Senior Identity + Program Rules
Not publishedof exam
Scope, General Dimensioning + Symbology
10%of exam
Datum Reference Frames
30%of exam
Tolerances of Form
5%of exam
Tolerances of Orientation
5%of exam
Tolerances of Location
25%of exam
Tolerances of Profile
20%of exam
Tolerances of Runout
5%of exam
Quick Facts
- Identity
- GDTP Senior Level
- Local basis
- ASME Y14.5-2009
- Other current basis
- Y14.5-2018 offered separately
- Legacy basis
- Y14.5-1994 not this exam
- Questions
- 150 scored MCQs
- Duration
- Maximum six hours
- Book
- Closed book
- Overall pass
- At least 78%
- Section floor
- At least 50% each
- Experience
- Three years relevant GD&T
- Recent evidence
- Personally performed within three years
- Technologist prerequisite
- Not required
- ASME membership
- Not required
- Delivery
- Prometric testing center
- Scheduling
- Within 180 days after approval
- Current package
- $623 for 2009 Senior
- Certificate validity
- Three years
2009 Senior Weights
Ten, thirty, five, five, twenty-five, twenty, five
General 10Datums 30Form 5Orientation 5Location 25Profile 20Runout 5
Senior vs Technologist
Senior
- Selects controls
- Applies design intent
- Three years experience
Technologist
- Reads controls
- Interprets drawings
- No experience requirement
Create vs interpret
Geometric Control Picker
- Need standalone surface shape→Form control
- Need direction from datum→Orientation control
- Need feature location→Position
- Need complex-surface control→Surface profile
- Need cross-section refinement→Line profile
- Need rotating element variation→Circular runout
- Need full rotated surface→Total runout
- Need pattern refinement→Composite position
- Need independent pattern controls→Multiple single segments
Senior Identity
- Senior scope
- Select + apply geometric controls
- Technologist scope
- Read + interpret drawings
- Design intent
- Senior documents functional requirements
- Calculations
- Determine geometric requirements
- Datum selection
- Choose function-based datum features
- Modifiers
- Apply appropriate boundary behavior
- Composite controls
- Apply pattern refinements
- Manufacturing
- Apply GD&T to production
- Verification
- Approve compliant evaluation methods
- Functional gaging
- Establish boundary-based acceptance
- Individual credential
- Not organizational certification
- Edition specific
- One exam certifies one revision
Senior Actions
Select, calculate, apply, verify, gage
Document design intentOwn functional decisions
2009 Senior vs 2018 Senior
2009 Senior
- 78% overall
- $623 current package
- Separate certificate basis
2018 Senior
- 74% overall
- $495 current package
- Separate certificate basis
Choose exact exam revision
Senior Exam Route Picker
- Select and apply controls→Senior Level
- Only interpret existing drawings→Technologist Level
- Using this local route→Select 2009 Senior
- Seeking 2018 certification→Select 2018 Senior
- Application accepted→Schedule within 180 days
- Need scheduling extension→Request before expiration
- Second attempt failed→Wait 180 days
- Certificate nears expiry→Document 24 months experience
Exam + Certification Rules
- 2009 Senior exam
- 150 scored multiple-choice questions
- Time limit
- Maximum six hours
- Reference access
- Closed book
- Overall minimum
- 78%
- Every section
- Minimum 50%
- Experience minimum
- Three documented years
- Experience recency
- Personal work within three years
- Experience quality
- Independent GD&T application
- Application deadline
- One year after purchase
- Scheduling window
- 180 days after acceptance
- Extension
- One paid 180-day extension
- Results
- Emailed within 24-48 hours
- Attempt window
- Two attempts within six months
- Second failure
- Wait 180 days
- 2009 retest fee
- $413
- Certificate term
- Three years from issuance
Verification + Gaging
- Functional gage
- Checks worst-case mating boundary
- Go result
- Confirms boundary; not actual error
- Virtual-condition gage
- Represents fixed functional boundary
- CMM
- Builds mathematical datum frame
- Datum simulator
- Must honor contact sequence
- Boundary modifier
- Changes simulator behavior
- Bonus tolerance
- Requires verified feature size
