API 580 Risk Based Inspection Certification Examination

1) Given the following fault tree.

Leak in heat exchanger

Probability of leak= 1/5000=0.0002

No Fire Fire
Probability of non-ignition=98/100=0.98 Probability of ignition=2/100=0.02

What is the probability that there will be no fire?

1. 0.000004 per year

2. 0.000196 per year
3. 0.980000 per year
4. 0.999996 per year

2. The RBI program is intended to promote consistency and quality in the:

1. Types of inspection and repair activities selected to reduce risk.

2. Identification, assessment, and management of risks pertaining to material
deterioration.
3. Identification of high-risk process units in the refining and chemical
industries.
4. The team selected to prepare the RBI plans.

3. End - of – life RBI strategies are cost effective because:

1. Inspection activities that do not affect risk can be eliminated or reduced.

2. They can replace more costly fitness-for-service analysis.
3. Inspection activities that are more effective and efficient will be planned.
4. They can usually extend the required intervals between inspections.

4. Which of the following is not a relevant source of information for RBI assessment?

1. Maintenance costs.
2. Site conditions (e.g., weather, seismic activity)
3. Incident investigation records.
4. Equipment replacement costs.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:16:41 +02'00'
5. Which of the following statements about codes and standards used to design is:

1. They are necessary for any RBI review.

2. They can have a significant impact on RBI results.
3. They are only relevant if they meet jurisdictional requirements.
4. They have little effect on RBI results.

6. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to equipment items with
risk is defined acceptable by RBI analysis?

1. Inspection interval should be lengthened.

2. Inspection effectiveness should be adjusted.
3. Equipment should be removed from inspection programs.
4. No further mitigation is necessary.

7. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to the results of

quantitative analysis?

1. They normally provide an initial screening with which to rank units for
attention.
2. They are usually numeric and should be comparable.
3. They must be included in the documentation of any RBI evaluation.
4. They are more accurate than the results of qualitative analysis.

8. In RBI, residual factors for loss of containment include all of the following
except:

1. Human errors.
2. Unknown mechanisms of deterioration.
3. Inspection efforts.
4. Secondary effects from nearby units.

9. compared to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis using broad ranges

generally require:

1. A lower level of judgment, skill, and understanding.

2. Greater accuracy in data input to compensate for lower precision of the
models.
3. A higher level of judgment, skill, and understanding.
4. Better training in understanding the impact of data quality.

10. In RBI investigation, consequence analysis is intended to provide a measure of

the:-

1. Mitigation necessary to reduce risk.

2. Overall risk of a potential failure.
3. Maximum liability for a failure.
4. Significance of a potential failure.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:17:13 +02'00'
11. Risk reduction is:-

1. Synonymous with risk management.

2. Synonymous with inspection optimization.
3. Part of risk management.
4. Achieved only by inspection.

12. The value of a qualitative approach is that:-

1. The risk assessment process is much faster.

2. It uses logic models that depict combinations of events.
3. It enables completion of a risk assessment in the absence of detailed data.
4. It produces relative risk numbers rather than absolute risk numbers.

13. RBI contributes to the reduction of overall life-cycle costs by:-

1. Using less expensive inspection techniques.

2. Increasing the number of internal inspections.
3. Increasing the number of nonintrusive inspections.
4. Enhancing the prediction of failure caused by deterioration mechanisms.

14. Which of the following is most important to the success of risk mitigation by
emergency isolation?

1. Operations surveillance.
2. Chain-wheel-operated gate valves.
3. Fire deluge systems.
4. Proper isolation valve locations.

15. For RBI methods, sensitivity analysis is:-

1. Employed only when the risk matrix indicates that the risk is high.
2. Normally employed to determine the effects of the dominant failure
mechanisms for each part of equipment studied.
3. A review of input variables in a risk calculation to determine their influence
on the risk value.
4. based on statistical analysis that uses historical data gathered from a particular
facilities to develop a better understanding of the risk value.

