel 16 if the set has not done it for you.
Wait for the acknowledgement rather than talking over it.

Voice Scripts

Each script below is laid out the way you should write it in the written test. Learn the order, not the exact words of any example. The vessel in all three is the yacht Sea Lark, call sign MIKE ALFA BRAVO SIX SEVEN, MMSI 235 012 345.

Mayday

Use a memory aid for the order: MIPDANIO, for Mayday, Identity, Position, Distress nature, Assistance required, Number of people, Information, Over.

The call:

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY THIS IS SEA LARK SEA LARK SEA LARK CALL SIGN MIKE ALFA BRAVO SIX SEVEN MMSI 235 012 345

The message:

MAYDAY SEA LARK, CALL SIGN MIKE ALFA BRAVO SIX SEVEN, MMSI 235 012 345 MY POSITION 50 DEGREES 42 DECIMAL 3 MINUTES NORTH, 001 DEGREE 18 DECIMAL 6 MINUTES WEST (or: 175 DEGREES TRUE FROM ST CATHERINE'S POINT LIGHTHOUSE, 3 MILES) I AM SINKING AFTER STRIKING A SUBMERGED OBJECT I REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE 4 PERSONS ON BOARD WE ARE ABANDONING TO THE LIFERAFT, EPIRB ACTIVATED, 10 METRE YACHT, WHITE HULL OVER

Points the examiner checks:

MAYDAY three times in the call and once at the start of the message.
Name three times, call sign and MMSI once each.
Position either as latitude and longitude, or as a bearing from a charted object and a distance. "From" matters: the bearing is from the object to you.
Nature of distress before assistance required.
Number of people on board, not "crew of".
Ends with OVER, never OVER AND OUT.

Pan-Pan

Urgency: a serious situation concerning the safety of a vessel or person, where there is no grave and imminent danger. A dismasted yacht drifting clear of the shore, or a crew member with a suspected broken arm, are typical examples.

PAN-PAN PAN-PAN PAN-PAN ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS THIS IS SEA LARK SEA LARK SEA LARK CALL SIGN MIKE ALFA BRAVO SIX SEVEN, MMSI 235 012 345 MY POSITION 2 MILES SOUTH OF NEEDLES FAIRWAY BUOY I HAVE LOST MY RUDDER AND AM DRIFTING EAST AT 2 KNOTS I REQUIRE A TOW 4 PERSONS ON BOARD OVER

A DSC urgency alert can be sent first, addressed to all ships or to a coast station, before the voice call on 16. For medical advice, use PAN-PAN MEDICO and the Coastguard will link you to a doctor.

Securite

Safety: a navigational or weather warning. You will rarely send one from a yacht, but you must recognise it and may be asked to write one.

SECURITE SECURITE SECURITE (pronounced say-cure-ee-tay) ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS THIS IS SEA LARK SEA LARK SEA LARK CALL SIGN MIKE ALFA BRAVO SIX SEVEN LISTEN CHANNEL 72 OUT

Then on Channel 72: the same heading, followed by the warning, for example "Large semi-submerged container sighted in position ..., drifting north-east, a danger to navigation", ending with OUT.

Note the difference: a Securite is announced on 16 and the message itself is given on a working channel. A Mayday is given in full on 16.

Receiving an Alert in the Exam

The practical test always includes a received alert. The sequence matters more than speed.

Received DSC distress alert

The alarm sounds. Silence the alarm and read the display: MMSI, nature of distress, position, time. Write them down.
Do not acknowledge by DSC. A yacht should not send a DSC acknowledgement; that is for coast stations. Pressing the acknowledge button on some sets is a common exam error.
Listen on Channel 16 for the voice Mayday, and for a Coastguard acknowledgement. Allow a short interval (around 5 minutes is the usual guidance) for a coast station to respond.
If you are in a position to help and the Coastguard has acknowledged, acknowledge the vessel by voice on 16 and tell the Coastguard what help you can give.
If no coast station has acknowledged and you can hear the casualty or have the details, send a Mayday Relay by voice on 16 to the Coastguard.

Received voice Mayday

Write it down as you hear it. The examiner often reads it quickly. Then acknowledge in this form, if close by and no coast station has answered:

MAYDAY SEA KESTREL SEA KESTREL SEA KESTREL (the casualty, three times) THIS IS SEA LARK SEA LARK SEA LARK RECEIVED MAYDAY

Then give your position, speed and estimated time to reach the casualty, after which the Coastguard takes control.

Mayday Relay

MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY MAYDAY RELAY ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS (or the Coastguard by name) THIS IS SEA LARK SEA LARK SEA LARK CALL SIGN MIKE ALFA BRAVO SIX SEVEN then the casualty's Mayday, word for word, in the third person OVER

Radio silence prowords

SEELONCE MAYDAY: imposed by the station controlling the distress (the Coastguard or the casualty).
SEELONCE DISTRESS: imposed by another station near the distress.
PRUDONCE: restricted working may resume.
SEELONCE FEENEE: distress traffic has ended.

You only need to recognise these and obey them; a yacht never imposes SEELONCE MAYDAY unless it is the casualty.

Cancelling a False Alert

The examiner will ask you to do this deliberately, so practise it.

If the set allows, cancel the DSC alert through its cancel function (most modern sets have one).
Switch to Channel 16, high power.
Make a voice call to all stations:

ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS ALL STATIONS THIS IS SEA LARK SEA LARK SEA LARK CALL SIGN MIKE ALFA BRAVO SIX SEVEN, MMSI 235 012 345 POSITION ... CANCEL MY DISTRESS ALERT OF (date and time UTC) OVER

There is no penalty for a genuine mistake that is cancelled promptly. The penalty is for doing nothing, or switching the radio off and hoping.

