Coating inspector exam guides
Plain-English, no-fluff guides to the AMPP CIP and FROSIO exams — for people who can't afford to fail. Every worked number is original; no copied exam questions. For short reference pages on one topic each, see Learn.
Choosing and getting a certificate
What each certificate is, how the exams differ, and how to keep the certificate valid.
How to get NACE (now AMPP) CIP Level 1
The course, the ethics requirement, the 8-station practical and the 120-question exam, step by step, with the retake rules and a study plan by domain weight.
Read the guideFROSIO vs AMPP CIP: which certification should you get?
Exam format, levels, standards spine, regional recognition and renewal — the two coating-inspector credentials compared, and how to pick.
Read the guideWhat is the FROSIO inspector certification?
The written theory exam, the practical part, the three certificate levels, how it compares with CIP — and how to prepare.
Read the guideAMPP CIP Level 1 vs Level 2: how the two certifications differ
Prerequisites, both exams, the practical stations, and what each level lets you inspect, side by side.
Read the guideAPI 510, 570 and 653 vs AMPP CIP
Integrity inspection or coating inspection: what each certifies, who can sit it, and how the exams and renewals compare.
Read the guideRenewing your CIP or FROSIO certificate
3-year and 5-year cycles, work and PDH requirements, the 90-day grace period and FROSIO's 6-month rule.
Read the guidePreparing for the exam
How the exams are weighted and what changed, with a worked calculation.
The CIP Level 2 exam changed in 2026
120 questions, 3 hours, 10 re-weighted domains: what's different, who sits which version, and how to adjust your study plan.
Read the guideHow the AMPP CIP EPG blueprint weights the exam
The published domain weights behind CIP Level 1 and the July 2026 Level 2 exam, and how to turn them into a study plan.
Read the guideThe FROSIO calculation question, worked end-to-end
Volume solids, WFT, loss factor, spreading rate — the full method with a step-by-step worked example.
Read the guideStandards and field checks
The standards and field checks that the exam guides cover, compared side by side.
ISO 12944 for coating inspectors
What each of the nine parts is for, the C1–CX and Im1–Im4 categories, and why a durability range is not a guarantee.
Read the guideSurface Preparation Cleanliness: SSPC / NACE vs ISO 8501-1
Sa 2.5, Sa 3, SSPC-SP 10, SP 5, allowable staining percentages (≤ 5% vs ≤ 33%), and key inspector exam traps.
Read the guideDFT measurement: SSPC-PA 2 vs ISO 19840
Spots and areas vs individual readings, the 80/120 and 80/20 rules, worked examples and the classic traps.
Read the guideDew point, RH and steel temperature
The 3 °C margin, the 85 % RH warning, how to measure per ISO 8502-4 — with a dew point calculator.
Read the guideWFT ↔ DFT formula and calculator
Wet to dry film thickness from volume solids and thinner, a two-way calculator in µm or mils, and how to read a wet-film comb.
Read the guideMore
Play: the coating standards matching game
Pair 30 ISO, SSPC/NACE and ASTM standard numbers with what they cover — against the clock.
Play nowWhy CoatMentor exists
How the question banks are written, who builds them, and the honesty rules: no braindumps, no fake reviews, try before you buy.
Read the guide