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Guides and tools
65 free resources: exam facts, study guides, practice and calculators. Not sure where to begin? Take the check first.
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Exam facts and requirements
40 resourcesWhat is on the exam, who can sit it, what it costs and how to keep it.
- API 510 exam guide: format, sections, fees and windowsThe API 510 exam in one page: 170 questions in 390 minutes, the five Body of Knowledge sections, fees, windows and eligibility, with a free 10-question check.
- The API 510 Body of Knowledge, explained section by sectionThe five API 510 Body of Knowledge sections, the code editions on the exam, format, fees, windows and eligibility, with a free 10-question check.
- API 570 exam guide: format, sections, fees and windowsAPI 570 in one page: 170 questions in 390 minutes, the five Body of Knowledge sections, fees, windows and eligibility.
- API 653 exam guide: format, Body of Knowledge and feesThe API 653 tank inspector exam: 170 questions in 390 minutes, the closed-book and open-book parts, the five Body of Knowledge sections, fees and experience.
- API 571 exam guide: format, scope and feesThe API 571 Corrosion and Materials exam: 110 questions in 3.25 hours, closed book, written to all of API RP 571, with the fees, windows and who can apply.
- API 510 effectivity sheet: which editions and sections are on your examCheck the API 510 reference editions and section limits for the January 2027 and May 2027 exam windows, with an edition-check workflow.
- The API RP 571 damage mechanisms on the API 510 exam, with where each shows and how it is foundThe 15 API RP 571 damage mechanisms on API's API 510 sheet for Sept 2026 to May 2027, the three shown in red, and where each shows and how it is found.
- API 510 exam windows, fees and the 6-month application ruleThe API 510 testing windows for 2026-27 with each application deadline, the exam fees, reschedule charges and the six-month application validity rule.
- API 510 pass rates by exam window (from API's published statistics)API's published API 510 pass rates by window from its April 2026 report, with candidate counts, API's standard-setting marks and how to use them.
- API 510 inspection checklist: external, internal and on-streamAn API 510 inspection checklist for external, internal and on-stream work: the records to pull, what to look at and where damage hides. Printable.
- API 570 certification: requirements, how to get it, cost and exam windowsAPI 570 certification for piping inspectors: eligibility by education route, how to apply, fees, exam windows through 2027 and a worked total budget.
- API 570 exam windows, fees and the 6-month application ruleThe API 570 testing windows for 2026-27 with each application deadline, the exam fees, reschedule charges and the six-month application validity rule.
- Pressure vessel inspector pay (BLS and posted salaries)The BLS national median and mean for inspectors, posted boiler and pressure vessel inspector pay, and why neither is API 510 holder pay.
- API 510 and API 570 prep for refineries and inspection companiesPlan API 510 and API 570 exam preparation for an inspection team. See what each seat includes, the per-seat crew prices and how quotes and invoices work.
- API 510 certification: requirements, total cost and how long it takesThe education and experience you need, a full cost worksheet (exam fee, references, preparation, travel) and a timeline from application to study.
- API 510 vs 570 vs 653 certification: vessels, piping and tanks comparedAPI 510, 570 and 653 certification side by side, and how to get API 653 certification: scope, eligibility, exam format, fees and recertification.
- API 1169 certification: the pipeline construction inspector exam, requirements and feesAPI 1169 pipeline construction inspector certification: who qualifies, the 115-question exam, 2026 and 2027 fees, exam windows and how to recertify.
- NACE coating inspector certification: AMPP CIP Level 1 course, exams, ethics and renewalNACE coating inspector certification is now AMPP CIP Level 1: the course, the theory and practical exams, the ethics course, renewal and the time limit.
- API 571 vs API 580 certification: exam format, bodies of knowledge, fees and windows beside API 510API 571 corrosion and materials vs API 580 risk-based inspection: exam length, question counts, closed book, bodies of knowledge and fees beside API 510.
- Corrosion under insulation: what it means for the inspectorCorrosion under insulation explained: how wet insulation corrodes the steel beneath it, why it goes unseen, and how inspectors decide where to look.
