NDT Level III Consulting

What an outside Level III does

Every employer-based qualification scheme puts a Level III at the center of the program: the person who approves the procedures, sets and grades the examinations, and answers for the technical content when a customer or auditor asks. Plenty of companies need that authority but not a full-time Level III on staff. We provide it as a consultant, for as much or as little of the program as you need.

• Procedures and technique sheets. Writing, reviewing and approving NDT procedures against your customer specifications and the codes you work to.
• Written practice. Writing or revising the document that governs how your people are trained, examined and certified (see written practice development).
• Examinations. Preparing, administering and grading general, specific and practical examinations, and keeping the examination records an auditor will ask for.
• Qualification records. Reviewing training hours, experience and vision examinations before anyone is put forward for certification.
• Responsible or designated Level III. Serving as your Responsible Level III under NAS410, or your designated Level III under another scheme, where the standard and your customers allow an outside one.
• Technical questions. Method and technique selection, interpretation of acceptance criteria, and disposition of indications that do not fit the procedure neatly.
• Audit support. Preparing for, and standing behind the program during, customer, registrar and Nadcap audits.

Level III support is provided in the methods our Level III holds certification in. Tell us which methods and standards your program covers and we will confirm coverage before any work starts.

Who it is for

• Manufacturers bringing NDT in-house for the first time.
• Companies whose Level III has retired, left, or moved into another role.
• Suppliers with capable Level II inspectors but no Level III in one or more methods.
• Programs adding a method, a new customer or a new specification.
• Anyone who wants an independent Level III review before an audit.

How an engagement works

• 1. A first conversation. Your methods, the standards and customer specifications you work to, and where the program stands today.
• 2. Document review. We read your written practice, procedures and a sample of certification records and give you a plain list of gaps, in priority order.
• 3. A written agreement. Outside Level III work is set out in writing: which methods, which responsibilities, and how records are kept. The qualification standards expect this, and auditors ask to see it.
• 4. The work itself. Most document work is done remotely. Practical examinations, hands-on reviews and audits are scheduled on site when the job needs it.
• 5. Your records stay yours. Procedures, examinations and certification records live in your system and belong to your company.

Standards we work to

• NAS410 (also written NAS 410) is the aerospace personnel qualification standard. It writes its levels as Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, and requires the employer to designate a Responsible Level 3.
• SNT-TC-1A is ASNT's recommended practice. Each employer adapts it into its own written practice and certifies its own people at Level I, Level II and Level III.
• ANSI/ASNT CP-189 is ASNT's standard for qualification and certification. It is firmer than SNT-TC-1A, including on the Level III's own credentials, and is invoked where codes require it.
• ISO 9712 takes a different approach: an independent certification body examines and certifies the individual. Employers still need Level 3 support for procedures, instructions and authorization to work.

Customer specifications, codes and contracts decide which of these applies and often add requirements of their own. The current edition named in your contract is the one that governs.

Frequently asked questions