API 570 study: link piping locations to inspection records
Two study sheets can both say “Point 04” while describing different piping locations. Before treating them as a pair, explain how their full identifiers and drawing references connect. A matching short label is only the beginning of that check.
What connects a piping location to its record?
API’s 2026 API 570 Body of Knowledge includes inspection records and reports. For study, practice tracing a record back to the location it describes. This exercise develops that reading habit without choosing inspection points or making equipment decisions.
Begin with the supplied identifiers, drawing number, revision and any cross-reference. Copy them exactly into your notes. If the packet leaves a connection unexplained, write the missing link as a question instead of completing it from memory.
Sources: API 570: 2026 Body of Knowledge.
Follow one fictional reference from sheet to drawing
Imagine an exercise asks about Circuit C1 / Point 04. Sheet A names that full identifier and refers to Drawing D-10, Revision 2. Sheet B says Circuit C2 / Point 04 and refers to Drawing D-20, Revision 1.
If the supplied D-10 Revision 2 shows Circuit C1 / Point 04, you can explain the link between Sheet A and that drawing entry. Sheet B’s repeated “Point 04” does not establish the same connection. Keep its different circuit and drawing references visible.
This invented example establishes a relationship within a study packet. It does not verify a physical installation or make readings from different records interchangeable.
Identify what an incomplete packet cannot establish
For each fictional case below, cover the final column and write the specific record or clarification you would look for.
| Packet item | What remains unresolved | Question to take back to the exercise |
|---|---|---|
| A photograph shows Point 04, with no circuit or drawing reference. | Which location the photograph represents. | What caption or cross-reference links this image to the full identifier? |
| Two sketches repeat a label; a separate note describes a component replacement. | How the earlier and later entries relate. | Which drawing revision or replacement record explains the relationship? |
| The exercise index names Line L-12; an attached sheet names Line L-21. | Whether the intended attachment was supplied. | Can the exercise explanation or instructor clarify this mismatch? |
Trace a renamed point through a revision note
Continue the fictional Circuit C1 / Point 04 exercise. The packet index assigns Drawing D-10, Revision 3 to this question, while Sheet A still cites D-10, Revision 2. Read the four supplied items below, then explain which label in Revision 3 connects to Sheet A and what remains unresolved on Sheet C.
The identifiers, revision note and sheets are invented for reading practice. The instruction to use Revision 3 belongs to this exercise; it is not a rule for selecting documents on a real inspection job.
| Supplied item | Information in the exercise |
|---|---|
| Drawing D-10, Revision 2 | Identifies Circuit C1 / Point 04. |
| Drawing D-10, Revision 3 | Note: Within Circuit C1, Point 04 is renamed Point 07; its marker position is unchanged. This revision replaces D-10, Revision 2 in this exercise. |
| Drawing D-20, Revision 4 | Identifies Circuit C2 / Point 04. |
| Sheet C | Identifies Circuit C1 / Point 04 and cites Drawing D-10, Revision 3. |
Check the answer without guessing at the conflicting sheet
The supplied note links D-10 Revision 2, Circuit C1 / Point 04 to D-10 Revision 3, Circuit C1 / Point 07. Your answer needs both drawing revisions and the note that explains the label change. The repeated circuit identifier alone would not explain why the point number changed.
D-20 Revision 4 does not replace D-10 Revision 3 in the supplied packet. It is a different drawing and identifies Circuit C2. Selecting the largest revision number would discard the document identity that makes the comparison meaningful.
Sheet C combines the earlier point label with the assigned drawing revision. The packet does not explain that combination. Ask whether Sheet C has an outdated label, an omitted cross-reference or another intended meaning. Do not silently change its label or treat one explanation as established.
Write two separate conclusions: the supplied revision note explains the change from Point 04 to Point 07, while Sheet C needs clarification. Neither conclusion verifies the physical piping, establishes that measurements are comparable or supplies an equipment acceptance decision. No inspection location, interval or repair is selected.
Write an answer someone else can follow
Replace “These are the same point” with a precise statement: “Sheet A and Drawing D-10 Revision 2 both identify Circuit C1 / Point 04.” If the link is missing, say what you still need.
Keep the packet item, exact reference and unresolved question together in your study notes. After reviewing the explanation, record what resolved the uncertainty. This makes a later practice attempt more useful than simply marking the first answer wrong.
Continue with the course and applicable exam references
NDT Academy’s API 570 preparation includes piping documentation and inspection-record topics. Review the syllabus, then try the practice exam to choose your next lesson.
API lists study documents by exam window; check the current program page for the documents that apply to your planned exam. Course preparation and completion do not award API certification. Review API’s eligibility and application requirements separately.
For planning beyond 2026, API currently links a separate Body of Knowledge and Publications Effectivity Sheet for the February and June 2027 exams. Check the window named inside each document; a cached filename alone does not establish which exam it covers.
Sources: API: API 570 program, study documents and eligibility; API 570 Body of Knowledge: February and June 2027; API 570 Publications Effectivity Sheet: February and June 2027.
Sources and further reading
- API 570: 2026 Body of Knowledge
- API: API 570 program, study documents and eligibility
- API 570 Body of Knowledge: February and June 2027
- API 570 Publications Effectivity Sheet: February and June 2027
Sources checked on November 3, 2026. Follow the current requirements from your employer or certification body when planning qualification or an examination.