ICNDT Guide to
Qualification andCertificationof Personnel
for NDT

1 February 2024

ICNDT Guide to
Qualification andCertificationof Personnel
for NDT
1 February 2024
ICNDT will update this document periodically and will provide the latest version online via its website:www.icndt.org. Users of the document are strongly advised to check that they have the latest version of the document
and the referenced standards. Readers use the material herein at their own risk.
©2024 ICNDT2

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTContents
FOREWORDS....................................................................................................................................................... 3
1. BACKGROUND................................................................................................................................................ 4
2. RECOMMENDATIONS ON QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION................................................................ 5
3. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EMPLOYER............................................................................................................ 6
4. REQUIREMENTS FOR NDT PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION BODIES................................................................. 9
5. BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................................................. 11
APPENDICES....................................................................................................................................................... 12
Appendix 1:

The role of ICNDT and its regional groups in the harmonisation of qualification				and certification – degrees of harmonisation................................................................................. 13

Appendix 2:

Qualification and certification of NDT personnel in accordance with ISO 9712 –				historical perspective.................................................................................................................... 18

Appendix 3:

ICNDT membership directory....................................................................................................... 21

Appendix 4:

ASME position on acceptance of central certification programmes – ICNDT perspectives............. 24

Appendix 5:

Non-destructive testing in Europe................................................................................................. 26

Appendix 5A: The European Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU)............................................................ 26
Appendix 5B: The UK Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations (PESR)................................................................ 27
Appendix 6:

Directory of certification bodies.................................................................................................... 28

Appendix 7:

ICNDT multilateral recognition agreement, PCB assessment scheme and				examination question bank........................................................................................................... 31

Appendix 8:

Qualification of NDT personnel in accordance with ISO 20807:2004 and ISO/TS 11774:2011.... 34

Appendix 9:

Guidance for developing countries seeking to establish national certification schemes................. 36

Appendix 10: Codes of practice and ethics for personnel certification bodies and NDT personnel...................... 37		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTForewords
Foreword by Chair of ICNDTPersonnel competence of those carrying out non-destructive testing (NDT) is an essential prerequisite forthe achievement of quality and reliability. Qualification and certification of NDT personnel in accordance withinternational standards, such as the unified ISO 9712 (Non-destructive testing – Qualification and certification of
personnel), helps to assure the competence of NDT personnel and thereby assists global business and safety standards.
ICNDT, with a track record of over six decades in international cooperation in NDT, is dedicated to supporting thebest practice in the implementation of standards through this guide. As Chair, I express sincere thanks to my ICNDT
colleagues and to members of ICNDT WG1 and ISO/TC 135 SC 7 for their assistance in preparing this document.
S K Babu
Chair, ICNDT

Foreword by Chairs of ISO/TC 135
ISO 9712 (Non-destructive testing – Qualification and certification of NDT personnel) has been harmonised
internationally as a third-party certification standard and revised in 2012.
When applying this revised and unified ISO 9712 for maintaining the integrity of materials, components, structures,
facilities, etc, the ICNDT Guide to Qualification and Certification of Personnel for NDT is indispensable for the
implementation of a qualification and certification scheme.
Moreover, this ICNDT Guide, which is based on long-term historical experience in supporting the implementation of
ISO 9712, will provide more possibility of mutual recognition among the ICNDT member societies in the certification
of NDT personnel in order to accelerate international harmonisation.
ISO/TC 135 expect that this ICNDT guide will be valuable both for NDT personnel requiring certification and for the
NDT industry worldwide in order to maintain safety and reliability in a wide range of industrial fields.
					

Norikazu Ooka			

Takamasa Ogata

Darcy Corcoran

		 ISO/TC 135 Immediate Past Chair			

ISO/TC 135 Chair

ISO/TC 135/SC 7 Chair			

Foreword by Chair of the IAC and Editorial Committee
The original guide was published in June 2004 at the 16th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing(16th WCNDT) in Montreal, Canada, based on a first draft produced by Mr G Nardoni. The first update was approvedfor publication at the 17th WCNDT in Shanghai, China. The next version was published to coincide with the 18th
WCNDT in Durban, South Africa, and the agreements within ISO and CEN to unify ISO 9712 and EN 473 in a new
standard, ISO 9712, published in 2012. The 2014 version reflected updates in ISO 17024 and the developments in
ICNDT to create an international multilateral recognition agreement and to document how different certification
bodies are implementing ISO 9712:2012. The 2016 version reflected developments in the relationship with theAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), further information on the implementation of ISO 9712 and areference to a code of ethics for certificated personnel. The 2023 version reflects the publication of ISO 9712:2021
and the much more widespread use of the standard around the world.
ICNDT will update this document periodically and will provide the latest version online via its website(www.icndt.org). Users are strongly advised to check that they have the latest version of this document and thereferenced standards. Comments and suggestions are welcome and should be sent to the ICNDT Secretariat.
Mike Farley
Chair, IAC and Editorial Committee

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT

1. Background
The prime purpose of this guide, which has been prepared under the auspices of the International Committee for NonDestructive Testing (ICNDT), is to promote best practice in the qualification and certification of non-destructive testing(NDT) personnel according to the international standard ISO 9712[1]*.
The competence of NDT personnel is a key element in achieving reliability in NDT and is vital to ensure the quality andsafety of products and installations. The ICNDT Guide is of importance to all tiers in the management of NDT operations:
regulators, inspection bodies, certification bodies (CBs), industry, NDT service companies and supervisors of NDT personnel.
ICNDT has promoted worldwide dissemination of NDT technologies and the harmonisation of personnel
certification schemes for more than 60 years. The decision by ICNDT to promote the adoption of ISO 9712 asa basic standard for third-party qualification and certification of NDT personnel arises from the need to achievea more consistent standard of basic knowledge and practical competence. Such standardisation becomes ever more
important as the globalisation of trade increases.
Third-party qualification and certification is widely recognised as conferring a number of advantages:l It complies with an internationally-agreed ISO standard that is increasingly being adopted worldwide;l It utilises an internationally-developed training syllabus;l Examinations (theory and practical) are provided directly by certification bodies or through authorised qualifying
bodies and authorised examination centres under the control of certification bodies (many of which are linked tonational NDT societies);l It provides a harmonised standard for training, qualification and certification of NDT personnel and can be used as thebase level for more specific employer-based or third-party certification relevant to particular products or installations.
The central role of ISO 9712 among standards for third-party certification, the historical development of NDT personnel
certification and ICNDT’s role are explained within this guide in Appendices 1 and 2. A list of ICNDT members, at thetime of writing, is given in Appendix 3.
The correct use of third-party qualification and certification of NDT personnel is dependent on the employers’
recognition of responsibility for NDT personnel. This is important in terms of good quality management practices(outlined in ISO 9001[2] in clause 6.2 – Human Resources), product liability, meeting the requirements for accreditationand meeting the requirements of product standards and codes, such as the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code(see Appendix 4) and the European Pressure Equipment Directive[3] (2014/68/EU – see Appendix 5). An explanationof the employer’s responsibilities is provided in Chapter 3.
In each of the regions where ICNDT has members (Africa, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Pan-America), ISO 9712 hasbeen adopted as a basis for third-party certification schemes. A list of certification schemes and their current status isprovided in Appendix 6. The schemes recognised by ICNDT are listed in Appendix 7. In summary:l In Africa, South Africa has an accredited ISO 9712 certification system and Tunisia is introducing a similar system.
l In Europe, a large number of countries (more than 14) have accredited schemes that comply with ISO 9712.
l In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Sri Lanka have certification bodies
accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 and delivering ISO 9712 certifications. The Singapore scheme is delivered to the latest
ISO 9712:2021 standard. China provides certification to ISO 9712:2012. Japan was an early adopter of ISO 9712
according to ISO 17024.
l In the Pan-America region, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Colombia and Mexico have accredited certification schemesthat comply with ISO 9712. In the USA, the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) will be transitioning
away from ANSI/ASNT standard CP 106[4], which is closely aligned with ISO 9712:2012, and has now rolled
out ASNT 9712, which complies with the ISO 9712:2012 edition and provides for psychometrics-based robust
practical examinations. Many other countries in Latin America, including Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia and Venezuela,
are developing national schemes based on ISO 9712.
*The reference numbers given in square brackets refer to the documents listed in Chapter 5, Bibliography.

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTl Other countries have foreign CBs providing certification to ISO 9712 or operating a scheme with compliance toISO 9712, but which is unaccredited.
l Most of the accredited CBs are registered by ICNDT under the multilateral recognition agreement (MRA)(see Appendices 6 and 7).
The widespread adoption of an international standard has brought significant harmonisation, but not complete
uniformity. Within the terms of the standard, a certification body has options to choose the sectors in which it offers
certification and to set its own questions and practical examinations. It also chooses the languages in which it
provides examinations. Additionaly, it has the responsibility to decide when to accept certification by other personnel
certification bodies (PCBs) as equivalent to or as a stepping-stone towards its own.
ICNDT Working Group 1 ‘Qualification and Certification’ seeks to further protect and improve harmonisation by
publishing reports and guidance. These include:l Advice on the interpretation of ISO 9712:2012 and informed discussion during the revision of the standard. This
report is available on the ICNDT website at: https://bit.ly/3NXYUV7l ‘ICNDT Recommendations for the operations of Certification Bodies during the COVID-19 pandemic in compliancewith ISO/IEC 17024:2012 and ISO 9712:2012’. See: www.icndt.org/ICNDT%20Recommendations.pdf
l ‘ICNDT Guide to Good Practice – Fraudulent Management by Personnel Certification Bodies’ to reduce the risk
for certification bodies in delivering the ISO 9712 personnel certification and to prevent any violations from
ISO/IEC 17024:2012 (in progress).
l Tasks dealing with practical examinations and the functions and responsibilities of certification bodies, authorised
qualification bodies and examination centres (in progress).
l A report on the interpretation of ISO 9712:2021, which will be available on the ICNDT website (in progress).
ICNDT promotes international recognition of third-party certification schemes through a global MRA and details are given
in Appendix 7. In many countries around the world, certification bodies that provide ISO 9712 certification have gained
accreditation or approval by government agencies or accreditation bodies to ISO 17024[5] in both voluntary and regulatory
sectors. This is discussed in Chapter 4.
Other approaches to NDT personnel certification are covered by EN 4179[6] (for aerospace certification) and
SNT-TC-1A[7] (for in-company certification). In certain circumstances it may be necessary or desirable, for economic or safety
reasons, to qualify NDT personnel for specified limited applications and standards covering this are described in Appendix
8.certification.

