Courses

API 936 Refractory Personnel with Examination

API 936 Refractory Personnel

Training Duration: 32 hours

Examination: 4 hours

Closed Book

Brief:

Candidates can expect to learn about Refractory materials & their properties, Laboratory Testing Procedures, Installation, Quality Control, Post-installation Inspection and Acceptance of the Refractory Lining as per usage in Refineries, Power generation stations, Petrochemical facilities and chemical industries & referenced standards like ACI and ASTM.

Design, installation, inspection, and repair of refractory systems in Pressure vessels, Exchangers, Piping, Boilers, and Fired equipment will also be covered.

Modules:

1

What are Refractories, Various refractory materials

13

Technical terms and definitions, API 936 Overview

2

Desirable properties of refractory materials

14

Laboratory Testing Procedures, Material Qualification

3

Test methods and related calculations

15

Testing equipment, sample preparation techniques, test specimens

4

Refractory Installation methods (e.g. gunning, casting, ramming, and hand packing)

16

Sampling and sample preparation procedures

5

Procedures for determining optimal water content and mixing

17

Environmental factors (minimum and maximum temperatures)

6

Surface preparation and cleanliness requirements

18

Anchor: welding, layouts, patterns, materials

7

Frequency and methods of production sampling: gunning, casting, hand packing

19

Water addition: quantity and temperature, mixing procedures

8

Gunite procedures and equipment

20

Casting procedures and equipment (e.g. air vibrator, vibrator frequency, vibrator sizing, forming, setup)

9

Ramming/Hand packed procedures and equipment

21

Visual and non-destructive test methods and qualification testing methods

10

Application/limitation for various inspection techniques

22

Curing and dry out procedures

11

Placement of temperature sensing probes

23

Recommended heat up and cool down schedules

12

Lining integrity inspection techniques

 

 

 

Quick Links

  • For course & exam application details, register here
  • For review upcoming schedules, click here
  • Education: No specific degree or diploma is strictly required by API, but candidates should have a background in engineering, materials, or inspection-related fields.
  • Experience: API recommends relevant work experience in refractory installation, inspection, or quality control. Typically, at least 2 years of industry experience is advisable before attempting the exam.

Kindly contact for details.

Kindly contact for details.

📘 API 936 – Refractory Personnel Certification

1. Exam Format:

Computer-based exam (at Prometric test centers worldwide, including Singapore).

Closed book (no reference materials allowed).

Questions are multiple-choice.

2. Number of Questions & Duration:

  • 110 questions total

    • 100 scored questions

    • 10 pretest (unscored, for exam validation)

  • Time allowed: 3.25 hours

3. Exam Language:

  • English only

4. Passing Score:

  • Scaled scoring system

  • Passing score is usually around 70% (API does not publish exact raw cutoffs, but ~70 correct answers is a safe benchmark).

5. Body of Knowledge (BoK) Covers:

  • API 936 Code requirements

  • Refractory materials (types, properties, specifications)

  • Material testing methods (ASTM/ISO)

  • Installation methods (castables, brick, plastics, gunite, etc.)

  • Curing, drying, firing procedures

  • Inspection & quality control

  • Common defects and failure modes

  • Documentation and reporting

6. Exam Frequency:

  • Available year-round (on-demand scheduling through Prometric once application is approved).

7. Certificate Validity:

  • 3 years from the exam date

  • Renewal requires either:

    • Re-exam, or

    • Meeting API’s recertification requirements (CPD / experience declaration).

8. Application Process:

  • Submit application via API Individual Certification Program (ICP) portal.

  • Once approved, schedule exam with Prometric.