Make sure you reach the Prometric test center at least half an hour before the scheduled time.
If you reach the test center more than 15 minutes after the scheduled exam, they may refuse to admit you.
Prior to letting you in to sit for the exam; they shall check your photographic government ID (such as valid Passport or Driving License), ask you to sign in; check you with a metal detector; ask you to turn up your sleeves and trousers cuffs; check your pockets; look at your reading glasses to ensure it does not have any camera, ask you a security question (DOB, email address) and take your picture.
You cannot carry anything with yourself into the exam room except a bottle of water. No ornaments are allowed except a wedding ring.
You should leave all your personnel belonging in a locker provided. They shall supply you with a couple of green color A4 size papers and a pencil for taking notes plus a simple calculator.
You are required to have a valid government issued photo identity card such as a passport or a driving license and keep it with yourself during the examination.
If you don’t produce a government photo ID card at the Prometric test center, you shall be refused entry and it is treated as a ‘’no show up’’ which is as good as failing the exam.
Also, make sure your government issued photo ID (driving license, passport) is valid. If your ID is expired, you shall be refused entry.
During API 653 exam, one of our candidates had an expired driving license and was refused entry although he returned half an hour later with a valid passport but by that time it was too late, Prometric said. As a result, he had to pay the rescheduling fee (USD 300 $) and appear for the exam 6 months later.
It is highly recommended to check your photo ID to ensure it is valid and preferably carry two valid government issued photo ID as plan B.
It is simply not worth it to be refused for an ID issue after all the time, effort and money you have put in.
Prior to the examination, you shall be given the key to a locker to keep your belongings. You are not allowed to use the locker until you have completed the exam.
As of April 2024; all candidates appearing for API exam shall receive instant confirmed scoring and maximum within 24 hours after exam from prometric.
That is not all.
Candidates shall also receive their downloadable certificate in their API account within 3 days.
This is a huge difference of previously waiting for final score for upto 8 weeks and another 8 weeks to receive your certificate. To read more, click on link:
If you fail, you need to apply for rescheduling and pay USD 200 $. You shall receive the exam authorization approval email normally within 2-3 working days. You shall then book your seat with the Prometric as soon as possible.
The pass mark is roughly 70% (minimum 400 on a maximum scale of 500) for all the API examinations.
No negative marking is applied, therefore, answer all the questions. At the end, click the ‘’review all’’ button and peruse through the list to ensure that you have not skipped any question.
You can challenge any question you may wish, by writing on its comment sheet but please note that the clock keeps running so you shall be spending the time to fill in the comment sheet from your allocated examination time.
After ID verification, security check and letting you into the examination room, you will first go through the tutorial which last for maximum 10 minutes or earlier if you press ‘end session button’’, and then the actual exam begins and the clock start ticking.
You can see the remaining time at the right-hand corner of the computer screen.
Remember, if during the examination, you wish to leave the examination room for say, using the toilet, 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. During all this time, the clock is running.
Sitting for an exam can be stressful, so, try to have enough sleep the night before; on the exam day, just peruse the important parts of the reference documents or look at the figures and charts for a couple of hour maximum. Let your brain rest.
You need to be alert and full of energy to endure the exam.
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 shall also see the list of attempted and non-attempted questions at the end by pressing the ‘’review all’’ button.
This would ensure that you have not left any question unanswered.
There is a frequently asked question (FAQ) in the Prometric web site.
There is a tutorial prior to exam that explains how the bottoms work. You can also find the tutorial via the following link:
The exam would automatically start after the 10 minutes allocated time for tutorial or if you end it earlier.
The icons are simple and user friendly. Remember that you can flag off those questions you are not sure of so you can return to them during the remaining time.
You can also right click on selected answers to eliminate them if you are confident that they are definitely the wrong answers.
This will narrow down the possible right answers and therefore increases you chance of getting the right answer.
You can either review all the questions once again or review the flagged off questions only during any remaining time left.
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.
Remember that the clock does not stop for any reason once you start the test, when you use the bathroom or when you wish to make a comment on a particular question or for any other reason whatsoever, so use the allocated time wisely.
The allocated time seems to be sufficient to answer all the questions as well as reviewing them.
Click to go to:
Not a member yet? Register now
Are you a member? Login now
