CPYB Yacht Broker Exam Study Guide (2026)
Everything the Certified Professional Yacht Broker (CPYB) tests, topic by topic: what each section covers, the facts that come up most, and how to study it. Pair it with the free 15-question practice test.
The exam at a glance
| Questions | Five module assessments, one per Principal Knowledge Category; total question count not published by YBAA, confirm with YBAA |
|---|---|
| Time | 3 hours in total per YBAA; all five assessments must be passed within 30 days of receiving exam credentials |
| Passing score | 80% or higher on each of the five assessments; pass or fail is shown immediately |
| Format | Online and proctored. YBAA does not publish whether notes or The Guide may be used, so confirm with YBAA. Application also requires three references, two of them from CPYB holders |
| Certifying body | Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA), which runs the CPYB program with partner associations |
| Test provider | Online, proctored; candidates email YBAA to schedule after a two to three week application review |
Mind map: the whole exam on one screen
Read the complete CPYB Yacht Broker study notes for “US, State and Local Laws”
Our first full set of comprehensive notes, about 15 minutes of reading: Who needs a license · Florida exemptions and qualifications · Bonds and trust accounts · Discipline and closing duties · Sale-of-goods law, a worked exam example, the traps examiners use and a one-minute recap. Create a free account to read it and see how premium notes work before you decide.
1. US, State and Local Laws
Part of Laws and Regulations (20% of the exam, with international law and federal regulations; YBAA does not publish the split). State licensing, trust accounts, contract law and the local rules that shape a yacht sale.
Key facts
- Licensing varies by jurisdiction. Florida and California license yacht brokers and salespersons; many states have no yacht-specific license, but CPYB candidates must hold whatever licenses apply.
- Florida's Yacht and Ship Brokers' Act (ch. 326) covers pleasure vessels over 32 feet. Brokers post a US$25,000 bond or letter of credit; salespersons post US$10,000.
- Florida exemptions include selling your own yacht, attorneys in their professional capacity, receivers under court order, sales of new yachts and foreclosure of a security interest.
- To become a Florida broker, a person must first be a licensed salesperson and show involvement in at least four sales or at least 20 approved education credits.
- California's Yacht and Ship Brokers Act (Harbors and Navigation Code, from section 700) applies to vessels of 16 feet or more and under 300 gross tons.
- Florida requires transaction funds in a trust account at a Florida institution with net worth above US$5 million, and an itemized closing statement to both parties.
- A sale of a yacht is a sale of goods, so Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code generally applies in the US, including its rules on warranties and conspicuous disclaimers.
- Sales and use tax rules differ by state, and Florida treats violations of tax collection law in a yacht transaction as grounds for discipline.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Know the rule for the state where you work, but be ready for Florida and California detail, since they have the best-known statutes.
2. International Law and US Federal Regulations
Part of Laws and Regulations (20% with state and local law). Federal documentation, liens, customs, passenger-carrying rules, and the international framework for yachts sold across borders.
Key facts
- A vessel of at least 5 net tons, wholly owned by US citizens, is eligible for federal documentation (46 CFR Part 67). Recreational use does not require it, but most marine lenders do.
- Endorsements are registry, coastwise, fishery and recreational. Coastwise and fishery endorsements require US build; a recreational endorsement has no build restriction.
- Coastwise laws reserve carrying passengers or merchandise between US points to qualified US-built vessels, so a foreign-built yacht cannot simply start paid charters in US waters.
- An uninspected passenger vessel under 100 gross tons can carry up to six passengers for hire; carrying more moves the vessel into inspected categories, subject to the rules for the vessel's size.
- A cruising license relieves qualifying foreign pleasure vessels of repeated entry and clearance. It lasts up to one year and does not cover offering the yacht for sale to US residents.
- A preferred ship mortgage is recorded with the National Vessel Documentation Center; maritime liens arise without recording.
- MARPOL Annex VI applies Tier III NOx limits in emission control areas to recreational yachts of 24 m load line length and over and under 500 GT built from 1 January 2021.
- A US trade or business that receives more than US$10,000 in cash in one transaction or related transactions must file IRS Form 8300 within 15 days.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Tonnage questions often hide the trap that gross and net tons are volumes, so a heavy boat is not necessarily a high-tonnage boat.
3. Yacht Design and Construction Materials
Part of Technical Knowledge, the largest category at 30% (with marine systems, standards and navigation; YBAA does not publish the split). Hull forms, stability concepts and how each construction material ages.
Key facts
- Displacement hulls are limited by hull speed, about 1.34 times the square root of waterline length in feet. Planing hulls rise onto the water and need more power per ton.
- Semi-displacement hulls cruise above hull speed without fully planing. Deep-V planing hulls ride well in a head sea but need more power than flatter forms.
- Fiberglass (FRP) hulls may be solid or cored. Coring saves weight and adds stiffness, but water in a core at a poorly sealed penetration causes rot or delamination.
- Osmotic blisters form when water passes through the gel coat and reacts with water-soluble materials in the laminate.
- Aluminum hulls are light and strong but vulnerable to galvanic and stray-current corrosion; marine grades include the 5000 series.
- Steel is strong and repairable but needs constant coating maintenance; wood needs attention to rot and fastenings.
- LOA is length overall, LWL is length at the waterline, and beam is maximum width. Draft is the depth of the lowest point below the waterline.
- Displacement is the weight of water the vessel displaces, which equals the vessel's weight. Gross tonnage is a volume, not a weight.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Learn what each material looks like when it fails. Exam scenarios usually start from a survey finding and ask what it means.
Test yourself on these topics
Take the free 15-question CPYB Yacht Broker test, then save your results to unlock your Readiness Score and the mistakes bank.
