What Does NDT, NDE and NDI stand for and

is there a difference?
NDT stands for Non Destructive Testing and there is no real difference between NDT, NDE
(nondestructive evaluation) or NDI (nondestructive inspection), the latter two being a choice of
preference among members of different industries. All refer to the same category of quality
control test procedures that examines the integrity (or lack, thereof) of materials, components or
systems without causing damage to them.

What Is Nondestructive Testing?

Nondestructive testing is, simply stated, exactly what its name implies - testing without
destroying - to investigate the material integrity of the test object. More specifically, a
nondestructive test is an examination of an object, material or system in any manner, which will
not impair its future usefulness.
The purpose of the test may be to detect internal or external flaws, to measure geometric
characteristics, to determine material structure or composition or to measure or detect some of
the material's properties. A number of other technologies - for instance, radio astronomy, voltage
and amperage measurement and rheometry (flow measurement) - are nondestructive but are not
used to evaluate material properties specifically. Nondestructive testing is concerned in a
practical way with the performance of the test piece - how long may the piece be used and when
does it need to be checked again?
Since the 1920s, nondestructive testing has developed from a laboratory curiosity to an
indispensable tool of production. No longer is visual examination the principal means of
determining quality. Nondestructive tests in great variety are in worldwide use to detect
variations in structure, minute changes in surface finish, the presence of cracks or other physical
discontinuities, to measure the thickness of materials and coatings and to determine other
characteristics of industrial products. Manufacturers use modern nondestructive tests to:

1. Ensure product integrity, and in turn, reliability

2. Avoid failures, prevent accidents and save human life
3. Make a profit for the user
4. Ensure customer satisfaction and maintain the manufacturer's reputation
5. Aid in better product design
6. Control manufacturing processes
7. Lower manufacturing costs
8. Maintain uniform quality level
9. Ascertain operational readiness

Ensuring the Integrity and Reliability of a Product - Ensuring product reliability is necessary
because of the general increase in performance expectancy of the public. A homeowner expects
the refrigerator to remain in uninterrupted service, indefinitely protecting the food investment, or
the power lawnmower to start with one pull of the rope and to keep cutting grass for years on
end. The manufacturer expects the lathe, punch press or forklift to stand up for years of
continuous work even under severe loads.

Preventing Accidents and Saving Lives - But reliability merely for convenience and profit is
not enough. Reliability to protect human lives is a valuable end in itself. The railroad axle must
not fail at high speed. The front spindle of the intercity bus must not break on the curve. The
aircraft landing gear must not collapse on touchdown. The mine hoist cable must not snap with
people in the cab. Such critical failures are rare indeed. And this is most certainly not the result
of mere good luck. In large part it is the direct result of the extensive use of nondestructive
testing and of the high order of nondestructive testing ability now available.

What Is The Difference Between a Level I, II

and III?
ASNT NDT Level III
ASNT inaugurated its NDT Level III program in 1976 with certification offerings in five NDT
methods. Over the years, ASNT has certified over 5,000 individuals from more than 50 countries
as ASNT NDT Level IIIs and has expanded the certification program to include eleven NDT
methods. ASNT is the single largest certifying body of Level III personnel today and the ASNT
NDT Level III certificate remains the most respected and widely accepted NDT certification
throughout the world. Level III personnel are ultimately responsible for the training, qualification
and certification of a company's nondestructive testing Level I and Level II technicians.

ACCP® Professional Level III

ASNT expanded third-party Level III certification to cover Practical and Procedure Preparation
(PP) examinations in five NDT methods (MT, PT, RT, UT, and VT) when it introduced the
ASNT Central Certification Program in 1996. ACCP® Professional Level III certification meets
the requirements of ISO 9712 Level III certification.
The purpose of ACCP® is to improve NDT reliability and accuracy among practicing NDT
personnel and to provide customers and prospective employers with clear expectations of NDT
personnel competency and proficiency. In order to establish a minimum standard of competency
for NDT Level II and NDT Level III personnel, and to provide a means of assuring an unbiased
assessment of which individuals possess such competence, ASNT used a combination of
traditional practices, national and international conventions, and newly evolved concepts.

ACCP® Level II Certification

ASNT widened the scope of its certification offerings to include Level II certification in 1996
with ASNT Central Certification Program Level II certification. The ACCP® Level II
examinations include General, Specific, Practical, and Instruction Preparation examinations in
five NDT methods (MT, PT, RT, UT and VT). ACCP® Level II certification meets the
requirements of ISO 9712 Level II certification.
The NDT Trainee, Level I, and Level II
When a person starts the training and qualification process, they are classified as a trainee. Their
goal is usually to become a fully certified Level I, Level II or Level III technician. It is important
that the technician be qualified in the inspection method before the technique is used and test
results evaluated.
Using SNT-TC-1A as a model, the experienced direction of a Level III provides the employer
with the necessary guidelines and documentation to properly qualify and certify the NDT
technician. To comply with most industry standards, the employer must establish a "Written
Practice" that describes in detail how future technicians will be trained, examined and certified.
Typically a Level I technician is able to carry out calibrations and perform test procedures under
the supervision of a certified Level II or Level III.
A Level II Technician can calibrate, perform tests without supervision and make test
assessments when required.

What distinguishes "Qualification" and

"Certification" in Nondestructive Testing?

Making Sense Out of Certification for NDT Personnel per

SNT-TC-1A
The confusion within the industries that use NDT services exists over the terms “certification”
and “qualification.” These words have been used and abused over the decades since the 1960's
when the American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) published its first Recommended
Practice, SNT-TC-1A, Certification and Qualification of NDT Personnel. Using SNT-TC-1A
as a model under the experienced direction of a Level III provides the employer with the
necessary guidelines and documentation to properly qualify and certify the NDT technician. To
comply with most industry standards, the employer must establish a "Written Practice" that
describes in detail how future technicians will be trained, examined and certified.

