NACE Coating Inspector Level 3 Oral Exam

• The Coating Inspector Level 3 oral exam assesses if candidates possess the knowledge and skills of a Level 3 Coating Inspector
• The CIP Level 3 Peer Review occurs in front of a three-member review board
• The review is based on the Coating Inspector body of knowledge
• Candidates should demonstrate expert knowledge of corrosion, surface preparation, cleanlinesses, environmental conditions, test instruments, coating mixtures, and safety
• Candidates should be able to perform unsupervised destructive/non-destructive inspections on liquid/non-liquid coatings
• Candidates should demonstrate technical knowledge and problem-solving skills and supervise Coatings inspectors of CIP levels 1 and 2
• The NACE Coating Inspector Level 3 Oral Exam is the test name and NACE-CIP3-001 is the test code
• The exam is an oral examination consisting of 10 questions (6 technical & 4 practical)
• The exam duration is 2 hours
• A passing score requires a 2/3 vote of peers

Target Audience

• NACE Certified Coating Inspector Level 3 is an advanced inspector
• The inspector is highly skilled and experienced in corrosion, surface preparation, cleanliness, environmental conditions, test instruments, coating mixtures and safety
• The inspector can undertake unsupervised destructive and non-destructive inspections of liquid and non-liquid coatings
• The inspector can demonstrate technical knowledge, problem-solving ability, and is capable of supervising CIP level 1 and 2 coating inspectors

Requirements for Coating Inspection Program Level 3-Certified

• Prerequisites include certification of CIP Level 2
• There are no course requirements
• Core exam requirements include Coating Inspector Level 3 Oral Exam – CIP3
• Application requirements include five years verifiable coatings related work experience and qualification references
• Certification renewal requires recertification application every 3 years and 1.5 years of corrosion work experience in coating inspections.
• Upon successful completion of requirements, the candidate will be awarded a NACE Coating Inspector Level 3 -Certified

Exam Blue Print

Domain 1: Safety (2.5%)

• Demonstrated understanding of all safety related information in Levels 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to respond appropriately as a NACE Inspector to minor and safety issues

Domain 2: Inspection Process (15%)

• Demonstrated understanding of the Inspection Process as defined in Levels 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to explain the Inspection Process as it applies to simple and difficult scenarios
• Demonstrated ability to make suggestions to improve job flow and quality at all stages of the Inspection Process

Domain 3: Corrosion (5%)

• Demonstrated understanding of Galvanic Corrosion and Basic CP c/w Cathodic Disbondment Testing
• Demonstrated ability to identify various corrosion types
• Demonstrated ability to make positive suggestions to improve job flow and quality when provided with specific corrosion data/criteria

Domain 4: Environmental Controls and Inspection (5%)

• Demonstrated understanding of Environmental Controls as outlined in Levels 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to use SSPC Guide 6 & 12
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate data provided by electronic hygrometers and data loggers
• Demonstrated ability to make suggestions to improve job flow and quality when providing specific environment data

Domain 5: Surface Preparation and Inspection (20%)

• Demonstrated understanding of all surface preparation methods/standards as outlined in Level 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to explain acceptable variations in appearance as defined by the various surface preparation standards
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate surface preparation data provided by all surface preparation inspection instruments outlined in Levels 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to make suggestions to improve job flow/quality when given specific surface preparation data

Domain 6: Coatings and Inspection (20%)

• Demonstrated understanding of all standard and specialty coatings & linings outlined in Level 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to differentiate organic vs. inorganic, thermoset vs. thermoplastic, and convertible vs. non-convertible
• Demonstrated ability to identify the primary curing mechanism by generic class of coating
• Demonstrated ability to identify common coating defects by generic class of coating
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate coating data by all coating inspection instruments outlined in Levels 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to identify coating failure modes and potential causes and understand coating surveys
• Demonstrated ability to improve job flow and quality given specific coating data

Domain 7: Coating Application (7.5%)

• Demonstrated understanding of all application methods outlined in Levels 1 & 2 including basic troubleshooting
• Demonstrated knowledge of how to troubleshoot airless and plural component spray application methods
• Demonstrated ability to improve job flow and quality when given specific coating application data

