and Certification in Nondestructive Testing.
Its main distinction is that it is a guide-
line, not a standard. It provides guide-
lines for employers to establish in-house
certification programs for the qualifica-
tion and certification of NDT personnel
and provides education, experience, and
training recommendations for each NDT
method. Therefore, the primary driver is
the employer’s written practice, which
can vary across individual companies.
When an employer has a contract
with a customer, the customer’s spec-
ification will call out the primary stan-
dards, codes, and regulations that
must be complied with to satisfactorily
complete the contract. Originally, SNT-
TC-1A had its own body-of-knowledge
outline referenced for each NDT method
as a supplement, but it was up to the
employer to modify the program to
suit their needs. Training content and
duration would be especially subject
to customization by each employer.
SNT-TC-1A provides the recommended
number of training hours in a table (see
Table 1 for VT recommendations).
Today, ANSI/ASNT CP-105: ASNT
Standard Topical Outlines for Qualification
of Nondestructive Testing Personnel spec-
ifies the body of knowledge to be used
as part of a training program qualify-
ing and certifying NDT personnel. It
applies to personnel whose tasks or jobs
require knowledge of the technical prin-
ciples underlying the NDT methods for
which they have responsibility. These
tasks include performing, specifying,
reviewing, monitoring, supervising, and
evaluating NDT work. These outlines
are approved by the American National
Standards Institute (hence the ANSI in
its title).
ANSI/ASNT CP-189: ASNT Standard
for Qualification and Certification of
Nondestructive Testing Personnel is a
standard for qualification and certifica-
tion of NDT personnel. Its main distinc-
tion is that it is a standard, not a recom-
mended practice. It builds on SNT-TC-1A
by providing comprehensive minimum
requirements for personnel certifica-
tion, such as requirements for NDT
instructors and employer certification of
Level I, II, and III personnel as well as a
requirement for the ASNT NDT Level III
certification of Level III personnel. This
standard is approved by ANSI and also
references CP-105 for training outlines.
When CP-189 is referenced in a contract,
the vendor, contractor, or prime must
meet the requirements listed therein.
The common certification elements
addressed in both the guideline
(SNT-TC-1A) and the standard (CP-189)
include education, training, experience,
and exams. Exams include three types:
physical (visual acuity) exams, written
exams, and practical exams.
American Petroleum Institute (API)
API has its own requirements for vessel
inspection, including VT. API 510, API
570, API 653, and API 1169 (note: this
list is not exhaustive) each have their
own checklists of what to inspect for in
internal and external visual inspections.
Vessels, piping, new piping construction,
tanks, and the like have broader scope
inspection requirements than surface
conditions alone. Licensed inspectors
must be utilized to prevent catastrophic
failures or unexpected operational
issues. This article does not address the
petrochemical specifics for inspection
PQ&C.
American Welding Society (AWS)
Prior education typically does not
decrease the requirements for VT Level
I or II in terms of experience, training,
physical exams, written exams, or prac-
tical exams (proficiency demonstra-
tions). However, the AWS certification
for Certified Weld Inspector (CWI) does
adjust the experience requirements
based on an individual’s education. The
more education one has, the less experi-
ence is needed to obtain CWI certifica-
tion. In this comparison, CWI is treated
as equivalent to SNT-TC-1A or CP-189
Level II.
Table 2 shows the minimum edu-
cation and work experience required to
become a CWI per AWS.
Training
All these PQ&C programs require
training. NDT requires skilled and quali-
fied personnel to perform, interpret, and
evaluate the tests. Training and certify-
ing NDT personnel can help ensure the
accuracy, reliability, and validity of NDT
results. Moreover, training and certify-
ing NDT personnel can help company
owners reduce the risk of errors, acci-
dents, and liabilities. Furthermore,
training and certifying NDT personnel
can help improve their competence,
confidence, and motivation.
The industry can choose from
various NDT training and certification
T A B L E 2
Education and work experience required to
become a CWI, per AWS
If the candidate has:
The amount of
experience required
is:
4-year bachelor’s degree 1 year
2-year associate degree 2 years
Eng/tech courses 3 years
Vo-tech courses 4 years
High school 5 years
8th grade 9 years
8th grade 12 years
Note: This concept also applies to NDT Level IIIs in SNT-TC-
1A, where higher education levels can reduce the required
amount of experience.
T A B L E 1
Recommended initial training and experience levels for VT*
Examination method NDT level Training hours
Minimum hours
in method or
technique
Total hours in
NDT
Visual testing (VT)
I 8 70 130
II 16 140 270
*per SNT-TC-1A (2024), excerpted from Table 6.3.1A
J U L Y 2 0 2 4 • M A T E R I A L S E V A L U A T I O N 57

programs, such as those offered by ASNT,
the British Institute of Non-Destructive
Testing (BINDT), or the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Most government and industry
regulations include references to NDT
qualification and certification standards.