The Qualification and Certification Process

SNT-TC-1A is quite specific and clear as to what proper qualification and certification of NDT
Personnel involves. Here are two straightforward definitions to clarify the terms:

Qualification is comprised of three things: the organized education, the required examinations
proving an individual has proper training and sufficient work experience in a particular
inspection method.
Certification is a written testimony by an employer affirming that an individual has met the
requirements of training and experience regarding a particular inspection method as stated in
the company's Written Practice.

Qualification of the Technician

Step One – Training

Training is an organized program developed to provide inspection personnel with the knowledge
and skill necessary for qualification in a specific method. In such a program the principals and
techniques (referred to as the "Body of Knowledge") of the particular test methods are taught to
the degree prescribed by the employer. The necessary amount of training (typically stated in
numbers of hours) and examination requirements (such as content and number of test questions)
is stated in the employer's Written Practice.

Recommended Training Hours per SNT-TC-1A

Method Level I Level II Total

Magnetic Particle 12 8 20
Liquid Penetrant 4 8 12
Radiography 40 40 80
Ultrasonic Testing 40 40 80
Eddy Current 40 40 80

Step Two – Examinations

Written General and Specific examinations, a Practical examination and finally, an annual Visual
examination that proves Near Vision Acuity and Color Differentiation Skills by use of Isihara
Color Plates are administered to NDT personnel.

• The General examination covers the basic principles (Body of Knowledge) of the
applicable method.
• The Specific examination covers the procedures, equipment and techniques that the
employee will be required to perform in their job assignment.
• The Practical (hands-on) examination allows the employee to demonstrate their ability to
operate the pertinent test equipment and to perform defined calibrations and tests
according to relevant specifications.

Individuals are required to score 70% or higher on each of the three exams and generate a
composite score (a simple average of all three exams) of at least 80% or higher.

Step Three – Experience

Work activities accomplished in a particular test method under the supervision of a certified
individual in that particular method is referred to as Time in Method and includes time spent
observing, setting-up and executing specific test procedures, performing calibrations and
carrying out other related activities. Time spent in organized training programs does not count as
experience.

Recommended Hours of Time in Method per SNT-TC-1A

Method Level I Level II Total

Magnetic Particle 70 210 280
Liquid Penetrant 70 140 210
Radiography 210 630 840
Ultrasonic Testing 210 840 1050
Eddy Current 210 630 840

A Level II or Level III technician supervises the processing so that if the trainee makes an error,
the test can be repeated and the supervising technician can evaluate the test object and accept or
reject, and the trainee will observe the evaluation. Time spent in organized training programs
does not count as experience. The length of experience required prior to certification is stated in
the employers Written Practice.

Certification of the Technician

Certification of NDT personnel is the responsibility of the employer. Personnel are certified
when they have completed the initial training, examination and experience requirements stated in
the employer's Written Practice. The length of certification and method of re-certification is also
stated in the employer’s Written Practice. Documentation that states each applicant’s
qualifications according to the requirements of the Written Practice are required before
certification can occur. Key points to keep in mind are:

• Certification is a document of testimony on the part of a knowledgeable person in a

particular NDT method - typically the candidate's supervisor, department manager or
corporate officer depending on the size of the employer;
• Certification in any NDT method is properly earned after a candidate has completed the
process spelled out by the employer’s Written Practice;
• A technician's certification ends concurrent with his or her termination of employment.

The bottom line is that the employer adopts full responsibility for the technician's actions and
decisions once they are qualified and certified, but assumes no further responsibility for actions
beyond the employment period (no such thing as a person claiming Level II status unless they
are employed by the company that put them through the qualification process).
The most significant fact to understand about certification is this: if certification has been
properly earned through a stepped qualification process, the technician should be capable of
providing consistent and trustworthy service.

Integrity: At the Heart of the Matter

The nondestructive testing profession has suffered over the years because owners or managers
have sent poorly or incompletely trained people to perform services for clients who have not
always been savvy enough to recognize the difference between certified technicians and
unqualified “warm bodies.”

The work of the NDT technician is much too important to be treated carelessly. The integrity
with which we accomplish our profession will have an impact on the health and safety of those
who work in, on or around the items we inspect. They deserve our very best. Mistakes can and
have cost lives!

Technology alone will never suffice. Only technicians who are qualified and able to embrace
integrity of character and the importance of their profession can produce the observation,
application and analysis required by the industry they serve and the public they keep safe.

The Written Practice for Qualification and Certification of

NDT Personnel
The Written Practice is the controlling document that adapts the recommendations of the ASNT
Recommended Practice SNT-TC-1A to meet the specific requirements of the
Company/Employer. The Written Practice should be developed or evaluated and approved by the
employer's NDT Level III. It should be maintained on file for easy access, reference and
maintenance by the Level III administrator, as well as for ready review in situations such as
customer and jurisdictional audits. Issues covered within this dynamic document include:

• The control and administration of NDT personnel training, examination and certification;
• A description of the responsibilities of each level of certification;
• A description of the training, experience and examination requirements for each level of
certification;
• Determinations of the acceptability of materials or components in accordance with
applicable codes, standards, specifications and procedures.

In summary, the following Certification Triangle may help. All three sides of the triangle must
be in place before a candidate is truly certified. Assuming this, and further assuming that the
central portion of the triangle is being fully adhered to by the employer, the chances are very
good that the qualification program will produce certified NDT technicians who will positively
define their profession into the future.