API 653 Exam Fees and Dates for 2026 and 2027
API 653 exam fee, 2027 exam windows and application deadlines, reschedule and late fees, and what the fee does not cover. Checked against API in Oct 2026.
Written by Nilanjan SenReviewed by Deepak Rawtal
Published 20 Oct 2026Reviewed 16 Oct 20262 min read
What API 653 costs, when you can sit it, and when you have to apply by. All figures are from API's schedule and fees page, checked against API's own pages on 16 October 2026. API updates these, so check the page before you pay.
Short answer: US$875 for API members and US$1,125 for non-members, rising to US$890 and US$1,140 in 2027. The next windows are March, July and November 2027. The deadline for March 2027 is 7 January 2027.
The fee
| API member | Non-member | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam fee (2026) | US$875 | US$1,125 |
| Exam fee (2027) | US$890 | US$1,140 |
| Reschedule | US$350 | US$350 |
| Late application | US$200 | US$200 |
The fee pays for the exam seat. It does not include the codes and standards you need to study from, or any preparation material. Budget separately for authorised copies of the documents on the effectivity sheet.
For the full cost, including recertification fees, codes and preparation, read what an API certification really costs.
Exam windows and deadlines
| Exam window | Apply by |
|---|---|
| 6 to 27 November 2026 | 4 September 2026 (closed) |
| 12 March to 2 April 2027 | 7 January 2027 |
| 9 to 30 July 2027 | 6 May 2027 |
| 5 to 26 November 2027 | 2 September 2027 |
The 2027 windows use new editions of several books, including API 650 (14th edition) and RP 652 (6th edition). Read what changed for 2027 before you buy anything.
The exam format, in brief
- 170 questions, of which 140 are scored; the other 30 are unscored pretest items.
- 110 closed-book questions in 2 hours 45 minutes, a 45-minute lunch, then 60 open-book questions in 3 hours 45 minutes, with the listed codes as PDFs on screen.
- 7.5 hours in all, at a Prometric test centre.
- The certificate is valid for 3 years.
For how the day runs hour by hour, read API exam day, step by step. It is written for API 510 and 570, and API 653 uses the same structure.
Planning backwards from a deadline
For the March 2027 window, the application has to be in by 7 January. That means having your experience documented in December, and most of your study done by the end of February. If that is too tight, the July window gives you until 6 May to apply.
Next step
Check your eligibility in who can take API 653, then plan your weeks with the API 653 study plan. Exam details and sample questions are in our API 653 certification guide.
