How Are API Examination Questions Developed?
API certification examination questions are developed through a rigorous process designed to ensure fairness, accuracy, and relevance to the knowledge and skills required of inspection professionals.
Periodically, the American Petroleum Institute (API) conducts question-writing workshops, where Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)—experienced professionals specializing in areas such as pressure vessels, piping, storage tanks, pipelines, welding, corrosion, and inspection—develop examination questions based on the applicable codes, standards, and recommended practices.
Each newly written question is independently reviewed by several other SMEs to ensure that it:
- Is technically accurate.
- Is clearly written and unambiguous.
- Tests knowledge and competencies that are important for a certified inspector.
- Aligns with the API Body of Knowledge (BoK).
Only questions that successfully pass this review process are added to the API examination question bank.
The question bank contains more than 1,000 validated questions for each certification program, organized by topic. For every examination, API selects a different combination of questions from this database to create a balanced and secure exam.
Depending on the certification, API examinations typically contain 170 multiple-choice questions. However, not all questions contribute to the final score. A number of pre-test (unscored) questions are included in each examination to evaluate their suitability for future use. These experimental questions are indistinguishable from scored questions, so candidates should answer every question to the best of their ability.
For example, the API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspector examination consists of 170 questions, including:
- 110 closed-book questions
- 60 open-book questions
Some of these questions are pre-test items and do not count toward the candidate’s final score, although candidates are not informed which questions are scored and which are not.
Our training courses are designed around the API Body of Knowledge and the style of questions used in the API examinations, helping candidates become familiar with both the technical content and the examination format before test day.
