ASNT NDT Certification & ASNT 9712 Guide 2026

How do you get ASNT certified?

There are two routes. Under SNT-TC-1A or CP-189, your employer certifies you against its written practice once your training hours, experience hours, vision examinations and general, specific and practical examinations are complete. ASNT's central credentials, ASNT NDT Level II, ASNT NDT Level III and ASNT 9712, are examined and issued by ASNT itself.

• Level I: 4–40 classroom hours and 70–210 hours of experience in the method, depending on the method (SNT-TC-1A recommended minimums)
• Level II: a further 8–40 classroom hours and 140–630 hours of experience in the method
• ASNT NDT Level III: the NDT Basic exam plus at least one method exam, after 12 to 48 months of NDT experience depending on education

SNT-TC-1A or ASNT central certification: which path fits?

ASNT publishes the documents employers certify to, and it also runs its own certification programmes. What matters is who examines you and who issues the certificate.

ANSI/ASNT CP-189 (2024) is the ASNT standard for employer-based certification. It builds on SNT-TC-1A with fixed minimum requirements, and it requires Level III personnel to hold ASNT NDT Level III certification.

ACCP is a former programme name. ASNT states that the ASNT 9712 Certification Program replaced the ASNT Central Certification Program (ACCP), and its current programme list names ASNT NDT Level II, ASNT NDT Level III and ASNT 9712.

What do NDT Level I, II and III personnel do?

Certification is per method and per level, so one technician can hold Level II in UT and Level I in RT. These are the level definitions an SNT-TC-1A written practice is built on.

How many training and experience hours does each method need?

SNT-TC-1A recommends classroom training and experience hours for each method and level separately. Level II hours are in addition to Level I, and the employer's written practice sets the binding numbers.

Work out what a technician still needs with the SNT-TC-1A hours planner.

What does ASNT NDT Level II involve?

For ASNT NDT Level II, ASNT administers a computer-based general exam and specific exams, currently in MT, PT, RT, UT and VT. ASNT states that employers are responsible for carrying out the visual acuity, practical and any job-specific exams. The credential is renewed every five years, by application with continued employment or by examination.

Prepare with ASNT NDT Level II exam prep.

ASNT Level 3 requirements

To earn ASNT NDT Level III you need documented NDT experience in the methods you apply for, under qualified supervision: at least 252 days with a four-year engineering or physical-science degree, 504 days with two full academic years of such study, or 1,008 days without college. ASNT counts a day as at least seven hours, worked on one day or accumulated. You then pass the NDT Basic exam and at least one Method exam, and renew every five years.

What does ASNT NDT Level III require?

ASNT NDT Level III is ASNT's central Level III certification. First-time applicants pass the NDT Basic exam and at least one method exam; the exams are multiple-choice and computer-based. Experience must be in NDT, under qualified supervision, in the methods applied for.

ASNT NDT Level III is renewed every five years, by application with points or by examination. Under SNT-TC-1A the employer still certifies its Level III under the written practice; under CP-189 the Level III must hold ASNT NDT Level III.

Prepare with NDT Level 3 training and fees and Level III Basic exam prep.

How much does NDT certification cost?

No single price exists, because up to three parties charge. Training providers set course fees: Atlantis's published US fees for Level I, Level II and the online Level III refresher are in the fee table below. ASNT charges per exam for its central credentials, at member and nonmember rates, in the ASNT tables after it. Under SNT-TC-1A your employer's Level III gives the general, specific and practical exams under its written practice, so those are the employer's arrangement, not ASNT's.

Also plan for the vision examination your written practice requires and, if you take ASNT's central exams, ASNT membership if you want the member rate.

Published US training fees are also on NDT training in the USA.

NDT training fees — United States

Published fees for ASNT SNT-TC-1A Level I and Level II training in the United States, and for the online Level III refresher. All fees are in US dollars.

• Level I and Level II: materials and exam preparation are included. Training hours follow the recommended initial hours in ASNT SNT-TC-1A Table 6.3.1A; final hours are set by the employer's written practice.
• Payment: 50% in advance to start training, with the 50% balance due before the certificate is issued. Applicable taxes may apply.
• Level III refresher: fees cover online course access, study materials, mock exams and instructor support. ASNT examination fees are paid separately to ASNT and are not included.
• Fees are subject to change. Group and corporate programmes are quoted on request.

Published fees for other regions: Middle East, Europe, South East Asia. Training outside the United States, the Middle East, Europe and South East Asia (including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Africa)? Contact us for fees in your region.

How much are ASNT exam fees?

ASNT charges per examination, with member and nonmember rates. These are the figures as published by ASNT, checked October 2026. ASNT's own pages carry the current schedule and its refund and payment policies. Training is priced separately by each provider, and ASNT does not set training fees.

Source: ASNT NDT Level II on certification.asnt.org.

Source: ASNT NDT Level III on certification.asnt.org.

ASNT lists its renewal requirements on its recertification pages. See the ASNT recertification overview.

