NACE CIP Level 1 - Coating Inspector Program

NACE CIP Level 1 - Coating Inspector Program

Course Overview

Program Title: NACE CIP Level 1 Coating Inspector Certification
Duration: 5 Days (40 Hours) + Exam
Schedule: November 17-21, 2025 | January 12-16, 2026
Timing: Full-Day (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
Location: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam | Jubail Industrial City
Course Code: STC-CIP1-2025-11
Investment: 5,500 SAR (study materials, SciTcc certification)

Course Description:

Official NACE International (now AMPP) Coating Inspector Program (CIP) Level 1 certification course. Recognized globally as the premier coating inspection qualification for protective coatings in oil & gas, petrochemical, marine, and infrastructure industries.

This intensive 5-day program with hands-on training covers surface preparation, coating application, inspection techniques, quality control, safety, and standards compliance. Course culminates in the NACE CIP Level 1 certification exam (written and practical).

Target Audience:

• Coating inspectors (new and experienced seeking certification)

• QA/QC inspectors in construction and maintenance

• Corrosion technicians and engineers

• Project engineers overseeing coating work

• Painting contractors and supervisors

• Aramco, SABIC, ADNOC, contractor personnel

Prerequisites:

• High school diploma or equivalent

• Ability to distinguish colors (Ishihara test)

• Physical ability to perform field inspection tasks

• Basic understanding of coatings preferred but not required

Course Curriculum (NACE Standardized)

Day 1: Introduction to Coatings & Corrosion

• Corrosion fundamentals and protection methods

• Types of protective coatings: Primers, intermediate coats, topcoats

• Coating categories: Alkyds, epoxies, polyurethanes, zinc-rich, inorganic

• Coating selection criteria

• Health, safety, and environmental considerations

• NACE/SSPC standards overview

• Inspector roles and responsibilities

Day 2: Surface Preparation

• Importance of surface preparation (75% of coating success)

• Surface contamination: Rust, mill scale, salts, oils, dust

• Cleaning methods:

  • Solvent cleaning (SSPC-SP1)

  • Hand tool cleaning (SSPC-SP2)

  • Power tool cleaning (SSPC-SP3, SP11, SP15)

  • Abrasive blast cleaning: Commercial (SP6), Near-white (SP10), White metal (SP5)

• Surface profile measurement: Replica tape, comparators

• Anchor pattern and profile depth

• Environmental conditions: Temperature, humidity, dew point

• Hands-On: Surface preparation demonstrations, profile measurement

Day 3: Coating Application & Inspection

• Coating application methods: Brush, roller, conventional spray, airless spray, plural component

• Film thickness measurement: Wet film thickness (WFT), dry film thickness (DFT)

• DFT gauges: Magnetic, eddy current, ultrasonic

• Calibration and gauge checks

• Application inspection: Coverage, runs, sags, holidays, surface defects

• Holiday detection: Low-voltage, high-voltage detectors

• Curing and drying: Factors affecting cure

• Hands-On: DFT measurement on coated panels, holiday detection

Day 4: Quality Control & Testing

• Adhesion testing: Cross-hatch, pull-off (dolly test per ASTM D4541)

• Solvent resistance and MEK rub test

• Coating identification and verification

• Inspection documentation and reporting

• Non-conformance and corrective actions

• Touch-up and repair procedures

• Safety during inspection activities

• Hands-On: Adhesion testing, solvent rub test, complete inspection report

Day 5: Standards, Contracts & Exam Preparation

• NACE/SSPC coating standards library

• NACE SP0178, SSPC-PA2 (coating specifications)

• Contract documents and specifications

• Sampling and acceptance criteria

• Measuring and test equipment (M&TE) calibration

• Environmental monitoring: Psychrometer, sling psychrometer

• Math review: Area calculations, volume, mixing ratios, coverage rates

• Mock exam and review

• Practical Exam Preparation: Hands-on practice on all inspection tasks

Day 6 (Half-Day): NACE CIP Level 1 Certification Exam

• Written Exam: 80 multiple-choice questions, 2 hours, closed-book

  • Passing score: 70% (56 correct)

• Practical Exam: 7 hands-on stations (30 minutes total)

  • Surface preparation evaluation

  • DFT measurement and calibration

  • Holiday detection

  • Environmental condition monitoring

  • Adhesion testing

  • Inspection documentation

  • Passing requirement: All stations must pass

• Certification: NACE CIP Level 1 certificate issued within 4 weeks (valid 3 years)

Learning Outcomes

• Understand corrosion and protective coating fundamentals

• Inspect surface preparation per NACE/SSPC standards

• Monitor coating application for quality and compliance

• Measure DFT accurately and calibrate gauges

• Detect coating defects and holidays

• Perform adhesion and other coating tests

• Document inspection findings professionally

• Pass NACE CIP Level 1 certification exam (written + practical)

• Function as qualified coating inspector in GCC industries

Course Materials (Included)

• NACE CIP Level 1 Courseware (official textbook)

• NACE Coating Inspector Reference Manual

• SSPC Visual Standards (Vis 1-4: Surface preparation standards with photos)

• NACE/SSPC standards collection (excerpts)

• Inspection forms and checklists

• Calculator (specific model allowed in exam)

• Safety equipment for practical exercises

• Inspection Tools Provided During Course:

  • DFT gauges (Type 1 and Type 2)

  • Replica tape and comparators (surface profile)

  • Holiday detectors (low-voltage and high-voltage)

  • Psychrometers (dew point calculation)

  • Adhesion testing equipment (pull-off tester)

Post-Certification:

• NACE CIP Level 1 certificate (3-year validity)

• Digital badge for LinkedIn and professional profiles

• Recertification support (due every 3 years)

• Access to NACE standards library (members)

Instructor Profile

Eng. Faisal Al-Otaibi, NACE CIP Level 3, FROSIO Level 3

Certifications:

• NACE CIP Level 3 Peer Reviewer (highest level)

• FROSIO Level 3 Coating Inspector

• NACE Corrosion Technologist

• SSPC Certified Protective Coating Specialist (PCS)

Experience (22 years):

• 10 years as Senior Coating Inspector at Saudi Aramco (offshore platforms, refineries, pipelines)

• 12 years as Coating Consultant for SABIC, Marafiq, SWCC, SEC projects

• Lead Inspector for major coating projects: Ras Tanura tanks, Yanbu refineries, Jubail petrochemical plants

• Coating failure investigations and root cause analysis

• Over 50 successful coating projects inspected (>$500M total value)

Training Experience:

• NACE Authorized Instructor (since 2015)

• Trained 1,500+ CIP Level 1 candidates (95% pass rate on first attempt)

• Corporate training: Aramco, SABIC, ADNOC, Ma'aden, Bechtel, Fluor

• Guest lecturer: Jubail Industrial College, Yanbu Industrial College

Registration Information

Investment: 5,500 SAR (Includes: Training, NACE exam fee, study materials, certification, lunch/refreshments)

Important Notes:

• CIP Level 1 certification valid for 3 years

• Recertification required: 12 PDHs (Professional Development Hours) every 3 years or re-exam

• NACE membership recommended (discounts on standards, resources, events)

• Physical fitness required for practical exam (bending, climbing, close inspection work)

• Color vision test administered on Day 1 (Ishihara test - 12 plates minimum)

Registration: scitcc.com/nace-cip1 | +971-566922928 | info@scitcc.com