RYA VHF Radio Course Online

SRC Marine VHF Radio Course- Online

Book your course by clicking HERE, and we will sign you up for the online course. (Please allow one working day for this to be set up.) Joining Instructions will be sent to you with login information by email.

Where?                     Online

How Long?               At your own pace

How Old?                 16 (Min age 12 for the course but 16 for the end-of-course assessment and the issue of the official licence- Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.)

How Much?              £80 (See note for exam fee below) 

The Exam fee is £76 and this is paid directly to the RYA here. Once you've paid, please bring your receipt email/exam application form with you. If you are just taking the exam with us and not the course (in person or Online), we charge £40 for conducting the Exam at our premises.

ABOUT THE COURSE:

The Short Range Certificate is essential for anyone who owns a fixed or handheld marine VHF radio. A radio is an important piece of safety equipment on board and it is vital to understand the correct procedures.

The Short Range Certificate is the minimum qualification required by law to control the operation of VHF and VHF Digital Selective Calling (DSC) equipment on any British-flagged vessel voluntarily fitted with a radio either fixed or handheld.

It is possible to undertake the RYA VHF/Short Range Certificate Course either online or in a classroom. The end-of-course assessment is still taken in the classroom though.

Taking the course online is a great option for those who want to do the course in the evenings or when travelling.

The course will be examined using our Icom training radios. The exam will also include a short written test.

CONTENT:

Basics of radio operation, frequencies, distress, emergency and medical assistance procedures, making ship-to-shore telephone calls, Digital Selective Calling, Global Maritime Distress Safety System

PRIOR EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

None. Ahead of the course, we will send you a course handbook and instructions on what preparation to undertake. This course pack can be an eBook or a printed copy.

UNDERTAKING THE COURSE:

The online course breaks down the teaching of all aspects of using a VHF Radio into manageable sections. As you work through each section there are various methods used to ensure that you have understood the subject such as little quizzes and even the chance to use a simulator to make and record practice calls. Throughout there are recordings of radio calls so that you can hear what a real call would sound like.

You work through the course at your own pace. Once you have finished the various sections of the course you take an online practice test to check that you have the right level of knowledge for the assessment itself.

The dashboard gives you access to all aspects of the course including the additional videos to help you get to grips with the subjects.

Completing the end-of-course test then leads the RYA Interactive system to issue you your own unique certificate. You will need to take this with you when attending the assessment.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A SHORT VIDEO ABOUT THE COURSE

PRACTICAL ASSESSMENT:

Simply complete the online course, then arrange to complete the separate exam and practical assessment. Contact us for an exam date once you have completed the online course and pay for your exam directly with the RYA.

The Exam fee is £76 and this is paid directly to the RYA here Once you've paid, please bring your receipt email/exam application form with you. If you are just taking the exam with us and not the course (in person or Online), we charge £40 for conducting the Exam at our premises. 

Please see HERE for courses taking place at SBSC that you could join for assessment (approx. time 4pm).

We may be able to schedule on specific dates for your assessment please email us at courses.sbsc@gmail.com

If you have undertaken the course online, when you come to the examination we will arrange some time for you to get used to the VHF radios you will be using.

JUST NEED AN ASSESSMENT?

If you took the online course with another provider then we're always happy to undertake the assessment for you. Please note though that the other Training Centre will need to send us the assessment card to arrive before you sit the assessment.

Last updated 14:43 on 23 July 2025