In this module, you shall learn about:
In a nutshell, an API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspector should know about:
The API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspector examination has two sets of references as study materials:
One set contains ASME codes (Section VIII (Pressure Vessels); Section IX (Welding), and Section V (Non-destructive Testing)).
The second set of study materials or reference documents mostly contain the recommended practices:
API RP 572 (Inspection of Pressure Vessels); API RP 576 (Pressure-Relieving Devices); API RP 571 (Damage Mechanisms); API RP 577 (Welding Inspection); API RP 578 (PMI); PCC-2 (Repair) and finally, the all-important API 510 (Pressure Vessel Inspection Code).
Most of questions from these codes are in open book part of the examination and of calculation type.
You need not memorize them but should know where to look for when solving the open book questions. This is especially important because the search button is disabled during the exam.
You should also know how to navigate through these codes and recommended practices during open book part.
When reading a code, don’t immediately dive into the details. Get the bigger picture.
First, understand what the code covers by reviewing the opening paragraphs of each code. This is generally called the Scope or Introduction.
Next, look at the table of contents to understand how the code is structured. This step is often overlooked, and the inspector fails to get the scenario or the purpose of the code.
The closed book exam questions coming from codes and recommended practices are the ones that an inspector would expect to be using on daily basis and therefore, you need to memorize them. These are called practical type of questions.
But don’t worry, we shall supply you with enough presentation, mock question and flash cards to ensure you would not forget them during the exam.
Please note that only API 510 is an inspection code (mandatory), while the rest of API documents are recommended practices (good engineering practice).
Closed book questions mostly come from API 510 code and RPs because this information is supposed to be used by inspectors on daily basis.
For open book questions that need referring to tables, graphs and formulas, you shall have access to both the API RPs and API 510 code besides ASME codes.
We shall cover them within the next 12 modules combined with flash cards and mock exams.
Before going to the relevant section, you need to know which document you need to look at in order to find a particular topic. Therefore, you need to know what is covered in each code and recommended practice.
If you are in doubt, look at the table of contents. If it does not help, look at the list of figures or tables for large volume codes, it shall give you an idea where you can find the topic. For smaller documents, peruse through table of contents or figures.
Try reading the PDF format of documents on a laptop so your eyes and mindset gets used to them. It seems, the brain works differently when you are looking at a hard copy of a document than when you peruse through soft copy of the same document. Reading soft copies of reference documents help acclimatize yourself while searching for a topic. A little practice is necessary to get it right. It is particularly useful for bigger codes such as ASME Sec V, VIII & IX.
Also try memorizing the topics of codes and RPs so you know where to look for. If you can’t find the relevant section after a couple of minutes, flag off the question and note the question number on a piece of paper as there is a high chance that you shall find it when looking for answers for other questions. Once found, you can go back to the flagged off question and solve it within seconds.
API 510 and API RP 572, 571, 577, 576 should not be a problem navigating as they are much smaller compared to ASME codes. There is also the content list available for each RP.
Please note that the reference codes and RPs provided during the open book part of the exam are not word searchable, hence, you should know where to find each topic.
In the following modules, we shall present the list of important topics and tables complemented with flash cards and mock exams for your practice.
This should help you get an idea where to look for. Fortunately, the list is not exhaustive, so, you should not find much of the problem navigating through the documents.
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