Where does Atlantis training fit?

An Atlantis course gives you documented training hours and a training record. It does not certify you: under SNT-TC-1A your employer gives the examinations and issues the certification, and ASNT issues its own central credentials only after its own examinations.

Courses run year-round with no fixed dates. Enrolment is open all year, access opens the moment you enrol, study is primarily self-paced, and a Level III answers your questions as you go. Practicals take place in the Practical NDT simulator and in person at your employer's facility, on its own equipment; Atlantis has no training centre or public venue.

Training is led by Anoop Rayavarapu, ASNT NDT Level III in UT, RT, MT, PT and VT, with 11+ years of international NDT field experience.

• NDT Level 1 training
• NDT Level 2 training
• ASNT Level III training
• Practical NDT simulator
• NDT practice tests
• Level III consulting for written practices
• Ask about training fees in your region
• Send a training enquiry

Frequently asked questions about ASNT certification

What is ASNT certification?

ASNT certification can mean two things. Most NDT technicians are certified by their employer under ASNT Recommended Practice SNT-TC-1A or the ANSI/ASNT CP-189 standard, and ASNT does not issue those certificates. ASNT also runs its own central certifications, ASNT NDT Level II, ASNT NDT Level III and ASNT 9712, which it examines and issues to the individual.

What is the difference between SNT-TC-1A and ASNT 9712?

SNT-TC-1A is employer-based: your employer certifies you under its written practice, and the certification ends when you leave that employer. ASNT 9712 is a third-party programme designed to meet ISO 9712:2021. ASNT examines you, including practical exams, and issues a certificate that stays with you. ASNT says ASNT 9712 replaced the former ASNT Central Certification Program (ACCP).

How much does ASNT certification cost?

ASNT charges a fee per examination, with lower rates for ASNT members. The fee tables on this page list the figures ASNT published, checked in October 2026, and the ASNT certification pages carry the current schedule. Training is priced separately by each provider; ASNT does not set training fees.

How long does ASNT certification take?

The experience hours set the pace. SNT-TC-1A recommends 70–210 hours of experience in the method for Level I and a further 140–630 for Level II, depending on the method, alongside classroom training. ASNT NDT Level III needs 12 to 48 months of NDT experience depending on education, plus the NDT Basic exam and a method exam.

What is the ASNT Level III exam format?

ASNT NDT Level III requires the NDT Basic exam, 135 questions in 4 hours, and at least one method exam: 135 questions in 4 hours for UT, RT and ET, or 90 questions in 2 hours for MT, PT and VT. The exams are multiple-choice and computer-based. Any specific examination on your employer's codes and procedures is set by its written practice, not by ASNT.

Do I need a degree for ASNT NDT Level III?

No. ASNT NDT Level III accepts candidates without college. A four-year degree, or two full academic years of engineering or physical science study, reduces the NDT experience required; the eligibility table on this page lists the minimums ASNT publishes.

Can I get ASNT certified online?

Theory training can be completed online, and the ASNT NDT Level III exams are computer-based. Practical examinations need hands-on work with real equipment: under SNT-TC-1A the employer gives them, and for ASNT NDT Level II ASNT states that employers carry out the practical exams. Atlantis delivers theory online and supervises practical training at the employer's facility.

Is ASNT certification recognised internationally?

ASNT describes its central certifications as internationally recognised, but the scheme a job needs is set by the contract or client specification. Some specifications, particularly in Europe, name ISO 9712 or PCN instead, and ASNT 9712 is the ASNT programme designed to meet ISO 9712:2021. Check the specification before choosing a route.

Does an Atlantis course certify me?

No. A course provides classroom training hours and a training record. Under SNT-TC-1A your employer certifies you after verifying your training and experience and giving the examinations its written practice requires. ASNT certifies only through its own examinations.

How much does NDT certification cost?

Up to three parties charge. The training provider sets course fees, and Atlantis's published US fees are in the fee table on this page. ASNT charges per exam for its central credentials, at member and nonmember rates. Under SNT-TC-1A the employer's Level III gives the general, specific and practical exams under its written practice.

Related certification guides

• SNT-TC-1A certification overview
• SNT-TC-1A requirements and 30-day study plan
• NDT Level 1 training
• API 510 certification
• API 570 certification
• API 653 certification
• NDT certification guide
• NDT career guide
• NDT salary guide
• NDT training in the USA
• NDT training in Dubai
• Training requirements matrix
• ASNT vs PCN comparison
• How long NDT training takes
• ISO 9712 certification

Sources

• ASNT certification programmes
• ASNT NDT Level II
• ASNT NDT Level III
• ASNT NDT Level III examinations
• ASNT 9712 Level II
• ASNT recertification
• ASNT standards: SNT-TC-1A (2024), CP-189 (2024), CP-9712 (2023)
• O*NET 17-3029.01 Non-Destructive Testing Specialists

Sources checked 16 October 2026.