What Are the Publication Effectivity Sheet and the Body of Knowledge (BoK)?

The Publication Effectivity Sheet (PES) and the Body of Knowledge (BoK) are two of the most important documents for anyone preparing for an API certification examination.

Publication Effectivity Sheet (PES)

The Publication Effectivity Sheet identifies the reference codes, standards, and recommended practices that apply to a specific API examination.

It also specifies the edition or revision of each document that will be used for that examination, ensuring that candidates study the correct versions of the reference materials.

The PES serves as your official guide to what documents to study and which editions are examinable.

Body of Knowledge (BoK)

The Body of Knowledge (BoK) outlines the technical knowledge and competencies expected of candidates for a particular API certification.

It lists the applicable codes and recommended practices (without specifying revision numbers) and describes the topics, concepts, calculations, inspection methods, and code requirements that may be covered in the examination.

The BoK often includes examples of the types of knowledge and tasks candidates are expected to understand.

These examples are particularly important, as they represent the scope of the examination and should receive special attention during your preparation.