NDT Level 2 Certification Training

Level II is where you move from performing tests under supervision to interpreting results, calibrating equipment, and supervising Level I technicians. This page covers the prerequisites, the additional training hours per method, a realistic timeline, and a full comparison of the two certifying paths — SNT-TC-1A and ACCP Level II.

Level II has exactly one hard prerequisite: current Level I certification in the method you are advancing in. Everything else is additional documented training and experience stacked on top of that foundation.

You must hold current Level I certification in the specific method — Level II is method-specific, not a general upgrade. A technician certified Level I in MT and PT can advance to Level II in either method independently, on its own timeline.

Beyond the classroom hours, Level II requires substantially more cumulative on-the-job experience than Level I — supervised, logged, and verifiable. This is the step most candidates underestimate: it is judgement-building time, not just hour-counting.

The Level II exam adds calibration, interpretation and acceptance-criteria judgement to the written and practical format used at Level I. Format specifics again depend on your certifying path — employer Written Practice for SNT-TC-1A, or ASNT's standardised exam for ACCP. The classroom and experience hours below stack on top of what you already logged at Level I.

Most technicians reach Level II within 6 to 12 months of holding Level I, provided the method sees steady use at their site. The pacing driver is the same as at Level I: classroom hours can be finished quickly, but supervised experience hours accumulate at the speed of the actual work available to you.

Candidates in a method used only occasionally — a specialised technique performed on a handful of jobs a year, for example — should expect the experience-hour requirement to extend the timeline well beyond 12 months, regardless of how quickly the classroom portion is finished.

ACCP — the ASNT Central Certification Program — is the one point in the entire NDT certification structure where a candidate can hold a credential that is not tied to a single employer. It starts at Level II; there is no ACCP Level I. Instead of your employer writing a Written Practice and certifying you against it, ASNT administers the whole programme directly: a standardised exam, a certificate issued by ASNT, and a fixed renewal cycle that follows you rather than your job.

ACCP earns its value when portability actually matters to you: multi-site employers who want one credential valid across locations, aerospace and government-adjacent work where a third-party credential is often preferred or specified, and technicians who expect to change employers and do not want to re-certify from scratch each time.

SNT-TC-1A remains the dominant route across oil & gas, petrochemical and power generation, and is what most employer Written Practices are already built around. If your employer already runs a mature Written Practice and you have no near-term plan to change companies, staying on SNT-TC-1A is the more direct path — many technicians add ACCP later, once portability becomes relevant.

The same split that applies at Level I applies here, and for the same reason: SNT-TC-1A and ACCP both allow theory to be delivered remotely but both require the practical and experience components to happen with real equipment, in person, available nationwide on request.

Live-virtual sessions and self-paced modules cover calibration principles, code and standard interpretation, and acceptance-criteria evaluation — the additional theory content that separates Level II from Level I.

Equipment setup, calibration and interpretation on real specimens, plus the supervised experience hours, happen at your employer's site or an arranged venue. Neither SNT-TC-1A nor ACCP accepts a fully online Level II pathway.

What this page covers

  • Prerequisites for NDT Level II
  • Exam Format and Additional Training Hours
  • A Realistic Timeline to Level II
  • ACCP Level II: The Portable, Third-Party Pathway
  • Delivery Model: Online Theory, In-Person Practical
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Working Toward Level III?

