ASME PCC-2 on the API 510 Exam: The 14 Articles to Study

The list and edition come from API's API 510 effectivity sheet for September 2026, January 2027 and May 2027 and the Body of Knowledge, both read on 26 October 2026. They name ASME PCC-2, Repair of Pressure Equipment and Piping, 2022 edition. Check your own window's sheet before you buy a copy, because editions change.

The 14 articles, grouped by repair job

Article titles are as API prints them. No PCC-2 text is reproduced here. Open each article in your own copy.

Orientation

• Article 101: the introduction to the book. The effectivity sheet calls it "Scope, Organization, and Intent" and the Body of Knowledge calls it "Introduction". Same article, two labels.

Repairing thinning and damaged shell areas

• Article 201: Butt-Welded Insert Plates in Pressure Components
• Article 202: External Weld Buildup to Repair Internal Thinning
• Article 211: Weld Buildup, Weld Overlay, and Clad Restoration
• Article 212: Fillet Welded Patches
• Article 304: Flaw Excavation and Weld Repair

Welding on equipment that is in service or hard to heat treat

• Article 209: Alternatives to Postweld Heat Treatment
• Article 210: In-Service Welding Onto Carbon Steel Pressure Components or Pipelines
• Article 215: Repair Welding Considerations for Cr-Mo Steel Pressure Vessels
• Article 216: Welded Hot Taps in Pressure Equipment or Pipelines

Specific components

• Article 305: Flange Repair and Conversion
• Article 312: Inspection and Repair of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

Checking the repair

• Article 501: Pressure and Tightness of Piping and Equipment
• Article 502: Nondestructive Examination in Lieu of Pressure Testing for Repairs and Alternations (API's spelling of the last word on the sheet)

Fourteen in all. If you count and get something else, your list came from a different cycle.

The rule that saves the most time

The Body of Knowledge says the exam will cover each referenced article and its appendices. So the articles are the unit. You do not need to read the rest of PCC-2, and you should not spend a weekend on articles that are not on the list. Appendices attached to your 14 are in scope, which is a trap if you read only the main text.

How PCC-2 connects to the rest of the exam

PCC-2 is where repair methods live, and API 510 is where the inspector's duties live. Questions that touch repairs often send you to both. The Body of Knowledge also lists "Repairs/Alterations to Pressure Vessels" and "Rerating Pressure Vessels" among its practical knowledge topics. If you have not separated those three terms yet, start with our post on repairs, alterations and rerating, then come back here.

Two other publications on the sheet pair naturally with PCC-2:

• ASME Section IX for the welding qualification side of a repair. The Body of Knowledge scopes that review narrowly, and our WPS and PQR review guide covers it.
• ASME Section V for the examination side, which matters most for Article 502. See our post on NDE and Section V articles.

How to read one article

Fourteen articles is a lot to read for depth, so read each one with the same four questions. Write the answers on one card per article, in your own words.

1. What is the repair for? One line. Thinning, a crack, a leaking flange, a tube bundle?
2. When is it not allowed or not suited? Each article states limits. Capture the headline limits as short phrases, and note the paragraph so you can find the detail on screen.
3. What must be checked before, during and after? Think NDE, preheat, heat treatment or an alternative to it, and testing.
4. Where is the detail? Write the paragraph or table you would open to confirm a number.

Card four is what turns reading into open-book speed. The goal is not to carry the rule in your head. It is to know, for each repair type, where the rule lives.

A 14-day reading plan

If you can give PCC-2 about 30 minutes a day:

• Day 1: Article 101, then skim the 13 titles above so you know the territory.
• Days 2 to 4: the thinning and shell repair group (201, 202, 211, 212, 304), about two articles a day, with a card for each.
• Days 5 to 9: welding on equipment in service (209, 210, 215, 216), one article a day, plus one extra day to tie them to Section IX.
• Days 10 to 11: components (305, 312).
• Days 12 to 13: checking the repair (501, 502), tied to the Section V reading you have already done.
• Day 14: shuffle the 14 cards and ask yourself the first question on each, with the cards face down.

Space this across your weeks rather than packing it in. A repeat visit five days later will teach you more than another hour on the first day.

How to practice the lookup

During the open-book part, only the sections on the effectivity sheet are on the testing computer. Papers, notes and books are not allowed in the room. Write ten prompts of the form "which article covers a repair of X?" and answer each from your cards. Then find the article in your PDF with search off, time yourself, and re-drill the slow ones. Our open-book strategy guide has the full drill.

Check your repair knowledge

Take the free 10-question API 510 check to see whether repairs and alterations need more of your time than you thought. Each question is original and written to API's published content outline. For a study plan built around your exam date, with lessons for each domain and timed practice exams, see the plans.

FAQ

How many ASME PCC-2 articles are on the API 510 exam?

The effectivity sheet for September 2026, January 2027 and May 2027 lists 14: Articles 101, 201, 202, 209, 210, 211, 212, 215, 216, 304, 305, 312, 501 and 502. The exam covers each article and its appendices.

Do I need to read all of ASME PCC-2?

No. Only the listed articles are named as sources. Read those and skip the rest.

Which edition of PCC-2 does the exam use?

The sheet for those three windows lists the 2022 edition. Check the sheet for your own window, since the edition can change.

Is PCC-2 open book or closed book on the exam?

The exam has an on-screen reference set during the open-book part, limited to the sections the effectivity sheet lists. API does not say which PCC-2 questions fall in which part, so know the purpose of each article and where to find its details.

Sources

• API 510 exam publications effectivity sheet, September 2026, January 2027 and May 2027, American Petroleum Institute, PCC-2 section, read 26 October 2026
• API 510 Body of Knowledge, September 2026, January 2027 and May 2027, American Petroleum Institute, Section V, page 9, read 26 October 2026
• API 510 Pressure Vessel Inspector, American Petroleum Institute, for the on-screen reference rule