Area of examination & Reference Documents 

In this module, you shall learn about:

Pre-qualification and area of examination

API SIRE – Reference Study Materials

Our E- Leaning Modules

Exam Tips

Introduction:

The API Source Inspector certification program is one of a kind certificate for rotating equipment between certification bodies; that is, there is no other similar certification developed by any other organization in the world.

It gives a complete overview of package inspection management of rotating equipment.

It qualifies individuals who perform the important task of supplier quality surveillance.

The Source Inspector has been defined as an individual who is responsible for:

Examining fabricated and manufactured equipment and materials at a supplier’s facility

Confirming that the supplier’s quality management system is being utilized effectively

API SIRE – Source Inspector Rotating Equipment focuses primarily on Rotating Equipment such as pumps, gears, compressors, turbines and associated appurtenances.

Pre-qualification and area of examination

No prequalification (education, experience) is required.

The API SIRE – Source Inspector Rotating Equipment certification is open to applicants with any experience in the petroleum and petrochemical industries, as well as applicants wishing to gain industry experience.

The exam is 3.25 hours long and there are 110 questions, of which only 100 are scored.

The remaining 10 are pretest, which are not scored. Scored and non scored questions are shuffled and unmarked, so, you need to answer all questions.

All questions are multiple-choice and closed-book.

Paper and reference materials are not allowed into the examinations.

Although exam scores are scaled in order to standardize the level of difficulty, you are required to answer roughly 70 scored questions correctly (minimum 400 on a scale of maximum 500).

API SIRE covers a wide range of inspection activities, codes, recommended practices and standards.

You are scored for your performance in the following areas during the examination.

Reference Study Materials

The following standards and recommended practices need to be studied for API SIFE examination:

API RP 578, Material Verification Program for New and Existing Alloy Piping Systems; 3rd Edition, February 2018

(Excluded form November 2023 publication effectivity sheet)

API Standard 610, Centrifugal Pumps for Petroleum, Petrochemical and Natural Gas Industries; 12th edition, January 2021

API Standard 611, General-Purpose Steam Turbines for Petroleum, Chemical, and Gas Industry Services; 5th edition, September 2008, reaffirmed February 2014

(Excluded form November 2023 publication effectivity sheet)

API Standard 614, Lubrication, Shaft-Sealing and Control-Oil Systems and Auxiliaries for Petroleum, Chemical and Gas Industry Services; 6th edition, February 2022

API Standard 617, Axial and Centrifugal Compressors and Expander-compressors for Petroleum, Chemical and Gas Industry Services, 9th edition, April 2022

API Standard 618, Reciprocating Compressors for Petroleum, Chemical, and Gas Industry Services, 5th Edition, December 2007, reaffirmed August 2016

API Standard 619, Rotary Type Positive Displacement Compressors for Petroleum, Petrochemical and Natural Gas Industries; 5th Edition, December 2010

(Excluded form November 2023 publication effectivity sheet)

API Standard 677, General-Purpose Gear Units for Petroleum, Chemical and Gas Industry Service; 4th edition, September 2021

API Standard 692, Dry Gas Sealing Systems for Axial, Centrifugal, and Rotary Screw Compressors and Expanders; 1st edition, June 2018

(Excluded form November 2023 publication effectivity sheet)

ANSI HI 14.6, Rotodynamic Pumps for Hydraulic Performance Acceptance Tests, 2016

ASNT SNT-TC-1 A Personnel Qualification and Certification in Non destructive Testing 2020

ASME Section II Materials, Part A, B, C, D; 2021 Edition

ASME Section V Non destructive Examination: Definitions in Subsection A, Article 1, Appendix I and Subsection B, Article 30, SE-1316 • Articles 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 23 (section 797 only); 2021 Edition

ASME Section VIII Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels, Division 1; Acceptance Criteria • USC 56-57 • Appendix 7- Examination of Steel Casting; 2021 Edition

ASME Section IX Welding and Brazing Qualifications, Welding only: QW 100-190; QW 200-290; QW 300-380; QW 400-490; QW500-540; 2021 Edition

ASTM A703 Standard Specifications for Steel Castings, General Requirements, for Pressure Containing Parts, 2018

MSS-SP-55 Quality Standard for Steel Castings for Valves, Flanges, Fittings and Other Piping Components, 2011

SSPC – PA 2 Procedure for Determining Conformance to Dry Coating Thickness Requirements, January 2015

SSPC‐SP1 Solvent Cleaning, 2015 SSPC‐SP3 Power Tool Cleaning, 2004

SSPC‐SP5 NACE 1 White Metal Blast Cleaning, 2007

SSPC‐SP6 NACE 3 Commercial Blast Cleaning, 2007

SSPC‐SP7 NACE 4 Brush-Off Blast Cleaning, 2007

SSPC‐SP10 NACE 2 Near-White Blast Cleaning, 2007

SSPC‐SP11 Power Tool Cleaning to Bare Metal, 2013

As you can see, it touches a wide range of subjects that a rotating equipment inspector shall be familiar with; although not as an expert with an in-depth knowledge.

API provides a very useful guide for SIRE that covers all the possible activities for inspection management of rotating equipment packages.

You can download the ‘’Study Guide for Source Inspection and Quality Surveillance of Rotating Equipment’’ for free from below link:

Study Guide for the Source Inspection of Rotating Equipment

Our E- Leaning Modules

The following modules are presented during our e-learning course to cover the body of knowledge or reference study materials.

Module 1: Exam & study tips

Module 2: API SIFE Scoring, Reference Documents & Exam Tips

Module 3: Guide for Source Inspection & Quality Surveillance of Rotating Equipment

Module 4: SSPC & MSS & ASTM A703 & A182

Module 5: ASME Sec. II; Materials; Parts A, B, C, D

Module 6: ASME Sec. V; Non destructive Examination

Module 7: ASNT SNT TC‐1A; NDT Personnel Certification

Module 8: ASME Sec. IX; Welding and Brazing Qualifications

Module 9: ASME Sec. VIII-Construction code for Pressure Vessels- Div. 1 & 2 

Module 10: API 578; Material Verification Program (PMI) (Excluded from Nov. 2023 exam onwards)

Module 11: API Standard 610; Centrifugal Pumps

Module 12: API Standard 611; General Purpose Steam Turbine (Excluded from Nov. 2023 exam onwards)

Module 13: API Standard 614, Lubrication, Shaft-sealing

Module 14: API Standard 617, Axial and Centrifugal Compressors

Module 15: API Standard 618, Reciprocating Compressors

Module 16: API Standard 619, Rotary Type Positive-Displacement Compressors (Excluded from Nov. 2023 onwards)

Module 17: Module 18- API SIRE – API Standard 677, General-Purpose Gear Units

Module 18: API Standard 692, Dry Gas Sealing Systems (Excluded from Nov. 2023 onwards)

Module 19: HI 14.6, Rotodynamic Pumps Module

Module 20: Publication Effectivity Sheet Highlights

Module 21: API SIRE – Flash Cards – potential exam questions

Module 22: 12 sets of mock exam and practice question with 700 questions.

Module 23: Additional Study Material – Optional – downloadable