Site Acceptance Test (SAT) Checklist Template
An 18 point site acceptance test checklist covering the steps from power up to handover, with acceptance criteria and an automatic SAT status.
Download
- How to Use sheet with steps
- Template sheet, blank and ready
- Example sheet, filled in
- 8 built in formulas
- A4 landscape print setup
- Works in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice
Preview of the Filled Example
This is the Example sheet from the download, so you can see exactly how the completed site acceptance test (sat) checklist looks.
Test checklist
| No | Section | Check item | Acceptance criteria | Result | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pre requisites | FAT punch items closed or accepted | No open category A items | PASS | |
| 2 | Pre requisites | Panel installed, levelled, earthed and glanded | As per layout and earthing drawings | PASS | |
| 3 | Pre requisites | Field installation checklists and cold loop checks complete | Signed records available | PASS | |
| 4 | Power | UPS and power distribution energised, voltages checked | Within ± 5 % of nominal | PASS | |
| 5 | Power | Earth resistance of instrument earth pit | As specified, typically ≤ 1 Ω | PASS | |
| 6 | System | System healthy after power up, no diagnostic alarms | All cards and nodes healthy | PASS | |
| 7 | System | Time synchronisation across controllers and HMIs | All nodes show the same time | PASS | |
| 8 | Loops | Hot loop checks of all field instruments | Loop check sheets signed | PASS | |
| 9 | Loops | Control valves stroked from HMI | Position matches demand | PASS | |
| 10 | Loops | Motor start / stop and feedback from MCC | Correct status and fault indication | PASS | |
| 11 | Communication | Links to MCC, VFDs, analysers and package PLCs | Live data verified | PASS | |
| 12 | Communication | Link to plant historian / MES | Tags updating | FAIL | Historian OPC tags not updating; firewall rule pending |
… and 6 more rows in the download.
About the Site Acceptance Test (SAT) Checklist
The site acceptance test is the final proof that the control system works with the real plant: real instruments, real valves, real motors and real communication links. It is the gate between construction and operation, and its signed checklist is often a contractual milestone for payment.
How to fill in this template
- Confirm the pre requisites first: SAT should not start until installation and cold loop checks are complete.
- Work through the checklist with the client and operations representatives.
- Record PASS, FAIL or NA and remarks. Raise punch items for every FAIL.
- SAT status turns PASS only when every row is tested and none has failed.
- Sign off and include the checklist in the handover dossier.
What the formulas do
- Counts of PASS, FAIL and untested rows.
- SAT status: FAIL if any failure, CHECK while rows remain untested, else PASS.
Related tools
Frequently Asked Questions
When is SAT performed?
After installation, cold loop checks and power up at site, and before the plant is handed over for start up.
Is SAT the same as commissioning?
SAT is part of commissioning. Commissioning continues with process start up and performance tests.
What happens to failed SAT items?
They go on the punch list with an owner and target date, and are retested before final handover.
Learn more on the blog
Cold loop and hot loop testing procedures
A practical guide on instrumentationblog.in that explains the procedure behind this template and how engineers apply it on real plants.
Read Full Article