All questions and answers have been made and reviewed by a Senior Inspection Engineer.

Who is this API 653 Certificate for?

All Corrosion Engineers, Integrity Engineers, Welding Engineers,  RBI Engineers, Maintenance Engineers, Pressure Vessels/Piping/Tanks/Boilers Inspectors and every other inspection professional.

Are You Qualified To Take The API 653 Exam?

The minimum qualification requirements for Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector certification are based on the combination of education and experience related to aboveground tanks. 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 653.

You want to study For The Exam?

API Authorized Aboveground Storage Tank Inspectors must have a broad knowledge base relating to tank inspection and repair of aboveground storage tanks. The API Aboveground Storage Tank Inspector Certification Examination is designed to identify individuals who have satisfied the minimum qualifications specified in API Standard 653, Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction. Questions may be taken from anywhere within each document in this Body of Knowledge (BOK), unless specifically excluded herein. In the event that specific sections of a document are listed as excluded– all other sections within that document are included. In some cases specific paragraphs or sections, such as the example shown below, are included as an aid to the candidate. This is not intended to exclude other paragraphs. For example: In the “Corrosion Rate and Inspection Intervals” section of this BOK (Section A, sub-section 1), it states: The Inspector must be able to calculate: a) Metal Loss (including corrosion averaging - API-653, Section 4) This means that the metal loss calculation will be found in Section 4. It does not mean that other sections in that document are excluded. The examination consists of two parts. The closed-book part tests the candidate on knowledge and tasks requiring everyday working knowledge of API Standard 653 and the applicable reference documents. The open-book portion of the examination requires the use of more detailed information that the inspector is expected to be able to find in the documents, but would not normally be committed to memory. During the exam, applicants will be expected to choose the best answer from the options provided. 

References for the exam are as follows:

A. API Publications

- API Recommended Practice 571, Damage Mechanisms Affecting Equipment in Refining Industry. 

- API Recommended Practice 575, Inspection of Atmospheric and Low-Pressure Storage Tanks. 

- API Recommended Practice 576, Inspection of Pressure-Relieving Devices (Sections 4.3.2 and 6.6 only). 

- API Recommended Practice 577, Welding Inspection and Metallurgy. 

- API Standard 650, Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage. 

- API Recommended Practice 651, Cathodic Protection of Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tanks. 

- API Recommended Practice 652, Lining of Aboveground Petroleum Storage Tank Bottoms.

- API Standard 653, Tank Inspection, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction. 

B. ASME Publications 

- Section V, Nondestructive Examination

- Section IX, Qualification Standard for Welding, Brazing and Fusion Procedures; Welders; Brazers; and Welding, Brazing and Fusing Operators

What is API 653 code?

This standard covers steel storage tanks built to API 650 and its predecessor API 12C. It provides minimum requirements for maintaining the integrity of such tanks after they have been placed in service and addresses inspection, repair, alteration, relocation, and reconstruction.

The scope is limited to the tank foundation, bottom, shell, structure, roof, attached appurtenances, and nozzles to the face of the first flange, first threaded joint, or first welding-end connection. Many of the design, welding, examination, and material requirements of API 650 can be applied in the maintenance inspection, rating, repair, and alteration of in-service tanks. In the case of apparent conflicts between the requirements of this standard and API 650 or its predecessor API 12C, this standard shall govern for tanks that have been placed in service.

This standard employs the principles of API 650; however, storage tank owner/operators, based on consideration of specific construction and operating details, may apply this standard to any steel tank constructed in accordance with a tank specification.

This standard is intended for use by organizations that maintain or have access to engineering and inspection personnel technically trained and experienced in tank design, fabrication, repair, construction, and inspection.

This standard does not contain rules or guidelines to cover all the varied conditions which may occur in an existing tank. When design and construction details are not given, and are not available in the as-built standard, details that will provide a level of integrity equal to the level provided by the current edition of API 650 must be used.

This standard recognizes fitness-for-service assessment concepts for evaluating in-service degradation of pressure containing components. API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, Fitness-For-Service, provides detailed assessment procedures or acceptance criteria for specific types of degradation referenced in this standard. When this standard does not provide specific evaluation procedures or acceptance criteria for a specific type of degradation or when this standard explicitly allows the use of fitness-for-service criteria, API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 may be used to evaluate the various types of degradation or test requirements addressed in this standard.

References:

- API 653 Code

- https://www.api.org