2. Recommendations on qualification and certification
Recommendations to users of central third-party certification
When central third-party certification is appropriate, it is recommended that regulators and industry define the levelsof competency of NDT personnel who are certified in accordance with ISO 9712[1] by a certification body accredited
to ISO/IEC 17024[5]. Certification bodies registered under the ICNDT MRA will meet this requirement. Such bodies
will have demonstrated independent evidence of accreditation to ISO/IEC 17024 and compliance with ISO 9712,
either through a national or international accreditation body or by a conformity assessment carried out by ICNDT(see Appendix 7).
Regulators, users and auditors of NDT operations should insist that employers of NDT personnel properly fulfil their
responsibilities to authorise personnel to work after first confirming that their employees are adequately trained,
experienced and qualified.

Recommendations to certification bodies
Certification bodies are urged to provide certification to ISO 9712 in order to maximise the value of their certification. In
anticipation of future harmonisation, their training syllabuses should encompass the requirements of ISO/TR 25107[8].

56ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTNational NDT societies seeking to establish their own national certification schemes are recommended to consider
seeking cooperation with an existing personnel certification body as an alternative or complementary approach. This
does not preclude setting up a local PCB.
NDT societies or PCBs that are operating outside of their own home country are encouraged to cooperate closelywith the national NDT society where they wish to operate. In practice, this should be achieved by means of a signed
agreement between the parties. When there is a disagreement, the matter should be referred to ICNDT for mediation.
Guidance for developing countries seeking to establish national certification schemes is provided in Appendix 9.

Recommendations to national standards bodies
In adopting the international standard ISO 9712, the ISO member body is strongly urged to apply it without deviationfrom the original text in order to ensure that it acts as a harmonising influence. Significant deviations, althoughpermitted under ISO Guide 21[9], could result in a refusal to recognise or accept NDT personnel certification.

3. Responsibilities of the employer
An employer of NDT personnel carries important responsibilities for the overall quality of NDT operations. Theseshould be reflected in the employer’s quality procedure for NDT (which may be known as the written practice*).
The employer retains these responsibilities whether they use third-party certification, in-company certification or a
combination of both.
This section of the ICNDT Guide clarifies the employer’s responsibilities and gives guidance on how the employer
should fulfil them. In this context, the employer (or responsible agency) is defined as “The legal entity by whom thecandidate is employed”. If the individual is self-employed, they shall assume all responsibilities specified for theemployer or responsible agency.
It is a central tenet of the standard that the employer has overall responsibility for the results of NDT operations
and is fully responsible for the authorisation of their staff to work. In practice, this should include checking that the
NDT tasks to be carried out are within the scope of the individual’s certification (sector, method, level and theirrecent experience) and, if they are not, organising additional company job-specific training and/or examinations(see Figure 1). In some countries, the central third-party certification may be supplemented by industry sector-specifictraining and examinations (sometimes called ‘trade tests’) to fill this gap. In some industries, specific job task analysis
may be carried out to determine exactly what job-specific training and/or examinations are appropriate.

Figure 1. Elements of personnel certification*See, for example, SNT-TC-1A[7] published by ASNT.

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTThe employer is responsible for introducing candidates to the certification body and for documenting the candidate’s
education and prior experience. (If the candidate is unemployed or self-employed, the declaration of education,
training and experience shall be attested to by at least one independent party.)
The employer must ensure annually that employees meet the visual acuity requirements of the certification body andmust keep records of work experience that will be needed to demonstrate continuity of satisfactory work activity
without significant interruption. This is important both for their own quality assurance and to support renewal/
recertification.
To fulfil these responsibilities, the employer should prepare and implement a quality procedure (or written practice)covering at least the above responsibilities and maintain adequate records. This is strongly advised, for example,
in the World Nuclear Association report ‘Certification of NDE Personnel’[10], which recommends use of ISO 9712
certification in the context of a company’s quality procedure for NDT.
The quality procedure, which shall additionally cover the correct administration and control of NDT personnel inorder to meet the quality requirements of the company, its customers and relevant international or national regulations,will include reference to:l Applicable codes and standards;l General responsibilities of Levels 1, 2 and 3;
l Certification required (sector, method, level);l Persons designated by the employer to be responsible for issuing the authorisation to operate;l Control of in-house training and examination supplementary to that carried out during the ISO 9712 qualificationand certification process. This will include job-specific training for tasks outside the scope of the individual’scertification and updating with respect to new equipment or techniques;l Responsibility for maintenance of records. The employer must maintain records for each of their NDT personnel,
including:– training;– education;– work experience;– vision test results;– certification examination results.
The results may be recorded using a suitable checklist – see, for example, Figure 2 (page 8).

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTCOMPANY NAME:OPERATOR’S NAME:SCOPE OF CERTIFICATION (sector, method, level):
Requirement

Evidence

In fileAccepted

Valid test certificate for near vision acuity:
Valid certificate of unimpaired colour vision:
Work experience (in months according to level):
Training hours (in hours according to level):
Successful completion of qualification examination:
Issued ISO 9712 certification:
Job-specific training:
Product/materials:
NDT equipment/systems:
NDT instructions/procedures:
Safety:Responsible Level 3 acceptance
Signature:
Name:
Position:
Date:
Figure 2. Employer checklist leading to authorisation to work

If all of the above are acceptable, and the employer is satisfied that the above-named employee can be authorised
to carry out work for this company in respect of the method and level indicated, the authorisation to work is signed
for the employer by the Company Authorised Person – see, for example, Figure 3.
COMPANY NAME:
This authorisation is issued to:who has demonstrated having successfully met the requirements of the Company Quality Procedure(COMPANY X – DOCUMENT REF) in respect of education, training, work experience and examination and isauthorised to perform NDT as follows:
MethodTechnique

Level

Date ofISO 9712
certification

Due date of
Signature of
renewal or
authorised
recertification company
representative

Figure 3. Authorisation to perform non-destructive testing

Date

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT

4. Requirements for NDT personnel certification bodies
Specific requirements for NDT personnel certification bodies
ISO 9712:2021[1] is the latest internationally-recognised and widely-accepted standard for qualification andthird-party certification of NDT personnel, replacing earlier versions and EN 473.
An important clause in ISO 9712:2012 facilitated transition from the earlier standards to the 2012 one. Certificationachieved under either EN 473 or ISO 9712:2005 was considered to comply with the 2012 standard, until the next
renewal or recertification is due. Certification to the new standard was to be considered compliant with the oldstandards when these are specified.
A new renewal process is one of the key updates of ISO 9712:2021. It is based on either successful completionof a practical examination element or successfully meeting the requirements of the structured credit system. For
details see clause 10 of ISO 9712:2021. Certification achieved under ISO 9712:2012 is considered to comply with
ISO 9712:2021 until the next renewal or recertification is due. As soon as a certification body upgrades theiraccreditation to ISO 9712:2021 the renewal, recertification and extension to scope shall be carried out according to
its new provisions of ISO 9712:2021.

General requirements for personnel certification bodies
Clause 5.2.1 of ISO 9712:2021 maintains the requirement that the certification body shall fulfil the requirements of
ISO/IEC 17024[5]. A PCB in compliance with ISO/IEC 17024 should be impartial in its decisions on certification andshould ensure that assessments leading to certification are fair, valid and reliable.

Quality management system
ISO/IEC 17024 requires a quality management system (QMS) ‘that is capable of supporting and demonstrating theconsistent achievement of the requirements of this international standard’ (clause 10.1 of ISO/IEC 17024:2012).
The standard states that an ISO 9001-compliant management system would fulfil the requirement.

Accreditation
Accreditation is third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body conveying a formal demonstration of
its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks. Accreditation is performed by an accreditation bodythat is an authoritative body. Requirements for accreditation bodies are detailed in ISO/IEC 17011:2017 (Conformity
assessment – Requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies).
The accreditation process is intended to increase the confidence of users of certification in the status of a certification
body. Accreditation reduces the risk for users of certification by ensuring that accredited certification bodies andappropriate bodies conducting outsourced work, for example qualification bodies, examination centres, etc, arecompetent to carry out the work they undertake within the scope of accreditation.
Accreditation of personnel certification bodies is performed against ISO/IEC 17024. The latest edition of ISO/IEC 17024
was published in July 2012 and all accreditations are now against this version. Major changes to the 2012 version were:l New terms were added;l The section for personnel became more detailed;l The section for management of impartiality became more detailed;l A new section with more information about the structure of the certification body in relation to training was added;l More detail was added for records and information requirements;l There was a more detailed description of certification schemes;l There was more detail provided for the certification process requirements;l New sections were added for appeals, complaints and management systems requirements;l A ‘principles’ section was added in Annex A.

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTThere is an International Accreditation Forum (IAF), which is a worldwide association of accreditation bodies andother bodies interested in conformity assessment including in the field of personnel certification. There are six regionalgroupings of accreditation bodies, whose aims include the maintenance of regional multilateral recognition agreements,
recognising the equivalence of their members’ accreditations: the African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC),
the Inter American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC), the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (APAC),
the Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC), the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and the Southern
African Development Community Cooperation in Accreditation (SADCA).
There is an IAF multilateral recognition arrangement (MLA) (see: https://iaf.nu/en/about-iaf-mla), the purpose of which is
to ensure mutual recognition of accredited certification between signatories to the MLA and, subsequently, acceptanceof accredited certification in many markets based on one accreditation. Accreditation body and regional accreditationgroup members of the IAF are admitted to the IAF MLA only after a stringent evaluation of their operations by a peer
evaluation team, which is charged to ensure that the applicant complies fully with both international standards and
IAF requirements. Once an accreditation body is a signatory of the IAF MLA, it is required to recognise certificatesissued by conformity assessment bodies accredited by all other signatories of the IAF MLA with the appropriate scope,for example accreditation to ISO/IEC 17024 under the scope of ISO 9712.

ICNDT multilateral recognition agreement
Against the above background, ICNDT has created its own multilateral recognition agreement with criteria andprocesses that take advantage of and complement accreditation.
At the time of publication, 47 NDT societies have signed up to promote the recognition of 21 PCBs that have gained
and maintain registration with ICNDT. More detail is given in Appendix 7.

