How to Prepare for API SIFE: A Study Plan
A study plan for the API SIFE source inspector exam, built around how the body of knowledge is weighted, with tips for a closed-book, 110-question paper.
Written by Syed HasanReviewed by Nilanjan Sen
Published 22 Oct 2026Reviewed 22 Oct 20262 min read
API SIFE is closed-book. You cannot carry a code into the exam, so your preparation is about understanding how fixed equipment is made and checked, and recalling it under time pressure. This plan gives each area time in proportion to its share of the exam.
Short answer: 110 questions in 3.25 hours, 100 of them scored, closed-book. About a minute and three quarters a question. Spend the most time on manufacturing and fabrication processes, the largest area at about a quarter of the exam, and finish with timed full-length practice.
What the exam looks like
- 110 questions, of which 100 are scored. The other 10 are unscored pretest items.
- 3 hours 15 minutes, closed-book, no reference material.
- Taken at a Prometric centre or by remote proctoring.
- It tests inspection application, not engineering calculation: checking that equipment conforms, not designing it.
Where the marks are
| Area | Share |
|---|---|
| Source inspector roles and supplier quality surveillance | About 20% |
| Applicable standards and codes for fixed equipment | About 20% |
| Manufacturing and fabrication processes | About 25% |
| Inspection tools, methods and documentation review | About 20% |
| Material and component verification | About 15% |
A six-week plan
Week 1: the role
Learn what a source inspector is responsible for at a supplier's works, and why the job is checking that the supplier's quality system works, not only inspecting one item. Learn how hold and witness points, inspection and test plans and the purchase order fit together.
Weeks 2 and 3: how fixed equipment is made
This is the largest area. Follow the life of the equipment from material receipt through forming, welding and assembly. You need to recognise normal fabrication sequence well enough to tell an acceptable variation from a real quality problem.
Week 4: codes, from the inspector's side
Study the construction codes and standards for vessels, exchangers, piping and valves as a source inspector uses them: to verify conformance. You will not be asked to design to them.
Week 5: methods, documents and materials
Which inspection or NDT method suits which stage of fabrication, and how to review the documents a supplier must produce: material certificates, NDT reports and dimensional records. Then material traceability, and the common problem points for each equipment type.
Week 6: timed practice
Sit at least one full-length mock under exam conditions: 110 questions, 3 hours 15 minutes, nothing on the desk. Go back over the areas where you lost marks.
Habits that help
- Think like an inspector, not a designer. Most questions ask what you would check, accept or escalate.
- Practise closed-book from day one.
- Keep an error log and revisit it each week.
Before you start
To understand the work itself, read what an API SIFE source inspector does. If you are deciding between fixed and rotating equipment, see API SIFE vs SIRE. Full exam details and practice questions are in our API SIFE certification and exam guide.