- Sulfidation: what it means for the inspectorSulfidation explained: how hot sulfur compounds thin carbon and low-alloy steel, why alloy content matters, and how it differs from other thinning.
- High-temperature hydrogen attack: what it means for the inspectorHigh-temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA) explained: how hot hydrogen damages steel from inside, why surfaces look fine, and why finding it is hard.
- Erosion-corrosion: what it means for the inspectorErosion and erosion-corrosion explained: how flowing fluid wears metal, how corrosion combines with it, where it shows up, and how inspectors find it.
- Stress corrosion cracking: what it means for the inspectorStress corrosion cracking explained: the three conditions that must meet, how SCC cracks look, and how to tell the SCC mechanisms apart.
- Chloride stress corrosion cracking: what it means for the inspectorChloride SCC explained: why austenitic stainless steel cracks in warm chloride environments, where it hides, and how it is found with penetrant testing.
- Caustic vs amine stress corrosion cracking: what it means for the inspectorCaustic SCC and amine SCC compared: which steels crack, what the two have in common, where the process chemicals differ, and what finds the cracks.
- Creep: what it means for the inspectorCreep explained for pressure equipment inspectors: slow stretching of hot metal under steady stress, its three stages, and how it differs from fatigue.
- Brittle fracture: what it means for the inspectorBrittle fracture explained for pressure vessel inspectors: why carbon steel can crack suddenly when cold, the role of flaws, and when the risk is highest.
- Mechanical fatigue: what it means for the inspectorMechanical fatigue explained: how repeated stress cycles start and grow cracks, why vibration and notches matter, and how fatigue differs from creep.
- Microbiologically influenced corrosion: what it means for the inspectorMicrobiologically influenced corrosion explained: how microbial deposits cause local pits under colonies, where it happens, and how inspectors spot it.
- General vs localized corrosion: what it means for the inspectorGeneral and localized corrosion compared: how uniform thinning differs from pitting and local attack, and why it changes how you take readings.
- Wet H2S damage: what it means for the inspectorWet H2S damage explained: blistering, hydrogen-induced cracking, SOHIC and sulfide stress cracking, how they differ, and how each is found.
- Hydrochloric acid corrosion: what it means for the inspectorHydrochloric acid corrosion explained: why it concentrates where the first water condenses in a chloride-bearing stream, and how inspectors find it.
- Naphthenic acid corrosion: what it means for the inspectorNaphthenic acid corrosion explained: how organic acids in hot crude attack steel, why velocity and turbulence make it local, and how it is found.
- Short-term vs long-term corrosion rate: what it means for the inspectorShort-term and long-term corrosion rate explained with a worked example: how each is calculated, why they differ, and how to choose between them.
- Remaining life: what it means for the inspectorHow to do a remaining life calculation for a pressure vessel or a piping circuit (API 510 and 570), with worked examples and the interval it feeds.
- Corrosion allowance vs minimum thickness: what it means for the inspectorCorrosion allowance and minimum required thickness explained: what each means, how they stack up in a vessel wall, and why inspectors track both.
- Boiler water and condensate corrosion: what it means for the inspectorBoiler water and steam condensate corrosion explained: how dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide attack steel in condensate systems, and how it is found.
- Atmospheric corrosion: what it means for the inspectorAtmospheric corrosion explained for pressure equipment: how air and moisture attack outdoor steel, where it starts, and how it differs from CUI.
- Damage mechanism glossary: API 510 and 570 termsDamage mechanism glossary for API 510 and API 570 candidates: 20 plain-English term pages on corrosion, cracking, high-temperature damage and remaining life.
Study guides
7 resourcesWork through one topic at a time, with the method and worked examples.
- API 510 calculations: the Body of Knowledge topics, with worked examplesEvery calculation area in the API 510 Body of Knowledge for Sept 2026 to May 2027, the inputs each needs, the paragraph to open, and worked examples.