Key points covered

  • Preferred where portability matters — multi-site employers, aerospace, government work
  • You must already hold Level I certification in that method. Beyond that, SNT-TC-1A requires additional classroom training hours on top of your Level I hours, and additional logged on-the-job experience hours under a certified Level II or III. There is no separate degree requirement — the pathway is built entirely on stacking documented training and supervised experience on top of your existing Level I qualification.
  • It depends on the method and stacks on top of Level I. Ultrasonic (UT), Radiographic (RT) and Eddy Current (ET) each add 40 more classroom hours (80 cumulative through Level II). Magnetic Particle (MT) adds 24 hours (36 cumulative). Liquid Penetrant (PT) and Visual Testing (VT) each add 16 hours (24 cumulative). On-the-job experience hours also increase substantially — see the table on this page.
  • ACCP (the ASNT Central Certification Program) is ASNT's third-party certification route, and Level II is the first level it covers — it does not certify Level I at all. Unlike SNT-TC-1A, where your employer certifies you against its own Written Practice, ACCP is administered directly by ASNT using a standardised exam, and the resulting certification is portable between employers rather than tied to one company.
  • SNT-TC-1A is the dominant route across oil & gas, petrochemical and power generation, and is what most employer Written Practices are built around — it requires no separate ASNT exam fee and stays with your current employer. ACCP Level II makes more sense if portability matters to you specifically: multi-site employers, aerospace and government-adjacent work often prefer or require it because the credential does not need to be reissued when you change companies. Many technicians hold SNT-TC-1A first and add ACCP later once they know portability is worth pursuing.
  • The classroom theory portion — calibration principles, acceptance-criteria interpretation, procedure reading — can be delivered online, the same as at Level I. The practical component (equipment setup, calibration, interpreting results on real specimens, and demonstrating supervisory judgement over Level I work) cannot be completed online under either SNT-TC-1A or ACCP; it requires real equipment and in-person assessment.
  • Most technicians reach Level II within 6 to 12 months of holding Level I, assuming steady work in the method. The additional classroom hours are usually completed quickly; the additional logged experience hours are what sets the actual calendar, the same as the Level I timeline. Technicians in methods used only occasionally at their site can take longer simply because the experience hours accumulate more slowly.
  • Level II technicians set up and calibrate equipment, interpret and evaluate results against acceptance criteria, write technique sheets within an established procedure, and supervise Level I technicians. Level I technicians perform tests and record data under Level II or III supervision, following written instructions without independently interpreting the results.
  • Two certifying paths: employer-based SNT-TC-1A, or third-party portable ACCP

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the prerequisites for NDT Level II certification?

You must already hold Level I certification in that method. Beyond that, SNT-TC-1A requires additional classroom training hours on top of your Level I hours, and additional logged on-the-job experience hours under a certified Level II or III. There is no separate degree requirement — the pathway is built entirely on stacking documented training and supervised experience on top of your existing Level I qualification.

How many additional training hours does Level II require?

It depends on the method and stacks on top of Level I. Ultrasonic (UT), Radiographic (RT) and Eddy Current (ET) each add 40 more classroom hours (80 cumulative through Level II). Magnetic Particle (MT) adds 24 hours (36 cumulative). Liquid Penetrant (PT) and Visual Testing (VT) each add 16 hours (24 cumulative). On-the-job experience hours also increase substantially — see the table on this page.

What is ACCP Level II?

ACCP (the ASNT Central Certification Program) is ASNT's third-party certification route, and Level II is the first level it covers — it does not certify Level I at all. Unlike SNT-TC-1A, where your employer certifies you against its own Written Practice, ACCP is administered directly by ASNT using a standardised exam, and the resulting certification is portable between employers rather than tied to one company.

ACCP Level II vs SNT-TC-1A Level II — which should I choose?

SNT-TC-1A is the dominant route across oil & gas, petrochemical and power generation, and is what most employer Written Practices are built around — it requires no separate ASNT exam fee and stays with your current employer. ACCP Level II makes more sense if portability matters to you specifically: multi-site employers, aerospace and government-adjacent work often prefer or require it because the credential does not need to be reissued when you change companies. Many technicians hold SNT-TC-1A first and add ACCP later once they know portability is worth pursuing.

Can I complete NDT Level II training online?

The classroom theory portion — calibration principles, acceptance-criteria interpretation, procedure reading — can be delivered online, the same as at Level I. The practical component (equipment setup, calibration, interpreting results on real specimens, and demonstrating supervisory judgement over Level I work) cannot be completed online under either SNT-TC-1A or ACCP; it requires real equipment and in-person assessment.

How long does it take to go from Level I to Level II?

Most technicians reach Level II within 6 to 12 months of holding Level I, assuming steady work in the method. The additional classroom hours are usually completed quickly; the additional logged experience hours are what sets the actual calendar, the same as the Level I timeline. Technicians in methods used only occasionally at their site can take longer simply because the experience hours accumulate more slowly.

What can a Level II technician do that a Level I technician cannot?

Level II technicians set up and calibrate equipment, interpret and evaluate results against acceptance criteria, write technique sheets within an established procedure, and supervise Level I technicians. Level I technicians perform tests and record data under Level II or III supervision, following written instructions without independently interpreting the results.

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NDT Level II is the working certification. The holder calibrates equipment, selects technique parameters within an approved procedure, interprets indications, evaluates them against acceptance criteria, writes technique sheets and signs the accept/reject disposition on a report. Level II requires current Level I in the same method plus additional classroom and logged experience hours. Two routes issue it: employer SNT-TC-1A, or portable ASNT ACCP.

