12.3 SNT-TC-1A Examinations and Recertification

12.3 SNT-TC-1A Examinations and Recertification

Quick Answer: Under SNT-TC-1A, Level I and Level II candidates typically pass general, specific, and practical examinations. Recommended grading is often ≥70% on each exam and ≥80% composite. Re-examination follows the Written Practice. Recertification occurs before the certification period ends—commonly a maximum of five years in modern SNT-TC-1A recommendations—using evidence of continuing satisfactory performance and/or re-examination as the Written Practice defines. The Level III develops, administers, or approves exams and protects their integrity. CP-189 (Chapter 13) will contrast by making many parallel requirements mandatory once invoked.

Training and experience make a candidate eligible. Examinations make competence demonstrable. Recertification keeps the certificate alive without pretending people never change jobs, procedures, or skill levels.

The Three Classic Examination Types (Level I and Level II)

SNT-TC-1A describes Level I and Level II qualification examinations as comprising three complementary parts:

1. General examination

• Broad method knowledge: principles, capabilities/limitations, basic equipment, discontinuities the method finds, terminology
• Often closed-book relative to employer procedures (the Written Practice states open/closed rules)
• Proves the person understands the method, not only one plant’s work instruction

2. Specific examination

• Employer equipment, procedures, techniques, product forms, codes/specs as used on the job
• Proves the person can operate inside this program
• Highly valuable to auditors because it ties certification to actual work instructions

3. Practical examination

• Hands-on demonstration: setup, calibration, examination, recording, and evaluation tasks appropriate to level
• Samples real skill, not only multiple-choice knowledge
• Should use representative specimens and acceptance tasks defined or approved under the program

Exam trap: “only a general exam” or “only a practical demo with no written tests” is usually not the full SNT-TC-1A Level I/II model unless a special limited path is carefully defined—and even then the Written Practice must be honest about scope.

Level III examinations under employer programs

For Level III, SNT-TC-1A-oriented Written Practices typically require a basic examination (broad NDT/program knowledge) plus a method examination, with training/experience/education documented. In practice, many employers accept or require ASNT NDT Level III Basic and Method exams as the basic/method examination path. That is why you are studying this guide: the ASNT Basic exam is both a central credential exam and a demonstration of the knowledge SNT-TC-1A expects of Level III technical authorities.

Level III candidates are not “above” examination discipline. They are expected to design systems that make examinations meaningful for everyone else.

Grading Concepts

A high-yield SNT-TC-1A grading recommendation that appears repeatedly in Basic-style items:

• Minimum of 70% on each examination (general, specific, and practical)
• Composite score of at least 80%

Why both matter:

• A candidate who scores 95%, 95%, and 45% should not pass on “average heroics” if each exam has a floor
• A candidate who scores 72%, 72%, and 72% may clear each floor yet still miss a composite requirement if the Written Practice uses the classic composite rule

Always confirm exact grading language in the current SNT-TC-1A edition and the employer Written Practice. Some programs impose stricter floors. None should invent undocumented oral waivers after a failed practical “because the shop is busy.”

Score records

Keep:

• Exam identifiers and versions
• Dates, proctors/administrators, and Level III approvals as required
• Raw and composite scores
• Pass/fail decision and any re-examination history

Missing grade records are a classic external-audit finding.

Re-Examination

When a candidate fails one or more parts, the Written Practice should state:

• Which parts must be retaken
• Waiting periods or remedial training expectations before retest
• Whether failed practicals require new specimens or the same set under controlled conditions
• How many attempts are allowed before a broader reset of training requirements

Level III judgment: re-examination is a quality control event, not a punishment lottery. If many candidates fail the specific exam, maybe the training did not cover the actual procedures. If many fail the practical, maybe the practical is unrealistic—or the OJT is weak. Use failure patterns to improve the program.

Recertification Intervals and Methods

Certification is not permanent. SNT-TC-1A recommends a maximum certification period—for modern (including 2024) practice language, a common Basic-exam fact is a five-year maximum from the date the certifying authority signs the certification record for Level I, II, and III unless the Written Practice sets a shorter period. Always verify the published edition for exact wording.

