Inland ship manoeuvrability has more complex features than that of sea-going ships due to constrains of inland waterways and complicated ship configurations. In order to clarify the complexity of manoeuvring, impact factors of navigation environment and ship particulars are first analysed to point out the determinants for evaluation. After reviewing existing standards of testing manoeuvres and criteria, it is concluded that there is a lack of knowledge to develop design guidance for manoeuvring in shallow/restricted water, which is the common sailing condition for inland vessels, making a proper evaluation more difficult. For the purpose of achieving more realistic judgement on manoeuvrability, benchmark manoeuvres are proposed for discussion. Conclusions are drawn on the need of validation for the effectiveness of testing manoeuvres and elaborate manoeuvring criteria for inland vessels.