API TES
API Tank Entry Supervisor Certification (TES)
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ExploreAbout this exam
The API Tank Entry Supervisor Certification (TES) is an individual certification offered within the American Petroleum Institute's Individual Certification Programs (ICP), the same certification family that sits alongside API's standards, training, and assessment offerings under Global Industry Services. The credential is intended for personnel who supervise entry into petroleum storage tanks - the people responsible for authorizing entry, controlling the work, and keeping entrants safe during inspection, repair, and cleaning operations. Because the exam's published domains split evenly, preparation should be balanced: roughly half of the content addresses tank entry supervision (entry decisions, hazard evaluation, permitting, attendant and entrant control, rescue readiness, and documentation) and half addresses tank cleaning and entry safety practices (isolation and lockout, atmosphere testing, ventilation, PPE, and safe work procedures around confined spaces). Candidates typically prepare by studying the applicable API tank inspection, cleaning, and safe-entry standards alongside their own site permit and confined-space programs, then practicing scenario-based judgment questions rather than memorizing definitions. Note that detailed administrative specifics - question count, time limit, passing score, fee, retake rules, and recertification interval - are not published on the pages reviewed here and should be confirmed directly with API before scheduling.
What you'll study
About API TES preparation
What does the TES exam cover?
The published domains are Tank Entry Supervision and Tank Cleaning and Entry Safety Practices, weighted 50 percent each. Expect questions on entry authorization and supervision, hazard identification, atmosphere testing and ventilation, isolation, PPE, attendant duties, and emergency response, framed around realistic tank cleaning and entry scenarios rather than simple recall.
How many questions are on the exam and how long do I get?
Those details are not stated on the API pages reviewed for this profile, so we do not publish a number. Confirm the current item count, time limit, and appointment length with API's Individual Certification Programs office before you build a timed practice plan.
What score do I need to pass?
The passing standard is not published in the source material available here, so no cut score is given. Treat any specific percentage you see quoted online as unverified and check the current candidate handbook from API, which is the only authoritative place for the passing standard and scoring method.
How much does the exam cost, and can I retake it if I fail?
Fees and retake policy are not stated in the reviewed source, so we cannot quote a price or a waiting period. Ask API directly about the application fee, any rescheduling charges, and the rules for repeating an unsuccessful attempt before you book a test date.
How hard is the TES exam?
The content is narrow but operationally demanding: both domains assume you can apply safety reasoning, not just recite rules. Candidates who already supervise tank work and know their site's permit and confined-space programs generally find it manageable; candidates with no field exposure usually need substantial scenario practice.
How should I order my studying?
Start with Tank Cleaning and Entry Safety Practices to build the hazard and controls foundation - isolation, testing, ventilation, PPE. Then move to Tank Entry Supervision, where you apply those controls to entry decisions, attendant and entrant management, and rescue planning. Finish with mixed scenario practice under time pressure.
What are the most common ways candidates lose points?
Typical failure modes are answering from habit rather than from the standard, confusing the supervisor's role with the attendant's or entrant's, and skipping verification steps such as confirming test results before authorizing entry. Read each scenario for who is asking and what has actually been verified before choosing.
How long is the certification valid, and how do I renew?
The validity period and recertification requirements are not provided in the source pages reviewed here. Do not assume a renewal cycle; contact API's Individual Certification Programs group to confirm how long the credential lasts and what continuing requirements apply.
Is this site affiliated with API?
No. This is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute. API, TES, and related marks belong to their owners; always rely on official API materials for eligibility, scheduling, and exam-day rules.