• Know about popular welding process, advantage and disadvantage

• Know about Welding Inspection, common issues encountered and how to handle them.

• Know about WPS/PQR and can verify a WPS against the supporting PQR using ASME IX.

• Can verify a Welder Qualification against a WPS and welding position requirement using ASME IX.

• Know about (NDE) Non-Destructive Examination (Concept, application, examiner qualification, NDE procedure, report, and equipment); The NDT methods include: UT, RT, MT, ACFM, PT, VT ,Hardness testing, Pressure and leak testing.

• Have basic knowledge of Metallurgy; Physical & Mechanical Properties of metals, PWHT, Mill Test Report, and Weldability of materials.

• Know about common welding defects; welding repair while in service (Hot tapping) and caustic service.

The following modules presented during the training to cover the body of knowledge. The modules are numbered based on API 577 to make comparison easy for you:

Module 1: Back to Basics

Module 2: API 577, BOK and Exam Tips

Module 3: Terms& Definitions

Module 4: Welding Inspection

Module 5: Welding Processes

Module 6: WPS & PQR

Module 7: Welding Materials

Module 8: Welder’s Qualification (WPQ)

Module 9: Non Destructive Examinations

Module 10: Metallurgy

Module 11: Refinery and Petrochemical Plant Welding Issues

Module 12: Power point Presentations (WPS, PQR & WPQ)

Module 13: ASME IX – Part QW (WPS, PQR, WPQ)

Module 14: Publication Effectivity Sheet Highlights

Module 15: Flash Cards

Module 16: 4 Sets of mock exam plus practice questions.

Module 17: Downloadable Course Material

API 577 Welding inspection course is worth 30 Hours of study and has 92 Lectures; 4 Hours of Video Clips; 1700 Flash Cards and 600 Timed Mock Exam Questions plus a certificate of achievement.

The API 577 examination is specifically aimed at verifying your competency on welding issues.

It is not aimed at verifying whether you can memorize numbers and formulas. After all, what is the point of memorizing when you can easily find them in the relevant document?

Exceptions would be the important everyday knowledge that you are expected to know.  For example: “Chlorine and fluoride content of PT consumables shall be less than 1% for austenitic materials” or “The temperature difference between the probe and ambient temperature shall be maximum 25℉ or 15℃”.

Exam Questions are based on API RP 577 Welding Inspection and Metallurgy, and ASME IX for WPS, PQR, WPQ and Material (P, F & A Numbers). We have also explained ASME V for Non Destructive Examinations that has been brought in API 577 so you know where these are coming from.

We shall then provide you access to our full course plus access to our virtual classroom training of 24 hours spread over 3 weeks. 

Classroom Course Itinerary

Module 1 – Explains basic facts, and exam tips and has 20 sample questions (2 Hours Virtual Classroom Training).

Module 2 – Explains Body of Knowledge (BoK) & exam tips (2 Hours Virtual Classroom Training).

Modules 3 through 13 – Each module has detailed explanation of the reference documents and includes power point presentation for additional understanding (16 Hours Virtual Classroom Training).

Module 14 – has the highlights of reference study materials within the publication effectivity sheet.

Module 15 – has 36 sets of flash cards that should be treated as potential exam questions (2 Hours Virtual Classroom Training).

Module 16 – has 600 questions within 6 sets of mock exams with explanations plus NDE and Welding Practice Questions (2 Hours Q & A).

Module 17 – Downloadable hands out for additional study. 

Reference Codes and Standards

API 577 and ASME IX are noted as the only reading material for the exam.

However, the following codes and reference titles need to be memorized, because API may want to verify if you know which code and RP (Recommended Practice) to refer to for an specific issue.

For example, you should know that API 578 is the RP to refer to for PMI (Positive Material Identification).

Below please find the potential questions that may come from following codes and titles.

API 510, Pressure Vessel Inspection Code; API 574 RP is about inspection practices

ASME Section VIII, Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels;

Remember, ASME VIII is for construction while API 510 is for repair and maintenance, they are both codes which means they are mandatory. API 510 is largely based on ASME VIII.

API 570,Piping Inspection Code

ASME B31.3, Rules for the Process Piping Code

API RP 578, For Material Verification or Positive Material Identification (PMI)

API 650, Standard for storage tank (Construction code)

API Standard 653, Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction (Inspection code)

API RP 2201, Address safety concerns for welding hot tapping while in service

API RP 582, Welding Guidelines for oil and gas

ASME Section IX, Code for verification of welding procedure and welder qualification (WPS/PQR and WPQ)

NDE Technician Qualifications are based on one of the following guidelines who require more or less the same level of experience, training and examination for NDE Technicians

ASNT SNT-TC-1A is a guideline and the basis for written practice for qualification of NDE personnel

ASNT CP-189 is a standard version of the SNT-TC-1A guideline

ISO 9712 (replaced EN 473) is the European standard for qualification of NDE personnel

You should also know about:

 (NDE) Non-Destructive Examination (Concept, application, examiner qualification,

NDE procedure, report, and equipment);

The NDT methods are UT, RT, MT/ACFM, PT, VT and Hardness testing.

Pressure and leak testing.

Have basic knowledge of Metallurgy; Physical & Mechanical

Properties of metals,

PWHT,

Mill Test Report,

and Weldability of materials.

common welding defects;

welding repair while in service (Hot tapping) and  caustic service,

And finally have sufficient safety awareness within welding and NDE environment.

Click to go to:

API 577 Welding Inspection and Metallurgy; Body of Knowledge and Scoring Areas – YouTube

Exam Tips