- Inspection alignment
- Match specified datum precedence
- Acceptance method
- Must evaluate stated requirement
- Y14.5 scope
- Defines requirements; not inspection procedures
- Senior responsibility
- Selects verification-compatible controls
- Manufacturing planning
- Respect functional tolerance boundaries
- Appendix B
- Know positional tolerance formulas
Control Families
Form, orient, position, profile, runout
ShapeDirectionLocationSurfaceRotation
Basic vs Reference Dimension
Basic
- Boxed value
- Theoretically exact
- Defines true geometry
Reference
- Parenthesized value
- Informational only
- Derived elsewhere
Exact definition vs information
Fundamental Rules
- Basic dimension
- Theoretically exact value
- Reference dimension
- Informational only
- Feature
- Physical portion of part
- Feature of size
- Size-associated surface relationship
- Actual local size
- Any individual cross-section size
- MMC
- Most material permitted
- LMC
- Least material permitted
- Rule #1
- Perfect form required at MMC
- Size departure
- Allows Rule #1 form variation
- Rule #2
- RFS and RMB default
- Limits
- Absolute boundaries; never round
- Default temperature
- 20°C unless otherwise specified
- Free state
- Default unless restrained specified
- Origin dimension
- Starts from defined origin
- Statistical tolerance
- Requires identified statistical basis
Symbols + Modifiers
- Feature control frame
- Characteristic + tolerance + datums
- Diameter prefix
- Creates cylindrical tolerance zone
- Basic box
- Marks theoretically exact dimension
- Datum identifier
- Names datum feature
- RFS tolerance
- No modifier shown
- RMB datum
- No modifier shown
- MMC tolerance
- Circled M after tolerance
- MMB datum
- Circled M after datum
- LMC tolerance
- Circled L after tolerance
- LMB datum
- Circled L after datum
- Projected zone
- Circled P after tolerance
- Tangent plane
- Circled T modifier
- Free-state symbol
- Circled F modifier
- Unequal profile
- Circled U sets offset
- Continuous feature
- CF joins interrupted surfaces
- All-around symbol
- Applies around indicated perimeter
Planar Datum Order
Seat three, align two, clock one
Primary 3Secondary 2Tertiary 1
Datum vs Datum Feature
Datum
- Theoretically exact
- Derived reference
- No physical imperfection
Datum feature
- Actual part surface
- Contains variation
- Contacts simulator
Reference vs real feature
Datum Strategy Picker
- First assembly contact→Primary datum
- Need remaining alignment→Secondary datum
- Need final clocking→Tertiary datum
- Only discrete contacts function→Datum targets
- Two features act together→Multiple datum features
- Center regardless feature size→RMB
- Allow boundary clearance shift→MMB
- Protect least-material boundary→LMB
- Assembly applies restraint→Restrained condition
Datum Core
- Datum
- Theoretically exact reference
- Datum feature
- Actual imperfect part feature
- Datum simulator
- Physical or mathematical boundary
- Datum reference frame
- Three planes create coordinate system
- Translations
- X + Y + Z movement
- Rotations
- About X + Y + Z
- Primary datum
- Constrains first functional freedoms
- Secondary datum
- Constrains remaining functional freedoms
- Tertiary datum
- Completes required constraint
- Precedence
- Frame order controls establishment
- Planar 3-2-1
- Three + two + one contacts
- RMB
- Simulator adapts without fixed boundary
- MMB
- Simulator fixed at maximum boundary
- LMB
- Simulator fixed at least boundary
- Datum shift
- Available boundary clearance permits movement
RMB vs MMB Datum
RMB
- No datum modifier
- Simulator adapts
- No boundary clearance shift
MMB
- Circled M datum modifier
- Fixed simulator boundary
- May permit datum shift
Adaptive vs fixed boundary
Datum Application
- Selection basis
- Choose assembly function first
- Stable contact
- Prefer repeatable functional interface
- Datum targets
- Define discrete simulator contacts
- Target point
- Single contact location
- Target line
- Linear contact region
- Target area
- Bounded contact region
- Multiple datum features
- Multiple features establish together
- Multiple frames
- Support different functional relationships
- Functional datum
- Represents assembly interface
