Application for Pipeline Inspector Certification

  1. Each new application is valid for a period of 180 days commencing on the date of the first examination completed by the applicant. Upon expiry, if the applicant has been unsuccessful in obtaining the requested certification, a re-submission is required c/w new application and fee.
  2. Examination dates:
    • Examinations are conducted on predetermined dates at locations chosen from the published list. Special arrangements can be made for alternate times and locations, however additional fees may apply.
    • Exams may be rescheduled up to three (3) days in advance without penalty. Rescheduling within three days is considered a missed exam and is subject to an additional fee.
    • If you miss a scheduled exam, a $50.00 fee will be charged to re-schedule.
  3. Applicants are required to comply with all examination rules. Examination rules are provided with confirmation of exam date. CPAC reserves the right to cancel any applicant’s exam results and withhold certification if non-compliances are discovered.
  4. Exam results are emailed approximately 2-4 weeks after completion of the examination.
  5. CPAC does not identify failed exam questions to the applicant. An email identifying an exam failure may identify a general area of concern if failed questions appear to have a trend or focus. (eg. “A weakness in understanding of regulatory requirements is observed.”)
  6. Applicants with acceptable submissions and examination results will be granted certification. Applicants who have successful exam results with incomplete or deficient application evidence will not be granted certification until all outstanding issues are resolved. Exam results will be issued.
  7. An official parchment certificate and wallet card will be mailed approximately 1-2 weeks after the Certification has been granted.
  8. Certifications are valid for the edition of the Code of Construction identified on the certificate. Certified inspectors are required to update their certification to a new Code of Construction within one (1) year of publication. (eg. Certificates for Inspectors certified to the CSA Z662-11 code were valid for 365 days past the publication of the 2015 edition of the Z662)
  9. Re-certification requires Inspectors to complete a one (1) hour code update exam after which certificates and wallet cards will be re-issued identifying the new code edition.
  10. In addition to successful completion of an invigilated examination, applicants are required to provide evidence of meeting the following minimum criteria for certification.

Training and Experience Guidelines for an Inspector Certificate Application

QC Inspector

Education or Certification Training or Qualification Experience Years Experience Type Application
Grade 12 or GED none 4 years Any heavy industry construction, maintenance or operation work will be considered.
(Heavy industry could include petroleum, petrochemical, mining, road building etc.)
ISO Quality Management System Training (20 – 40 hours) 3 years
2 years Minimum 1 year Pipeline Construction and/or operation + 1 year Heavy Industry construction, maintenance or operation work.
Any 2 year degree or diploma issued by a recognized University, College or Technical Institute none 2 years Any heavy industry construction, maintenance or operation work will be considered.
ISO Quality Management System Training (20 – 40 hours) 1 year Pipeline Construction and Operation
Journeyman Certificate in a Recognized Construction Trade none

API 1169 Construction Inspector

Education or Certification Training or Qualification Experience Years Experience Type Application
Grade 12 or GED none 6 years Pipeline Construction and/or Operation
*1 of theses year experience must be as a QC or junior inspector
CPAC QC Inspector Certification 4 years*
Any 2 year degree or diploma issued by a recognized University, College or Technical Institute or a Journeyman Certificate in a Recognized Construction Trade none 3 years
CPAC QC Inspector Certification 2 years*

Subject Matter Expert Certificates:

The following designations are granted based on an assessment considering Certification as a Pipeline Inspector in accordance with either the QC or API 1169 certifications, and evidence of training, qualification and experience in the designated specialty. The following criteria identify mandatory qualification and guidelines for training and experience. Each applicant is evaluated on their individual experiential merits. Where certification is not granted, recommendations to achieve the designation will be provided.

* – These subject matter endorsements are issued based on an assessment of external criteria and do not require a CPAC exam.

Chief Inspector*

Qualifications Subject Matter Expertise Experience Years Experience Type Application
QC Inspector 6 years Pipeline Inspection
API 1169 Construction Inspector 4 years

Pipeline Welding Inspector*

Qualifications Subject Matter Expertise Experience Years Experience Type Application
QC Inspector A CWB Level 2, AWS-CWI Weld Inspector Certificate or equivalent is required in addition to evidence of training and experience in the fields of Welding or Metallurgy 2 years Welding or Metallurgy specific to Pipelines
API 1169 Construction Inspector 1 year

Pipeline Fusion Inspector

Qualifications Subject Matter Expertise Experience Years Experience Type Application
QC Inspector A CPAC Level 2 Fusion Certificate is required in addition to evidence of training and experience specific to Non-metallic Joining, Bonding and Fusing Methodology 4 years Fusions specific to Pipelines
API 1169 Construction Inspector 2 years

Coating Inspector*

Qualifications Subject Matter Expertise Experience Years Experience Type Application
QC Inspector A NACE CIP 2 Certificate 2 years Selection and or application of Pipe Protective Coating for Pipelines
API 1169 Construction Inspector 1 year

Cathodic Protection Inspector*

Qualifications Subject Matter Expertise Experience Years Experience Type Application
QC Inspector A NACE Level CP3 Certificate is required in addition to evidence of training and experience specific to pipeline application 2 years Installation and testing of pipeline CP systems
API 1169 Construction Inspector 1 year

Regulatory Inspector

Qualifications Subject Matter Expertise Experience Years Experience Type Application
Code Concepts Qualification Training and experience in regulatory framework and management system oversight 2 years Application of regulatory requirements and oversight
QC Inspector 1 year
API 1169 Construction Inspector n/a