The ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code does not have one rule for nondestructive testing (NDT) personnel. It has a method section, Section V, that describes how nondestructive examination is done and who may do it, construction and in-service sections that decide when Section V applies, and, for nuclear plants in service, Section XI, which adds rules of its own. ASME calls it nondestructive examination (NDE), and this guide follows that usage when talking about the Code.
This guide is based on Section V, 2025 edition, which we read in full for Article 1. Section XI is covered in outline at the end.
How Section V comes into force
Section V is a toolbox, not a rulebook of its own. Its scope paragraph (T-110(a)) says its methods are Code requirements only to the extent another Code Section or referencing document specifically references and requires them. Everything else follows from that:
- Acceptance criteria come from the referencing Code Section, and where Section V also states them, the referencing section wins (T-180).
- The Inspector is whoever the referencing Code Section defines and qualifies (T-170). Section V keeps the Code's distinction: inspection is what the Inspector does; examination is what your own NDE personnel do.
- Procedures and personnel: when a referencing section requires an examination to Section V, the organization is responsible for establishing the procedures and the qualification and certification arrangements that go with it (T-150(c)).
- Editions: a new edition may be used from its date of issue and is mandatory six months later, unless the referencing document says otherwise (T-110(c)). Code Cases may be used once approved if they apply to Section V, and the Code Case number goes on the procedure or the personnel certification (T-110(d)).
So the construction code, typically Section I for power boilers, Section VIII for pressure vessels or the B31 piping codes, and the edition your contract names, decides which Section V articles apply and whether Article 1's personnel rules are invoked. We have not reviewed those codes for this guide; check the referencing paragraph in your own edition before assuming either way.
Personnel qualification: T-120
T-120(e) applies to documents that reference Article 1 directly for personnel qualification. Qualification is to the employer's written practice, covering the methods and techniques the organization actually uses, and the practice must follow one of two documents.
SNT-TC-1A (2024), with exceptions
- SNT-TC-1A is treated as mandatory, not recommended. The written practice uses “shall” where SNT-TC-1A says “should” when setting minimums.
- The SNT-TC-1A provisions that let an employer accept a valid ASNT certificate in place of its own specific or practical exam (paragraphs 8.4.4, 8.5.6, 8.6.3.2 and 8.6.4.3) do not apply. Those exams stay with the employer.
- The technical performance evaluation in SNT-TC-1A paragraph 10.2 is mandatory before recertification.
- A Level III must write a procedure for each applicable method, meeting an ASME construction or in-service code or standard, before initial certification with each employer. It is evaluated against a written checklist by the Level III responsible for the method, and recorded. Level IIIs already certified meet this at their next recertification.
- A Level III who will give practical exams for ASME certification must first pass the Level II practicals in each technique with the current employer. The procedure and practical requirements are done once per employer, not at every recertification.
CP-189 (2024)
The alternative is ANSI/ASNT CP-189 (2024), with a narrower exception: its paragraphs 6.3.2.1 and 6.3.3.3 do not apply to specific and practical exams. The CP-189 guide and the SNT-TC-1A guide cover the base documents.
The other routes in T-120
- Central certification (T-120(f)). National or international programs, such as those based on ISO 9712, may be used for training, experience and the general, basic and method exams. The specific and practical exams are not on that list.
- Performance-based qualification (T-120(h)). A program under ASME ANDE-1-2020 may be used for training, experience, examination and certification as the written practice specifies.
- Demonstration only (T-120(i)). Where the referencing section specifies no qualifications, or does not reference Article 1 directly, qualification may simply be a demonstration that the people doing the examination are competent to the organization's procedures.
- Limited certification (T-120(k)). People who perform only part of a method, or examinations of limited scope, may be certified on fewer hours than SNT-TC-1A or CP-189 recommend, with the limits written into the practice and onto the certification.
T-120(j) puts the responsibility squarely on the user of Article 1, and requires the organization's quality program to say how it is done. Qualifications under a prior edition remain valid until recertification, and recertification follows the current edition.
Advanced techniques: Mandatory Appendix II
If an employer uses computed radiography (CR), digital radiography (DR), phased array ultrasonics (PAUT), time-of-flight diffraction (TOFD) or full matrix capture (FMC), T-120(g) requires the extra training, experience and examination rules of Article 1, Mandatory Appendix II to be written into the practice, per technique.
| Technique | Level | Training hours | Experience in technique | Total NDE experience | Exam questions (general / specific) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR or DR | I | 40 | 210 | 400 | 40 / 30 |
| CR or DR | II | 40 | 630 | 1,200 | 40 / 30 |
| PAUT | II | 80 | 320 | UT Level I and II first | 40 / 30 |
| TOFD | II | 40 | 320 | UT Level I and II first | 40 / 30 |
| FMC | II | 80 | 320 | UT Level I and II first | 40 / 30 |
Our own layout of the minimums in Tables II-121-1, II-121-2, II-122.1 and II-122.2. Reductions apply for people already certified in another radiography technique, and manufacturer-specific training is added on top; see the table notes in your copy.
