AMPP CIP Level 1 vs Level 2: how the two certifications differ
CIP Level 1 and Level 2 are two steps on one ladder, not two options. What changes between them is the work you are certified to do, the substrates and coating types you are expected to know, and both exams you sit at the end of the course.
The short answer: Level 1 comes first; Level 2 needs an active Level 1 certification and two years of verifiable coatings-related work experience. A Level 1 inspector does basic, non-destructive inspection of liquid coatings on steel under supervision. A Level 2 inspector covers liquid and non-liquid coatings on concrete and other substrates as well, with less supervision. Each level ends in a 120-question computer-based theory exam and an 8-station practical exam.
Side by side
| Level 1 — Basic Coatings Inspector | Level 2 — Certified Coatings Inspector | |
|---|---|---|
| Before you can sit it | No prerequisites for the course | Active Level 1 certification and two years of verifiable coatings-related work experience |
| Course | 5 or 6 days, in person | 5 days, in person |
| Theory exam | 120 multiple-choice questions (20 unscored), computer-based, 3 hours of seat time including a 10-minute tutorial | 120 multiple-choice questions (20 unscored), computer-based, 3 hours of seat time including a 10-minute tutorial |
| Theory domains | 11, with Standards as a domain of its own | 10 (July 2026 guide), with no Standards domain |
| Practical exam | 8 stations, up to 10 minutes each, on the last day of the course | 8 stations, up to 8 minutes each, on the last day of the course |
| Also required | Ethics for the Corrosion Professional course, or approved equivalent training | |
| Renewal | Every 3 years, with 1.5 years of coating inspection work experience | Every 3 years, with 18 months of coatings-related work and 24 professional development hours |
The theory exams look the same on paper, but they test different material. The practical exams differ just as much, as the stations below show.
What each certification lets you do
AMPP's own exam guides describe the inspector each level certifies, and the difference is mostly about scope and supervision:
- Level 1 performs basic, non-destructive inspections of liquid coatings applied by brush, roller or spray to steel. In a shop, that is under the supervision of a Level 2 or Level 3 inspector; in the field, under a Level 3.
- Level 2 performs and documents inspections of liquid and non-liquid coatings on a range of substrates, including concrete. On simple and moderate-risk projects that can be under indirect supervision; on complex or critical-risk projects, under the direct supervision of a Level 3.
Level 3, Senior Certified Coatings Inspector, is the step after that and is assessed by an oral exam.
What Level 2 adds to the theory exam
The July 2026 Level 2 guide keeps the Level 1 subjects and goes further into material Level 1 barely touches:
- Substrates and coating types beyond painted steel: concrete preparation, coating, curing and thickness testing; hot-dip galvanizing and its defects; powder coatings; thick-barrier linings.
- Pipeline coatings: fusion-bonded epoxy, multi-layer polyolefin, field-joint coatings, and what happens when pipeline integrity fails.
- Surface preparation methods: waterjetting and centrifugal blast cleaning, with their standards.
- Specialised tests: eddy-current and ultrasonic thickness measurement, and reading lab results such as cathodic disbondment.
- Corrosion: the basic principles of cathodic protection, galvanic and impressed current, and how it affects coatings.
Standards have not gone from the Level 2 exam; they are tested inside the domain where each one is used. The domain weights and every change from the earlier Level 2 exam are in what changed in the 2026 CIP Level 2 exam.
The practical exams, station by station
The practical stations show the step up most clearly. Level 1 is built around the everyday instruments on a steel job; Level 2 moves to adhesion, hardness, other substrates and less common gauges.
| Level 1 stations | Level 2 stations |
|---|---|
|
|
Both practicals are closed book, scored out of 100 points, and reported as pass or fail. At Level 1 you also get 10 minutes after the last station for calculations and checking, without instruments.
If your Level 2 course ended before 30 June 2026
You sit the earlier Level 2 theory exam: 100 items in 2½ hours, scored on the same 11 domains and weights as Level 1. Everything else above applies.
Preparing for them
Level 2 assumes the Level 1 fundamentals: surface preparation grades, environmental conditions, film thickness and holiday testing. If those are shaky, they cost marks at both levels. Past that, study each exam to its own blueprint; how the CIP EPG blueprint weights the exam has the domain weights for both levels and how to split your study time by them.
CoatMentor's CIP Level 1 and Level 2 tracks each follow their own AMPP blueprint: Level 1 on its 11 domains, Level 2 on the July 2026 10-domain guide at 120 questions and 170 minutes. Every question has a worked explanation, and every mock shows where you lost marks by domain. Try both levels free before you buy; the CIP 1 + 2 bundle covers the full path.
Try the free sampler See the CIP bundle →Sources
- AMPP — Basic Coatings Inspector Certification (CIP Level 1) — no course prerequisites, course length, theory and practical exams
- AMPP — Certified Coatings Inspector Certification (CIP Level 2) — Level 1 and experience prerequisites, course length, theory and practical exams
- AMPP — Exam Preparation Guides: Basic Coatings Inspector (CIP Level 1) — theory exam format and 11 domains, the Level 1 inspector's scope, ethics and renewal requirements, practical exam stations
- AMPP — Exam Preparation Guides: Certified Coatings Inspector (CIP Level 2) — the July 2026 theory guide (format, 10 domains, blueprint topics, the Level 2 inspector's scope, renewal), the earlier theory guide, practical exam stations, and the oral exam for Level 3
Checked on 24 September 2026.
Related guides: What changed in the 2026 CIP Level 2 exam · How the AMPP CIP EPG blueprint weights the exam · Renewing your AMPP CIP or FROSIO certificate · FROSIO vs AMPP CIP · How to get NACE (AMPP) CIP Level 1.
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