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT		

5. Bibliography
This section lists all of the documents referred to in the main text and the appendices. It provides a list of the latest editions(at the time of writing) of standards dealing with or impacting upon the qualification and certification of personnel engaged
in NDT.
1.		ISO 9712:2021

Non-destructive testing – Qualification and certification of NDT personnel

2.		ISO 9001:2015

Quality management systems – Requirements

3.		2014/68/EU

Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) – overview online at: http://bit.ly/22fcq67

4.		ANSI/ASNT CP-106-2008 Non-destructive testing – Qualification and certification of personnel
5.		ISO/IEC 17024:2012

Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of						

persons

6.		EN 4179:2021

Aerospace series – Qualification and approval of personnel for non-destructive						

testing

7.		SNT-TC-1A (2020)

ASNT Recommended Practice for Personnel Qualification and Certification in						

Non-Destructive Testing (due for update in 2024)

8.		ISO/TR 25107:2019

Non-destructive testing – Guideline for NDT training syllabuses

9.		ISO/IEC Guide 21-1:2005 Regional or national adoption of international standards and other international						

deliverables – Part 1: adoption of international standards

10. WNA Report 2014/003

Certification of NDE Personnel, World Nuclear Association, CORDEL Codes &						

Standards Task Force, October 2014

11. ISO 20807:2004

Non-destructive testing – Qualification of personnel for limited application of						

non-destructive testing

12. ISO/TS 11774:2011

Non-destructive testing – Performance-based qualification

13. ASNT CP-189-2020

ASNT Standard for Qualification and Certification of Non-Destructive Testing						

Personnel

14. CEN/TR 15589:2014

Non-destructive testing – Code of practice for the approval of NDT personnel by						

recognised third-party organisations under the provisions of Directive 97/23/EC

It should be noted that the above list is not exhaustive. The status of the referenced documents should be ascertained byreference to the issuing organisation before use.

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAPPENDICES
Appendix 1:

The role of ICNDT and its regional groups in the harmonisation of qualification				and certification – Degrees of Harmonisation.............................................................................. 13

Appendix 2:

Qualification and certification of NDT personnel in accordance with ISO 9712 –				historical perspective................................................................................................................... 18

Appendix 3:

ICNDT membership directory...................................................................................................... 21

Appendix 4:

ASME position on acceptance of central certification programmes – ICNDT perspectives.......... 24

Appendix 5:

Non-destructive testing in Europe................................................................................................ 26

Appendix 5A: The European Pressure Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU)......................................................... 26
Appendix 5B: The UK Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations (PESR).............................................................. 27
Appendix 6:

Directory of certification bodies.................................................................................................. 28

Appendix 7:

ICNDT multilateral recognition agreement, PCB assessment scheme and				examination question bank.......................................................................................................... 31

Appendix 8:

Qualification of NDT personnel in accordance with ISO 20807:2004

				

and ISO/TS 11774:2011............................................................................................................... 34

Appendix 9:

Guidance for developing countries seeking to establish national certification schemes............... 36

Appendix 10: Codes of practice and ethics for personnel certification bodies and NDT personnel................... 37		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 1: The role of ICNDT and its regional groups in the	harmonisation of qualification and certification –degrees of harmonisation
Introduction
This appendix highlights the role of ICNDT members and regional groups with respect to qualification and certification
of NDT personnel and summarises the 60+ years of dedication by ICNDT to this field. It also references the documents
produced on qualification and certification of NDT personnel, the very effective liaison with ISO/TC 135 on theharmonisation of standards and provides some details concerning ongoing work.

Foundation of ICNDTThe first World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing (WCNDT) was held in 1955 by a group of European countries,
USA, Japan, China, India and the USSR. Its main objective was to gather scientists and technologists from all over theworld in order to pool together their common experiences in promoting the development of the application of NDT.
ICNDT, as an international organisation, was formed on 15 March 1960, just prior to the 3rd World Conference on
Non-Destructive Testing, which was held in Tokyo, Japan, from 16 to 21 March 1960.
ICNDT is a non-profit association devoted to the development of the science and practice of non-destructive testingin conjunction with existing NDT societies and recognised regional groupings of NDT societies.
ICNDT has recently broadened its horizons and has set itself a number of important objectives:l To be the international organisation that acts as the prime focus on non-destructive testing for the benefit of theinvolved community and the public in general;l To promote international collaboration in all matters relating to NDT;l To encourage the foundation, growth, development and cooperation of national and regional societies;l To assign the place and organisation of the World Conference on NDT to an appropriate NDT society or group ofsocieties, at intervals of four years;l To establish with continental groupings of NDT societies initiatives for implementing the ICNDT policy;
l To encourage the formulation of international standards on non-destructive testing in collaboration with theInternational Organization for Standardization (ISO) and other standards bodies;l To establish an ICNDT multilateral recognition agreement (MRA) of NDT personnel certification and thedevelopment of a process for the ICNDT assessment and approval of NDT personnel certification bodies (PCBs).

World Conference on NDTOrganised by ICNDT, the World Conference on NDT was the first concrete expression of the desire to cooperate in
the dissemination of NDT. The first World Conference on NDT was held in Brussels, Belgium, in 1955 as a tribute toGevaert, the producer of X-ray film, which sponsored international meetings in Antwerp, Belgium.
A list of all world conferences, including planned venues up to 2028, is given at the end of this appendix.
Besides the need to establish, improve and disseminate NDT techniques, the need for harmonisation of qualificationand certification of NDT personnel has grown over the years, with this topic becoming the focus of many ICNDT
meetings and an important topic of discussion during the world conferences. Those world conferences that resulted
in significant advances in the field of qualification and certification of NDT personnel were:l Montreal 1967 – Qualification and certification of NDT personnel
In 1967, during the 5th World Conference on NDT held in Montreal, Canada, ICNDT adopted the following
resolutions:“The Committee agrees that the appropriate time has arrived for the establishment of an ‘International
Recommendation on the Qualification of NDT Personnel’ prepared by a task group of ICNDT.”

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT“All delegates are requested to promote, through their national standardisation organisations, the importance of
establishing an ISO Technical Committee to deal with NDT.”l Hanover 1970 – Discussions at the World Conference on NDTThe 1967 discussions had a strong impact on ICNDT. Three years later, at the 6th World Conference on NDT heldin Hanover, Germany, in 1970, the first contributions on the qualification and certification of NDT personnel were
given by France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the USA. At that meeting, the following statement on
personnel certification was made:“Representatives of each country will submit statements on the qualification system prevailing in their country.
These topics should form a topic for discussion at a specific session. In the meantime, statements of the present
position will be communicated to ICNDT members.”l Warsaw 1973 – Formation of Task Group
During its 10th meeting, taking place in Warsaw, Poland, in 1973, ICNDT appointed a Task Group for the preparationof guidelines dealing with the qualification and certification of NDT personnel.
l Cannes 1976 – ICNDT WH 76 – Liaison with ISO
The first document of the ICNDT Task Group on qualification and certification of NDT personnel was presented at
the round table discussion in Cannes, France, during the 8th World Conference on NDT in 1976.. The document
was a comparison of all the existing schemes among the members of ICNDT. This was the first step towards a more
complete series of guidelines on the qualification and certification of NDT personnel. Recommendations weremade to make ISO knowledgeable on the importance of a working group on NDT. It was agreed at this ICNDT
meeting to forward the document to ISO/TC 135.
l Melbourne 1979 – Initiation of ICNDT document on minimum technical requirements for qualification andcertification of NDT personnel
In 1979, during the 9th World Conference on NDT held in Melbourne, Australia, a further step forward was madeon the topic of the qualification and certification of NDT personnel. Based on the Cannes document and theinformation available, the following statements were made:“Two types of certification schemes are present in the world: independent body certification and employer-based
certification. Mutual recognition of NDT certificates may be possible and the working group shall try to facilitate
this.”“Three levels of qualification are generally applied by the majority of the country members.”
In the same meeting it was decided to prepare a document on the minimum technical requirements for each levelof qualification relative to the different methods of NDT (RT, UT, PT, MT, ET and LT).
l Moscow 1982 – Review of draft document WH-85
After extensive work, in which all the main countries of the world were involved, the minimum technicalrequirements for qualification and certification of NDT personnel were presented in Moscow, Russia, during
the 15th ICNDT meeting. It received general consensus with minor changes made in order to give more completenessin the document.
l Las Vegas 1985 – Final approval of WH-85
In 1985, during the 11th World Conference on NDT held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, the following document
received final approval for publication as an ICNDT document:
ICNDT WH-85, ‘The Complete Recommendations on International Harmonisation of Training, Qualification andCertification of NDT Personnel’, November 1985.
The document was sent to ISO/TC 135 and was used as a reference in the preparation of the ISO 9712 standard on
the qualification and certification of NDT personnel, which was published in 1992.

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTl New Delhi 1996 – ISO 9712 standard
The 24th ICNDT meeting highlighted the work carried out by ISO/TC 135 in editing the ISO 9712 standard and its
extensive application in the member countries. It was noted that the implementation of ISO 9000 would encourage
certification in accordance with ISO 9712.
l Copenhagen 1998 – ICNDT seminar on ISO 9712
During the 25th ICNDT meeting, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1998, it was decided, to create a common
framework, which would comply with ISO 9712. In addition, it was proposed to prepare a guidance document for
the application of ISO 9712. Following these proposals, it was decided at the ICNDT Policy and General Purposes(PGP) Committee meeting, held in Shantou, China, to organise the first ICNDT seminar on ISO 9712 certification
during the world conference in Rome, Italy.
l Rome 2000 – Update to ICNDT WH-85
During the 27th ICNDT meeting, held in Rome, Italy, a complete revision of the ICNDT WH-85 document relative
to minimum technical requirements was handed directly to the ISO/TC 135 Chair. Many interesting items relative
to global mutual recognition of NDT schemes emerged from the ISO 9712 seminar.
l Brisbane 2001 – ICNDT Recommended Guidelines for Qualification and Certification of NDT Personnel
according to ISO 9712
During the PGP meeting held in Brisbane, Australia, recognising that an increasing number of schemes are aligned to
ISO 9712 (including EN 473, ACCP, etc), it was proposed to draft the ICNDT Guidelines for Qualification andCertification of NDT Personnel based on ISO 9712.
l Montreal 2004 – ICNDT Recommended Guidelines for Qualification and Certification of NDT Personnel
according to ISO 9712
The first edition approved by the ICNDT Editorial Committee was published and circulated to delegates at the
16th WCNDT.
l Shanghai 2008 – Update to guide including ICNDT recommendations and ICNDT Workshop on Harmonisationof EN 473 and ISO 9712
A new edition of the guide incorporating important recommendations from ICNDT was approved for publication.
A workshop was held with participation from ISO/TC 135 and CEN/TC 138 to explore the differences between the
EN 473 and ISO 9712 standards. It was concluded that the differences were not significant and it was announced
that the two committees would work together to achieve a single harmonised standard. ICNDT was invited to
become a formal liaison member of TC 135.
l Durban 2012 – Update to guide in anticipation of ISO 9712:2012
An updated version of the guide was issued, recognising that the process to combine ISO 9712 and EN 473 intoa single global standard was well underway. The ICNDT General Assembly gave conditional approval for the
introduction of an ICNDT multilateral recognition agreement and an ICNDT assessment scheme for PCBs (ICNDTPCBA). The first ICNDT Certification Executive Committee (ICEC) was nominated.
l Munich 2016 – Update to guide taking account of ISO 9712:2012
An updated version of the guide was issued, incorporating details of the ICNDT MRA and PCBA and appendicesrelating to the use of ISO 9712 in the context of ASME requirements and the European Pressure Equipment Directive.
18 certification bodies were listed as providing personnel certification to ISO 9712. 11 of these were registered by
ICNDT under the ICNDT MRA and 38 members of ICNDT had signed the recognition agreement.
l 2016 to 2021 – Review of ISO 9712:2012 and publication of ISO 9712:2021
Through its Working Group (WG1) and participation in ISO/TC 135/SC 7 as a liaison member, ICNDT played
an important role in the implementation and subsequent revision of the standard. WG1 prepared a report on theimplementation of the 2012 version and, during the 8th International Certification Conference in 2017, collectedviews on the need for revision.
Note: the 20th WCNDT, which was planned to be held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2020, was postponed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTThe role of NDT societies
In most countries, the major catalyst for establishing a certification scheme is the national NDT society. The society
provides a focus for information on NDT technologies, training and certification and, through ICNDT, a link to theinternational NDT community. Around 70 countries have established NDT societies that are members of ICNDT(see Appendix 3) and ICNDT continues to assist the formation of new societies.