Why five years is a conceptual ceiling, not a slogan

• Procedures, codes, and equipment change
• Skills decay without practice
• Vision and performance need periodic confirmation
• Customers expect time-bounded certificates

Recertification methods (conceptual menu)

Written Practices typically allow one or more of the following approaches as SNT-TC-1A recommends and the employer selects:

1. Evidence of continuing satisfactory performance
   Documented work in the method at the certified level, with performance that meets program expectations. This is not “the person still works here,” and it is not a rubber stamp. It should be defensible: activity logs, acceptable audit results, lack of competence incidents, and Level III/management review as required.

2. Re-examination
   Full or partial retesting (general/specific/practical as the Written Practice requires for recertification). Used when performance evidence is insufficient, when the person has been inactive, when procedures changed substantially, or when the program simply requires periodic retest.

3. Combinations and special cases
   Some programs mix continuing performance with targeted exams, or require additional training after inactivity. Limited certifications recertify within their limited scope.

Inactivity and interrupted certification

If someone has not performed the method for a long period, continuing-performance evidence may be weak even if the calendar certificate has not expired. Strong Written Practices address inactivity, suspension, and reinstatement. Level IIIs should not stretch “satisfactory performance” to cover people who have not touched the method in years without additional verification.

Employer certification vs ASNT central recertification

Do not mix calendars:

• Employer SNT-TC-1A certificates recertify under the Written Practice
• ASNT NDT Level III credentials recertify under ASNT’s central rules (which may emphasize Method exams for recertification after initial Basic + Method certification)

A person can hold both. Losing one does not automatically lose the other unless a contract or Written Practice ties them together.

Level III Responsibilities for Exam Development and Administration

Under SNT-TC-1A employer programs, the Level III is the technical guardian of examinations:

Develop and approve exam content

• General questions aligned to method knowledge at the correct level
• Specific questions drawn from current procedures, equipment, and codes used on the job
• Practical tasks that sample real work without becoming an unfair obstacle course or a trivial demo

Administer or oversee administration

• Control of exam security (no circulating answer keys in the break room)
• Qualified proctors where allowed; Level III approval where required
• Fair timing, materials, and specimen control for practicals
• Accommodation and integrity issues handled consistently

Evaluate results and recommend certification

• Score accurately against Written Practice criteria
• Recommend certification only when training, experience, vision, and exams all meet requirements
• Advise management; certification is typically an employer act supported by Level III technical recommendation

Continuous improvement

• Retire compromised items
• Update specific exams when procedures revise
• Align practical specimens with product forms actually inspected
• Use failure analytics to fix training gaps

Outside agency Level IIIs may perform these functions when the Written Practice authorizes the arrangement and documents responsibilities—still with the employer as certifying authority.

Brief Contrast Preview: SNT-TC-1A vs CP-189 (Full Comparison in Chapter 13)

You do not need the full side-by-side yet, but Basic loves this single distinction:

Remember: CP-189 is not “SNT-TC-1A but only for nuclear,” and it does not eliminate the Written Practice. It tightens the bolts.

Program Integrity Scenarios (Level III Thinking)

Use these mental cases on exam day:

• Specific exam never updated after procedure rewrite → certification no longer proves job-ready competence.
• Practical exam always uses the same three easy plates → candidates learn the specimens, not the method.
• Recertification by “signature only” with no performance evidence or exam → hollow certificates.
• Level II grades another Level II’s certification exam without Level III program control → authority breakdown (especially sensitive under stricter standards).
• Employer claims SNT-TC-1A compliance but has no Written Practice → fundamental failure of the model.

High-Yield Traps for This Section

• Omitting one of general / specific / practical for standard Level I/II paths
• Accepting a composite average that hides a failed part when the recommendation requires each exam ≥70%
• Treating five-year recertification as optional folklore rather than a recommended maximum interval in modern practice
• Confusing employer recertification with ASNT central recertification rules
• Believing Level IIIs invent exam results without records
• Jumping to full CP-189 comparison details before mastering SNT-TC-1A’s recommended-practice framing

Closing the SNT-TC-1A Arc

Across Chapter 12 you should now be able to defend:

1. What SNT-TC-1A is — recommended practice for employer-based qualification/certification
2. What controls the local program — the Written Practice
3. How people become eligible — training, experience, education credit concepts, limited scope, vision
4. How competence is proven and renewed — general/specific/practical exams, grading, re-exams, recertification
5. Who owns technical quality — the NDT Level III under employer authority

Chapter 13 moves to CP-189, where many of these ideas reappear with mandatory force. Keep SNT-TC-1A’s flexible recommended-practice character clear so the contrast is sharp rather than muddy.