- Rotational constraint
- Clock pattern about datum axis
- Irregular size feature
- May use material boundary
- Restrained condition
- Simulates specified assembly restraint
- Customized frame
- Controls selected degrees freedom
- Simultaneous requirement
- Features evaluated in one frame
Form Controls
- Straightness
- Controls line elements or axis
- Flatness
- Controls entire planar surface
- Circularity
- Controls each circular element
- Cylindricity
- Controls entire cylindrical surface
- Datum reference
- Never used for form
- Surface straightness
- Two parallel-line zone
- Axis straightness
- May use cylindrical zone
- Material modifier
- Allowed for size-feature axis
- Circularity zone
- Two concentric circles
- Cylindricity zone
- Two coaxial cylinders
- Rule #1 overlap
- Size limits may restrict form
- Free-state modifier
- Evaluates nonrigid part released
- Orientation
- Form controls do not orient
Form vs Orientation
Form
- No datum
- Controls shape
- Does not orient
Orientation
- Requires datum
- Controls direction
- Also refines form
Shape vs direction
Orientation Controls
- Parallelism
- Orients parallel to datum
- Perpendicularity
- Orients 90° to datum
- Angularity
- Orients at basic angle
- Datum requirement
- Orientation needs datum reference
- Surface zone
- Two oriented parallel planes
- Axis zone
- Cylindrical when diameter shown
- Material modifiers
- Available on size-feature controls
- Form refinement
- Orientation also limits form
- Location
- Orientation does not locate
- Tangent plane
- Controls contacting high-point plane
- Datum precedence
- Sets zone orientation sequence
- Basic angle
- Defines theoretically exact orientation
MMC Bonus
Leave MMC, gain geometric tolerance
Protect virtual conditionVerify actual size
MMC vs LMC
MMC
- Most material
- Protects assembly boundary
- Bonus from MMC departure
LMC
- Least material
- Protects minimum material
- Bonus from LMC departure
Assembly vs material protection
Position Modifier Picker
- Protect worst-case assembly→MMC
- Protect minimum wall thickness→LMC
- Need constant geometric tolerance→RFS
- Mating feature extends outward→Projected zone
- Size departure provides tolerance→Zero at MMC
- Refine one pattern framework→Composite position
- Requirements locate independently→Multiple single segments
- Analyze functional gage→Virtual condition
Position + Boundaries
- True position
- Theoretically exact feature location
- Basic dimensions
- Locate true position
- Position
- Controls axes or center planes
- Cylindrical zone
- Requires diameter symbol
- Planar zone
- Controls noncylindrical center plane
- RFS position
- Tolerance constant across size
- MMC position
- Bonus grows from MMC departure
- LMC position
- Bonus grows from LMC departure
- Internal virtual condition
- MMC size minus tolerance
- External virtual condition
- MMC size plus tolerance
- Zero at MMC
- Size departure supplies tolerance
- Projected zone
- Protects extended mating interface
- Datum-referenced position
- Also controls orientation
- Feature size
- Position never controls size
- Concentricity
- Median points relative datum axis2009
- Symmetry
- Median points relative datum plane2009
Position vs Profile
Position
- Locates size features
- Axis or center plane
- Can support bonus tolerance
Profile
- Controls complex surfaces
- True-profile boundary
- Broad design communication
Feature centers vs surfaces
Pattern Position
- Upper composite segment
- Locates pattern to datums
- Lower composite segment
- Refines feature relationships
- Repeated lower datums
- Constrain pattern orientation
- No lower datums
- Framework floats within upper zone
- Multiple single segments
- Each requirement independently located
- Pattern basics
- Define exact feature spacing
- Simultaneous requirements
- Share matching datum framework
- Separate requirement
- Breaks simultaneous evaluation
- Floating fastener
- Assembly clearance shared
- Fixed fastener
- Clearance allocated by design
- Appendix B
- Position formulas are required
- Worst-case analysis
- Use material boundaries
Composite vs Multiple Single-Segment
Composite
- One connected framework
- Upper locates pattern
