API 577 Welding Inspection and Metallurgy Practice Questions — 10 Free (2026)

What does the NDT examiner interpret and evaluate on a radiograph?

• A. The reflected amplitude from internal boundary surfaces
• B. The pattern of particles drawn to a magnetic flux break
• C. The bleed-out of penetrant after developer is applied
• D. How much was absorbed against how much came through ✓
• E. The phase change of induced eddy currents in the surface

What the examiner works from is contrast, reading differences in how much radiation was absorbed against how much came through, then judging what those differences mean. API 577, 8.8.1

Which general information should a weld inspection record contain?

• A. The commercial value of the equipment being inspected
• B. The consequence of failure category assigned to the equipment in this context
• C. The corrosion rate measured at the last inspection interval
• D. Customer or project, contract number or site, and date of inspection ✓
• E. The insurance arrangements covering the fabrication activity

General information in an inspection record includes customer or project, contract number or site, date of inspection, component or system, subassembly description, weld identification, and weld type, material, and thickness. API 577, 9.12.1.1

Which ASME Section IX paragraph gives base metal P-number qualification ranges?

• A. QW-432, which provides the filler metal F-numbers
• B. QW-301.2, which covers the purpose of the WPQ document
• C. QW-320, which covers the conditions for immediate retest
• D. QW-350, which lists the essential variables for welders
• E. QW-423 ✓

ASME Section IX sets out the base metal range that follows from whichever P-numbers were used in the test. API 577, 7.1

Which elements are cited as varying due to solubility in a pure metal?

• A. Chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium alloying additions
• B. Aluminium, silicon, and titanium used as deoxidizers
• C. Nickel, copper, and cobalt present as residual elements
• D. Carbon, sulfur, and phosphorus ✓
• E. Oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen dissolved in the melt

Carbon, sulfur and phosphorus dissolve unevenly in a metal rather than distributing uniformly. Because their local concentration differs, the temperature at which each microstructural region freezes also differs, which is what sets up segregation as the melt solidifies. API 577, 10.1.2

Per API 577 6.5.2, which of the following is NOT listed as an essential variable for tube-to-tubesheet welding?

• A. PWHT
• B. Preheat
• C. Gas flow rate
• D. Vertical position progression
• E. Welder identification number ✓

Items a-v list process and material variables; a welder's ID is a tracking record, not a procedure essential variable. API 577, 6.5.2

"Overlap" is a discontinuity where the location is typically specified as the:

• A. Weld face mid-point
• B. Weld toe or root surface ✓
• C. Center of the HAZ
• D. Root of a groove weld only
• E. Base metal surface only

Overlap occurs at the WMZ, specifically at the weld toe or root surface where the weld metal spills over onto the base metal. API RP 577, 8.1

What is the workpiece in the plasma transferred arc process?

• A. Electrically isolated from the welding power supply entirely
• B. Connected only to the shielding gas supply arrangement
• C. Grounded separately from the welding current return path
• D. Part of the electrical circuit ✓
• E. Connected through the constricting nozzle rather than directly

As happens in GTAW, the work forms part of the electrical circuit, the arc running from the tungsten electrode to the workpiece. API 577, 4.8.2

Which properties are cited as attributable to atomic arrangement?

• A. Corrosion resistance, density, and thermal conductivity
• B. Weldability, machinability, and formability alone
• C. Electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability
• D. Coefficient of thermal expansion and specific heat
• E. Strength, ductility, and toughness ✓

Strength, ductility and toughness all trace back to two things: what the metal is made of chemically, and how orderly the arrangement of its atoms is. API 577, 10.1.1

How do radiographic indications appear relative to the background?

• A. At the same density as the surrounding weld metal
• B. Only as sharp white lines regardless of the discontinuity
• C. Only where they break through to the examined surface
• D. As a colour change against the background image
• E. At a density set apart from the background ✓

A flaw shows because its density on the image differs from the background of the surrounding weld or component. API 577, 8.8.1

General requirements for radiographic work sit in which article?

• A. Because the code requires a hold point before welding starts
• B. Because the welder cannot be qualified after welding begins
• C. Because NDE cannot be performed once welding has started
• D. Because documentation must be complete before work commences
• E. Problems are avoided while changes remain easy ✓

Fixing a problem is cheapest before the arc is struck. Once metal is deposited, a correction means grinding out, re-welding and re-examining. API 577 therefore puts weight on the planning and preparation stage, where a drawing conflict or a procedure gap costs only a conversation to resolve. API 577, 9.2