Requirements for Certification 

In general, in-service pressure equipment inspectors require:

• a thorough understanding of the Safety Codes Act, Regulations and CSA B51 applicable to pressure equipment in Alberta
• a thorough understanding of all appropriate forms

Candidates for certification as in-service pressure equipment inspectors are required to satisfy certain requirements:

• high school education
• post-secondary education/training
• pressure equipment experience satisfactory to ABSA
• documented evidence of having passed the National Board Inservice Commission exam or API 510 Inspector exam
• documented evidence of successful completion of the Inspector Certification Exam.
• Apply for certification without examination on the basis of equivalencies

Certifcation Without Examination

A persons who hold permanent certification as Safety Codes Officer is eligible for certification without examination. The Safety Codes Officer may be required to produce evidence of suitable inspection experience.

The Certification Requirements

The certification requirements are:

1. Apply for certification
2. Pay application and examination fee
3. Satisfy certification prerequisites.

• Provide documented evidence of education and pressure equipment experience
• Provide documented evidence of third party certification or examination
• Pass or be exempted from the Inspection Certification examination
• Apply for certification without examination on the basis of equivalencies

Education and Experience Requirements

In order to qualify as an in-service pressure equipment inspector, a candidate must have a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) equivalent. A candidate must also have one of the following combinations of education and experience:

* For in-service Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspector certification, the pressure equipment inspection experience MUST include in-service boiler inspection experience or an acceptable equivalent.

Third Party Certification Requirements

In-service Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspector

To be eligible for certification, the candidate must meet ONE of the following third party certifications:

• Permanent Safety Codes Officer (Boiler) Level II, OR
• National Board Inservice Commission, OR
• Provide evidence of successful challenge of National Board Inservice Commission Examination within the previous 5 years.

To be eligible for certification, the candidate must meet ONE of the following third party certifications:

• Permanent Safety Codes Officer (Boiler) Level III, OR
• API 510 Certification, OR
• Provide evidence of successful challenge of the API 510 certification examination within the previous 5 years, OR
• National Board Inservice Commission, OR
• Provide evidence of successful challenge of National Board Inservice Commission Examination within the previous 5 years.

Examination Process

The examination is an open book examination and consists of 100 multiple choice questions. The time allowed for examination is 3 hours. The candidate must obtain 70% of the marks to pass the examination. The questions are broken down and graded in the 15 areas identified in the syllabus.

Refer to Inspector Certification Examination Syllabus (AB-59) to look at the information on examination syllabus, reference materials, recommended literature, 15 examination areas, and some sample questions. 

Note: The Inspection Certification Examination is the same for both types of certification.

Examination Rules

Published legislation, codes and standards referenced in the syllabus are permitted for the examination.  Reference materials used during the examination are to be authorized "hard copy" paper versions as published.  All reference materials must be free of any insert pages, notations, answers or crib sheets. Except for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) codes, sharing of reference materials with other candidates is not permitted. Candidates are permitted to bring non-programmable calculators and printed dictionaries. Candidates are not permitted to bring in scratch paper, computers or other electronic data storage devices or communication devices into the examination room.

If the examination invigilator determines that a candidate has cheated, the candidate will be subject to a variety of penalties including, but not limited to, immediate disqualification from the examination and suspension from future examination for up to one year.

Examination Policies

A candidate who is not eligible to write the examination will be advised in writing stating the reason(s). The application fee is non-refundable, but the examination fee will be refunded.

A candidate who is eligible to write the examination will receive an examination notice letter which states the scheduled examination date, time and location.

If a candidate cancels the examination at least 5 business days before the examination, the examination fee will be retained by ABSA for one year. The candidate can apply to write the examination, without paying an additional examination fee, within one year from the cancelled examination date.

If a candidate fails to show up for the examination or cancels the examination less than 5 business days before the examination, the application fee will not be refunded and the examination fee will be forfeited. The candidate can later apply to write the examination but will be required to pay an additional examination fee.

If a candidate fails the examination, the candidate can later apply to write the examination and will be required to pay an additional examination fee. If a candidate fails the examination three times in any 12 month period, the candidate will be disqualified from challenging the examination for 12 months.