Minimum qualification requirements for API 510 TEST

As outlined in the Appendix B of the API 510 Standard, the minimum qualification requirements for API 510

Pressure Vessel inspector certification are based on the combination of education and experience related to pressure vessels. This experience must have been acquired within the last 10 years while employed by, or under contract with, an authorized inspection agency as defined in API 510.

Based on the 10th edition of API 510, a National Board certification is no longer accepted as a substitution for passing the exam.

Prior to submitting an application, please use the table below to determine if you qualify to take the API 510 exam. The minimum experience required MUST be documented on your application and will be verified after your application has been submitted.

Education	Years of Industry Experience	Experience Required
BS or higher in engineering or technology	1 year	Supervision or performance of inspection activities as described in API 510
2-year Associate's degree or  certificate in engineering or  technology	2 years	Design, fabrication, repair, operation, or inspection of pressure vessels, of which one year must be in supervision or performance of inspection activities as described in API 510
High school diploma or equivalent	3 years	Design, fabrication, repair, operation, or inspection of pressure vessels, of which one year must be in supervision or performance of inspection activities as described in API 510
No formal education	5 or more years	Design, fabrication, repair, operation, or inspection of pressure vessels, of which one year must be in supervision or performance of inspection activities as described in API 510

1. Studying for the Exam

• Publications Effectivity Sheet - Questions on the API 510 exam are derived from the publications listed in this document.
  • Only the specific sections of publications that are listed on the Effectivity Sheet will be available to you during the open-book portion of the exam.
  • API 510 Publications Effectivity Sheet for May 2020 - January 2021 exams
• Body of Knowledge - List of specific topics included in the API 510 exam
  • API 510 Body of Knowledge for May 2020 - January 2021 exams

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2. Exam Structure

• The API 510 exam day is 7.5 hours long - a short tutorial session, 2.75 hours for the closed-book portion, a 45-minute lunch break and 3.75 hours for the open-book portion.
• There are 170 questions on the exam, of which only 140 are scored. The remaining are pretest questions.
  • Pretest Questions FAQs
• There are 110 closed-book questions and 60 open-book questions.
• View the Exam Tutorial before exam day to familiarize yourself with the format.

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3. What Can You Bring Into the Exam

• Papers, notes and books are not allowed in Prometric’s computer testing centers.
• PDF documents of pertinent codes and standards will be available on your computer during the open book portion of the exam and will be presented in English.
• Learn More about Exam Day

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4. Additional Resources

• Examination Policies & Notifications: Policies
• Purchasing Authorized API Publications: API Publications Store