- Lower refines relationships
Multiple single
- Independent requirements
- Each locates separately
- No composite framework
Refinement vs independence
Profile Strategy Picker
- Only cross-section matters→Line profile
- Entire surface matters→Surface profile
- Form only required→No datum references
- Orientation also required→Add datum reference
- Location also required→Reference needed datums
- Zone must shift asymmetrically→Unequal-profile modifier
- Overall plus refinement needed→Composite profile
- Independent controls needed→Multiple single segments
Profile Controls
- True profile
- Exact basic geometry
- Line profile
- Controls individual cross-sectional elements
- Surface profile
- Controls entire three-dimensional surface
- Zone direction
- Normal to true profile
- Default disposition
- Equally disposed about profile
- Unequal disposition
- U value sets one boundary
- No datum
- Controls form independently
- With datums
- Adds orientation and location
- All around
- Applies around indicated perimeter
- Between points
- Limits controlled profile span
- Composite profile upper
- Controls overall profile framework
- Composite profile lower
- Refines feature relationship
- Multiple single segments
- Create independent profile requirements
- Combined controls
- Profile can refine other controls
- Profile datum references
- May use boundary modifiers
- Complex surfaces
- Profile communicates broad design intent
Circular vs Total Runout
Circular
- One circular element
- Fixed indicator location
- Per cross-section
Total
- Entire surface
- Indicator traverses
- Controls cumulative variation
Element vs whole surface
Runout Controls
- Circular runout
- Controls each circular element
- Total runout
- Controls entire rotated surface
- Datum axis
- Required rotational reference
- Inspection motion
- Rotate part 360°
- Circular evaluation
- Indicator fixed axially
- Total evaluation
- Indicator traverses entire surface
- Face runout
- Controls face during rotation
- Total effect
- Limits cumulative surface variation
- Material modifiers
- Not used with runout
- FIM
- Full indicator movement
- Datum simulation
- Must produce stable axis
- Concentricity
- Not equivalent to runout
Common Traps
Senior identity
Selects and applies controls ≠ Not Technologist interpretation only
Edition identity
This route: Y14.5-2009 ≠ 2018 requires separate exam
Legacy 1994 Edition
Not this exam basis ≠ Do not mix legacy rules
Current experience rule
Three documented years ≠ Not stale five-year text
Passing rule
78% overall required ≠ 50% each section required
Open-book assumption
Exam is closed book ≠ Appendix formulas still tested
Datum language
Datum is exact ≠ Datum feature is imperfect
Datum modifiers
RMB means no symbol ≠ MMB uses circled M
Form references
Form uses no datum ≠ Orientation requires datum
Profile disposition
Equal disposition is default ≠ U creates unequal disposition
Composite logic
Lower segment refines pattern ≠ Not independent second control
Position and size
Position controls feature location ≠ Size dimension controls size
Runout confusion
Runout evaluates rotating surface ≠ Not concentricity median points
Credential scope
Certification belongs to individual ≠ Not employer or product
Last Minute
- 1.Identity: Y14.5-2009 Senior Level
- 2.Senior selects and applies controls
- 3.150 scored MCQs; six hours maximum
- 4.Closed book
- 5.Pass: 78% overall
- 6.Pass: 50% every section
- 7.Experience: three documented years
- 8.Recent work must be personal
- 9.Technologist certification not required
- 10.ASME membership not required
- 11.Datums carry 30%
- 12.Location carries 25%
- 13.Profile carries 20%
- 14.Appendix B formulas are required
- 15.Datum feature differs from datum
- 16.RMB is datum-reference default
- 17.MMC departure creates bonus tolerance
- 18.Form controls never reference datums
- 19.Orientation does not locate
- 20.Composite lower segment refines pattern
- 21.Profile defaults equally disposed
- 22.Runout requires datum axis
- 23.Schedule within 180 approval days
- 24.Second failure triggers 180-day wait
- 25.Certificate expires after three years
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