Aaron makes a good point: You need a concrete reason to spend the time and money getting any kind of certification. I have been thinking about getting an OUPV, mainly as something to do, but cannot really think of a legitimate reason to jump through all those ridiculous hoops. What you need to know is how to apply the readily available information, such as
lights, shapes, signals, nav. etc, to actual use. With the flood of internet sources nowadays, if you can't find this info. you probably shouldn't be operating a boat. Most of it is rote memorization, much of it important for ALL boaters to know. You can only internalize what's actually important by sailing. A paper test is great for getting people to cram down facts, many to be forgotten next week unless used, but has limited correlation to overall proficiency on a boat.