API Inspector Certifications – Which one is best? Where do I start? 

API Inspector Certifications – Which one is best? Find out Here.

WHICH API IS MOST POPULAR?

Statistically, across all countries, it’s API 570. You can see the stats on the API website, they report many of ICP exam statistics. Industry feedback tells us it’s accepted as being the most ‘general’ API Certification, and many employers set this as the minimum required qualification for inspectors undertaking piping visual and onstream examinations. At Wilkinson Coutts we get a larger percentage demand for 510 than the worldwide stats suggest so the distribution does depend on a country’s industries and employer types.

Let us now answer the most frequently asked question we get at Wilkinson Coutts. API Inspector Certifications – Which one is best?  Find out Here.

WHICH API IS MOST DIFFICULT?

This depends on the individual, of course, however,intere the exams for API 571 and 580 which are completely closed book can be very challenging for people who take the exam too lightly, perhaps hoping to ‘get lucky’ on the day. Hard work and a real interest in the subject matter are needed to pass both these certs.

WILL MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HELP ME PASS AN API EXAM?

Whilst previous experience is always useful, you have to be very careful about this. API exam questions are based on the content of the codes that form the Body of Knowledge for each certification. In some cases, this may not coincide with your individual experience. Especially from an practical and operational  viewpoint.

Codes contain opinions on things and these form the answers to the exam questions. Areas where exam candidates sometimes forget this include:

• The responsibilities of personnel involved: Inspector, Engineer, NDE examiner etc i.e. Who does what?
• Terminology e.g. What inspection methods is used for external examinations
• Choices between intrusive and non-intrusive inspections and the associated caveats.
• What to do about repairs, alterations and re-ratings.

WHY IS THE WORLDWIDE API PASS RATE SO LOW; AROUND 50%?

We wouldn’t have a full answer to this as the WILKINSON COUTTS 1st time pass rate is, and always has been, 95%+. Possible reasons are:

• Trainers using out-of-date training materials (you can find plenty on the web).
• People ‘just having a go’. Hoping to pass without putting much learning work in with the codes.
• Candidates taking examinations ‘outside their field’ for the sake of ticket-collecting.
• Using only practice exams found on the internet, which are often dated, irrelevant and often….wrong.

Leave nothing to chance. To take an API certification ICP exam involves lot’s of hard work, study, patience, determination. Get it right 1st timne with us. LEARN the technical concepts behind the Nody of Knowledge, not just the answer to a question.

Check out the wide range of API training courses, we are always happy to advise which course is most suitable for your role or future plans.