NDT Training Hour Requirements
SNT-TC-1A 2024 and NAS410 formal training hours by method and level, and how a compliant online program documents them.
Before any technician can be certified in a nondestructive testing method, the governing program requires documented formal training hours in that method. For most of industry the reference is ASNT SNT-TC-1A (a recommended practice your employer adapts into its written practice); for aerospace it is NAS410, whose requirements apply to aerospace NDT personnel. Compare your method and level with the course hours below. API, CWI and safety courses follow their own program requirements; their course hours are not NDT method-certification minimums.
REFERENCE BASIS: SNT-TC-1A 2024 TABLE 6.3.1A · NAS410 FORMAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. COURSE HOURS COME FROM THE PUBLISHED CURRICULUM. A DASH MEANS NO METHOD/LEVEL VALUE IS LISTED HERE; IT DOES NOT MEAN ZERO TRAINING. YOUR EMPLOYER'S WRITTEN PRACTICE AND APPLICABLE STANDARD EDITION DETERMINE YOUR REQUIREMENTS.
Publisher guidance: ASNT employer-based certification · AIA NAS410 Revision 6 announcement. Review your applicable standard and syllabus with your Responsible Level III.
How online training hours get documented
An auditor reviewing your qualification file wants three things: what was taught (the course syllabus and applicable outline), how long you trained (an hour ledger), and evidence of comprehension (quiz and exam results). NDT Academy produces all three automatically:
- Review the course syllabus and applicable standards with your Level III. The compliance report provides CP-105 outline mapping for covered NDT methods.
- Training time is logged from active engagement only; idle and hidden-tab time never counts.
- Knowledge checks, module quizzes, and level final exams record scores and dates.
Method-by-method notes
- UT, RT, ET, 40 hours per level under both documents; the longest formal training requirements in common use. UT course, RT course, ET course.
- MT, PT, NAS410 requires 16 hours per level, exceeding the SNT-TC-1A recommendation; our MT and PT courses are built to the 16-hour figure.
- VT, SNT-TC-1A recommends 8/16 hours (L1/L2); NAS410 is silent on VT. VT course.
- Radiation Safety, hours are set by your jurisdiction and license conditions, separate from RT method training. Radiation Safety course.
CWI 9-year recertification PDHs
Eligible to submit toward AWS CWI 9-year recertification under QC1 Section 16. Each contact hour of completed training may be documented as 1 PDH. AWS requires a certificate stating contact hours and a course description. We provide both. At least 20 of the 80 PDHs must fall in the last 3 years of the 9-year period. Final credit is determined by the AWS Certification Department.
Dedicated recertification course: CWI 9-Year Renewal, 80 PDH. Method contact hours you can document:
- VT, Visual Testing: 24 contact hours
- MT, Magnetic Particle Testing: 32 contact hours
- PT, Liquid Penetrant Testing: 32 contact hours
- UT, Ultrasonic Testing: 40 contact hours per level
- RT, Radiographic Testing: 40 contact hours per level
Methods not expressly named as NDE fundamentals in the applicable AWS B5.1 edition, including Eddy Current Testing, are documented under the broader NDE inspection and standards functions recorded for the course.
FAQ
Who sets NDT training hour requirements?
Your employer's written practice sets your qualification requirements under the applicable program and standard edition. SNT-TC-1A addresses employer-based NDT certification; NAS410 addresses aerospace NDT personnel. Compare the relevant method and level with our published course hours. API, CWI and safety courses have separate program requirements.
What counts as a formal training hour?
Organized, documented instruction in the method, classroom, virtual, or structured self-paced study with records. On NDT Academy, hours accrue only during active engagement: idle time and hidden browser tabs pause the clock, and the resulting ledger lists date, lesson, and minutes for every entry.
What is direct-to-Level-II training?
When a trainee qualifies straight to Level II without holding Level I, SNT-TC-1A Table 6.3.1A Note 1 requires the combined Level I + Level II training hours. Our course totals record those combined figures per method.
Can NDT hours be documented as AWS CWI PDHs?
Yes, as distance learning under AWS QC1 Section 16. Each contact hour printed on your certificate of formal training may be documented as 1 PDH toward CWI 9-year recertification, for courses with an AWS B5.1 subject mapping on record. AWS requires that certificate plus a course description; the AWS PDH evidence PDF for each course provides both. At least 20 of the 80 PDHs must fall in the last 3 years of the 9-year period. Final determination of PDH eligibility and acceptance remains with the American Welding Society.
Plan your training with your Level III
Review the syllabus and documented hours against your employer's qualification program before enrolling.