- API 510 formula sheet: the calculation methods, in one placeAPI 510 formula sheet: corrosion rate, remaining life, interval, MAWP, required thickness, hydrotest and static head, each with an original worked example.
- The API 510 open-book part: on-screen PDFs, timing and a navigation drillHow the API 510 open-book part runs: 60 questions in 3.75 hours, on-screen PDFs limited to the effectivity sheet, no Find, and a drill to practice.
- API 510 closed book: 110 questions, scope and recall methodHow the API 510 closed-book part runs: 110 questions in 2.75 hours with no references, what the Body of Knowledge says it tests, and a recall method.
- API 510 WPS and PQR review: BOK scope and a step-by-step methodHow the API 510 Body of Knowledge scopes WPS and PQR review: the variables to check, a step order by Section IX article, and an invented worked review.
- API 510 prep courses, apps and self-study comparedAPI 510 practice and prep options side by side: price, access, renewal, refund rule and question count, each from the seller's page, read 22 Oct 2026.
- API 570 prep: price, renewal and refundsAPI 570 practice and prep options side by side: price, access, renewal, refund rule and question count, each from the seller's page, read 26 Oct 2026.
Practice tests and drills
5 resourcesCheck yourself on questions, symbols and code look-ups, then see what to fix.
- API 510 recertification: quiz format and retake ruleAPI 510 six-year recertification web quiz: 25 open-book questions, four hours, the retake rule and a four-area review plan.
- API 510 damage mechanism quizFree API 510 damage mechanism quiz: 18 original scenarios on the 15 API RP 571 mechanisms on the current exam sheet, every answer explained.
- API 510 lookup drill: find the section or table on a clockFind API 510 and ASME VIII-1 sections on a clock against a target pace you set, five questions for the open-book part.
- API 510 practice exam: free questions and what to avoidFree API 510 practice exam questions with explained answers, what API publishes, the prep to skip and a weekly routine using free tools.
- API 570 practice test: free questions and exam setupFree API 570 practice test: three original explained questions, how the 170-question exam is set up and a free 10-question check for piping inspectors.
Tools and calculators
13 resourcesRun the math your exam asks for and get the answer in seconds.
- Remaining life and inspection interval calculator, with the method explainedGet remaining life and the next inspection interval from one corrosion rate.
- Inspection interval calculator: API 510 and API 570Find the next inspection date from half the remaining life and the 10-year vessel cap.
- Corrosion rate calculator: short-term and long-term ratesTurn thickness readings into short- and long-term corrosion rates in seconds.
- Static head calculator: liquid pressure between two elevationsAdd the static head of a liquid column to vessel pressure.
- MAWP and minimum thickness calculator: shells and 2:1 headsWork MAWP and required thickness for shells and heads.
- Pipe minimum thickness calculator (B31.3, API 570)Get pipe wall thickness from pressure, then the margin left on a measured reading.
- Piping hydrotest pressure calculator: B31.3 hydrostatic and pneumatic leak testFree B31.3 piping hydrotest and pneumatic test pressure calculator for API 570 study: 1.5 × P × stress ratio, the 6.5 cap, a yield check and every step.
- Hydrotest pressure calculator: UG-99 and UG-100 test pressureGet hydrostatic test pressure under UG-99 or UG-100.
- API 510 eligibility checker and exam windowsSee whether you appear eligible for API 510 now, or when, and the next test windows with deadlines.
- API recertification window calculatorSee when your API 510, 570 or 653 recertification window opens, when the grace period ends and what the 3- and 6-year renewals need.
- API 510 and 570 study plan: weekly scheduleBuild a week-by-week API 510 or API 570 study plan from your exam date and weekly hours, across the five Body of Knowledge sections. Print it, then check.
- API 510 and 570 exam cost calculator (2026 fees)Total your API 510 or 570 exam fee as a member or non-member, with your own retakes, books, prep and travel added.
- Thickness survey analyzer: corrosion rate and remaining life across many readingsPaste a whole thickness survey and get every point's rate and life, the governing point and the next date.