CIP Work Experience Requirements
LEVEL 2 Guidelines
Candidates for NACE CIP Level 2 Certification mustsatisfy all of the following educational and work experience requirements shown below.

CIP Level 1, but may be achieved at any time before
or after CIP Level 1certification. It is required prior tobeing awarded a CIP Level 2 certification

A. Candidate must be Certified as a NACE Level 1
Coating Inspector, PLUS

4. Time spent in training shall not be counted towards
the experience requirements of Items B or C above.

B. The certification candidate has a minimum of TWO(2) years’ work experience in jobs related to industrial coatings and in addition to the time spent in
NACE training, a minimum of TWENTY (20) hours ofverifiable and documented experience in the use ofnon-destructive coating inspection instruments, prior
to application for certification. For example, work experience as an industrial coating applicator, which includes the requisite TWENTY (20) hours of experience
using non-destructive inspection instruments, OR

5. It is not possible to list all types of experience that
may qualify in category C above. It is intended thatthe work experience shall be largely of a practical nature. Work at a site location is likely to qualify; work in
an office is not likely to qualify. Work as an applicator(blaster or sprayer) is likely to qualify, work as a sales
representative is not. A list of commonly accepted
experience is listed below:
a. Site Supervisor for paint application contractor
b. Blaster and/or sprayer of industrial coatingsc. Coating Manufacturer’s Technical Service
Representative a practicing representative ofa Facility Owner (or his/her designated Agent),
or a representative from a licensed professional engineering firm with some site-based
responsibilities,
d. Welding inspector with experience of coatings QC
in a site environment

C. The certification candidate has a minimum TWO (2)years’ professional work experience, which includes
fieldwork. For example working as a coating manufacturer’s representative, a practicing representativeof a facility owner (or his/her designated agent), ora representative from a licensed professional engineering firm, AND a minimum of TWENTY (20) hoursof verifiable and documented experience in the useof non-destructive coating inspection instruments
Note 1: Candidates experience including the use of non-destructive coating

inspection instruments must be documented by the candidate such that it canbe verified by NACE.

Note 2: As it is not possible to list all potential types of qualified experience,each submission will be evaluated by NACE to ensure compliance with theintent of the experience requirements noted above.

Additional details on work experience below:
1. Industrial Coatings are those materials designedfor protection of major structures such as Bridges,Ships, Offshore Platforms or Pipelines, applied tosurfaces that are suitably prepared (most often byblast-cleaning) and applied most often by airless orconventional airspray systems.
2. All experience referred to herein must be documented and verifiable. It shall be defined in writing andsubmitted to NACE on approved forms, and be subject to verification before the Certification process
can be completed.
3. The work experience defined at B and C above is notnecessarily required to follow certification at NACE

LEVEL 3 Guidelines
Candidates for NACE CIP Level 3 Certification mustsatisfy all of the following educational and work experience requirements shown below.
A. The certification candidate has a minimum of FIVE
(5) years’ work experience as a coatings inspector,
prior to application for certification, in jobs related toindustrial coatings, ORB. The certification candidate has a minimum of FIVE
(5) years’ work experience in jobs related to industrial coatings and in addition to the time spent in
NACE training, a minimum of FIFTY (50) hours ofverifiable and documented experience in the use ofnon-destructive AND destructive coating inspection
instruments, prior to application for certification. Forexample, work experience as an industrial coating
applicator which includes the requisite FIFTY (50)hours of experience using non-destructive AND
destructive inspection instruments, ORLEVEL 3 Guidelines (continued)
C. The certification candidate has a minimum FIVE (5)years’ professional work experience, which includes
fieldwork. For example working as a coating manufacturer’s representative, a practicing representative ofa facility owner (or his/her designated agent), or a representative from a licensed professional engineering
AND a minimum of FIFTY (50) hours of verifiable anddocumented experience in the use of non-destructive
AND destructive coating inspection instruments.
Note: Candidates experience including the use of coating inspection instruments
must be documented by the candidate such that it can be verified by NACE.

Note 2: As it is not possible to list all types of potentially qualifying experience,each submission will be evaluated by NACE to ensure compliance with the intent
of the experience requirements noted above.

Approved Industries
Required experience may be obtained in any of thefollowing industries.
Note: This is not an all-inclusive list. Candidates with experience gained in anon-listed industry will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis

1. Marine Transportation/Shipping/Ship Buildingor Repair
2. Chemical Processing Plants
3. Oil Refinery Facilities, Oil Field Operational
Equipment or Offshore Oil platforms
4. Any aspect of the Energy production industry,including Solar, Goal, Natural Gas and Nuclear
power generation
5. Municipal waterworks, sewage plant and civil infrastructure restoration
6. Transportation facilities, including steel and concrete
bridges
7. Buried and above ground pipelines, including highpressure gas transmission lines.
8. Railcar manufacturing and maintenance facilities
9. Water and waste water industry
Excluded Work Experience
Examples of work experience that will not qualify toward
certification prerequisites include, but are not limited tothe following:
1. Laboratory technician work without coatings-related
field experience;
2. Specification-writing without coatings-related fieldexperience;
3. Protective coatings sales experience without coatings-related field experience.

Level 3 Subject Areas
Certification candidates are cautioned that satisfying
experience requirements for CIP Level 3 Peer certification requires a wide range of experience. Candidates whohave highly specialized knowledge in only one industry
area are often not successful in achieving certification.
The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate a thorough and complete knowledge in the areasof but not limited to:
A. Surface Preparation:a. Surface Preparation Standards and Processes
b. Common Surface contamination problems andtheir respective solutions
c. Effect of adverse environmental conditions upon
proper surface preparation
B. Coatings:
a. Chemistry of industrial coatings by type including
their curing mechanisms
b. Common application problems and limitations
c. Common application processes and equipmentused, especially plural component
C. Inspection Procedures, Requirements and Processes:a. Inspection Standardsb. Inspection Proceduresc. Inspection Instruments
D. Evaluation of, and Reporting of, results for each typeof instrument
E. Documentation procedures and report writing
requirements
F. Non-technical skills such as, but not limited to:a. Team Buildingb. Active Listening Skills
c. Ability to avoid conflicts/ ability to negotiate
d. Good verbal and written communication skills
e. Ability to produce clear, concise and accurate
documentation