These documents outline the education,
training, and experience requirements
that must be met before completing the
certification examination process.
Training topics are addressed in
outlines found in ANSI/ASNT CP-105.
This body of knowledge for VT is the
basis for visual examination training
course outlines and curriculums. (Note:
As of this writing, ASNT is working to
achieve compatibility with ISO TS 25107.)
The training requirements listed for
both SNT-TC-1A and CP-189 state that 24
hours is the required amount of training
hours needed for Level II (8 hours for
Level I plus 16 hours for Level II). This
includes both classroom training for
knowledge transfer and laboratory
training sessions for skills transfer. A
significant portion of this time is spent
learning about material discontinuities
and defects—essentially, understanding
what to look for when performing VT.
Learning how to perform VT for DVI
and RVI takes less time if the equipment
is basic, such as a dental mirror, flash-
light, and 6-in. scale. In the past, RVI
typically involved using borescopes (lens
or fiber) for image transfer. However, if
training on videoscopes, telescopes, or
remote cameras is required, significantly
more time must be allocated for training
in these techniques.
The required training for CWI cer-
tification used to be a 40-hour course.
Now, a CWI must complete 80 pro-
fessional development hours (PDHs)
through seminars, courses, or online
courses such as those found on the
AWS Education Portal. These courses
must meet the requirements of the AWS
Specification for the Certification of Welding
Inspectors (AWS QC1:2016-AMD1).
ISO 9712: Nondestructive Testing –
Qualification and Certification of NDT
Personnel is an international standard
that specifies requirements for principles
for the qualification and certification of
personnel who perform industrial NDT.
In this standard, VT training is measured
in days, not hours. This is a change in
the 2021 standard, which was adopted by
ASNT in 2023 (ASNT CP-9712, identical
adoption) (see Table 3).
The nuclear power generation
industry developed visual examination
requirements, as outlined by the Electric
Power Research Institute (EPRI) in the
1980s, to address the unique needs of
the ASME BPVC, Section XI, for in-ser-
vice inspections. The total training hours
for Level I, II, and III visual examiners
through EPRI is 104 hours. Distinct tech-
niques within the Visual Examination
certification address general surface con-
ditions (VT-1), leak testing (VT-2), and
a third category for hangers, snubbers,
restraints, supports, and reactor vessels
internals (VT-3). Level I and II training is
40 hours each for a total of 80 hours to
become a Level II. An additional 24 hours
are needed for Level III.
Compared to these examples
from AWS and ISO 9712, the 24-hour
training specification for VT Level II in
SNT-TC-1A is noticeably lower.
Experience
SNT-TC-1A Level I and II experience
started off as measured by months (one
and two, respectively). This unit of time
measurement was replaced with experi-
ence requirements expressed in hours.
This calculation was based on approx-
imately 40% of three months’ worth of
experience, equating to 210 hours.
AWS, as stated previously, required
five years of experience if the candidate
was high school educated. How to gain
credit for those years of experience is not
clarified.
ISO 9712 requirements for experience
in VT are shown in Table 4.
Exams
Physical. Visual acuity is the primary
physical attribute that must be examined
for PQ&C in VT. Per SNT-TC-1A, “near
vision” is one of the visual acuity
requirements. According to SNT-TC-1A,
an NDT technician must have the ability
to read the Jaeger No. 2 test chart, at a
distance of no less than 12 in. (30 cm),
with or without corrective lenses, in at
least one eye. This requirement applies
to all levels of NDT personnel.
Color perception requirements are
determined according to the specific
demands of the job and are set by the
employer. A special color perception test
may be administered if abnormal color
perception exists. The candidate must
demonstrate the ability to see the appro-
priate colors needed for the specific
exam to be performed.
T A B L E 3
ISO 9712 requirements for VT
training
Level Training
requirement
VT Level 1 3 days
VT Level 2 2 days
VT Level 3 3 days
Note: One day =7 h. “Limited” and “unlimited”
terms used in ISO 9712 (2012) have been delet-
ed from the 2021 edition. Reduced training is
allowed if reduced curriculum and allowed by
certification body (e.g., if limited to direct VT
only, then less training is required).
T A B L E 4
ISO 9712 requirements for VT experience
Level Experience
VT Level 1 15 days
VT Level 2 (with Level 1) 45 days
VT Level 2 (directly) 60 days
VT Level 3 (with Level 2 and higher education) 180 days
VT Level 3 (with Level 2 only) 240 days
VT Level 3 (directly and higher education) 360 days
Note: One day =7 h.
FEATURE
|
VTPQ&C
58
M A T E R I A L S E V A L U A T I O N • J U L Y 2 0 2 4