The API 510 exam consists of two halves - an open book morning session and a closed book afternoon session. Each half has 4 hours and contains around 45-55 multiple choice questions worth 2/3 points each. The exam covers various API standards and recommended practices including API 510, RP 571, RP 572, RP 576, and sections of the ASME boiler and pressure vessel code. Test takers are allowed to use tabbed and highlighted code books during the open book half but not the closed book half. The exam aims to test knowledge of pressure vessel inspection and is scored on a curve depending on the difficulty level of the questions.