API SIRE top 20 tricky questions (with explanations)

🔹 1. Vendor refuses inspection access

🔹 1. What should the inspector do FIRST?
A. Stop work
B. Leave site
C. Escalate to purchaser
D. Argue

👉 Answer: C – Escalate
❗ Trap: Many pick “stop work” → but inspector has no authority to stop vendor operations

🔹 2. Minor deviation found

1. Accept it
   B. Ignore
   C. Approve
   D. Report to purchaser

👉 Answer: D – Report

❗ Inspector NEVER approves deviations

🔹 3. Missing ITP at site

1. Continue inspection
   B. Use experience
   C. Stop and report
   D. Ask technician

👉 Answer: C – Stop and report
❗ No ITP = no controlled inspection

🔹 4. Vendor asks for verbal approval

1. Approve
   B. Ignore
   C. Decline and escalate
   D. Accept temporarily

👉 Answer: C
❗ No verbal approvals—everything must be documented

🔹 5. Two documents conflict (PO vs ITP)

1. Follow ITP
   B. Follow vendor
   C. Escalate
   D. Choose best

👉 Answer: C – Escalate
❗ Never assume hierarchy in conflict—clarify

🔹 6. Witness point missed

1. Reject work
   B. Accept automatically
   C. Review records and report
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C
❗ Witness ≠ mandatory stop (that’s hold point)

🔹 7. Hold point passed without inspector

1. Accept
   B. Reject immediately
   C. Escalate
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C – Escalate
❗ Don’t auto-reject—follow process

🔹 8. Unsafe condition observed

1. Ignore
   B. Continue inspection
   C. Report immediately
   D. Leave site

👉 Answer: C
❗ Safety overrides everything

🔹 9. Inspector unsure about spec requirement

1. Guess
   B. Ask vendor
   C. Escalate / clarify
   D. Skip

👉 Answer: C
❗ Never rely on vendor interpretation

🔹 10. Vendor offers gift

1. Accept politely
   B. Decline and report
   C. Ignore
   D. Accept small items

👉 Answer: B
❗ Ethics = zero tolerance

🔹 11. NDT report shows borderline result

1. Accept
   B. Reject
   C. Escalate for clarification
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C
❗ Inspector doesn’t make final engineering judgment

🔹 12. Drawing revision mismatch

1. Continue
   B. Use latest available
   C. Stop and report
   D. Ask worker

👉 Answer: C
❗ Revision control is critical

🔹 13. Equipment passes test but docs incomplete

1. Accept
   B. Reject
   C. Hold until docs complete
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C
❗ Documentation = part of compliance

🔹 14. Vendor pressures inspector to sign

1. Sign
   B. Delay
   C. Refuse and escalate
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C
❗ No pressure-based decisions

🔹 15. Non-critical defect found

1. Ignore
   B. Accept
   C. Document and report
   D. Fix yourself

👉 Answer: C
❗ Even minor issues must be recorded

🔹 16. Calibration certificate expired

1. Use tool anyway
   B. Ignore
   C. Stop and report
   D. Adjust manually

👉 Answer: C
❗ Uncalibrated tools = invalid inspection

🔹 17. Vendor procedure differs from spec

1. Follow vendor
   B. Follow spec
   C. Escalate
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C
❗ Always resolve conflict formally

🔹 18. Inspector arrives late for hold point

1. Accept work
   B. Reject work
   C. Escalate
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C
❗ Same logic: no unilateral decisions

🔹 19. Test results acceptable but method incorrect

1. Accept
   B. Reject
   C. Escalate
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C
❗ Process matters as much as result

🔹 20. Vendor says “this is standard practice”

1. Accept
   B. Reject
   C. Verify against specs
   D. Ignore

👉 Answer: C
❗ Never rely on vendor claims