To become an ASNT Level – III certificate holder one has to appear for and PASS the BASIC paper (Compulsory) and minimum one NDT method (such as VT, RT, UT, etc.)
ELIGIBILITY
- For Degree Engineers: minimum 1 year experience beyond NDT Level – II experience requirements.
- For Diploma Engineers / Science Graduates: minimum 2 years experience beyond NDT Level – II experience requirements.
- For all others: minimum 4 years experience beyond NDT Level – II experience requirements.
Note:- a) It is not necessary to be certified NDT Level – I or II.
- b) However, if you have NDT level II certification in the respective method, it is ideal.
- c) The experience should be equivalent to the NDT Level – II work requirements as defined in document SNT – TC – 1A.
This work experience should be certified by your employer, in detail and it should be attached to your application.
For appearing in the ASNT Level – III Examination, NO COURSE IS COMPULSARY.
- Level – III preparatory classes are organized by many Institutes. Contact us if you wish to take ASNT Level III course preparation online classes.
- As far as ASNT is concerned, NO CLASS IS REQUIRED.
Tips:
- If the student studies all relevant course material, prepares for at least 6 months with good understanding of the fundamentals AND has proper ‘Hands On’ practical experience & reasonable English, he will succeed in the examination.
- However, attending the classes helps in clarifying the theory concepts and it is better to make inquiries in the field to decide which course you should attend and when.
- Ideally attend a course at least 3 or 4 months before the exams.
BASIC PAPER (Compulsory)
This paper has 135 Questions and duration of 4 hours. The paper can be broadly divided into 3 areas:
- a) Questions on ‘SNT – TC – 1A & CP – 189 (Check with ASNT as to the applicable edition)
The current papers are based on 2020 editions. - b) Questions on ‘Materials & Processes’ ( i.e., Metallurgy, Manufacturing Processes & Discontinuities, Composite Structures, Plastics, etc.)
- c) Questions on major ‘NDT Methods’ Namely: RT, UT, MT, PT, ECT, VT, LT, NRT, TI, AET (Questions are up to Level – II difficulty).
METHOD QUESTIONS DURATION
| Exam | No. of Items* | Time | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 135 | 4 hrs | Required for ASNT NDT Level III & ACCP Level III Certification |
| Acoustic Emission Testing (AE) | 135 | 4 hrs | NDT Only |
| Electromagnetic Testing (ET) | 135 | 4 hrs | NDT Only |
| Thermal/Infrared Testing (IR) | 90 | 2 hrs | NDT Only |
| Leak Testing (LT) | 135 | 4 hrs | NDT Only |
| Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) | 90 | 2 hrs | NDT Only |
| Magnetic Particle Testing (MT) | 90 | 2 hrs | NDT and ACCP |
| Liquid Penetrant Testing (PT) | 90 | 2 hrs | NDT and ACCP |
| Radiographic Testing (RT) | 135 | 4 hrs | NDT and ACCP |
| Ultrasonic Testing (UT) | 135 | 4 hrs | NDT and ACCP |
| Visual Testing (VT) | 90 | 2 hrs | NDT and ACCP |
COST
Tips
ASNT NDT Level III certification candidates are required to pass both the NDT Basic and a Method examination in order to receive the ASNT NDT Level III certificate.
A maximum of three examinations in any Method or the Basic examination is permitted within a two-year period.
- A candidate that fails the initial Basic or Method examination shall not be permitted to retake the examination for 30 days from the date of failure.
- A candidate that fails the Basic or Method examination for a second time shall not be permitted to retake the examination for 90 days from the date of failure.
- A candidate that fails the Basic or Method examination for a third time shall not be permitted to retake the examination for one year from the date of failure and must reapply as a new candidate. In no case, shall an individual be permitted to sit for an examination more than three times in a two-year period.
First time candidates should plan to appear for the following papers in the first attempt : BASIC , MT and UT or RT.
The other methods can be attempted later.
EXAM PREPARATION
Start the studies early. Note that it is relatively easy to pass the ASNT L -III exam but it is very difficult to become a ‘ GOOD ’ LEVEL – III.
- a) Study well all Books recommended by ASNT.
- b) Give attention to Technical Terminology, Fundamentals as well as new developments in each NDT method.
- c) As mentioned earlier, NO CLASS IS REQUIRED, if you can study and understand the course material on your own. However, if you wish to attend a class, then attend a good, reputed class, at least 4 / 5 months before examination. This will allow you to find out what are your weak areas and give you time to improve on them.
- d) If possible, attend classes and get certified to Level – II in as many NDT methods as possible ( ideally RT,UT,MT,PT,VT,ET).
- e) Improve your English comprehension and Logic Skills.
- f) Read and understand various Codes and standards such as ASME, API, AWS, etc.
- g) While studying, prepare as many questions as possible.
- h) Read American (preferably ASNT) PUBLICATIONS first.
- i) DO NOT expect to attend the L – III classes and pass the L – III exams without self study. It is not possible to cover the entire syllabus within the limited time frame of any L – III course.
- j) You must do self study as much as possible.
- k) You should avoid ‘mugging’ and try to develop THOROUGH understanding of the subject fundamentals.
