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Independent study · no certification. Details

Compass Australia is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ACMA, AMSA, the Australian Maritime College, Service NSW, or Australian Sailing. It does not issue a radio qualification or boat licence.

Compass Australia study companion

Australian Marine Radio Study Companion

Direct answer

Independent Australian marine-radio preparation with distinct AWQ and SROCP tracks, DSC boundaries, and fictional spoken-call practice. Compass provides independent knowledge preparation only. It does not administer an official examination, award certification, demonstrate practical competence, or replace current instructions from an authorized provider or authority. AWQ statements of attainment are issued by suitable RTOs; SROCP examinations and certificates are administered through the Australian Maritime College framework.

Price
$39.99 once
Course size
9 modules
Access
Lifetime access
Format
Independent online study companion
Preview the free module

Product tour

Try the revision loop here

This working, course-specific sample uses the same three primary steps and feedback timing as the revision app: learn the idea, use Practise for immediate help, then Test at the end.

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Learn · teaching first

Choose from Station, Area, and Supervision

From Qualification Choice and Boundaries

What you will learn

Identify the station, frequency band, operating area and supervision arrangement before selecting an Australian marine-radio qualification.

Explanation

The qualification question is not simply AWQ or SROCP. Start with what station will be operated, where it will be operated, and who will control or supervise that operation.

ACMA says the qualification depends on the type of maritime station being operated. A person operating only 27 MHz ship-station equipment does not need a marine-radio operator qualification. VHF, HF, satellite GMDSS and specified coast or surveyed-vessel stations sit on different branches. Naming the boat or intended course before naming the fitted station can therefore produce the wrong route.

For VHF within the Australian territorial sea, the current class licence permits operation by a person who holds an Australian Waters Qualification or another specified qualification. It also permits operation under the supervision of a suitably qualified person. Supervision is a legal operating condition, not a Compass shortcut, and the responsible qualified person must genuinely control the operation rather than merely be somewhere aboard.

Give the route decision before paying for training

A learner sees several marine-radio courses advertised under similar names.

Common mistake

Choosing by course price or duration before identifying the station and area

Recap

  • Start with station, band, area and supervision.
  • 27 MHz, VHF, HF and satellite branches are not interchangeable.
  • AWQ is a territorial-sea VHF route; specified certificates cover broader branches.
More ways to revise

Flashcards, audio and interactive tools remain optional support inside the module; they do not replace the Learn → Practise → Test route.

Course route

Learn the knowledge, then take it afloat with an instructor

1Free

Qualification Choice and Boundaries

Current operator and supervision requirements; AWQ, SROCP, LROCP, satellite and GMDSS boundaries; DSC scope; age and administrator differences; and foreign-operation checks.

Open module
2Full access

Equipment, Range, Licensing, and Stations

Australian 27 MHz and VHF class-licence boundaries, station identity, the supply-to-aerial signal path, conditional VHF range, coast and repeater services, controlled checks, fault response, and installation limits.

Open module
3Full access

Phonetics, Procedure Words, and Routine Traffic

Australian routine VHF voice procedure: identified initial calls, the international phonetic and figure code, response-state procedure words, readability and repair, working-channel transfer, off-air rehearsal, and the recognised practical boundary.

Open module
4Full access

Australian Channels and Coast Services

Channel 16, working channels, repeater and local-service awareness, coast and volunteer rescue services, weather and safety broadcasts, local port requirements, and checking current channel information.

Open module
5Full access

Distress Procedure

Distress threshold, voice MAYDAY, AWQ and SROCP DSC scope, Australian shore-infrastructure limits, position, identity, nature, assistance, people aboard, acknowledgement, relay, silence, rescue updates, and false-alert cancellation.

Open module
6Full access

Urgency and Safety Procedure

Urgency and safety thresholds, PAN PAN and SECURITE structures, medical urgency, navigation warnings, weather information, escalation, and current channel arrangements.

Open module
7Full access

AWQ Australian-Waters Track

Current MARC059 scope, VHF and DSC set-up, routine and emergency communication, SAR-information exchange, EPIRB readiness, and the eligible RTO assessment boundary within Australian territorial waters.

Open module
8Full access

SROCP International VHF and DSC Track

Internationally recognised VHF operator scope; MMSI and position readiness; Channel 70 distress, urgency, safety, routine and test signalling; matching voice follow-up; receiving, relay and false-alert roles; and AMC theory and practical boundaries.

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9Full access

Verbal-Call Practice and Official Boundary

Private, no-recording call rehearsal covering current AWQ/SROCP scope, receiver accuracy, focused repair and official assessment boundaries.

Open module

What the companion includes

Clear knowledge and practical boundaries

  • Original lessons and explanations
  • At least 18 explained questions and 12 flashcards per module
  • Three 40-question mixed knowledge assessments
  • Australia terminology, jurisdiction, and primary-source context
  • Practical-awareness prompts clearly separated from assessed knowledge

Not included

  • An AWQ statement of attainment, SROCP certificate, or boat licence
  • RTO or Australian Maritime College assessment
  • Copied examination questions, charts, manuals, or official diagrams
  • A claim that AWQ and SROCP have the same scope
  • A substitute for current ACMA, AMSA, state, or local requirements

Editorial record

Primary-source review

Original content is reviewed against current Australian government and examination-authority sources. State and territory boating requirements remain separate.