Domain 8: Documentation (10%)

• Demonstrated understanding of all documentation information outlined in Levels 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to develop/critique an Inspection and Test Plan, and Final Report
• Demonstrated ability to improve job flow and quality when given specific documentation data

Domain 9: Standards (10%)

• Demonstrated detailed understanding of all relevant standards outlined in Levels 1 & 2
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate the pass/fail of specific inspection data based on this defined standard
• Demonstrated ability to make suggestions to improve job flow and quality when following a specific standard

Domain 10: Teamwork (2.5%)

• Demonstrated advanced understanding of teamwork as in Levels 1 & 2 and work experience since achieving certification
• Demonstrated ability to identify positive or negative factors influencing group behavior
• Demonstrated ability to make suggestions to improve job flow and quality while a matter is in dispute

Domain 11: Ethics (2.5%)

• Demonstrated advanced understanding of ethics required of a NACE Certified Coating Inspector
• Demonstrated ability to react in accordance with the attestation when under pressure
• Demonstrated ability to improve job flow and quality when facing an ethical challenge

Types of Questions

• Questions consist of technical and practical questions
• Candidates have one hour for each part
• Candidates are presented questions and must respond at a satisfactory level to the Peer Group, which are based on industry knowledge and skills
• Each candidate will be asked six technical questions from CIP Level 1 & 2 subject matter and have 10 minutes to answer per question
• Each candidate will be asked four practical questions from CIP Level 1 & 2 subject matter and have 15 minutes to answer per question
• There is no NACE training course for this certification

Sample Questions:

• A technical question example is: Coal tar/asphalt cutbacks, vinyls, and chlorinated rubber coatings cure by evaporation of the solvent, so describe associated problems that the inspector might encounter
• A practical question example is: A crew completes painting a yellow alkyd enamel caution stripe on a helicopter pad on an off-shore platform at 5 PM, and the next morning different colors of alkyd appear on the stripe. What is the problem?

Technical Sample Answer

• Inspection criteria for solvent evaporation coatings should ensure the coating isn't applied too thick, or solvents will be trapped and weaken coating integrity
• Vinyl and chlorinated rubber coatings contain volatile solvents and if applied to a hot surface may not wet the surface before the solvents flash, resulting in a dry and poorly formed film
• The resulting coating film can be porous with poor film integrity, have low gloss, and be useless as protection
• Coal tar and asphalt coatings contain less volatile solvents and if applied to a hot surface the coatings may develop pinholes resulting in a porous surface
• These coatings if applied too thickly at higher ambient temperatures may skin set, causing solvent entrapment, leading to the film underneath remaining soft
• Solvent-evaporation coatings should not be top-coated with a different coating containing a strong solvent, which will attack the base coating and cause it to redissolve
• Evaporation coatings should not be top-coated with an epoxy, because epoxy cures cause internal stresses and cause the coating system to delaminate
• Evaporation-type coatings may be applied over different base coats
• For example, an epoxy basecoat may be top-coated with chlorinated rubber but if the epoxy coating is hard and slick the intercoat adhesion will perform poorly

Practical Sample Answer Recommendations

• The platform is a heat sync issue
• The platform absorbs heat during the day and the beams supporting the platform hold the heat in the evening, where the area between cools faster
• If the coating in the area of the beams there is sufficient heat to dry coating on the platform surface
• The area between the beams cools fast in the evening and the coatings does not dry before dew, causing the coating to lose gloss which caused the different appearance

Preparation

• Training is N/A
• Reference material to use includes NACE Coating Inspection Program Level 1 & 2 course materials
• Books to use include Corrosion prevention by protective coatings by Charles Munger and revised by Lou Vincent et. al, Practical Math for the Protective Coatings Industry by Raymond Weaver, Users Guide to Hot Dip Galvanizing by American Galvanizers Association, SSPC Painting Manual Volume 1- Good Painting Practices, SSPC Painting Manual Volume 2- Systems and Specifications
• Standards include ASTM Volume 06.01 Paint- Tests for Chemical, Physical, and Optical Properties; Appearance, and ASTM Volume 06.02 Paint- Products and Applications; Protective Coatings; Pipeline Coatings