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NDT Certification Schemes
In worldwide, the various organizations have developed NDT certification schemes, which enable employers to ensure their personnel are correctly trained and qualified. A company has two basic schemes to choose from when written testimony of qualification is required: internal or external certification. Each scheme has unique requirements for inspector training, work experience and examinations.
ASNT Certification – Employer-Based Certification.
In an employer-based internal (second-party) program, NDT personnel are certified by the employer.
A second-party scheme is optimal when a significant number of personnel must be trained to perform specific inspections in the employer’s facility.
The ASNT NDT Level III program provides third-party certification for non-destructive testing (NDT) personnel whose specific jobs require knowledge of the technical principles underlying the non-destructive tests they perform, witness, monitor or evaluate. The program provides a system for ASNT NDT Level III certification in NDT in accordance with Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A.
Certification under this program results in the issuance of an ASNT certificate and wallet card attesting to the fact that the certificate holder has met the published guidelines for the Basic and Method examinations as detailed in Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A.
ISO 9712 – Third-party Central Certification.
Third-party external certification by a centralized organization is portable and recognized across a wide range of companies, industries, and countries. Central certification is administered by an impartial organization that is separate from the NDT practitioner and his or her employer. This type of certification is popular, in part, because it is standardized and the employer cannot arbitrarily alter qualification requirements. There are several third-party certification options available worldwide.
The main advantage of such a system is that independently awarded verifiable qualifications carry wider recognition and acceptance. The ISO 9712 scheme also offers a system whereby qualification of NDT personnel can be carried out in accordance with international standards by the central certification bodies.
| S.No. | ISO 9712: 2012 (Central Certification Scheme) | ASNT – SNT-TC-1A: 2016 (Employer-based Scheme) |
| 1. | Qualification and Certification of NDT Personnel -International Standard. | Guidelines for the qualification and certification of NDT Personnel – American Standard. |
| 2. | Each level of certification requirements are well-defined in the certification manual by CB | Each level of certification requirements are well-defined in written practice by the employer |
| 3. | Responsibility of qualification and certification belongs to the independent certification body (CB) | Responsibility of qualification and certification belongs to the employer |
| 4. | Examination conducted by independent of employer and certification valid even there is a change in employer | Written practice (WP) varies according to the employer needs |
| 5. | Specifies requirement for third party assessment scheme and Code | Specifies guidelines and it is modified by the employer if required. |
| 6. | 10 methods of NDT | 16 methods of NDT |
| 7. | Changes in levels of qualification are not allowed. | Allows subdivision of levels of qualification favorable for the employer. |
| 8. | Vision Acuity – Jaeger No.1 | Vision Acuity – Jaeger No.2 |
| 9. | Re-examination of color contrast differentiation is not required. | Color contrast differentiation exam to be conducted every five years after initial exam. |
| 10. | NDT method syllabus – ISO/TR 25107 | Training course outlines from ASNT CP-105. |
| 11. | Level 1, 2 & 3 training requirement is mentioned. | Only Level 1 & 2 training requirement is mentioned. For Level 3-left to the discretion of the employer. |
| 12. | The experience requirement for Level 3 is method-wise tabulated. | Does not have Method-wise level 3 experience requirement |
| 13. | Practical examinations are detailed sector-wise | Practical exam evaluated on the basis of 10 checkpoints as per employers’ procedural requirements. |
| 14. | Exam specimens must have master reports. | Exam specimen master reports are taken care of by the employer. |
| 15. | Level 3 exam → Basic & Method
Must hold Level 2 practical’s |
Level 3 exam → Basic and Method exam.
No practical exam. |
| 16. | Pass Percentage:
Level 1, 2 & 3- General, Specific, Each specimen in the practical exam, written instruction →70% |
Pass Percentage:
Level 1,2 & 3- At least 70% in each exam. A composite grade of 80% is required. |
| 17. | Grading carried out using weighting factors. | No specific weighting factors for grading. Minimum of ten checkpoints to be included in the examination. |
| 18. | Re-examination attempts: 2 times.
Those who failed to attain the required passing grades should wait 30 days or receive suitable additional training as determined by the CB |
Re-examination attempts not specified.
Those who failed to attain the required passing grades should wait 30 days or receive suitable additional training as determined by the NDT L3 |
| 19. | Recertification/revalidation period of 5 years | Recertification/revalidation period of 5 years |
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