The role of ICNDT regional groups
The regional groups within ICNDT have a primary role in the promotion of NDT and in providing information on how
to set up an NDT society. Regional groups also have a strong focus on the recognition and harmonisation of NDT
personnel certification schemes within that region and alignment of these certification schemes to ISO 17024.
Four regional groups are active:l African Federation of Non-Destructive Testing (AFNDT)l Asia-Pacific Federation for Non-Destructive Testing (APFNDT) – www.apfndt.org
l European Federation for NDT Non-Destructive Testing (EFNDT) – www.efndt.org
l Pan-American Federation for Nondestructive Testing (PANNDT) – www.panndt.org
Each regional group has its own constitution that, in terms of both strategy and policy, is complementary to that of
ICNDT. In 2016, the ICNDT Constitution and Operating Procedures were modified to integrate the regions more fully
into the governance of ICNDT, the promotion of membership and the collection of fees. Regional conferences play animportant role in the development and promotion of NDT.

IAEA/ICNDT cooperation
In order to promote NDT in developing countries, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and ICNDT haveforged a strong relationship based on mutual cooperation. In particular, ICNDT experts participate in many IAEA
projects that involve the training, qualification and certification of NDT personnel.

ICNDT/ISO cooperation
ICNDT has supported ISO since 1967 and in 2008 was approved as a liaison member of ISO/TC 135 and its
subcommittee 7.

ICNDT status
ICNDT was formally registered as a legal non-profit international association in Vienna , Austria, in 2008, in accordancewith the Austrian Corporations Act. An up-to-date list and contact addresses are given on the ICNDT website at:www.icndt.org

ICNDT website
Information on all ICNDT activities is provided on the ICNDT website (www.icndt.org). This site serves to improveand strengthen links between NDT societies and regional groups. ICNDT also publishes a regular newsletter, known
as the ICNDT Journal.

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT		World Conferences on NDT (promoted by ICNDT)
Conference Number

Year

City		Country

1st WCNDT		1955

Brussels		Belgium

2nd WCNDT		

1957

Chicago		USA

3rd WCNDT		

1960

Tokyo		

Japan

4th WCNDT		

1963

London		Great Britain

5th WCNDT		

1967

Montreal

Canada6th WCNDT		

1970

Hanover

Germany

7th WCNDT		

1973

Warsaw		

Poland8th WCNDT		1976

Cannes		France9th WCNDT		

1979

Melbourne

Australia

10th WCNDT		

1982

Moscow

Russia11th WCNDT		

1985

Las Vegas

USA

12th WCNDT		

1989

Amsterdam

Netherlands

13th WCNDT		

1992

São Paulo

Brazil14th WCNDT		

1996

New Delhi

India

15th WCNDT		

2000

Rome		

Italy

16th WCNDT		

2004

Montreal

Canada17th WCNDT		

2008

ShanghaiChina

18th WCNDT		

2012

Durban		South Africa

19th WCNDT		

2016

Munich		Germany

20th WCNDT		

2024

Seoul		South Korea

21st WCNDT		

2028

Buenos Aires

Argentina

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 2: Qualification and certification of NDT
personnel in accordance with ISO 9712 – 		
historical perspective
Two ‘major’ third-party certification systems, EN 473 and ISO 9712, coexisted for several years. Following several
initiatives from industry and ICNDT, in 2009 the two certification committees in charge of these standards (ISO/TC 135 and
CEN/TC 138) decided to launch a harmonisation process intending to produce a unique ISO standard. This process
involved more than 20 countries and succeeded in producing ISO 9712:2012[1], which was published in the third
quarter of 2012 and replaced EN 473.

2012 version
The standard covers the qualification and certification of NDT personnel in one or more of ten NDT methods: acoustic
emission testing, eddy current testing, infrared thermographic testing, leak testing (hydraulic pressure tests excluded),magnetic testing, penetrant testing, radiographic testing, strain testing, ultrasonic testing and visual testing (direct unaided
visual tests and visual tests carried out during the application of another NDT method are excluded).
The responsibilities of the certification body (CB), its authorised qualifying bodies (where used) and examination centres
are defined and the role of the employer is clarified. Three levels of qualification are defined (Levels 1, 2 and 3).
Qualification is ‘specific’ to a defined industrial or product sector(s).
Eligibility for certification is specified, covering vision requirements for all levels, minimum training requirements andthe required duration of industrial experience.
Qualification examinations are defined – comprising both written and practical parts – for each level, with minimum
numbers of questions and, for Levels 1 and 2, test specimens specified.
Rules are specified governing the administration of certification, including the conditions for renewal and recertification.
The main changes from the previous EN and ISO standards were:l clarification of the roles of the certification body, the authorised qualifying bodies (where used) and examination
centre;l modification of the required training hours (with a rewrite of the relevant clause);l ISO/TR 25107[8] Training Guidelines referenced as a basis for certification bodies to define their training syllabuses(other documents demonstrated as equivalent may be used);l a rewrite of the clause about required experience (for more clarity);
l the introduction of ‘digital certificates/e-assessment’;l for Level 3 recertification, deletion (compared to ISO 9712) of a precise requirement for demonstration of practicalskill (practical test), replaced by demonstrated evidence of this skill (to be accepted by the certification body).
The new standard was implemented widely (see Appendix 6). ICNDT carried out an exercise to document how
different PCBs had implemented the standard where options are allowed. This is now out of date.

2021 version
ISO 9712:2021 is the fifth edition of this standard. It technically cancels and replaces the fourth edition, ISO 9712:2012.
The standard has evolved in terms of recognising the importance of conformity assessment, in particular, impartiality.
ISO/CASCO, which is the ISO committee that works on issues relating to conformity assessment, has defined requirements
to align ISO 9712 with ISO/IEC 17024 (Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certificationof persons). As a result, there have been a number of refinements to the requirements for the certification body andconditions of certification. The changes are not likely to be significant for CBs already accredited to ISO/IEC 17024.
Requirements have been included for certification bodies accepting certificates issued by other certification bodies.

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT		Notable changes are:l Clause 3 – Terms and definitions

Terms and definitions have been expanded and new terminology included to cover new requirements.
l Clause 5.5 – Employer
Users of this standard should be aware of the employer requirements and understand the changes that havebeen introduced. The standard now mandates that the employer’s responsibilities are described in a documented
procedure (this was only a recommendation in the fourth edition of BS ISO 9712). If the employer does notmeet these mandated responsibilities, they should consider whether what they are offering is compliant ISO 9712
certification and that there could be legal/contractual implications if this is not the case.
l Clause 7.2 – Training
NDT training is now counted in days, not hours, with some changes in the required durations. The standard now
allows the CB to accept alternative methods of theoretical training, including face-to-face instructor-led, distancelearning and self-paced. On the other hand, the practical training must still be delivered in a face-to-face instructorled format. The standard now prescribes a time limit for the validity of training for initial certification, which is a
maximum of ten years from the date of completion. This limit has not been applied in previous editions.
l Clause 7.3 – Industrial experience
Industrial experience is now counted in days, not months, and the amount required has reduced. The use of astructured experience programme (SEP) has been introduced. This is a programme approved by the certificationbody to reduce the time required to gain industrial experience. Industrial experience may now be confirmed by asuitable referee or by the employer, as before.
l Clause 7.4 – Vision requirements
Vision requirements have been expanded and are now in accordance with BS ISO 18490.
l Clause 8 – Examinations
The changes are unlikely to be significant to CBs already accredited to BS ISO 17024. Clause 8.1.1 has been
expanded to cover the process for development, preparation, confidentiality and security (this is not an exhaustivelist) of examination questions and the overall examination process. The clause now refers to the examination
parts as ‘elements’ and has separated the NDT instruction writing from the practical element. This means that anindividual who fails the NDT instruction writing element of the examination need only retest the NDT instruction
writing element, rather than the practical and instruction writing.
l Clause 9.3 – Conditions of certification
The sub-clauses of this section have been added and/or expanded to give the user of this standard an idea ofconformity assessment requirements used and implemented by CBs. Options for validity of an extension to existingcertification have been defined in 9.3.3 so that the CB may add the additional scope to an existing certificate withthe original period of validity or the certificate could be issued separately with a new period of validity.
l Clause 10 – Renewal
There is now a structured credit system for the renewal of Levels 1, 2 and 3 and for Level 3 recertification. The
renewal criteria for Levels 1 and 2 include the possibility of a practical exam as an alternative.
l Annexes		 Annex A(normative):

Product sectors now include composite materials.

		 Annex B (normative):						

Table covering minimum number and type of specimens has been replaced byrequirements.

		 Annex C (normative):						
						

Structured credit system has been expanded to cover Levels 1 and 2. The changes
will affect certificate holders (and their employers’ procedures) and certification
bodies. For the certification bodies these changes may be significant.

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT		 Annex D (normative):

Aligned with the introduction of exam ‘elements’ and NDT instruction writing.

		 Annex F

Introduction of training requirements for techniques.

(informative):		 Annex G (informative):

Introduction of psychometric principles.

		 Annex ZA (informative):						

Updated to align with the essential requirements of EU Directive 2014/68/EU(see also Appendix 5A).