Worked Example

Scenario given in the written paper. You are skipper of the 9 m yacht Puffin, call sign MIKE DELTA ZULU FOUR TWO, MMSI 235 444 556. You are 4 miles south of Anvil Point. Fire has broken out in the engine compartment and cannot be controlled. There are three people on board; you are preparing to abandon to the liferaft. Write out your distress call and message.

Step 1. Decide the category. Fire that cannot be controlled, with abandoning imminent, is grave and imminent danger: Mayday, not Pan-Pan.

Step 2. Convert the position. Use a bearing from the charted object. The yacht is south of the point, so the bearing from Anvil Point to the yacht is 180 degrees true. Write "180 degrees true from Anvil Point, 4 miles".

Step 3. Write it in MIPDANIO order.

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY THIS IS PUFFIN PUFFIN PUFFIN CALL SIGN MIKE DELTA ZULU FOUR TWO MMSI 235 444 556 MAYDAY PUFFIN, CALL SIGN MIKE DELTA ZULU FOUR TWO, MMSI 235 444 556 MY POSITION 180 DEGREES TRUE FROM ANVIL POINT, 4 MILES ENGINE FIRE, OUT OF CONTROL I REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE 3 PERSONS ON BOARD ABANDONING TO LIFERAFT, 9 METRE YACHT, BLUE HULL, RED SPRAYHOOD OVER

Step 4. Check the marks. Mayday three times then once. Name three times. Call sign and MMSI. Position from a fixed object with a true bearing and distance. Nature, assistance, number of persons, extra information that helps a searcher find you. OVER.

In the practical, the examiner would then ask you to send the DSC alert first. You would choose the designated alert, nature "fire or explosion", enter the position in latitude and longitude if GPS is off, hold the button for 5 seconds, confirm the set has switched to 16 on high power, and then read the message you have just written.

Common Mistakes

Saying OVER AND OUT. It is contradictory. Use OVER when you expect a reply, OUT when you do not.
Giving a bearing to an object instead of from it. The Coastguard plots from the object.
Pressing the DSC acknowledge button on receipt of a distress alert. Yachts listen first and acknowledge by voice, after the coast station.
Leaving out the number of persons, or giving the crew number and forgetting the skipper.
Using Channel 70 for a voice test. Channel 70 carries DSC data only.
Not entering a position manually when the scenario says the GPS has failed. An alert without a position is far less useful.
Treating a Securite like a Mayday and reading the whole message on 16.
Forgetting the call sign or MMSI in the message part of the Mayday.
Rushing. Speak slowly; a rescue co-ordinator writes your position down as you say it.

Summary

The SRC is the operator certificate for DSC VHF in coastal waters. You take it by classroom course, online course plus exam, or exam only, and must be 16 on exam day.
The assessment is a closed-book written paper of about 30 minutes and a practical test on a DSC set. Both must be passed.
The Ship Radio Licence covers the boat's equipment and brings the call sign and the MMSI. The SRC covers you. A portable licence covers a handheld that moves between boats.
DSC distress alert: lift the cover, choose the nature if time allows, hold the button for 5 seconds, then voice Mayday on 16 with high power.
Mayday order: MIPDANIO. Pan-Pan for urgency without grave and imminent danger. Securite announced on 16, given on a working channel.
On receiving an alert, listen, write it down, let the coast station acknowledge, then offer help or relay.
A false alert is cancelled by voice on 16, promptly.

Check Your Understanding

What are the two parts of the SRC assessment, and roughly how long is the written paper?

Answer: A closed-book written theory paper of about 30 minutes and a practical test operating a DSC radio or simulator. Both parts must be passed.

Which document licenses your boat's VHF, and which licenses you to operate it?

Answer: The Ofcom Ship Radio Licence covers the equipment on the vessel and comes with the call sign and MMSI. The Short Range Certificate qualifies you as the operator.

You hold the DISTRESS button for 1 second and let go. What has happened, and what should you do?

Answer: On most sets a brief press only opens the distress menu or nature selection; no alert has been sent. Choose the nature of distress, check the position, then press and hold for about 5 seconds until the display confirms transmission.

Write the order of a Mayday message using a memory aid.

Answer: MIPDANIO: Mayday, Identity (name, call sign, MMSI), Position, Distress nature, Assistance required, Number of persons, Information (anything that helps), Over.

Your yacht is 3 miles north-west of a lighthouse. How do you give the position by bearing and distance?

Answer: As a true bearing from the lighthouse to the yacht: 315 degrees true from the lighthouse, 3 miles.

You receive a DSC distress alert from another vessel. What is your first action, and should you acknowledge by DSC?

Answer: Silence the alarm, read and write down the MMSI, nature, position and time, and listen on Channel 16. Do not send a DSC acknowledgement; allow a coast station to acknowledge, then offer help by voice. If no coast station responds, send a Mayday Relay.

A crew member has a deep cut that needs medical advice but is not life-threatening. What call do you make, and on which channel?

Answer: PAN-PAN MEDICO to the Coastguard on Channel 16 (optionally preceded by a DSC urgency alert). The Coastguard will usually move you to a working channel such as 67 and link you to a doctor.

You see a floating container in a shipping lane. Outline the call.

Answer: SECURITE three times, ALL STATIONS three times, this is (name three times and call sign), then announce the working channel, for example "listen channel 72", and OUT. On Channel 72 repeat the heading and give the hazard and its position, then OUT.