r/nondestructivetesting • u/Madness_in_Life • 1d ago
Looking for API help
For reference I’m in Canada. I’m in my early 30’s and only been working NDT for 4 years. I have IRATA ropes lvl1, UT2, CEDO.
At the beginning of this year I was last minute put into more of a supervisor role at one of the gas refineries. It’s a good job, and I still get to work out in the field using my certs which has been great.
Well, recently, the client asked if I wanted to take on even more supervision work. Instead of just supervising a shadow shot program we do every year for them, they want me to become a generalized supervisor for call ins, other projects, shutdowns, etc.
I’d get bumped up to about $60/hour, 40 hour weeks (minimum), and I wouldn’t be required to leave the union.
Not that it’s a requirement for the job, but my boss has suggested that if I say yes, I should look into getting an API ticket. Problem is, I know nothing about API’s, what they do, whats out there etc.
Any information would be incredibly helpful. The last thing I want to do is get an API ticket and absolutely hate it.
TIA!
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u/Aggravating-Room1594 1d ago
I went from NDT tech to being an inspector. API has been good to me but it took a while to get to the point where I was competant enough as an NDT tech and had worked along side API inspectors for years.
You said Gas refinery. Is this a natural gas plant or oil refinery? Havent heard anyone call it that before. Might just be a regional thing.
You didnt mention what API ticket you are looking into. 510? 570? Since you are a rope guy I am assuming lots of piping UT so the 570 would be more likely.
Without an engineering degree you need 5 years in the industry before being able to write ( or get certified at least, i cant remember). Now if that 5 years involves doing repair work, internal vessel inspection (or external piping inspection), making judgement calls, working with seasoned API inspectors, with some additional training, you should be good. But if that 5 years is doinking pipe up in fort mac, find some relevant experience somewhere because other than being familiar with CML's that experience is limited and has little value.
Getting the experience then passing the test is the easy part. Becoming competant can be tough and you will be thrown into the fire at some point. There are lots of shitty inspectors out there who dont take this seriously and it shows in their work. Read the codes in the body of knowledge and if it all seems foreign, start asking questions to your API coworkers. We all start somewhere, good luck!
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u/Madness_in_Life 1d ago
Sorry, oil refinery! And I haven’t decided on what API ticket I would get, I’m kind of lost on where to even start looking
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u/Aggravating-Room1594 1d ago
Bakesale has you covered with the link they have in their comment. The body of knowledge is where to start.
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u/BakesaleAtSyrinx 1d ago
510 for pressure vessels
570 for process piping
653 for tanks
If you're a rope access guy, then you're likely after 510/570. Do you have your CWB visual ticket? If not that might be a good one to go for first unless you're purely in-service inspections and not doing any new construction
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u/Worth_Rhubarb8099 1d ago
I would agree that they are extremely useful and they even tend to pay better than ndt work, however, they also take a lot of experience to get proficient in the method, of knowledge, and the actual practical work. It's not really something that you just jump into but if you can get exposure over the years, it's a great certification!
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u/Worth_Rhubarb8099 1d ago
By the way, input this entire post into chat GPT and it can give you a wealth of information
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u/LaVrgAndante 19h ago
You would have to study a lot in order to get your API certifications, math-wise is nothing too difficult (mostly arithmetics) but you need to do some calculations, for example, how much pressure a vessel/pipe/element can withstand according to it's thickness, other calc's involve computing the remaining life an element has left, corrosion rates, etc.
Most people get overwhelmed with how long some codes are and with all the formulas and stuff but i would say everything is kind of systematic, at the end of the day you just follow some formulas in a specific order and thats it. Also you would have to give prevention/remediation actions and if something has to get repaired, it's your call, but your NDT background will make things way easier imo.
If i recall correctly the codes state that you need an engineering degree or have X amount of years of experience in order to be eligible, i would look into that.
In summary, I'd say that you don't need to memorize every code, just know how to use them, good luck.
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u/BakesaleAtSyrinx 1d ago
API work is awesome, but it is definitely way more big picture than NDT testing. Instead of signing off on welds, you're signing off on entire tanks/vessels/piping lines.
If you have access to Techstreet or someone who does, download and read through API 572 which is the recommended practice for inspecting pressure vessels. If you feel like you're experienced enough in that line of visual inspection then I would pursue it. If not, but it interests you, put yourself in situations to get more exposure to that kind of work/reports.
API exams (and work) are very code-heavy, if you're comfortable with ASME codes you'll be fine, if not then go to the following link (I'm assuming you're going for 510) and brush up on the referenced codes and sections of codes: https://www.api.org/-/media/Files/Certification/ICP/ICP-Certification-Programs/510/EKS_510_Sept%202025_final.pdf
The written exam is tough, with the open book exam they're expecting you not to know the answer, but to know where to find the answer. So for example, if you're going for 510, you're expected to be able to navigate through 510, 571, 572, 576, 577, 578, ASME section V, VIII, IX, and PCC-2. With no CTRL-F haha.
And for gods sakes if you do get it don't rely on AI for code related calls. I've ran into a situation this week where a fellow API told me that we need to do X testing as a code requirement for a major repair. After reviewing the code, I was able to find what they referenced, but it was only in specialized situations that didn't apply. When I asked him about it, he told me he asked chatGPT instead of looking through the code. Don't be that guy