API 570 exam guide: format, sections, fees and windows

The exam at a glance

• Questions: 170 in total. 140 are scored and 30 are pretest questions that you can't pick out.
• Parts: 110 closed-book questions, then 60 open-book questions, 390 minutes of testing in all.
• Closed book: no papers, notes or books. You get a calculator, scratch paper and a pencil.
• Open book: PDFs of the publications on the Publications Effectivity Sheet appear on screen, and only the listed sections can be used.
• Where: in person at designated test centers. API 570 is not offered remotely.
• Result: reported as a scaled score, with 400 on a 200 to 500 scale needed to pass. Unanswered questions count as incorrect.

The five sections

• I. Calculations: thickness measurements, inspection intervals and piping integrity. Corrosion rates, remaining life and minimum thickness.
• II. Welding procedure and qualification evaluation: reviewing procedures and qualification records against ASME Section IX and the piping code, with RP 577 for welding inspection practice.
• III. Nondestructive examination: examination methods and acceptance requirements under ASME Section V, the piping code and API 570.
• IV. Practical knowledge, general: inspection planning, repairs, alterations and rerating of in-service piping.
• V. Practical knowledge, specific: the listed damage mechanisms from RP 571 and the inspection practices in RP 574, RP 576 and RP 578, plus the listed PCC-2 repair articles.

API publishes topics, not percentage weights, so prepare all five. Section I is the one most candidates find hardest to do fast, and it is worth practicing without a book, because the corrosion rate, remaining life and interval methods may be closed-book.

Fees, windows and eligibility

• Fees: the 2026 initial exam fee is $875 for API members and $1,125 for non-members. The 2027 fee is $890 and $1,140. A late application adds $200 and moving to a new window costs $350.
• Next windows: 29 January to 19 February 2027 (apply by 26 November 2026), 4 to 25 June 2027 (apply by 1 April 2027) and 8 to 29 October 2027 (apply by 5 August 2027).
• Eligibility: experience within the last 10 years with an authorized inspection agency. The years needed depend on your education, from 1 year with a bachelor's degree in engineering or technology to 5 or more years with no formal education.
• Staying certified: every 3 years, with at least 20% of your time on piping inspection and 24 hours of professional development, plus a 25-question open-book web quiz every 6 years. The API 510 recertification check covers the same quiz format for vessel inspectors.

Fees and windows change, so confirm them on API's schedule and fees page before you apply.

How to prepare

• Take the free check and start with whichever section scores lowest.
• Build a one-page method sheet for each calculation type and practice with fresh numbers until you don't need it.
• Practice open-book lookups only in the sections on your window's effectivity sheet.
• Compare the three API inspector exams in API 510 vs 570 vs 653 if you are choosing which to sit first.
• See three worked samples and the exam setup in the API 570 practice test guide.

Find your weak sections in minutes

The free 10-question check covers the five sections, needs no signup and explains every answer as you go. You finish knowing which section to open first. The Long Seam course then gives you a lesson for each section, timed practice exams and a study plan built from your exam date.