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT		Appendix 3: ICNDT membership directory
The following list shows all ICNDT members at the time of writing, with their ICNDT membership status (Full or Associate).
For an up-to-date list of ICNDT member societies and contact details, go to: www.icndt.org/ICNDT-Membership/
Membership-Directory

Full members
Country

Society

WebsiteAlgeria

Centre de Recherche Scientifique et Technique en Soudage enControle/Federation (CSC/FALEND)

Argentina

Asociación Argentina de Ensayos No Destructivos y Estructurales(AAENDE)

www.aaende.org.ar

Australia

Australian Institute for NDT (AINDT)

www.aindt.com.au

Austria

Austrian Society for NDT (ÖGfZP)

www.oegfzp.at

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Society for NDT (BSNDT)

bsndt1990@gmail.com

BelarusBelarusian Association for NDT and Technical Diagnostics(BANDT)

http://bandt.basnet.by

Belgium

Belgian Association for NDT (BANT)

http://bant.be

Bolivia

Asociación Boliviana de Soldadura, Ensayos No Destructivos,
Inspección y Corrosión (ASBOSENDIC)

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Bosnian and Herzegovinan Society for NDT

BrazilAssociação Brasileira de Ensaios Não Destrutivos e Inspeção
(ABENDI)www.abendi.org.br

Bulgaria

Bulgarian Association for Non-Destructive Testing (BGSNDT)

www.bg-s-ndt.org

CanadaCanadian Institute for Non-Destructive Evaluation (CINDE)

www.cinde.ca

China, People’s Republic ofChinese Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ChSNDT)

www.chsndt.com

Chinese Taiwan

Non-Destructive Testing Society of China-Taipei (SNTCT)www.sntct.org.tw

Colombia

Asociación Colombiana de Soldadura y Ensayos No Destructivos(ACOSEND)

www.acosend.org

Croatia

Croatian Society for Non-Destructive Testing (CrSNDT)

www.hdkbr.hr

Czech RepublicCzech Society for Non-Destructive Testing (CNDT)

www.cndt.cz

Denmark

Danish Society for NDT

www.dslsvejs.dk

Egypt

Egyptian Society for Industrial Inspectionwww.egyptiansndt.org

FinlandFinnish NDT Society

FranceFrench NDT Organisation (COFREND)

www.cofrend.com

Germany

German Society for Non-Destructive Testing (DGZfP)

www.dgzfp.de

GreeceHellenic Society of Non-Destructive Testing (HSNT)

www.hsnt.gr

Hungary

Hungarian Association for Non-Destructive Testing (MAROVISZ)

www.marovisz.hu

India

Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ISNT)

www.isnt.org.in

Indonesia

Asosiasi Uji Tak Rusak Indonesia (AUTRI)

www.autri.org

Iran

Iranian Society for Nondestructive Testing (IRNDT)

en.irndt.org

IsraelIsraeli National Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ISRANDT)

www.israndt.org

Italy

Italian Society for NDT (AIPnD)

www.aipnd.it

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTJapanJapanese Society for Non-Destructive Inspection (JSNDI)

www.jsndi.jp

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Association of Non-Destructive Testing and Technical
Diagnostics (KANDTTD)

Kenya

Non-Destructive Testing Society of Kenya (NDTK)

engjk@ndtk.co.ke

Korea, South

Korean Society for Non-Destructive Testing (KSNT)

www.ksnt.or.kr

LatviaLatvian NDT Society

LebanonIndustrial Research Institute (IRI)

www.iri.org.lb

Lithuania

Lithuanian Society for NDT and Technical Diagnostics (LNBD)

www.lnbd.lt

Malaysia

Malaysian Society of NDT (MSNT)

www.msnt.org.my

MexicoInstituto Mexicano De Ensayos No Destructivos AC (IMENDE)

www.imende.com

Netherlands

Nederlandse Vereniging voor Kwaliteitstoezicht, Inspectie en
Niet-destructieve Techniek (KINT)

www.kint.nl

New Zealand

New Zealand Non-Destructive Testing Association Inc (NZNDTA)

www.ndta.org.nz

Nigeria

Institute of Non-Destructive Testing Nigeria (INDTN)

www.indtn.org

NorwayNorwegian NDT Society (NSNDT)

www.ndt.no

Philippines

Philippine Society for Non-Destructive Testing Inc (PSNDT)

www.psnt-ndt.org

PolandPolish Society for NDT and Technical Diagnostics(PTBNIDT/SIMP)

www.ptbnidt.pl

Portugal

Associacao de Laboratorios Acreditados de Portugal (RELACRE)

www.relacre.pt

Romania

Romanian Association of NDT (ARoENd)

www.aroend.ro

Russian Federation

Russian Society for NDT and Technical Diagnostics (RSNTTD)

www.ronktd.ru

SerbiaSerbian Society for NDT (SDIBR)

Singapore

Non-Destructive Testing Society (Singapore) (NDTSS)

www.ndtss.org.sg

Slovakia

Slovak Society for Non-Destructive Testing (SSNDT)

www.ssndt.sk

Slovenia

Slovenian Society for Non-Destructive Testing (SSNDT)South Africa

Southern African Institute for NDT (SAINT)

www.saint.org.za

Spain

Spanish Association for NDT (AEND)

www.aend.org

Sudan

Sudanese Society for Non-Destructive Testing (SSNDT)

SwedenFöreningen för Oförstörande Provning (FOP)

www.ndtsweden.com

Switzerland

Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung
(SGZ/SSNT)

www.sgzp.ch

Tunisia

Tunisian Committee for NDT c/o CETIME (COTEND)

www.cetime.ind.tn

TurkeyThe Turkish Society for Non-Destructive Testing (TURK NDT)

www.turkndt.org

UkraineUkrainian Society for NDT (USNDT)

www.usndt.com.ua

United Kingdom

The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT)

www.bindt.org

United States of America

The American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT)

www.asnt.org

Uruguay

Asociaciòn Uruguaya de Ensayos No Destructivos (AENDUR)

Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan Society for Non-Destructive Testing (UzSNDT)ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT		Associate members
Country

Society

WebsiteMexicoMexican Association of NDT (AMEXENDE)

South Africa

Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW)

www.saiw.co.za

Country

Society

WebsiteChile

ACHISEND

Costa Rica

National Committee for NDTDominican Republic

CONENCA

EcuadorASENDEC

Mongolia

Mongolian Society for NDT (MSNDT)Pakistan

Pakistan Society for NDT (PASNT)

Sri Lanka

Society for Non-Destructive Testing, Sri Lanka (SNDT)ThailandThai Society for NDT (TSNT)

Venezuela

Associacion Venezolana de Ensayos No Destructivos(ASOVEND)

VietnamVietnam Association for NDT (VANDT)

Potential members

www.ncndt.org.pk

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 4: ASME position on acceptance of central
certification programmes – ICNDT perspectives
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code includes specific requirements
for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and for the qualification or certification of NDE personnel in its various sections,
including both Section V ‘NDE’ and the various ‘Product’ sections. This ASME code is used all around the world,
including in regions where compliance with other regulations is facilitated by using third-party certification (forexample in Europe for the Pressure Equipment Directive) and in countries where third-party certification is mandatory.
ASME, specifically Section V, has tightened the qualification requirements for NDE personnel over the past few years.
ASME Section V, Article 1, para T-120 specifies requirements for the qualification of NDE personnel. The current
wording for the 2021 edition is shown below. Article 1 (‘Power Boilers’) also refers to mandatory appendices for useof ASNT TC-1A and ASNT CP-189, which will be phased out in the 2023 to 2025 editions, adopting those respective
documents in whole.
Additionally, ASME Section VIII ‘Nuclear’, Divisions 1 and 2 refer to Section V, paragraph T-120, as does Section I‘Power Boilers’ and other sections of the code. The current wording for ASME Section V-2021, Article 1, para T-120 isreproduced in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Article 1 Para T-120 ASME Section V, 2015 edition		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT

It is notable that ICNDT’s recommendations in this guide are consistent with the key principles of ASME code
requirements:l An employer’s written practice is required;l NDT personnel shall be qualified by examination;l The employer retains responsibility.
Employers must specify the additional training and examinations that are necessary to provide a bridge between thescheme’s training and examinations and the specific ASME NDE procedures and/or specific employer’s needs (forexample for the application of advanced techniques such as phased array, time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD), computed
radiography (CR) and digital radiography (DR)).
Employers who desire to work to ASME codes and use third-party certification are therefore:l required to prepare a written practice (based on the recommendations of ASNT SNT-TC-1A7 or CP18913), whichreferences certification in accordance with third-party/central schemes that comply with ISO 9712;
l required to administer, as a minimum, a ‘specific’ and a ‘practical’ examination to augment any third-party
certifications, including re-examination to be ‘by examination’;l required to take specific account of ASME Section V-2021, Article 1, para T-120 clause (g) whenever the techniquesof CR, DR, phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT), TOFD or full-matrix capture (FMC) are to be used.

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 5: Non-destructive testing in Europe
Appendix 5A: The European Pressure Equipment Directive(2014/68/EU)
Introduction
The Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), originally designated as 97/23/EC, was formally adopted by the European
Parliament and Council on 29 May 1997 and was published in the Official Journal of the European Communities,
No L181, on 9 July (ISBN 011 916 0927). It came into force on 29 November 1999. The regulations were subject tominor amendment (SI 2003/1267), made on 6 May 2002, and came into force on 30 May 2002.
The purpose of the directive is to harmonise national laws regarding the design, manufacture and conformity
assessment of pressure equipment and assemblies (vessels, storage containers, heat exchangers, shell and water tube
boilers, industrial pipework, safety devices and pressure accessories), subject to an internal pressure greater than
0.5 bar above atmospheric.
Equipment is categorised within four levels (I to IV) according to the degree of hazard: category III and IV equipment
will require conformity assessment by ‘notified bodies’ and ‘recognised third-party organisations’.
The old directive, 97/23/EC, will be replaced by the new directive, 2014-68-EU. The change will implement alignment
with the new legislative framework (NLF) 765/2008 and 768/2008, which aims to streamline and simplify the rules for
putting pressure equipment on the market in the face of increasing competition from fraudulently certified equipment.
Article 13 of 2014/68/EU was effective 1 June 2015 and now relates to fluid classification, ie classification, labellingand packaging (CLP) regulations 1272-2008. The date of application of the remaining articles is from 19 July 2016.

