Inspection

API 570 Piping Inspector Practice Test and Exam Guide

Four API 570 practice tests with 680 original questions covering in-service piping inspection, corrosion evaluation, and code-based decisions.

Published 6 September 2026 · Last updated 9 September 2026

What does the API 570 Piping Inspector assessment cover?

The preparation material covers the documented assessment facts listed below. The question bank reinforces those facts without presenting a practice product as an official exam or reproducing assessment content.

• 170 questions: 140 scored and 30 unscored pretest items.
• 110 closed-book questions in 2 hours 45 minutes, followed by a 45-minute break and 60 open-book questions in 3 hours 45 minutes.
• Passing is a scaled 400 on a 200-500 scale; API publishes no raw percentage.
• The exam is administered in person at Prometric with on-screen references.
• The 2026 reference set includes API 570 5th Edition and ASME BPVC Sections V and IX in the 2023 Edition.

Which domains should you study?

Use these supplied brief-backed domains as the study map. They are coverage areas, not invented percentage predictions.

Domain	Preparation focus
Practical Knowledge General	Review explanations after related questions and record the specific gap.
Calculations	Review explanations after related questions and record the specific gap.
Practical Knowledge Specific	Review explanations after related questions and record the specific gap.
Nondestructive Examination	Review explanations after related questions and record the specific gap.
Welding Procedure and Qualification Evaluation	Review explanations after related questions and record the specific gap.

How should you use these practice tests?

Start with the Test 1 sample, then use domain labels and explanations to choose what to review. Retake missed questions after studying the underlying objective, and reserve the final test for timed practice where the brief provides assessment timing.

1. Take the sample without looking up answers.
2. Group misses by domain, not just by score.
3. Review each explanation and the governing study material.
4. Repeat under documented assessment conditions when available.

What is a practical API 570 Piping Inspector study plan?

1. Phase 1: check the effectivity sheet for your own exam window before buying any material. Editions are window-specific, and preparing against a superseded edition teaches requirements that no longer apply.
2. Phase 2: build closed-book recall of the corrosion-rate, remaining-life and inspection-interval formulas, working in both US customary and SI units, because the Body of Knowledge warns these can appear before the open-book section.
3. Phase 3: rehearse locating requirements in an on-screen PDF reference set rather than in annotated paper copies, since that is the only format the exam supplies.
4. Phase 4: sit one full timed rehearsal using the real 2:45 closed-book, 45-minute break and 3:45 open-book structure, then review every explanation including the questions you answered correctly.

API 570 Piping Inspector FAQ

How many questions are on the API 570 exam?

There are 170 questions in total, of which 140 are scored and 30 are unscored pretest items. The pretest items are not identified during the exam, so treat every question as if it counts.

Is the API 570 exam open book?

Partly. The first session is 110 closed-book questions in 2 hours 45 minutes. After a 45-minute break, the second session is 60 open-book questions in 3 hours 45 minutes.

What score do you need to pass API 570?

A scaled score of 400 on a 200-500 scale. API publishes no raw percentage or per-form cut score, so a claim that you need 70% is not supported by API’s own documentation.

Can I take the API 570 exam remotely?

No. API 570 is administered in person at Prometric. The codes are supplied as on-screen PDFs and personal paper copies are not allowed, so practise navigating a digital reference set.

Which code editions apply to the 2026 exam windows?

API 570 5th Edition (February 2024), ASME BPVC Sections V and IX in the 2023 Edition, and ASME B31.3 in the 2024 Edition. API deliberately lags the current ASME edition, which is why Sections V and IX are 2023 rather than 2025.

How long is API 570 certification valid?

The certification runs on a three-year term requiring 24 CPD hours, with an open-book recertification quiz every six years.

Does API publish domain weights for API 570?

No. API publishes the five Body of Knowledge sections but no percentage weights for them. Any practice product quoting an exact split has estimated it, and should say so rather than attributing the numbers to API.

Can I look up the corrosion-rate formulas during the exam?

Not reliably. API’s Body of Knowledge warns that corrosion-rate, remaining-life and inspection-interval formulas may appear in the closed-book section, so they must be memorised rather than looked up.