Important points while preparing for API 570 Piping Inspector Examination
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kyana maaf
04/03/2026
In this lesson, you shall learn about:
⇒ How To Apply For API 510 Exam,
⇒ What You Shall Expect on Exam Day,
⇒ Exam Time Management &
⇒ Exam Tips.
What you should expect during API exam day?
Periodically, a question writing session is held where Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) or individuals specializing in pressure vessels generate questions from specific sections of the Code. Every question undergoes review by three additional SMEs to ensure accuracy and quality.
This validation exercise checks two items;
1- Is the question written clearly?
2- Does the question cover knowledge that is important to a vessel inspector?
These questions then go into a question data-bank.
With a data bank containing over 1000 questions grouped by topics, exam repeaters will face unique sets of questions, enhancing the assessment’s integrity and fairness.
In each examination, 170 questions are chosen from the question bank, with only 140 being scored. The remaining 30 questions serve as pretest questions and are not included in the scoring. These questions are designed for experimental purposes.
Out of 170 questions, 110 are closed-book questions and 60 are open-book questions.
You have only a limited amount of time to study, so you need to invest your time wisely, that is, obviously, you should spend your study time where you can get the MAXIMUM return!
The remaining 70-90 questions will come from some 2000 pages contained in the other documents. That’s only 1 question for every 20 pages.
If you thoroughly understand API 510 and don’t even look at the other publications , chances are you could pass the test. (we are not recommending this approach!), but remember, almost half of API exam comes straight from API 510 Inspection Code.
API core examinations contain two parts (Closed & Open Book).
First, you would answer the closed book part (2 hours 45 minutes for some 110 questions).
After that, you have a maximum of 45 minutes break when you can leave the building and also use the locker.
After the break, you would start the second part (open book) and need to answer some 60 question within 3.75 hours of allocated time using the reference documents in PDF format available on the computer screen.
In subsequent modules, we shall explain how you could navigate between documents to find the right answer, chart or formulae you need to solve an open book exam question.
45 Minute Exam Break between Closed & Open Book Parts
This means you should start your second part of examination (open book part) no later than 45 minutes after completing the first part in order not to lose any time.
Therefore, if during the 45 minute break, you go for lunch and return later than 45 minutes, your second part of the exam has already automatically started.
Try to report to the examination center around 5 minutes before the end of the 45 minutes break to allow for time spent going through the security check and sign in.
During API 570 examinations, one of our candidates went for lunch and returned half an hour later than 45 minutes break because he was lost.
By the time, he started his second part of the exam; he was already some 30 minutes short of the allocated 3.75 hours because after the 45 minute break, the time for second part of the test (closed book) keeps running regardless of whether you are at your desk or not.
Remember, if you need to leave the examination room for say, using the toilet or drinking water, you need to take your ID with you, report to the security outside the examination room and sign out. On return, you shall go through the same initial security check and sign in.
Remember, your exam is not concluded until your time is up or when you press the ‘end exam’ button (which asks for confirmation to ensure that you have not pressed it accidentally).
You can also see the list of attempted and non attempted questions by pressing the ‘’review all’’ button.
This would ensure that you have not left a question unanswered.
You can see the remaining time at the upper right hand corner of the screen.
There are a few good tutorials in the API ICP (Individual Certification Program) website.
The allocated time seems to be more than enough to answer all the questions as well as review them.
There are 170 questions in the core exams, of which only 140 are scored.
The remaining30 are pre-test questions and not marked towards your score, meaning these pre-test questions do not affect your score whether you have answered them correctly or incorrectly.
The reason for these non scored pre-test questions is that API frequently adds up new questions to their existing question bank.
API needs to ensure that these questions are not significantly challenged by the candidates and also answered by a reasonable number of people before adding them to their question bank as scored questions.
That is not all.
You shall then receive your hard copy of certificate card by post within 2-4 weeks. In the meantime, you can download your card and certificate from your API account within 3 business days after you passed the exam.
This is a huge difference of previously waiting for final score for up to 8 weeks and another 8 weeks to receive your certificate. To read more, click on link below:
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Basic Facts In this lesson, you shall learn about: ⇒ How To Apply For API 510 Exam, ⇒ What You Shall Expect on Exam Day, ⇒ Exam Time Management & ⇒ Exam Tips. What you should expect during API exam
