Creep damage behaviour of water quenched 5Cr-0.5Mo steel has been studied using magnetic Barkhausen emissions (MBE) technique. The results were compared with the materials having same composition but used in service for 15 years to demonstrate the potentiality of the magnetic technique for in-situ evaluation of extent of creep damage of components. The rms voltage of magnetic Barkhausen signal for the virgin sample decreased at the initial stage of the expended creep life where new carbides are formed. As soon as the growth of the carbides took place at the expense of the smaller ones, MBE voltage started increasing due to the decrease of pinning density. However, in case of 15 years of service exposed sample, growth of carbides already took place and hence MBE voltage increased even during the initial stage of laboratory creep testing. As soon as the void started forming in the samples (both for virgin and service exposed one), the rate of increase of MBE voltage started decreasing. The formations of such cavities were observed through SEM micrograph analysis. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.