16. The suitability and current condition of equipment within the current operating
envelope we determine the:

1. Consequence of failure.
2. Probability of failure.
3. Total risk.
4. Likelihood of repair.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:17:45 +02'00'
17. The urgency of performing inspection activities depends primarily upon:-

1. The magnitude of the consequence.

2. The level of unmitigated risk.
3. Previous inspection findings and corrosion rates.
4. Jurisdictional requirements.

18. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to the use of RBI for
managing inspection costs.

1. Equipment integrity should remain the primary focus.

2. RPI will eliminate some inspections.
3. On-stream inspections are not as effective as internal inspections.
4. RBI will probably raise the total cost of inspection for a given unit.

19. A computerized database is:-

1. Required for inspection record keeping.

2. Necessary for conducting the risk analysis.
3. Important for stewarding recommendations.
4. Necessary for categorizing the risk levels and risk rankings.

20. Which of the following may make it impractical to reduce some risks to an
acceptable level?

1. Labor contracts.
2. Cost constraints.
3. Regulatory requirements.
4. Production needs.

21. The risk to a given facility, process unit, system, equipment item, or component
as compared to a similar item is referred to as:-

1. Absolute risk.
2. Relative risk.
3. Qualitative risk.
4. Quantitative risk.

22. As a member of an RBI assessment team, an equipment inspector or inspection

specialist is responsible for:-

1. Gathering data on the condition and history of the equipment.

2. Documenting the RBI assessment.
3. Following up to ensure that the appropriate risk mitigation has been
implemented.
4. Assessing the types of deterioration mechanisms and their applicability and
severity.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:18:28 +02'00'
23. In RBI, which of the following is the term for an event at a facility that is caused
by something beyond the direct or indirect control of employees?

1. Indeterminate event.
2. External event.
3. Unassigned event.
4. Relative risk event.

24. RBI is focused on the systematic determination of:

1. Consequence risks.
2. Inspection risks.
3. Absolute risks.
4. Relative risks.

25. Residual risk is defined as the:-

1. Acceptable risk threshold determined by the site risk management process.

2. Risk identified after RBI analysis.
3. Risk that remain after inspection.
4. Risk that remains after mitigation.

26. Risk based is:-

- Used by many companies, governments and regulatory authorities in

determing risk acceptance.

27. which of the following statements is correct with regard to assumption in an RBI
analysis about the nature and extent of equipment deterioration:

- they should be clearly documented in the final assessment.

28. Which of the following should be identied at the beginning of an RBI

assessment?

1-
Data to be used.
2-
Plans used by similar facilities.
3-
Person with sole responsibility for preparing the plan
4-
Person who will obtain Jurisdictional authority approval.
29. Which type of RBI typically requires the most detailed information and data for
models?

1- Quantitative.
2- Semi- quantitative.
3- Qualitative.
4- Semi- qualitative.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:19:01 +02'00'
30- Inspection and inspection engineers typically reduce the risk associated with
deterioration mechanisms by reducing:

1- Only the probability of failure.

2- Primarily the consequence of failure.
3- Both the probability and consequence of failure.
4- The intervals between inspections.
31. The accuracy of results from a qualitative analysis depends on:

1- The discrete values of the input data.

2- Whether it is performed by an owner/user or a non-owner/user.
3- The background and expertise of the analyst.
4- The integration of the detailed assessments.

32. How does an iso-risk line on a risk plot help with inspection planning?

1- It shows how risks are changing over time.

2- It improves understanding of the relative risks of equipment.
3- It determines the urgency of the next inspection.
4- It assists in optimizing the inspection and mitigation plans.
5-
36. In the RBI process, internal inspection:

1- In the preferred method of inspection.

2- May actually increase the risk in an item.
3- Eliminates the need for external inspection.
4- Is worth the additional cost.

37. An RBI inspection plan should specify the:

1- Type, scope, and timing of inspection.

2- Risk ranking of each piece of equipment.
3- Deterioration mechanisms and anticipated failure modes.
4- Probability of failure before mitigation.

