ASNT NDT Level II Exam Preparation (and What Replaced ACCP)

By Anoop Rayavarapu, ASNT NDT Level III · Published September 29, 2026

Three ASNT Level II credentials, and which one this page covers

Searches for "ASNT Level 2 certification" now return three different things, and technicians regularly pay for the wrong one. Here is how they differ, based on ASNT's own programme pages.

This page covers ASNT NDT Level II, the SNT-TC-1A-aligned credential. Atlantis trains to ASNT SNT-TC-1A only, so we do not offer ISO 9712 or ASNT 9712 preparation or practical examinations. If an employer or client specifically requires ASNT 9712, book it through ASNT and its authorised exam centres. The method knowledge on this page still applies, because both schemes test the same physics.

ASNT NDT Level II exam structure

The written exams are computer-based and scheduled through a MyCert account at Pearson VUE or an authorised exam centre. There is no walk-in testing, and you need two valid forms of identification on the day. ASNT's exam page states the question counts and times above. Check it for the current passing requirement and candidate rules when you schedule.

Eligibility: training and experience by method

ASNT publishes minimum training and work experience for the ASNT NDT Level II, stated in days. "Total NDT" means experience across NDT generally, of which the "in method" figure must be in the method you are certifying.

These are ASNT's figures for its central Level II. Your employer's written practice may set higher numbers, and the SNT-TC-1A tables your employer uses are expressed differently. See our training requirements matrix for the employer-side view. For the ASNT 9712 Level II, ASNT publishes different figures: 5 days of training for MT, PT and VT, 15 for RT (plus radiation safety) and 18 for UT, with 60 days of experience for MT, PT and VT and 180 for RT and UT.

Who ASNT NDT Level II exam prep is for

Technicians who want a portable credential. Under SNT-TC-1A alone, certification belongs to the employer and ends when you leave. A central ASNT certificate travels with you. Many Level IIs sit the ASNT NDT Level II to show a new employer independent evidence of their knowledge, even though the new employer still certifies them under its own written practice.

Employers that want independent verification. Some inspection companies use the ASNT NDT Level II General and Specific exams in place of, or alongside, in-house written exams, then complete the practical and vision exams themselves. It gives clients and auditors an external benchmark.

Former ACCP holders. ACCP certificates can no longer be renewed through ACCP. Holders are choosing between ASNT NDT Level II and ASNT 9712, depending on what their clients and codes require. If your work is under US codes and SNT-TC-1A written practices, the ASNT NDT Level II is usually the natural fit. We will talk it through with you honestly before you enrol.

What the General and Specific exams test

General exam (per method)

The General exam follows the CP-105 Level II topical outline for the method. For UT that means wave physics, transducers, calibration, straight- and angle-beam techniques and interpretation. For RT it covers radiation physics, exposure, film and digital recording, image quality and safety. For MT it covers magnetism, currents, techniques, particles and demagnetisation. For PT it covers penetrant materials, process steps and interpretation. For VT it covers vision, lighting, optical aids, remote visual equipment and discontinuities. Fifty questions in two hours gives you plenty of time. The difficulty is breadth, especially for technicians who learned one application on the job.

Specific exam (per sector)

The Specific exam is built around an NDT procedure. You are tested on applying a procedure to the equipment and techniques of the General Industry or Pressure Equipment sector: setting up, calibrating, performing the examination and recording results as the procedure requires. The skill being tested is reading a procedure precisely and doing exactly what it says. Technicians who work from habit rather than from the document lose marks here.

How the ASNT NDT Level II fits your employer's SNT-TC-1A programme

The most common misunderstanding about the ASNT NDT Level II is that it replaces the employer's certification. It does not. It supplies the written part of the evidence, independently. A typical sequence for an employer using the credential looks like this:

1. The employer's written practice is updated to say that the ASNT NDT Level II General and Specific exams will be accepted as the written general and specific examinations for the methods concerned.
2. The technician completes the formal training hours the written practice requires, often at least ASNT's published minimum for the method, and documents them.
3. The technician accumulates and documents the required experience in the method.
4. The technician passes the ASNT General and Specific exams at a test centre.
5. The employer's Level III administers the vision examination and the practical examination on real specimens, plus any job-specific exam.
6. The employer certifies the technician as Level II under its written practice, referencing the ASNT certificate in the personnel file.

Done this way, the employer's audit file carries both an external credential and the employer-controlled elements that SNT-TC-1A expects. If your written practice does not yet mention the ASNT exams, a Level III needs to amend it before the credential can count. Atlantis can do that as part of a written practice review.

Where Level II candidates lose marks

• Breadth outside their application. A pipeline UT technician may never have done straight-beam forging work. A field MT technician may never have used a wet bench. The General exam covers the whole Level II outline.
• Reading the procedure literally. The Specific exam rewards doing what the procedure says, not what you usually do on site.
• Formulas. UT and RT candidates who rely on instrument calculations lose easy marks on Snell's law, near field, inverse square and exposure questions.
• Terminology. Indication, discontinuity and defect have different meanings. Relevant and non-relevant indications are defined terms. Loose field usage costs marks.

An 8-week study plan for one method

MT, PT and VT candidates with good field experience often need 4 to 6 weeks. UT and RT candidates usually need the full 8.

Key references

• ANSI/ASNT CP-105, the Level II topical outline for your method.
• ASNT SNT-TC-1A, current edition.
• ASNT Level II study guides and Question & Answer books for your method.
• ASNT Nondestructive Testing Handbook volume for your method, used selectively.
• ASME BPVC Section V (Article 4 UT, Article 2 RT, Article 7 MT, Article 6 PT, Article 9 VT), especially for the Pressure Equipment Specific exam.

How Atlantis ASNT NDT Level II exam prep works

Preparation is led by Anoop Rayavarapu, ASNT NDT Level III, and runs live online, so you can study from a job site or from home.

• Live online sessions on the CP-105 outline for your method, recorded for shift workers.
• Timed practice exams built to the 50-question General and 40-question Specific format, with explanations.
• Procedure-reading drills for the Specific exam.
• Practical refresh on the Practical NDT simulator. Practical NDT, the first-ever online practical NDT simulation portal, lets you practise 12 methods in 5 virtual environments before your employer's practical exam. It is practice only. Your practical must still be performed on real specimens under your employer's written practice.
• Employer practical support. For companies, Atlantis can deliver the hands-on training and administer the practical examination onsite at your facility, under an ASNT Level III, as part of your SNT-TC-1A programme.

Method-specific Level II training pages: UT Level 2, RT Level 2, MT Level 2, PT Level 2, VT Level 2. Free practice questions: UT Level II practice questions. Request an ASNT NDT Level II prep schedule.

Employer sponsorship

For an employer, sponsoring technicians through the ASNT NDT Level II General and Specific exams gives the written practice an external benchmark and gives clients a credential they recognise. The employer still controls the practical, vision and job-specific exams and issues the SNT-TC-1A certification. Atlantis can cover the full chain: online exam preparation, onsite practical training and examination under a Level III, and a written practice that references the ASNT exams correctly. Ask for a cohort quote or use the training enquiry form.