API 653 and API 570 in 2027: Which Codebooks Changed, and What to Do About It
API's 2027 effectivity sheets are out. API 653 moves to API 650 14th ed., RP 652 6th ed. and ASME 2025; API 570 stays the same. What to buy and study.
EIM Editorial Team15 Oct 20265 min read
Every API inspector exam is written against a Publications Effectivity Sheet: the exact editions, addenda and errata the questions come from, and the documents you get on screen in the open-book part. Study from the wrong edition and you learn answers that are no longer right.
API has published the sheets for 2027. For API 653, several books change. For API 570, nothing does. Here is what changed, checked line by line against API's own sheets on 7 October 2026.
Short answer: API 653 (March, July and November 2027) moves to new editions of API 650 (14th), RP 652 (6th) and the ASME code (2025), and adds addenda to API 653, RP 575 and RP 576 and an errata to RP 577. API 570 (February and June 2027) keeps exactly the same list as 2026. For API 510, the current sheet covers exams from September 2026 to May 2027.
API 653: what changed for 2027
Three changes matter most:
- API 650, 14th edition (August 2025) replaces the 13th edition (2020). API 650 is the welded-tank construction standard behind much of the tank design and reconstruction content, so expect familiar topics with changed details. Re-check every value, table and clause reference you have memorised.
- API RP 652, 6th edition (December 2025) replaces the 5th edition (2020). RP 652 covers linings of tank bottoms. Clause numbers may have moved, so rebuild your notes from the new edition.
- ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, 2025 edition replaces the 2023 edition for the listed Section V (NDE) articles and Section IX (welding qualification).
The rest are smaller. API 653 itself gains Addendum 4 (July 2025). RP 575 gains Addendum 1 (July 2025) and Addendum 2 (June 2026). RP 576 gains Addendum 1 (February 2026), still limited to the same two sections. RP 577 gains Errata 1 (September 2025). RP 651 (5th edition, 2024) and the list of RP 571 damage mechanisms are unchanged.
Sitting in November 2026? The 2026 sheet still applies. The new editions start with the March 2027 window. Do not mix the two sets of books.
API 570: no change for February and June 2027
API's sheet for the February and June 2027 windows lists exactly the same publications as the 2026 sheet: API 570 (5th edition, 2024), RP 574 (5th edition with Addendum 1), the same RP 571 mechanisms, selected sections of RP 576, RP 577, RP 578, ASME BPVC 2023 (Sections V and IX), ASME B16.5 (2020), B31.3 (2024) and the listed articles of PCC-2 (2022). If you bought your books for 2026, they are still the right ones.
One detail if you are preparing for both exams: the 570 sheet stays on the 2023 ASME code, while 653 moves to 2025. You would need both editions.
API 510: check the current sheet
API's API 510 page links a Publications Effectivity Sheet and Body of Knowledge for exams from September 2026 to May 2027. If your window falls in that period, download both and compare every line with the editions on your desk. Do not rely on a summary, including this one.
The 2027 exam windows
API's 510 page states that the exam is given in person at designated test centres only, and that codes and standards are provided as PDFs on screen for the open-book part. Check the exam page for your own certification, and book early in the window.
Five things to do now if you are sitting in 2027
- Download the effectivity sheet and Body of Knowledge for your exact window from your exam's page on API's site.
- Buy authorised copies of any new editions. Each sheet names API's authorised redistributors.
- Practise on PDFs of the new editions. The open-book documents are on screen, so get used to finding clauses in the new editions rather than in old printed tabs.
- Rebuild your clause and formula notes against the new editions, and mark everything that moved.
- Check your study material is aligned to the 2027 sheet before you rely on it.
Preparing for API 653 with EIM
EIM is an independent training provider; API certifies inspectors, and EIM helps you prepare. For API 653, EIM's self-paced preparation includes a question bank, practice mode with explanations, timed mock tests, study notes, flashcards, a readiness score and a study plan worked back from your exam date, with one year of access. See the API 653 exam page
For tank fundamentals, EIM's live Above-Ground Storage Tank (AST) Inspection & Maintenance course covers API 650 design, roofs and testing, inspection to API 653 and API 575, and on-stream robotic inspection and life prediction. No batch is published at the moment, so check the course page for the next date. For background, read API 653 Explained.
Frequently asked questions
When do the 2027 API 653 changes take effect?
From the March 2027 window. The 2026 windows, including November 2026, use the 2026 sheet.
Do I need new books for API 570 in 2027?
Not according to API's sheet for the February and June 2027 windows, which lists the same publications as 2026.
Are the RP 571 mechanisms for API 653 changing?
No. The same ten mechanisms and the Section 2 terms are listed for 2026 and 2027.
Where do I find the effectivity sheets?
On each exam's page on API's Individual Certification Programs website, alongside the Body of Knowledge.
Does this affect recertification?
Recertification web quizzes have their own effectivity sheets. API 510's current recertification sheet, for example, is valid from 20 October 2025. Check the recertification sheet for your own certification.