38. When risk acceptability criteria are being established, it is generally recognized
the:

1- Every failure will lead to an undesirable incident of serious consequence.

2- Some incidents of serious consequence have every high probability.
3- Every failure will lead to some undesirable consequence.
4- Not every failure will lead to an undesirable incident of serious consequence.

39. Which of the following is a methodology that will increase the precision of an
RBI?

1- A high level of confidence in all previous inspection techniques.

2- Identifying and assessing all probable deterioration mechanisms.
3- The use of high- quality data knowledgeable personnel.
4- A Quantitative assessment approach that uses logic and physical models.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:19:40 +02'00'
40. All of the following are essential elements of an RBI program except:

1- Documented method of managing risk through inspection and mitigation

activities.
2- Management system for maintaining documentation and analysis.
3- Process hazard analysis to verify the adequacy of unit design.
4- Documented methods of determining failure probability and consequences.

41. Which of the following is a measure deterioration mechanism category in the

hydrocarbon and chemical industry?

1- Mechanical damage.
2- Brittle fracture.
3- Material thickness.
4- Weld defect.

42. The RBI methodology is intended to:

1- Complement other safety initiatives.

2- Replace mechanical integrity programs.
3- Replace overly restrictive regulatory requirements.
4- Replace intrusive inspections.

43. Inspection activities help to manage risk by:

1- Mitigation risk.
2- Reducing uncertainty.
3- Identifying risk.
4- Identifying deterioration mechanisms.

44. In an RBI assessment, the purpose of establishing operational boundaries is to:

1- Identify key process parameters that may impact deterioration.

2- Avoid unanticipated deterioration.
3- Exclude non-normal operating anomalies.
4- Ensure that a unit operates within an acceptable design envelope.

45. The plan resulting from a detailed description of an RBI assessment for each
piece of equipment will specify:

1- Proposed mitigation plans.

2- Consequence and probability of failure.
3- Timing of inspections.
4- Risk levels before inspection.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:20:17 +02'00'
46. Identification of deterioration mechanisms, susceptibilities, and failure modes is:

1- Essential to the quality and effectiveness of an RBI evaluation.

2- The first step in the RBI process.
3- An alternative when good inspection data is lacking.
4- One of the most important outputs of an RBI assessment.

47. An RBI program should:

1- Be utilized for continuous improvement.

2- Document its method of determining probability and consequence of failure.
3- Identify all possible consequences of failure.
4- Reduce the overall risk for the equipment and facility being assessed.

48. Which of the following is not an expression of frequency?

1- Failures per run.

2- Mils per year.
3- Low rate.
4- Failures per year.

49. If the scope of an assessment is a multi-unit facility, then the first step in the
application of RBI is:

1- Screening process units to rank relative risks.

2- Collecting data and information on each process unit.
3- Establishing the operating boundaries of the equipment.
4- Selecting the type and level of RBI assessment to be conducted.

50. In which of the following situations is there usually a potential for risk
management through inspection?

1- Risk is dominated by consequence.

2- Deterioration mechanism is high-cycle fatigue cracking.
3- Risk is dominated by probability.
4- Failures are event driven.

51. Inspection optimization is:

1- The next generation of inspection programs after time-based and condition-based

inspection.
2- The point at which additional inspection begins to show a diminishing reduction
of risk.
3- Continuous improvement of the RBI program with risk reassessments for
changing conditions.
4- The lowest possible total cost for an inspection program.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:20:51 +02'00'
52. Consequence is defined as:

1- outcome of an event.
2- Failure of pressure equipment.
3- A negative event.
4- Occurrence of a particular set of circumstances.

53. With regard to environmental consequences, the RBI program typically focuses
on:

1- Carcinogenic agents.
2- Chronic risks.
3- Acute risks.
4- Long-term risks.

54. The RBI process is expected to:

1- Calculate a risk level for every piece of pressure equipment in a plant.

