PassFirst
GMDSS DM · FCC GMDSS MAINTAINER (DM)

FCC GMDSS Maintainer (DM) Practice Test

Pass the FCC GMDSS Maintainer exam — Element 9 maintenance plus radio law, for at-sea GMDSS equipment maintenance.

Start free practice → No signup required to try it.
28
credentials, one engine
Live
and current for 2026
20–80h
typical prep, fully scoped
GMDSS DM Coach
Coming soon · GMDSS DM
CoachWalk me through the first check on your list. What are you looking for?
YouI'd start by listening for the warning before I touch anything else…
Listening — speak naturally, no scripts
Try it free — no signup

Five questions. See how it teaches.

This is the whole difference. Get one wrong and you won't just see the answer — you'll meet the tutor.

Loading sample questions…

What's covered

A tutor, not a question bank.

The full breakdown

What's on the GMDSS DM exam — and how to pass it.

The FCC GMDSS Radio Maintainer’s License (DM) is the credential a technician needs to maintain and repair GMDSS shipboard equipment at sea. If you service VHF-DSC and MF/HF radios, Inmarsat terminals, EPIRBs, SARTs, or NAVTEX receivers on SOLAS vessels under the at-sea maintenance option, this is your ticket.

What’s on the exam

The DM license is earned by passing two written elements:

  • Element 9 — GMDSS Equipment Maintenance. The big technical exam: VHF-DSC and MF/HF-DSC/SITOR (NBDP) equipment, Inmarsat and satellite systems, EPIRBs, SARTs and NAVTEX, power sources and batteries, antennas and propagation, test equipment and measurement, fault diagnosis, and installation/inspection.
  • Element 1 — Marine Radio Law. Marine radio law and operating procedures: equipment and license requirements, watchkeeping, logkeeping, distress/urgency/safety procedures, and equipment operation.

How PassFirst helps

  • Drawn from the real question pools. The GMDSS Maintainer exam uses fixed, public question pools published with answer keys — the USCG NAVCEN Element 9 pool and the FCC Commercial Element 1 pool. Every PassFirst item is grounded in those pools, so you practice the exact facts the exam tests, with explanations that tell you why the keyed answer is right.
  • Adaptive practice. Our engine targets the topics where you’re weakest — whether that’s measuring SWR on a marine antenna, sizing a NICAD reserve-power string, or 47 CFR Part 80 equipment-certification rules — so every minute moves the needle.
  • Tutor mode. Stuck on a DSC carrier-frequency tolerance or an EPIRB battery-replacement rule? Ask why and get a clear explanation tied to the principle, the procedure, or the rule.

Built for marine techs and surveyors who’d rather pass once than re-test.

Why candidates switch

The category looks identical. We're the exception.

Every other GMDSS DM app is the same rectangle of question, four buttons, one big "Next." It works — and it's genuinely uninspiring.

The incumbent app

  • Shows the answer, never the reasoning
  • Same random questions for everyone
  • No way to practice the out-loud parts
  • Streaks, timers, and leaderboards that add pressure
  • Content that quietly goes stale

PassFirst

  • A tutor that teaches the why on every miss
  • Adaptive engine that targets your weak topics
  • Honest diagnostics — no anxiety theater
  • Re-ingested against the live source documents
Simple pricing

One fair price. No tricks.

Pay once and keep access until you pass. Subscribe only if you're studying across multiple certifications. Cancel in one tap — never buried.

One-time purchase
$59

Full GMDSS DM access until you pass.

  • Entire adaptive question pool
  • Unlimited Socratic tutor
  • Readiness diagnostics & mastery tracking
Get started
Or subscribe
$19.99/mo

Useful if you're prepping for more than one credential. Cancel anytime.

  • Everything in the one-time plan
  • Access across all live verticals
  • $149/yr — save 38%
Compare plans
Before you commit

The honest answers.

Will this actually get me to pass?

No app can guarantee a pass — anyone who promises that is lying to you. What we can do is target your weak topics, teach the reasoning behind every miss, and give you an honest readiness signal before you sit the exam. Most candidates who reach "ready" on our diagnostic pass on the first try.

Is the content current for 2026?

Yes. Questions are generated and checked against the current GMDSS DM source documents, then re-ingested on a schedule when those documents change. We don't ship loosely paraphrased material.

Can I get a refund?

If PassFirst isn't right for you, email us within 14 days for a full refund — no rage-bait "are you sure?" flow, no hoops. We'd rather you trust us than feel trapped.

What if the rules change?

The question pool tracks the current federal source documents. When the regulations update, the affected questions are regenerated and re-verified — and your access carries through it.

Do you have my exam version?

This is a federal credential, so the question pool is scoped to exactly the federal knowledge sections you'll be tested on — no state variations to worry about.

Ready to start?

Try the first five questions free. See how PassFirst feels before you commit a dollar.

Start free practice →