# NDT certification levels (Level 1, 2 and 3)

> NDT certification levels define what a technician may do: Level 1 performs tests under instruction, Level 2 sets up, performs, interprets and reports against codes, and Level 3 writes procedures, oversees the NDT operation and trains and examines others.

- Source: https://amps.global/glossary/ndt-certification-levels/
- Type: Glossary
- Published: 2026-09-05
- Tags: NDT, certification

## Key facts

- Level 1: perform tests per written instructions, record results; does not interpret or sign off
- Level 2: calibrate, perform, interpret and evaluate to codes, write instructions, report, supervise Level 1
- Level 3: develop and approve procedures and techniques, interpret standards, manage the NDT operation, train and examine
- Certification is per method (UT, MT, PT, RT...) and often per sector; each has its own expiry date

Also known as: Level I, Level II, Level III, NDT Level 2, NDT Level 3.

## What the levels mean

Both ISO 9712 and the employer-based SNT-TC-1A use three levels, with slightly different wording (Level 1/2/3 in ISO 9712, Level I/II/III in SNT-TC-1A). The level is attached to a method and, under ISO 9712, to an industrial or product sector. A UT Level 2 in welds is not automatically qualified in castings.

## Why it matters on a job

Codes and client specifications state the minimum level for the person performing and the person interpreting a test, and accreditation bodies check that reports are signed by people holding the right level and scope. Sending an expired or under-qualified technician invalidates the report.

## Levels in AMPS

AMPS keeps personnel and equipment certificates on dedicated personnel and equipment pages, and its flag system warns one month before a certificate, calibration document or scheduled inspection falls due, so managers always know what is missing or expiring. Supervisors can see which certificates a technician holds before allocating a job, and the history feature records who did what on every job.

## Related pages

- [ISO 9712](https://amps.global/glossary/iso-9712/)
- [SNT-TC-1A](https://amps.global/glossary/snt-tc-1a/)
- [Guide: tracking NDT certificates and expiry dates](https://amps.global/guides/tracking-ndt-certificates-and-expiry-dates/)
- [Certification and calibration tracking](https://amps.global/solutions/certification-and-calibration-tracking/)

## Sources

- [ASNT - American Society for Nondestructive Testing](https://www.asnt.org/)
- [BINDT - British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing](https://www.bindt.org/)
- [ISO - International Organization for Standardization](https://www.iso.org/)