Non-destructive testing
For pressure equipment, non-destructive testing of permanent joints must be carried out by ‘suitably qualified
personnel’. For pressure equipment in categories III and IV, NDT personnel must be approved by a ‘recognised thirdparty organisation (RTPO)’ recognised by a member state pursuant to Article 24.
ISO 9712 has been adopted without any change in Europe as EN ISO 9712 and the relationship between the Directive
and ISO 9712 can only be in the context of the EN version of the standard, ie EN ISO 9712. This means that any useof the standard ISO 9712 for assessing compliance to the requirements of the EU Directive shall be done by reference
to EN ISO 9712.
An informative Annex ZA is included in EN ISO 9712, which states: ‘This European Standard has been prepared
under a Commission’s standardization request M/071 “Mandate to CEN for standardization in the field of Pressure
equipment” to provide one voluntary means of conforming to essential requirements of Directive 2014/68/EU of theEuropean Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States
relating to the making available on the market pressure equipment’.
‘Once this standard is cited in the Official Journal of the European Union under that Directive, compliance with
the normative clauses of this standard given in Table ZA.1 confers, within the limits of the scope of this standard,a presumption of conformity with the corresponding Essential Requirements of that Directive and associated EFTA
regulations. Presumption of conformity stays valid only as long as a reference to this European Standard is maintainedin the list published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Users of this standard should consult frequently
the latest list published in the Official Journal of the European Union.’ Table ZA.1 shows the relationship between
EN ISO 9712 and Directive 2014/68/EU by reference to specific clauses of the standard.
Certificates of competence in compliance with EN ISO 9712:2022, issued by an RTPO and covering the testing of
permanent joints (in effect, welds) are presumed to satisfy the requirements of the directive because EN ISO 9712
is a harmonised standard. There are alternative acceptable methods of fulfilling the requirements of the Directive,
as detailed in CEN/TR 15589[14] (Non-destructive testing – Code of Practice for the approval of NDT personnel byrecognised third-party organisations under the provisions of Directive 97/23/EC (now 2014/68/EU)).

		ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTNote: see Appendix 5B for information on how UK Certificate holders can qualify to work under the Pressure
Equipment Directive and for information on how EU certificate holders are now qualified to work under the
UK Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations (UK PESR).

Appendix 5B: The UK Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations						(UK PESR)The withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (EU) (frequently referred to as Brexit) has created issues for UK
NDT certificate holders (for example PCN or CSWIP) wishing to work under the EU Pressure Equipment Directive andfor holders of other NDT certification wishing to work under the new UK Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations.
In both cases, an ISO 9712 certificate in a relevant method/sector is an important stepping stone towards approval towork under the regulations.
In 2016, the UK government introduced the UK Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations, thereby implementing
Directive 2014/68/EU on pressure equipment and assemblies (the EU PED). The British Institute of Non-Destructive
Testing (BINDT) became an RTPO accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). The scope of theappointment was for the approval of personnel to carry out non-destructive tests on permanent joints for pressure
equipment in categories III and IV in accordance with section 22 of Schedule 2 to the 2016 regulations. These
regulations are referenced in the more recent UK (post-Brexit) Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR), which
cover the safe design and use of pressure systems.
How can NDT personnel with PCN certification work under the UK PESR?
BINDT is an RTPO accredited by UKAS, under the UK Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. The scope of
the appointment is for the approval of personnel to carry out non-destructive tests on permanent joints for pressure
equipment in categories III and IV in accordance with section 22 of Schedule 2 to the 2016 regulations. All PCN
certification valid for the welding and pre-service and in-service inspection sectors satisfies the Pressure Equipment(Safety) Regulations 2016: Guidance (GB).
How can NDT personnel with certificates issued by an EU RTPO work under the UK PESR?
There have been a number of interim arrangements (which BINDT can advise on) but following a UK government
announcement in August 2023 (see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-announces-extension-ofce-mark-recognition-for-businesses) and the completion of the parliamentary process, certificates issued by an EU
RTPO are valid against the UK PESR and this will remain the case in future (so long as the certificates are valid). Pleaserefer to BINDT for information on this subject as changes are still being made to the requirements.
How can NDT personnel with UK PCN or CSWIP NDT certificates work under the EU PED?
Prior to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, BINDT (PCN) and TWI CL (CSWIP) were RTPOs for the EU Pressure
Equipment Directive (2014/68/EU) (PED), which enabled them to offer certification in compliance with the EU PED.
These arrangements ended with Brexit, so those who gained PCN or CSWIP certification post 1 January 2021 are notautomatically in compliance with the EU PED and any pressure equipment or assemblies are not eligible to be placedon the EU market. This means that individuals who wish to comply with the EU PED and meet EU requirements for
placing pressure equipment or assemblies on the EU market must gain the relevant certification from an EU RTPO
before they can proceed. In this respect:l BINDT has received an appointment from CASL (an LRQA company), formerly WQ-iC Ltd, an RTPO and notified
body (NoBo No 2893) based in Dublin, Ireland.
l BINDT has implemented a robust certification process with an EU27 RTPO (CASL) for the certification
of NDT personnel. This process is fully compliant with CEN/TR 15589 route B requirements and allows
BINDT/PCN to issue certification that is acceptable under the European Pressure Equipment Directive 2014/68/EU,
Annex 1 § 3.1.3.
l In addition, certificates issued before January 2021, and listed on the PCN verification page, also remain valid under the
PED.
l TWI CL is working with multiple EU RTPOs to secure a mutual recognition agreement.

27

28

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 6: Directory of certification bodies
The table on the following pages summarises information from NDT societies on personnel certification bodies
offering ISO 9712 certification, as known at the time of writing. The table will be updated as further information
becomes available and the latest version can be found on the ICNDT website.
The PCBs marked in grey are those registered with ICNDT Schedule 2.
Certification
body

SchemeManagement
systemCertification
standard(s)Accreditation
status

Methods
coveredNo of certifications
PeopleMethodCommencementof certification

ASNT NDT
Level IIIISO 17024

Recommended
Practice SNT-TC-1A

ANAB (onlyin MT, PT, RT,
UT and ET)

MT, PT, RT,
UT, VT, ET,
AE, LM, LT,
NR, IR

8833

26,87603/1977

ASNT NDT
Level II

ISO 17024

Recommended
Practice SNT-TC-1A

In process by
ANAB

MT, PT, RT,
UT, VT113

160

10/2013ACCP Level
II

ISO 17024

ANSI/ASNT CP-106(US adoption of
ISO 9712)

Pending 2016
revision of
CP-105

MT, PT, RT,
UT, VT

1933

2202

1997

ACCP Level
III

ISO 17024

ANSI/ASNT CP-106(US adoption of
ISO 9712)

Pending 2016
revision of
CP-106

MT, PT, RT,
UT, VT

296

833

1997

IRRSP

ISO 17024

10 CFR 34
Appendix A SSRCR
Part EANSI

Radiation
SafetyCertification

2675

2696

1998

ISQ

ISO 17024

ASNT-9712

Pending

MT, PT, RT,
UT, VT

None yetNone yet

06/2023

AustralianInstitute for
NDT

NDT and
CM AINDT

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

ISO 9712,
ISO 20807:2004,
PED, ISO 18436

JAS-ANZ

MT, PT, ET,
RT, UT, VT,
PAUT, TOFD,
CR/DR

2366

6365

ISO 17024
and ISO 9712
through
JAS-ANZ in
2002

Argentina

IRAM

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

EN ISO 9712

OAA

ET, LT, MT, PT,
RT, UT, VT

1302

2132

2006

AustrianSociety for
NDT

ÖGfZP

ISO 17024:
2012

EN 473, ISO 9712,
PED

BEN ISO/IEC
17024:2012
and EN ISOI
9712:2022 by
BMAW

UT (including
PAUT and
TOFD), RT-F,
RT-FDI, MT,
PT, VT, ET, LT,
TT, TT, AT

4135

8985
(2022)

02/1996

BrazilianSociety for
NDT

SNQC

ISO 17024

ISO 9712,
ISO 11484

INMETROUT, PT, MT,
VT, RT, AT,
TOFD, PA, ET,
TT, LT

11,37018,07603/1993

BritishInstitute of
NDT

PCN

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

BS EN ISO
9712:2012,
ISO 18436,
ISO 20807:2004,
ISO 10256,
ISO 11484,
EN 4179

UKAS

ET, MT,
PT, UT, RT,
TOFD, PAUT,
ACFM, VT,
CRT, Rail, VA,
AE, IRT, LA,US

22,15450,474

1985

BulgarianSociety for
NDT

BG S NDT

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

EN ISO 9712,
EN 4179BAS

No current
data

No
current
data

No
current
data

04/10/2001

ASNT
Certification
Services,
LLC

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT		Certification
body

SchemeManagement
systemCertification
standard(s)Accreditation
status

Methods
coveredNo of certifications
PeopleMethodCommencementof certification

NR CanNational
NDT
Certification
Body
CanadaCanadian
GeneralStandards
Board(CGSB)NRCan

ISO
9001:2015

ISO 9712-CAN/CGSB 48.9712(identical adoption)

ISO 17024
for ISO 971CAN/CGSB
48.9712 [viaIAS - IAF
member] andISO 9001
for QMS [via
CGSB]

PT, MT, ET,
UT, RT

6533

15,5681960(Junior/Senior)
1979(Three levels)

Czech
Republic

TUV Nord
Czech

ISO 17024

ISO 9712

TUV Nord
Valid

AE, ET, LT,
RT, UT, MT,
PT, VT

2393

7338

2011

The Chinese
Society for
NDT

ChSNDT

ISO 9712

GB9445 (identicalwith ISO 9712),
ISO 9712

ICNDT PCBA
recognition to
ISO 9712

UT, RT, MT,
PT, VT, ET

77,807

132,804

1978

ChineseTaiwan(SNTCT)SNTCTCQ-001

ISO
17024:2012

ISO 9712:2012,
CNS 13588,
SNTCT-CQ-001

TAFTW

PT, VT, MT,
RT, LT, ET and
UT (PAUT
and TOFD)

1253

2250

2012

FranceCOFREND

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

EN ISO 9712:2012

COFRACAT, ET, LT, MT, 12,082
PT, RT, UT,
VT, TOFD,
UT PA

21,352

1979

FINLAND
Inspecta
Sertifiointi

NortestISO 17024

ISO 9712

FINAS

MT, PT, ET,
RT, UT, VT

2353

2005

Germany

DPZ c/o
DGZfPISO/IEC
17024:2012

EN ISO 9712:2021

DAkkS, ZLS

AT, ET, LT, MT, 17,017
PT, RT (RTCT, RT D, RT
F, RT S, RT
FI, RT FDI),
TT, UT (incl.
TOFD, PA),VT

37,986TBA

Germany

GSectorCert
SMV02 (ISO9712)

