ASNT Certification SNT-TC-1a Recommendations and Requirements
This document is published by ASNT and is the one most used by companies in the United States at this time.
There are basically 4 categories or Levels of NDT Technician certification. Each has specific requirements for Formal Training, Test Scores and OJT Hours outlined in the document. Companies following this document are basically working to general industry codes, welding codes from AWS, etc.
SPECIAL NOTE: This does not apply to companies who perform any type of inspection work related to ASME Sec. V. If your company is doing ASME work, your Written Practice must be aligned with the new requirements.
4 ASNT Certification Levels or Categories
1) Trainee – Prior to becoming Level I, II or III certified, technicians are considered trainees. They will be working under direct supervision of existing Level II and III technicians and will not be signing off on final reports or evaluating flaws for acceptance or rejection.
2) Level I – These technicians have basic skills, able to follow written instructions, do basic calibrations on equipment, and still working under the direct supervision of certified Level II and Level III Technicians. In some companies, Level I technicians are allowed to conduct inspections that are only related to in-house quality, but are not signing off on any code related work or evaluating accept/reject for components.
3) Level II – These technicians are able to work without direct supervision. They are able to calibrate, inspect, interpret, and evaluate findings for determining accept or reject of the components being inspected.
4) Level III – These technicians are able do all of the above, plus write, review, prepare work procedures and oversee the entire NDT operation for the methods they are certified for. In general, in order to become a Level III in any method, you must have been a Level II for 1-4 years, depending on your education level, in order to take the Level III tests for certification.
What does this mean for you?
Basically, in most situations, your technicians will need to be Level II before you can send them out on their own to bill hours and sign off on inspection work.
Trainees and Level I technicians will generally work as helpers, under direct supervision, accumulating hours and experience.
Initial Education, Training and Experience Requirements for Certification
If your Written Practice is aligned with ASNT certification recommendations of SNT-TC-1a, documentation of:
1) Formal Training Hours
2) Test Scores for General, Specific, and Practical Tests
3) OJT Hours
are required.
Formal Training Hours can be verified with class completion certificates that include information about the number of hours credited for the class. ASNT has a chart that shows the minimum number of hours for each method. That chart will be included in your company’s Written Practice.
Test Scores –
The 3 Tests required for each method – General, Specific, and Practical. The candidate must score a minimum 70% on each test, but the Composite score must be a minimum 80% to reach the minimum requirement for certification.
General Test is a basic knowledge test related to the method that the technician is being certified for. ASNT has a chart that shows the minimum number of questions, which is included in your company’s Written Practice.
Specific Test tests the candidate’s ability to read and interpret a work procedure. ASNT has a chart that shows the minimum number of questions, which is included in your company’s Written Practice.
Practical Test is a hands-on test to verify the candidate’s ability to conduct the test according to the written procedure, identify flaws, evaluate flaws, and document their findings.
IMPORTANT NOTE – If you are hiring someone who has previous certifications in another company, their formal training records and OJT records can be used to recertify them into your company. However, the technician will be retested, General, Specific, and Practical to verify their understanding and skill.
Your company will be legally responsible for the technician’s inspection work, so it is important that you know for sure that he or she knows what they are doing prior to hiring them.
At the discretion of the Level III, one or more of the tests may be eliminated. If the person has ASNT Certification, issued directly from ASNT, the Level III may waive the testing and simply use their Central Certifications as verification for testing. In the end, under ASNT guidelines, it is always left to the company to decide whether or not they will accept Central Certifications as proof of knowledge or skill since the company is the Certifying Agency.
OJT Records – This is sometimes the most difficult documentation to obtain. In some cases, the technician’s previous employer may not want to give up the OJT records to the new employer. The documents belong to them, just like the documents belong to your company once the technician is employed.
OJT Records must be documented BY METHOD. If someone performs some PT, MT, and UT during the course of a 10 hour work day, you cannot claim PT = 10 hrs., MT = 10 hrs, UT = 10 Hrs. Each method must be accounted for separately.
ASNT has a chart that outlines minimum hours of OJT for each method. These charts are included in your company’s Written Practice.
The most important thing to remember is that your company is legally responsible for the actions of your inspectors. DO NOT CUT CORNERS on verifying and monitoring the records of your technicians or potential technicians. Document everything accurately and “cleanly”. That way, when an auditor shows up, everything will be ready for them to review. The better organized the records are, the easier and faster the audit will be concluded with positive results. You Continue to Earn Money!
Recertification
The certifications issued for Level I and Level II Personnel can be issued for 3 – 5 years. However, your company has the right to retest or revoke certifications at any point in time if you feel that the technician is no longer working up to standards.
At the end of the Certification Period, you will have a couple of choices related to how the technician becomes recertified.
Option One – Evidence of satisfactory job performance. The company owner or representative may determine that the technician has been performing in a satisfactory manner. In this case, you simply send a Letter of Request to your Level III asking for Recertification based on satisfactory job performance. The Level III will review the letter, create a new certificate for another 3-5 year period and send it back to you for signature.
NOTE – ASNT SNT-TC-1a is the only document that allows for this type of Recertification. If you are involved in any ASME work, please go to the ASME Written Practice guidelines to see the process required by other Standards and Codes.
Option Two – Reexamination in those portions of testing, General, Specific, and Practical that is deemed necessary by the Level III.
Although this is not mandatory according to the SNT-TC-1a Guidelines, it is recommended that technicians be required to pass the Practical Hands-On Test at a minimum for recertification. Skills “slip”, Proper procedure is sometimes missed over time. It’s always a good idea to refresh the technicians on proper procedure and technique.
Some clients require the Practical Test on an Annual Basis even though the Certification expires every 3-5 years, simply to keep the quality of the inspection work up to company standards.
To be eligible for recertification or reinstatement of certifications, the technician must have been involved in doing the work in the method within 6 months of the recertification or reinstatement date.
ASNT SNT-TC-1a Summary
As you can see, ASNT Certification is serious business. Records must be kept, processes must be followed, audits happen.
Your company and the Level III are partners in the process. The Level III serves as a sort of Gatekeeper for your Company. Their review of documents helps to ensure that candidates are properly qualified to do the work. Their training and testing services help to verify the knowledge and skills of those who you trust with the integrity and quality of your company.
Again, remember, this information is a broad overview of the process. There are more things required, but this information will get you started.
The above information is specific to a Written Practice aligned with ASNT SNT-TC-1a. The requirements of ASME, NAS-410 and ISO 9712 are different. If you are doing ANY work related to the other Codes and Standards or if you would like to see their requirements, please refer to those documents for the appropriate information.
ASME Certification Requirements NAS-410 Certification Requirements
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