NOTE ON PREPARATION

FOR ASNT LEVEL III EXAMINATION

1.

To become an ASNT Level III certificate holder one has to appear

for and PASS the BASIC paper (Compulsory) and minimum one NDT
method (such as VT, RT, UT, etc.)

2.

At present, the examination is organized by ISNT and held twice a year

in India (around April and Nov.)
For the upcoming exam schedule please refer to :
ASNT Level III Exam schedule
ELIGIBILITY : -

3.
3.1
3.2
3.3

For Degree Engineers: minimum 1 year experience beyond NDT

Level II experience requirements.
For Diploma Engineers / Science Graduates: minimum 2 years
experience beyond NDT Level II experience requirements.
For all others: minimum 4 years experience beyond NDT Level II
experience requirements.

Note: a)

It is not necessary to be certified NDT Level I or II.

b) However, if you have NDT level II certification in the

respective method, it is ideal.
c) The experience should be equivalent to the NDT Level II
work requirements as defined in document SNT TC 1A.
This work experience should be certified by your employer,
in detail and it should be attached to your application.
4.

For appearing in the ASNT Level III Examination, NO COURSE IS

COMPULSARY.
Level III preparatory classes are organized by many Institutes.
As far as ASNT is concerned, NO CLASS IS REQUIRED.
If the student studies all relevant course material, prepares for at least 6
months with good understanding of the fundamentals AND has
proper Hands On practical experience & reasonable English, he will
succeed in the examination.
However, attending the classes helps in clarifying the theory concepts
and it is better to make inquiries in the field to decide which course
you should attend and when.
Ideally attend a course at least 3 or 4 months before the exams.
1 /3

5.

BASIC PAPER (Compulsory) This paper has 135 Questions and

duration of 4 hours. The paper can be broadly divided into 3 areas:
a) Questions on SNT TC 1A & CP 189
(Check with ASNT as to the applicable edition)
The current papers are based on 2006 editions.
b) Questions on Materials & Processes
( i.e. Metallurgy, Manufacturing Processes & Discontinuities,
Composite Structures, Plastics, etc)
c) Questions on major NDT Methods
Namely: RT, UT, MT, PT, ECT, VT, LT, NRT, TI, AET
(Questions are up to Level II difficulty).

6.

6.

METHOD

QUESTIONS

DURATION

RT
UT
ECT
LT
AET
MT
PT
VT

135
135
135
135
135
90
90
90

4 Hrs
4 Hrs
4 Hrs
4 Hrs
4 Hrs
2 Hrs
2 Hrs
2 Hrs

COST :
a) The cost per paper in India is about RS 13,000/ - each.
b) You have to pay about Rs. 8,000/- towards ASNT MEMBERSHIP
AND AS OVERSEAS CHARGES.
(The above charges to be paid to ASNT by DD or by Credit card )
c) In India there is a cover charge by ISNT of about RS 11,000/ - in
addition to the charges of ASNT( i.e. to appear for Basic & RT he
would have to pay RS 45,000 / - (13,000 + 13,000 +8,000+ 11,000).
d) First time candidates should plan to appear for the following papers
in the first attempt :
BASIC , MT and UT or RT.
The other methods can be attempted later.

CONTINUED

2 /3

8.

PREPARATION :
Start the studies early. Note that it is relatively easy to pass the ASNT L -III
exam but it is very difficult to become a GOOD LEVEL - III.

PREPARATION
a) Study well all Books recommended by ASNT.
b) ( Refer the reading attachments)
Give attention to Technical Terminology, Fundamentals as well
as new developments in each NDT method.
c)

As mentioned earlier, NO CLASS IS REQUIRED, if you can study

and understand the course material on your own. However, if you
wish to attend a class, then attend a good, reputed class, at least
4 / 5 months before examination. This will allow you to find out
what are your weak areas and give you time to improve on them.

d) If possible, attend classes and get certified to Level II in as

many NDT methods as possible ( ideally RT,UT,MT,PT,VT,ET).
e)

Improve your English comprehension and Logic Skills.

f)

Read and understand various Codes and standards such as ASME,

API, AWS, etc.

g)

While studying, prepare as many questions as possible.

h) Read American (preferably ASNT) PUBLICATIONS first.

i)

DO NOT expect to attend the L - III classes and pass the L - III
exams without self study. It is not possible to cover the entire
syllabus within the limited time frame of any L - III course.

j)

You must do self study as much as possible.

k) You should avoid mugging and try to develop THOROUGH

understanding of the subject fundamentals.

3 /3