Qualification Expiry

CPAC QUALIFICATIONS DO NOT EXPIRE! They are however linked to your membership.

During the initial structuring for the Canadian Pipeliner Qualification program, the Council considered many models including those used by API and ISO. Most systems use an elapsed time qualification expiry (eg. 18 months, 2 years, 3 years), after which, a form of re-qualification is required. The Council’s final determination was to link all CPAC qualifications to a Specific edition of the CSA Z662 (primary industry standard). The intent is that once a code qualification is earned, it is considered a permanent record of achievement. Certificate holders are however required to maintain their qualifications in a form relevant to the current edition of the industry standard. To accomplish this, a Code Update Qualification exam will be available to certificate holders for a period of 1 year after publication of a new CSA Z662 edition. Once passed, all existing CPAC Qualification Certificates held by the writer will be re-issued to the new edition of the CSA Standard.

Under the international conventions, the issuance of pipeliner credentials by CPAC requires oversight. Because of this, the credential remains the property of CPAC, contingent on the member meeting the terms and conditions of use. To maintain use of a credential, members must meet the terms and conditions of the credential issue and keep their membership current. A review of each member is conducted during a six month period (July to December) each 4 years. A notice of assessment is issued to the pipeliner with updated credentials or identification of the outstanding issues that must be complied with to revalidate the membership and credentials. Members receiving an issues letter are given six months (January to June) to satisfy the outstanding items and receive their updated credentials. Lapsed credentials may required the member to rewrite their qualification examinations. Typical conditions to maintain active membership can include proof of any required training or study in the 4 year cycle, council dues being current, and successful code update examinations.

It is recommended that Companies using or accepting the CPAC certificates consider these documents as current evidence of qualification for a period of 1 year after the publication of a new standard and within the certificate validity date.

The current standard is the:
CAN/CSA Z662-19 Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems, published June 2019.