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

EN ISO 9712:2021

DAkkS, ZLS

ET, LT, MT, PT,
RT, TT, UT, VT

9363

15,833

1993

Hellenic
Society of
NDT

HSNT

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

EN ISO 9712:2012

ESYD

MT, PT, UT,
RT, RI, VT

314

591

2005

India

ICN

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

EN ISO 9712:2012

NABCB

MT, PT, UT,
RT and VT(Weld sector)

5

8

2022

Italy

CICPNDAIPnD

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

ISO 9712, PED,
UNI PdR56,
Guidelines
ANSFISAACCREDIA

MT, MT-FL,
PT, VT, UT,
RT-FD, RT-CT,
RT-S, RT-IDE,
TT, AT, ST,
ET, LT- P/TG,
TOFD, PA

4650

9515

1978

The JapaneseSociety for
NDI

JSNDI

ISO 17024

JIS Z 2305
(ISO 9712 MOD)No

ET, LT, MT, PT,
RT, ST, UT, TT

45,71586,4781968, ISO 9712
from 2003

891

29

30

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTCertification
body

SchemeManagement
systemCertification
standard(s)Accreditation
status

Methods
coveredNo of certifications
PeopleMethodCommencementof certification

KoreanSociety for
NDT

KPCN

ISO 17024

ISO 9712

KAB

RT, UT, MT,
PT, VT, ET,
PAUT

274

393

2014

Malaysia

DSD SPKM(NDT)

ISO 17024

ISO 9712

Standards
Malaysia

RT, UT, MT,
PT, ETNo
current
data

No
currentdata

2012

MexicoIMENDEISO 17024

ISO 9712
NMX-B-482

EMA

VT, PT, MT,
UT, RT, LT

522

1753

2016

Poland

CERT-3/
PR/01,
CERT-3/PR/03

ISO17024:2012

ISO 9712:2012

PCA

MT, MTR, PT,
RT, RTI, UT,
UTT, VT

2325

3965

2002

Portugal

RELACR
CERT-3/PR/03

ISO17024:2012

ISO 9712:2012

IPAC

PT, MT, RT,
UT, VT

613

1232

2001

Romania

PL-01 V,version A

ISO 17024
2012

ISO 9712, PED

RENAR

UT, RT, ET,
MT, PT, VT

742

947

1998

RussiaRTC

ISO 17024
2012

ISO 9712:2021

ICNDT

RT, UT, ET,
MT, PT, LT,
VT, AT

7532

12,3281994

Singapore;
NDT
Singapore

SGNDTISO 17024

ISO 9712:2021

SAC

ET, MT, PT,
UT, RT, PAUT,
TOFD, VT,
TBT, UTC

149

244

2017

South Africa

SAIW

ISO 17024

ISO 9712:2012

SANAS

No current
data

No
current
data

No
current
data

2016

Sri Lanka
National
Certification
Body for
NDT

NCCNDT

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

ISO 9712:2012

Sri Lanka
Accreditation
Board

RT, MT, PT,
UT, ET, VT

46

124

2011

UkraineUKRSRI
NDT

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

ISO 9712:2012

No current
data

No current
data

No
current
data

No
current
data

2008

UnitedKingdom
TWI

CSWIP

ISO/IEC
17024:2012

ISO 9712

UKAS

ET, RT, MT,
PT, UT PA,
TOFD, CRI,
VT

3380

4918

1969

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 7: ICNDT multilateral recognition agreement,
PCB assessment scheme and examination 		question bankThree key initiatives to aid harmonisation and recognition of personnel certification globally launched in 2013 during
the NDT week in Croatia and have now been operating for almost ten years. These are:l The ICNDT multilateral recognition agreement (MRA);l The ICNDT personnel certification body conformity assessment (PCBA); andl The ICNDT examination question bank (EQB).
These developments were included in the ICNDT Strategic Plan and are managed by the ICNDT Certification Executive
Committee (ICEC) and the ICNDT Executive, with the strong support of the ICEC secretariat.

The ICNDT multilateral recognition agreement
Under the MRA, ICNDT members sign Schedule 1 of the agreement and agree to commit to the pursuance of theobjectives of the MRA to:l promote the recognition and acceptance of the certification issued by PCBs registered under the MRA;l assist other interested parties by giving a clear overview of the NDT personnel certification activities in their own
country;
l provide other parties with non-confidential information on the certification scheme(s) operated by PCB registeredunder this agreement;l consult with and seek membership of the scheme and technical committees of NDT PCBs in their own country andindemnify ICNDT against liability for the party’s use or misuse of this MRA.
Details can be found in the ICNDT Operating Procedure OP19 (see ICNDT web address below). The ICNDT MRA
builds directly on the successful experience of the European Federation for Non-Destructive Testing (EFNDT) with asimilar agreement since 1994.
At the time of publication, 47 ICNDT members (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada,
China, Chinese Taiwan, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland,
Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan) are signatories.
Personnel certification bodies proposed by signatories to Schedule 1 of the agreement may seek registration from
ICNDT and are listed in Schedule 2. Such registration will demonstrate that the certification body meets the criteria
set out in OP19, including that they have continuity of independent accreditation in conformance with ISO/IEC 17024
and ISO 9712. At the end of 2022, 21 certification bodies were registered in Schedule 2:l Argentina, the Argentinian Institute for Standards and Certification (IRAM);l Australia, Australian Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (AINDT);l Brazil, Associação Brasileira de Ensaios Não Destrutivos e Inspeção (ABENDI);
l Czech Republic, Czech Association for Personnel Certification (APC);l China, Chinese Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ChSNDT);l Chinese Taiwan, the Society for Non-Destructive Testing and Certification (SNTCT);l Finland, Inspecta Sertifiointi Oy;l Germany, SECTOR Cert, Gesellschaft für Zertifizierung mbH;
l India, National Certification Board of Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing NCB (ISNDT);l Korea, Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing KPCN (KSNT);

31

32

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTl Malaysia, Malaysia Department of Skills Development, Ministry of Human Resources;l Mexico, Mexican Institute for NDT (IMENDE);l Poland, Urzad Dozoru Technicznego Jednostka Certyfikujaca Osoby (UDT-CERT);l Portugal, National Certification Body for Non-Destructive Testing (RELACRE);
l Russia, Testing and Diagnostics (RTC);
l Singapore, Non-Destructive Testing Society (NDTSS);l South Africa, South African Institute of Welding Certification (SAIW);l Sri Lanka, National Certification Body for Non-Destructive Testing (CBNDT);l UK, British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT);l UK, TWI Certification Ltd (TWI);l Ukraine, the Ukrainian Scientific Research Institute for NDT (UkrSRINDT).
Updated versions of Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 are published on the ICNDT website: www.icndt.org/ICNDTActivities/NDT-Qualification-and-Certification

The ICNDT personnel certification body conformity assessment
ICNDT recognises that some certification bodies may find it difficult to gain accreditation, for example in cases
where independent accreditation is not available or where the accreditation does not meet all of the criteria in OP19,
especially in relation to compliance with ISO 9712. In these cases, the ICNDT PCBA offers a full or partial conformity
assessment, carried out by assessors approved by ICNDT. Details are given in ICNDT Operating Procedure OP20
(see bit.ly/42Xf05b).

The ICNDT examination question bank
The ICNDT examination question bank will be an important platform for harmonisation. It is available in English andSpanish with improved management software. There are 7000+ selected questions at three levels (Level 1, Level 2
and Level 3) in seven methods complying with ISO/TR 25107[8] (plus radiation safety and TOFD). The questions areclassified by industrial sector and can be combined for multi-sector examinations.

What are the benefits?
l Enabling national bodies to share effort in generating suitable questions and therefore reducing the burden on eachbody;l Helping harmonise standards by ensuring national bodies around the world are using a similar quality of questions;l Enabling the generation of a higher quality of examination paper by increasing the number of questions from whichthose used on a particular paper can be selected;l Helping to make examinations more rigorous by enabling participating bodies to ensure that their papers more
evenly cover the required bodies of knowledge for a particular subject;l Satisfying the EN ISO IEC requirement for fairness, validity and reliability in qualification examinations.

Who has access to the question bank?
Personnel certification bodies nominated by an ICNDT member, who have signed or commited to sign the ICNDT
multilateral recognition agreement and have agreed to meet the requirement for security of the data in the examinationquestion bank.

What methods and sectors are covered?
l Radiation safety: general;l Materials science: multi-sector;l Time-of-flight diffraction: welds;

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTl Visual testing: in-service inspection, general;l Magnetic particle testing: in-service inspection, general;l Penetrant testing: in-service inspection, general;l Eddy current testing: aerospace, general, in-service inspection, tubes, welds, wrought products;
l Radiographic testing: aerospace, castings, general, in-service inspection, welds; andl Ultrasonic testing: aerospace, castings, general, in-service inspection, welds, wrought products.

What is the application capable of?
l Generating question papers manually or automatically;l Selection options for sector, method, level and difficulty;l Each paper has a unique reference and is permanently archived;l Input form for adding further questions;l Data outputs for statistical analysis.

Other related initiatives on certification
ICNDT is continuing with other complementary actions to further strengthen the proper use of third-party certification
and ISO 9712:
l Update of this ICNDT Guide – which explains how third-party certification to ISO 9712 can be properly embedded
in a company system/written practice;l Actions led by WG1 – see section 1.

33

34

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 8: Qualification of NDT personnel in accordancewith ISO 20807:2004 and ISO/TS 11774:2011
Introduction
ISO 9712 establishes the general requirements for the qualification and certification of personnel for a wide rangeof competencies defined by the application of NDT methods to products, such as castings, forgings and welded
constructions used in specified industry sectors.
Two other standards address how, for limited application or safety reasons, to qualify NDT personnel for specified
limited applications. These are described below.

ISO 20807:2004 (Non-destructive testing – Qualification of personnel for limited
applications of non-destructive testing)International standard ISO 20807:2004[11] establishes a system for the qualification of personnel who perform NDTapplications of a limited, repetitive or automated nature, such as:l eddy current and electromagnetic sorting of materials;
l eddy current and electromagnetic testing of tubular products during manufacture;l normal beam ultrasonic testing of plate materials during manufacture;l ultrasonic thickness measurement.
Annex A to ISO 20807:2004 provides examples of syllabuses for the training and examination of personnel seeking
qualification to this international standard. The methodology set out in ISO 20807:2004 may be applied to thequalification of personnel for any limited application of NDT. However, it is not intended that qualification for limited
applications be substituted for qualification and certification under ISO 9712. It should be noted that ISO 9712 also
provides a route for limited applications by reducing training, experience and examination requirements (see clauses
7.2b, 7.3.3.4, A.1, B.(h), C2.2 and F3.2) while complying with ISO 9712.

