Basic Coatings Inspector Certification

Exam at a glance

Exam fee

Theory exam retake or standalone is $165 CBT. Practice exam of 50 questions is $35

Questions on exam

120 multiple-choice questions with 100 scored and 20 experimental pilot items

Duration

3 hours or 180 minutes total including 10 minutes for tutorial and NDA plus 170 minutes for the exam

Passing score

Pass or fail only with exact cut score not publicly disclosed by AMPP though third-party sources cite approximately 70 percent minimum

Retake policy

CBT exam authorization valid for 1 attempt expiring 1 year from issuance

Validity

Valid for 3 years requiring minimum 1.5 years corrosion work experience in coating inspections during most recent 3-year period plus 8 Professional Development Hours per cycle

Published exam facts, from the official outline.

What’s on the CIP Level 1 exam

1. Safety (2.5%)
2. Inspection Process (15%)
3. Corrosion (5%)
4. Environmental Controls and Inspection (5%)
5. Surface Preparation and Inspection (20%)
6. Coatings and Inspection (20%)
7. Coating Application (7.5%)
8. Documentation (10%)
9. Standards (10%)
10. Teamwork (2.5%)
11. Ethics (2.5%)

Official exam blueprint domains — your practice bank mirrors this outline.