2- Establish an acceptable risk level for the selected inspection, repair, or
replacement activity.
3- Determine linkage of risks with appropriate inspection or other risk mitigation
activities.
4- Present all risk management activities for reducing likelihood and consequence
of failure.

55. Which of the following is an example of a failure mode?

1- Loss of strength.
2- A small hole.
3- Fatigue damage.
4- Chloride stress corrosion.

56. Which of the following statements about risk mitigation activities is correct?

1- All methods reduce the magnitude of consequence or the probability of failure.

2- Inspection is not always the most cost effective method.
3- The most important method is equipment repair and replacement.
4- Inspection is the most cost effective method.

57. Metallurgical and environmental deterioration typically involve:

1- Loss of ductility and strength.

2- Mechanical and/or physical property deterioration.
3- High-temperature creep and/or cracking.
4- High-temperature hydrogen attack(HTHA).

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:21:27 +02'00'
58. Which of the following is one of the primary considerations in determining failure
probability?

1- Age of equipment.
2- Failure mode.
3- Deterioration mechanisms.
4- Inspection effectiveness.

59. The time frame over which an RBI analysis is applicable should:

1- Be based only on the time dependence of deterioration mechanisms.

2- Be defined and captured in the final documentation.
3- Be considered in the analysis but not included in the final documentation.
4- Not be allowed to unduly influence the tracking and management of risk.

60. Analysis of the probability of failure should address:

1- Potential for adverse consequences resulting from a release.

2- Failure modes that will lead to the highest consequence.
3- All deterioration mechanisms to which the equipment is susceptible.
4- Anything that might cause a release of hazardous substances.

61. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to establishing an

inspection strategy?

- Inspection is only effective if the technique adequately detects the severity of

deterioration.

62. With regard to initial assumptions in an RBI analysis, which of the following
statement is correct?

- Consequence and probability estimates that are too conservative can result in
unnecessarily inflated calculated risks.

63. Risk management through inspections may have little or no effect in situation
involving:

1- New equipment with unknown corrosion rates.

2- Low consequence of failure.
3- A long time between on set of deterioration and final failure.
4- Instantaneous failures related to operating conditions.

64. One of the factors in determining the probability of failure caused by deterioration
is the:

1- Uncertainty of process operations.

2- Maximum allowable working pressure.
3- Likelihood of rupture.
4- Rate of deterioration.

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Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:22:01 +02'00'
65. An RBI reassessment should be conducted after all of the following except:

1- An equipment re-rate.
2- Each significant change in risk.
3- Implementation of risk mitigation strategies.
4- A default maximum time period.

66. The qualifications for risk analysis for RBI include:

1- Materials and corrosion.

2- Knowledge of the process unit.
3- API RBI certification.
4- Detailed training on the RBI methodology being used.

67. Risk is defined as the combination of the:

1- Probability of failure and probability of consequences.

2- Probability of an event and its consequences.
3- Loss of containment.
4- Probability of failure from identified deterioration mechanisms.

68. Probability of failure is most commonly expressed in terms of:

1- Events per year.

2- Number of events.
3- Frequency.
4- Likelihood of failure mode.

69. Key elements of an RBI program include:

1- Identification of equipment that does not require inspection or other means of

reducing the likelihood of failure.
2- An overall reduction in risk for the facilities and all equipment assessed.
3- An acceptance and understanding of the risk for each item before and after
inspection.
4- Management systems for maintaining documentation, personnel qualifications,
data requirements, and analysis updates.

70. Which of the following is least likely to require a risk-based inspection(RBI)

reassessment?

1- Changing process conditions to more aggressive feedstock.

2- Installation of effective risk mitigation devices.
3- Increases in rates of deterioration mechanisms.
4- Changing from internal to on-stream inspections.

Digitally signed by Ahmed Hazem

Ahmed Hazem DN: cn=Ahmed Hazem, o, ou,

email=ah1525@gmail.com, c=US
Date: 2010.03.14 00:22:35 +02'00'