Beyond the numbers, the appendix requires:
- Level I before Level II for CR and DR (II-121), and a current Level II ultrasonic method certification before PAUT, TOFD or FMC.
- Manufacturer-specific training: at least 16 hours for each CR or DR system and software, and for automated or semi-automated ultrasonic applications, supplemental hardware and software training that the written practice must describe.
- Practical exams on at least two specimens, each with at least two discontinuities (II-122), with the grading criteria set in the written practice.
- Level III responsibility for training and qualification in the technique (II-123): a current Level III in the method, the Level II requirements in the technique, documented procedure writing for it, and demonstrated proficiency in evaluating its results.
- Training outlines from ANSI/ASNT CP-105 (2020), used as a minimum (II-124).
Procedures, calibration and records
When the referencing section requires it, every examination follows a written procedure that complies with the method article, is available to the examiners and, on request, the Inspector, and has been shown to the Inspector's satisfaction on a sample with at least one known discontinuity (T-150(a)). Special procedures for unusual geometry or material need their own demonstration (T-150(b)). Where a formal procedure qualification is required, it is supervised by a certified Level III, witnessed by the Inspector, and performed by a different Level II or III on a specimen whose flaws only the supervising Level III knows (T-150(d)).
The organization must make sure all equipment calibrations the articles require are done (T-160), and examination records carry at least the date, the examiner's identity and certification level, and the identification of what was examined, among other items (T-190). The calibration guide covers the equipment side.
Section XI: in-service inspection
Section XI governs in-service inspection of nuclear power plant components. Its general requirements include personnel qualification in IWA-2300. Its mandatory appendices go further for ultrasonics: Appendix VII covers qualification of ultrasonic examination personnel, and Appendix VIII covers performance demonstration of ultrasonic examination systems, meaning procedures, equipment and personnel tested together on specimens with known flaws.
In the United States, 10 CFR 50.55a incorporates Section XI by reference and requires preservice and in-service inspection of the systems and components of boiling and pressurized water-cooled power reactors to it (50.55a(g)), subject to conditions listed in the regulation. Several of those conditions touch personnel directly: they refer to IWA-2300 for visual examination personnel, set prerequisites for ultrasonic personnel certification under Appendix VII, and require performance demonstration under Appendix VIII. A plant's NDE vendor therefore works to Section XI as conditioned by the regulation, not to Section XI alone. The nuclear qualification guide takes this further.
How TRACE handles it
TRACE keeps the records; it does not qualify procedures or satisfy an Inspector for you. Each certification is recorded with its method and level, and its recertification date, the documents behind it and, with the People module, the vision exams sit on the same technician record, with reminders before each falls due.
Certification Tests runs general, specific and practical exams, including practicals scored against test pieces with known indications, and the NDT Question Bank includes original question sets keyed to ASME Section V articles. Tool Control keeps the equipment register and calibration records, and Code Watch tells you when a new edition of a standard on its watch list is published.
Frequently asked questions
Does ASME Section V apply on its own?
No. Section V says its requirements are Code requirements only to the extent another Code Section or referencing document references and requires them (T-110(a) in the 2025 edition). The construction or in-service code, or the contract, is what brings Section V into your work, and its acceptance criteria take precedence over Section V's (T-180).
Is SNT-TC-1A mandatory under ASME Section V?
For documents that reference Article 1 for personnel qualification, yes. T-120(e) in the 2025 edition requires a written practice built on SNT-TC-1A (2024) or CP-189 (2024), and states that SNT-TC-1A is then not a recommended practice but mandatory, with 'shall' in place of 'should'. It also adds its own conditions, such as a mandatory technical performance evaluation before recertification.
What extra qualification does ASME Section V require for PAUT, TOFD and digital radiography?
When an employer uses computed or digital radiography, phased array, time-of-flight diffraction or full matrix capture, T-120(g) brings in Article 1 Mandatory Appendix II. It sets technique-specific training and experience hours, minimum written exam questions, practical exams on at least two specimens with at least two discontinuities each, and requirements for the Level III responsible for the technique.
When does a new edition of Section V take effect?
The 2025 edition says a new edition may be used from its date of issue and becomes mandatory six months after issue, unless the referencing document says otherwise (T-110(c)). Qualifications made under a prior edition stay valid until recertification, which must follow the current edition (T-120(j)).
Checked against
- ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section V, 2025 edition: Article 1 (T-110 to T-190) and Article 1 Mandatory Appendix II
- 10 CFR 50.55a, Codes and standards, as published on eCFR, read 28 September 2026
- ASME Section XI was not reviewed for this guide (not in our library); it is described in outline only
This guide summarises the documents above in our own words to help you find your way around them. It is not a substitute for them: requirements change between editions and contracts add their own, so check every figure against your own licensed copy and your written practice before you rely on it.
Named for reference only. TRACE is an independent product: it is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or accredited by ASME (publisher of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code), ASNT (publisher of SNT-TC-1A, CP-189 and CP-105), ISO or the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (10 CFR 50.55a), or by any other organization whose standards or programs it describes. Their names and marks are their own.