API 653

It is computer-based and administered in person at designated test centers only. The exam day includes a short tutorial, 2.75 hours for the closed-book portion, a 45-minute lunch break and 3.75 hours for the open-book portion. Papers and books are not allowed in Prometric computer testing centers; PDFs of the pertinent codes appear on your computer during the open-book portion.

There are 170 questions, of which only 140 are scored; the remaining 30 are pretest questions. The exam contains 110 closed-book questions and 60 open-book questions. Because the pretest items are mixed in and unscored, an unfamiliar question does not by itself mean you have misread the code.

Nothing you carry in. During the open-book portion, PDF documents of pertinent codes and standards are available on your computer and are presented in English. Only the specific sections of publications listed on the Publications Effectivity Sheet are available, so practise navigating exactly those documents rather than a full standards library.

Questions are derived from the publications listed in the API 653 Publications Effectivity Sheet, and only the sections listed there are available during the open-book portion. API posts an effectivity sheet and Body of Knowledge for March 2026 – November 2026 exams, and has also posted versions for March 2027 – November 2027 exams.

Qualification is outlined in Annex D of the API 653 standard and combines education with aboveground storage tank experience, acquired in the last 10 years while employed by or under contract with an authorized inspection agency. Requirements run from 1 year with a bachelor's degree up to 5 years with no formal education, each including at least one year of inspection supervision or performance as described in API 653.

Certification is valid for a three-year term. To recertify you must show that a minimum of 20% of your time over the most recent three-year period was spent performing or supervising API 653 tank inspection, complete 24 CPD hours, and, every six years, pass an online open-book quiz. You may apply 90 days before expiration, with a 90-day grace period after it.

You may take it once more. If you fail a second time you will not be able to recertify; you must submit a new application and take the full version of the exam. Each quiz has 25 questions addressing changes in the relevant API codes over the past six years, allows four hours total, and may be paused or interrupted up to three times.

If an application is not submitted by the end of the 90-day grace period, the certification expires. You then need a new application and fees, plus a passing score on the full examination, to be recertified. API states that a heavy work schedule, work in other countries or remote areas does not relieve the inspector of filing a timely renewal.

The API pages used for this guide do not state a passing score or an exam fee, so treat those as unconfirmed and check API's ICP schedules and fees information before you budget. This page is independent study material and is not affiliated with or endorsed by API.

Begin with the Body of Knowledge and Publications Effectivity Sheet so you know exactly which sections are in scope, then drill on locating those sections quickly in the source documents. The most common trap is trusting the open book instead of learning the code's structure - you have 3.75 hours for 60 open-book questions.