4. Marine Systems, Standards and Classifications
Part of Technical Knowledge (30%). Electrical, mechanical and propulsion systems, ABYC standards, CE categories and class society rules that buyers and surveyors rely on.
Key facts
- ABYC standards are voluntary technical practices for recreational boats in the US; federal rules such as 33 CFR Part 183 are mandatory for what they cover.
- Classification societies such as ABS, Lloyd's Register, RINA, DNV and Bureau Veritas set construction rules and survey vessels to keep them in class.
Flashcards
Exam tip: When a listing claims 'class', 'MCA' or 'CE', ask which certificate proves it and whether it is current. That is how the exam frames these topics.
5. Marine Navigation and Terminology
Part of Technical Knowledge (30%). Working vocabulary, units, navigation equipment and the range and speed arithmetic brokers use with buyers.
Key facts
- One nautical mile is 1,852 m, or about 1.15 statute miles. One knot is one nautical mile per hour.
- Range equals usable fuel divided by burn rate, multiplied by speed. Always subtract the reserve first.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Do range problems in nautical miles from start to finish, and take off the reserve before dividing.
6. Listing, Selling and Fiduciary Responsibilities
The Yacht Broker's Responsibility category, 20% of the exam. Duties of listing and selling brokers, the fiduciary duties owed to a client, agency, and honest dealing with the other side.
Key facts
- Fiduciary duty covers loyalty, disclosure of material facts, confidentiality, accountability for funds and competence.
- A listing broker markets the vessel, presents all offers promptly and accurately, protects the seller's negotiating position and manages through closing.
Flashcards
Exam tip: When two duties seem to collide, truthfulness wins: stay silent on confidential numbers, never lie about facts.
7. Contracts, Documents and Closing
The Transactions category, 20% of the exam. Listing and purchase agreements, survey and acceptance, title work, closing mechanics and commission arithmetic.
Key facts
- Typical documents are the listing agreement, purchase and sale agreement, vessel acceptance or rejection form, closing statement and bill of sale.
- Deposits are held in escrow, commonly 10% of the price, and are released only under the contract or the written agreement of all parties.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Follow the money and the deadlines. Most transaction questions turn on who holds funds and whether a date was changed in writing.
8. Ethics
10% of the exam, assessed as its own module with its own 80% pass. Based on the CPYB Code of Ethics, which covers competence, honest dealing, multiple offers, broker cooperation, trust accounts and written commitments.
Key facts
- Article 1: maintain competence, work within your expertise and refer to specialists when needed.
- Article 2: represent vessels truthfully, disclose known defects and conflicts, and correct errors promptly.
Flashcards
Exam tip: Ethics has its own 80% pass, so read the Code itself rather than relying on general professional instinct.
How to pass
- Each of the five assessments must reach 80% on its own, so a strong technical score cannot rescue a weak ethics score. Ethics is only 10% of the blueprint but it is a separate pass.
- Technical Knowledge is the largest category at 30%. Brokers who came up through sales often need the most review on hull construction, marine systems and classification.
- Read the CPYB Code of Ethics article by article. Multiple offers, protecting another broker's negotiation and trust account handling are all covered specifically.
- Your 30-day window starts when you receive your credentials, so finish The Guide or a YBAA study session before you ask to schedule.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I study for the CPYB Yacht Broker exam?
Most working candidates need 4 to 8 weeks at 45 to 60 minutes a day. Book your exam once your Readiness Score has stayed at 80 or higher for about a week.
Can I take the CPYB Yacht Broker exam online?
Yes. ABYC certification exams are taken with a proctor: online through a remote proctoring service, or for some certifications at the end of an ABYC class. Format: online and proctored. ybaa does not publish whether notes or the guide may be used, so confirm with ybaa. application also requires three references, two of them from cpyb holders. Ask the ABYC Education Department which reference materials are allowed.
What score do I need to pass the CPYB Yacht Broker exam?
80% or higher on each of the five assessments; pass or fail is shown immediately. The exam has five module assessments, one per principal knowledge category; total question count not published by ybaa, confirm with ybaa and a time limit of 3 hours in total per ybaa; all five assessments must be passed within 30 days of receiving exam credentials.
What are the most tested topics?
The outline covers us, state and local laws, international law and us federal regulations, yacht design and construction materials, marine systems, standards and classifications, marine navigation and terminology, listing, selling and fiduciary responsibilities, contracts, documents and closing, ethics. Use the free practice test to see which ones you need most.
The premium CPYB Yacht Broker study path
Premium CPYB Yacht Broker prep is studied one topic at a time. Each step starts with that topic's key notes and flashcard deck, then its own question sets of 25, so you master one topic before you move to the next. When every topic is strong, the 6 full mock exams show you're ready.
Your step-by-step study path
- 1US, State and Local Laws8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Notes free with an account
- 2International Law and US Federal Regulations8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 3Yacht Design and Construction Materials8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 4Marine Systems, Standards and Classifications8 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 5Marine Navigation and Terminology7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 6Listing, Selling and Fiduciary Responsibilities7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 7Contracts, Documents and Closing7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- 8Ethics7 key notes, 100 flashcards, then 375 practice questions in 15 sets of 25Premium
- Final step: 6 full mock exams50 questions each, timed like test day. Pass them, then book your exam.Premium
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- 800 flashcards + 60 key notes per exam, by topic, plus mind maps
- Spaced repetition + mistakes bank
- Readiness Score & detailed reports
- Video lessons as they release
- Content updates during your access
- 5 bonuses: numbers and formulas sheet, standards map, study planner and more
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Summarized from ABYC's official candidate information and the rules cited, checked November 2026. Confirm current requirements with Yacht Brokers Association of America (YBAA), which runs the CPYB program with partner associations.