Certificates of Competence
RYA Certificates of Competence are often the ultimate aim of many aspiring skippers. They are well known, highly respected qualifications worldwide, proving your experience and competence as a skipper.
Certificates of Competence are available at Advanced Powerboat, Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster™ Offshore and Yachtmaster™ Ocean level.
Formal training courses are not compulsory in order to achieve a Certificate of Competence. Instead, provided that you have sufficient experience and seatime, you can put yourself forward for an exam to test your skills and knowledge. However, many candidates choose to book themselves into an RYA training centre for a course or some tailor-made tuition to prepare them for the exam.
For full details of our Certificates of Competence and how to take an exam, see the Exams section on the left, or click here.
In addition to these RYA Certificates of Competence, many of our training centres and affiliated clubs also offer tests for the International Certificate of Competence (ICC). This is a certificate required by leisure boaters visiting many European countries.
Here are full details of the ICC and other information about boating outside the UK.