Level II is where an NDT programme's output becomes defensible, because it is the first level permitted to interpret. The prerequisite is current Level I certification in that same method — Level II is method-specific, not a general promotion. Classroom hours stack on the Level I hours: UT, RT and ET add 40 each for 80 cumulative; MT adds 24 for 36 cumulative; PT and VT add 16 each for 24 cumulative. Logged on-the-job experience increases substantially and sets the real timeline. The examination adds calibration, code interpretation and acceptance-criteria judgement to the Level I written and practical format. Two issuing routes exist: an employer certifies against its own Written Practice under SNT-TC-1A, or ASNT certifies directly under ACCP, whose credential is portable between employers. Neither route accepts a fully online pathway. US Level II roles run $55,000–$80,000.

Source: ASNT Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A (2020 edition) — recommended initial training and experience table; ASNT Central Certification Program (ACCP) Level II requirements; ANSI/ASNT CP-189. US pay bands cross-referenced from /blog/ndt-salary-guide-2026-global.

Technically reviewed by Anoop Rayavarapu — ASNT NDT Level III (UT, RT, MT, PT, VT, ET) · API 653 · ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor
Level II classroom-hour ladder by method, and the authority the added hours unlock
MethodLevel I classroom hoursLevel II additional hoursCumulative through Level IIInterpretation authority added at Level II
Ultrasonic (UT)404080Calibration block setup, DAC/TCG construction, thickness and weld flaw evaluation to code
Radiographic (RT)404080Density and IQI verification, radiograph interpretation and film disposition to code
Eddy Current (ET)404080Reference standard setup, phase and impedance signal interpretation, sizing calls
Magnetic Particle (MT)122436Field direction and technique selection, indication classification, demagnetisation judgement
Liquid Penetrant (PT)81624Penetrant system selection, dwell and developer control, indication evaluation
Visual (VT)81624Weld acceptance criteria evaluation, lighting and equipment verification, direct disposition
Classroom hours only. Logged on-the-job experience under a certified Level II or III is separate, rises sharply at Level II, and is the step that sets the calendar. Hours are per method and do not transfer between methods.

What does an NDT Level II technician earn in the United States?

US NDT Level II roles run $55,000–$80,000 a year, above the $40,000–$55,000 Level I band and below $80,000–$130,000 at Level III. Method drives the spread: MT and PT technicians sit at $50,000–$65,000, while PAUT and TOFD specialists reach $80,000–$110,000. Offshore rotations add 30–50%. Full segmentation by method, industry and country is in the NDT Salary Guide 2026.

What exactly can a Level II sign that a Level I cannot?

The accept/reject disposition. A Level II calibrates the equipment, selects technique parameters within an approved procedure, interprets indications, evaluates them against the code acceptance criteria, writes technique sheets and signs the report. A Level II also supervises Level I technicians and verifies their recorded data. A Level II cannot write or approve the governing procedure itself — that authority belongs to Level III.

Is ACCP Level II worth adding if I already hold SNT-TC-1A Level II?

Add ACCP when portability has value: multi-site employers, aerospace and government-adjacent contracts prefer or specify a third-party credential. ASNT administers the standardised exam and issues the certificate, so it survives a change of employer. SNT-TC-1A Level II is tied to one employer's Written Practice and is re-issued on every move. ACCP has no Level I tier, so Level II is its entry point.

Can NDT Level II training be completed online?

Theory yes, practical no. Calibration principles, code and standard interpretation and acceptance-criteria evaluation are delivered live-virtual or self-paced under both SNT-TC-1A and ACCP. Equipment setup, calibration on real specimens, indication interpretation and the supervised experience hours require physical equipment and an in-person assessor. No legitimate scheme certifies a Level II from theory alone.

Does Level II in one method carry over to another method?

No. Certification is per method. A technician holding Level II in MT starts a second method at Level I, with that method's own classroom hours, its own logged experience and its own examinations. The annual vision test and general theory background carry across; the method training and experience do not. Adding PT to an existing MT Level II starts with 8 Level I classroom hours.

What has to happen before a Level II can move up to Level III?

Documented experience, measured in years. SNT-TC-1A equivalency provisions set 4,200 hours for a candidate holding a qualifying engineering or science degree and 12,600 hours on the high-school-diploma path, on top of Level II certification in the method. Most Level IIs need 18 to 36 months of further qualifying work before enough hours exist to sit the Basic and Method examinations.

Ask about NDT training dates and delivery

Tell us the methods and levels you need and how many technicians. We reply with available dates, the delivery options that fit, and what your written practice requires — usually the same working day.

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