ISO/TS 11774:2011 (Non-destructive testing – Performance-based qualification)
The technical specification ISO/TS 11774:2011[12] provides a method for qualification of NDT personnel, procedures
and equipment for specific NDT conducted in accordance with documented procedures to achieve a required levelof performance, usually in a safety-critical application.
Implementation will require cooperation between applicable industry sector committees (ISCs) and qualification
bodies to assure that specific performance expectations are addressed.
The qualification methodology described is based on the candidate’s ability to demonstrate capability in detecting
and sizing critical discontinuities equivalent to those to be detected and sized in the performance-based qualification
programme as established by the ISC.
Second-party (employer-based) qualification and approval (for example in accordance with ANSI/ASNT CP-189[13]), or
qualification and third-party certification (for example in accordance with ISO 9712), followed by on-the-job training,
may not provide the required degree of confidence for safety-critical inspections and this technical specification
provides criteria to assist in preparing an individual for performance-based qualification examinations.
Qualification to this ISO/TS is limited to specific applications, using the specific documented procedure in theperformance-based qualification programme:
The NDT procedure shall first be qualified and the personnel qualification is valid only when the essential parameters
are applied and controlled as defined within the procedure. The procedure qualification shall demonstrate thecapability to resolve mandatory detectable discontinuities under representative conditions.
The candidates shall provide evidence of current valid NDT Level 2 or 3 certification in the method for which they are to
be qualified. For NDT Level 2 personnel, the certification may be from a nationally recognised employer-based programme
or a certification body accepted by the ICS. For NDT Level 3 personnel, the certification shall be from a certification body.

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT

Candidates for qualification shall have sufficient training and specific practical experience to ensure they are capableof performing non-destructive tests using the qualified NDT procedure. The experience may be obtained with the useof virtual training systems, by examining representative specimens, with relevant and non-relevant discontinuities that
may be located in a laboratory, or analysing recorded data from automatic, digital or analogue systems.
The discontinuities in the specimens that the candidates shall report may be actual or simulated and shall range insize from the minimum detectable using a qualified procedure to not more than the maximum size specified.
The qualification body shall be responsible for the administration and grading of examinations and shall appoint the
NDT qualification examiner.
Periodic performance demonstration – the frequency and content of periodic performance demonstration shall be
determined by the ISC.

35

36

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 9: Guidance for developing countries seeking toestablish national certification schemes
Background
This guidance has been developed by ICNDT in response to Action Plan 3, Action A5: “Provide guidance for developing
countries seeking to establish national certification schemes – listing merits of cooperation with established CBs”.

Preamble
1. It is clearly not practical for every single PCB to offer every category of certification (method, sector, etc).
2. NDT societies in developing countries considering setting up their own certification schemes face a major task
and a long period of time before they can offer a full range of certification and further major hurdles in achieving
recognition.
3. On the other hand, management of a national PCB is often a route to some authority and influence for an NDTsociety in its own country.
4. Some qualification and certification organisations offer training and examinations outside their home countries,
using several different models:l	ASNT offers examinations for Level 3 in numerous different countries around the world, through international
authorised examination centres (Germany, Egypt, Malaysia and the UK) and national sponsoring organisations,which are mainly NDT societies, including ChSNDT, ISNT and KSNT. There are other special examination
sponsors in a further seven countries.
l	PCN (the certification body of BINDT) offers PCN examinations through a number of authorised qualification
bodies in the UK and abroad. Some of the UK-based authorised qualifying bodies (AQBs) themselves offer
examinations abroad (in Greece, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) andthe USA) and external AQBs have been set up in Australia, China, India, Netherlands and Singapore.
l PCN (the certification body of BINDT) offers PCN examinations through a number of authorised qualification
bodies in the UK and abroad. Some of the UK-based AQBs themselves offer examinations abroad (in Greece,
Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Qatar, UAE and the USA) and external AQBs have been set up in Australia, China,
India, Netherlands and Singapore.
l RTC Testing and Diagnostics (Moscow), an accredited certification body and ICNDT approved certification body,offers examinations in Russia and in India, Iraq and Singapore through its AQBs there.

Guidance
National NDT societies seeking to establish national certification schemes are recommended to consider seeking
cooperation with an existing certification body as an alternative or complementary approach. This does not preclude
setting up a local PCB.
NDT societies and/or PCBs that are operating outside their own home country are encouraged to cooperate closelywith the national NDT society where they wish to operate. In practice, this should be achieved by means of a signed
agreement between the parties. Possible areas of collaboration are:l External PCBs should seek to accept local certification and training as an entry level to their examinations;l Agreement on language for examinations;l Recognition of local meetings and activities in points schemes for renewal/recertification.
When there is a disagreement, the matter should be referred to ICNDT for mediation.

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDTAppendix 10: C odes of practice and ethics for personnel
certification bodies and NDT personnel
Code of practice for personnel bodies
NDT personnel certification bodies seeking ICNDT approval and/or registration under the ICNDT multilateralagreement on recognition of certification are obliged to sign an undertaking to comply with this code of practice.
Inter alia, they shall:
1. M aintain compliance with the standard(s) and specification(s) detailed on their certificate of accreditation or the
ICNDT certificate of conformity, notifying the ICNDT Certification Executive Committee (ICEC) of any change instatus or in the standards with which the certification scheme that they operate to complies;
2. P romote recognition and acceptance in their own country of the certificates of conformance issued by other NDT
PCBs registered under the ICNDT MRA;
3. Keep confidential all examination material, including examination questions and specimens, in secure conditions
with strictly controlled access to authorised individuals only;
4. Conduct their business in a responsible manner and utilise fair and equitable practices in dealing with clients andcandidates;
5. Perform their professional duties with proper regard for the physical environment and the safety, health andwellbeing of certificate holders and candidates for certification;
6. Protect to the fullest extent possible, consistent with the wellbeing of the public and the provisions of this code ofpractice, any information given to them in confidence by an employer of certificated NDT personnel, candidates andcertificate holders or members of the public;
7. Avoid conflicts of interest with employers of certificated NDT personnel or candidates but, when unavoidable,
forthwith disclose the circumstances to the employer or candidate;
8. Not falsify nor permit misrepresentation of their accreditation, ICNDT certificate of conformity or certificate ofregistration under the ICNDT MRA;
9. Refrain from making unjustified statements or from performing unethical acts that would discredit the NDT
profession or ICNDT;
10. Immediately report to the ICEC any perceived violation(s) of this code of practice by any party;
11. Accept the right of ICNDT, and provide unhindered access to a nominated representative of ICNDT, toinvestigate any alleged infringements of this code of practice;
12. Indemnify ICNDT against liability for the PCB’s use or misuse of the ICNDT MRA and/or PCB CA systems, which
are administered as a series of signed agreements under the jurisdiction of Austrian law.

Code of ethics for NDT personnel
A PCB shall also produce and enforce a code of ethics for personnel certificated under their scheme. ICNDT cannot
impose wording for this because there may be national differences. However, the following points should be consideredwhen drawing up the code of ethics.
Individuals certified, or in the process of being certified, must recognise that personal integrity and professional
competence are the fundamental principles on which their testing activities are founded. Accordingly, it is a conditionof certification that certificate holders shall undertake to:
1. Comply with the code of ethics for the PCB under which they are certificated;
2. Comply with the relevant provisions of the applicable certification scheme;
3. Undertake only those non-destructive testing assignments for which they are competent by virtue of theirtraining, experience, qualification and certification;
4. Only sign documents which they have personal professional knowledge and/or direct supervisory control;

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT
5. Engage, or advise the engagement of, such specialists as are required to enable testing activities to be properly
completed;
6. Conduct themselves in a responsible manner and utilise fair and equitable business practices in dealing withcolleagues, clients and associates;
7. At all times, be aware of and comply with the provisions/requirements of codes, regulations or standards underwhich they are working;
8. Immediately report to the certifying body any perceived violation(s) of codes, regulations or standards;
9. Perform their professional duties with proper regard for the physical environment and the safety, health andwellbeing of the public;
10. Protect, to the fullest extent possible consistent with the wellbeing of the public and the provisions of this codeof ethics, any information given to them in confidence by an employer, colleague or member of the public;
11. Avoid conflicts of interest with the employer or client but, when unavoidable, forthwith disclose thecircumstances to the employer or client;
12. Maintain their proficiency by updating their technical knowledge as required to properly practice NDT in thecertified methods and levels;
13. Indicate to the employer or client any adverse consequences that may result from an overruling of theirtechnical judgement by a non-technical authority;
14. Not falsify, make claims, nor permit misrepresentation of their own or their associates academic or professional
qualifications, training, experience or work responsibilities;
15. Refrain from unethical acts that would discredit the certification scheme or bring the certifying body into
disrepute and refrain from making statements that the certifying body could consider misleading or unauthorised;
16. Immediately report to the certifying body any perceived violation(s) of this code of ethics;
17. Immediately report to the certifying body any attempt to pressure or force an individual certified to violate thiscode of ethics;
18. Inform their employer in the event that their certification is suspended, cancelled or withdrawn.
Failure to comply with the above code of ethics will be dealt with under arrangements for handling complaints andappeals and may necessitate corrective measures, such as the termination of the certification process, the suspension
or withdrawal of certificaton, publication of the violation, notification of the employer(s), union(s) and appropriate
regulatory authorities and, if appropriate, additional legal action.
To provide further guidance, additional items included in other code(s) of conduct/ethics are:l Act at all times to uphold the integrity and dignity of the industry;l Verify the information on their certificates and/or wallet card. If the information is incorrect, it is their responsibility
to inform the certifying body as soon as possible so that a new, corrected certificate and/or wallet card can beissued;l N
ot attempt to cheat on certification examinations, attempt to bribe or threaten certifying body invigilators or
examiners, falsify documents, falsely claim, misrepresent or permit misrepresentation or misuse of their own
or their associate’s academic or professional qualifications, knowledge, training, experience, work responsibilities
or certifications;l Discontinue all claims to certification upon expiry, suspension or withdrawal of certification and, upon request,
return to the certifying body any certificates and/or wallet cards issued by the certifying body;l Provide professional advice, express opinions or make statements in an objective and truthful manner to the bestof their ability and on the basis of adequate knowledge;
l Certificate holders shall undergo an annual test of visual acuity and submit the test results to the employer.

		

ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT

Notes

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ICNDT GUIDE TO QUALIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION
OF PERSONNEL FOR NDT

Notes

Published on behalf of ICNDT by the Publishing Department, The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing,Midsummer House, Riverside Way, Bedford Road, Northampton NN1 5NX, UK.
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