On 1 October 2026, a new question catalog for the UBI radio license takes effect. UBI stands for UKW-Sprechfunkzeugnis für den Binnenschifffahrtsfunk, the German VHF radio certificate for inland shipping. If you plan to take your UBI exam this autumn or later, this change affects you directly. This article explains what is new, what stays the same, and how to prepare with the right version.

What Happens on 1 October 2026

The UBI is the officially recognized authorization to operate a VHF radio installation on inland waterways. The exam is based on an official question catalog that is regularly updated to reflect the current state of technology and regulations. Until now, the 2018 version applied. It is now being fully replaced by the UBI complete question catalog 2026.

The new catalog was published in the German Verkehrsblatt (the official transport gazette) and is authoritative for exams from 1 October 2026. Importantly, this is not a single supplementary sheet or a minor addition, but a completely new version of the catalog. For you as a candidate, that means you should make sure your study material reflects the 2026 version if your exam takes place from October onward.

A New Complete Catalog, Not Just an Update

Even though the catalog was fully rewritten, you do not have to start from scratch. The familiar subject areas of inland waterway radio stay largely the same: traffic circles and the priority of radio traffic, frequencies and their use, the ATIS system (automatic transmitter identification), distress, urgency, and safety traffic, as well as operating and understanding the radio equipment.

What was revised comes down to three things above all: individual questions and wordings, updated technical terms, and adjusted legal references. The way you study therefore stays familiar. Once you understand the topics of inland waterway radio, you will find your way around the new catalog quickly. Even so, it pays to look specifically at the revised points rather than continuing blindly with old material.

VDES Replaces MIB for Digital Data Radio

The most noticeable technical change concerns digital data radio. The previous catalog included the term MIB. The new catalog instead uses VDES, the VHF Data Exchange System.

VDES extends digital communication in the VHF range and is closely linked to AIS (Automatic Identification System). For the UBI exam, the focus is not on the technical system architecture but on the correct conceptual understanding of the term: you should know that VDES stands for the extended exchange of digital data over VHF and that it replaces the previously listed term in the catalog. If you practice with older study material, this is one of the points where an outdated version stands out.

A question catalog refers in many places to applicable regulations and terminology. In the new UBI catalog, these legal references were updated so that the questions match the current legal situation. For candidates, the substance usually shifts little, but the terms and references are brought up to date. This is another reason to study with a current catalog: outdated terminology can cause confusion in an exam based on the 2026 version.

The New Radio Procedure Table: The Key Practical Change

For the practical exam, the new radio procedure table (Sprechfunktafel) is often more important than the changes to individual theory questions. The table sets out the structure by which radio traffic is handled in inland waterway radio. It is therefore not just an addition to the catalog, but directly relevant to the exam.

At its core, it is about clearly distinguishing distress traffic, urgency traffic, and safety traffic and handling each one according to the prescribed structure. These are exactly the procedures that need to be second nature in the practical exam. If you rarely pick up the microphone yourself, do not underestimate this part: examination boards watch for the correct sequence of steps, for example when transmitting a distress message. So practice the radio procedure actively according to the new table, not just in your head.

Which Catalog Applies to Your Exam?

The decisive rule is simple: what matters is the exam date, not the registration date. If your exam is held on or after 1 October 2026, the new 2026 complete catalog applies. If it takes place before that, you are examined on the previous version.

This is especially relevant if you register in late summer 2026 but your exam only takes place in October or later. In that case you should study with the new catalog from the start. If your exam date is safely before 1 October, you can still work with the previous version. When in doubt, looking at the new catalog is worthwhile anyway, because most of the content stays the same and you will be on the safe side.

What Stays the Same

For all the changes, the basic structure of the UBI exam does not change because of the new catalog. The theory exam still consists of 22 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, and you pass with at least 17 correct answers. On top of that comes the practical part with mandatory tasks such as setting up ATIS, equipment knowledge, and correctly transmitting distress, urgency, and safety messages.

The framework conditions also stay the same: the minimum age for the UBI exam is 15, a preparatory course is not mandatory, and the official total fee for admission, exam, and issuing of the certificate remains around 109 euros according to the DSV. So what is new is mainly the content and the radio procedure table, not the exam format itself.

If you are also wondering whether the UBI or the SRC is the right certificate for you in the first place, our comparison UBI or SRC helps you decide. You will also find general information about the certificate on our UBI page.

How to Prepare Now

The single most important recommendation is this: study with the version that matches your exam date. For exams from October 2026 onward, that means working consistently with the 2026 complete catalog and paying particular attention to the revised points, namely VDES instead of MIB, the updated legal references, and the new radio procedure table.

A proven approach is to work through the topic blocks one by one, deliberately repeat common sources of error, and give the practical part enough attention. The radio procedure according to the new table is graded in the exam just like the theory. If you are also working toward the SBF Inland license, you can combine radio and license preparation well, because topics such as distress signals and behavior in an emergency overlap. A good companion piece is our article on distress signals at sea.

Conclusion

On 1 October 2026, the UBI complete question catalog 2026 replaces the previous 2018 version. The subject areas stay largely the same; what was revised are individual questions, technical terms, and legal references. The most visible changes are the switch from MIB to VDES for digital data radio and the new radio procedure table for the practical exam. The exam structure itself is unchanged. What always determines which catalog applies is your exam date.

The Boatpass app is already up to date: you study with the current UBI complete question catalog 2026, practice in a realistic exam mode, and train your mistakes specifically, so you go into the exam confident and well prepared, whether your date falls before or after 1 October.