ASNT NDT Level II exam day: booking, ID, calculator and retakes

Before you can book

You cannot pick a date until ASNT has approved your application. The examinations page says you apply and pay first, then wait for notice that you are authorized to schedule, then book through your MyCert account. Pearson VUE's ASNT page gives the same order: application submitted through MyCert, paid in full, ASNT approval, and a notice from Pearson that you can schedule.

• Review time: the program page says to allow 2 to 4 weeks for review and processing once an application is submitted, and that payment must be received in full before review starts.
• Pay-later applications: the cancellation and refund policy holds them for 15 business days (it also says 3 calendar weeks). If payment does not arrive in that time, the application is discarded.
• Missing information: if ASNT asks for more application information and you do not provide it within one year of submitting, the same policy says you forfeit all fees and must reapply.

Booking a seat

• Where: in person, on computer, at a Pearson VUE test center or an ASNT Authorized Exam Center. The examinations page says no walk-in tests are offered. Pearson has a test center search for ASNT, including centers on military bases.
• How: online through MyCert, or by phone with Pearson. Pearson lists a US toll-free number, 866-221-6680, Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Central.
• Confirmation: Pearson emails your exam date and time, the test center address and directions after you book. Keep that email with your approval letter.
• Language: all exams are in English. ASNT links an online translation dictionary for NDT terms on the examinations page, and Pearson's page links a multilingual dictionary PDF.
• Accommodations: Pearson's ASNT page links its testing accommodations page. Ask before you book if you need one.

The one-year eligibility window

Everything you applied for has to be scheduled and completed within one year of ASNT's Letter of Approval, according to the examinations page. The cancellation and refund policy adds that the letter is valid for one year from its date and that you need a new application after that. It also says no refund is issued once you have received the Letter of Approval, or if you do not test within that year. Neither page mentions an extension.

Rescheduling and cancelling

The cut-off is 48 hours before your appointment on both sites, but they describe the penalty a little differently.

Treat 48 hours as a hard line. For the fee amounts and what is refundable, see what ASNT charges for NDT Level 2 certification. Get a confirmation email for any change. A missed appointment with no change is a no-show, and the policy says that forfeits all fees for that exam.

Identification

Both ASNT and Pearson VUE ask for two original, valid IDs, with the name matching your application. They differ on whether the primary ID needs a photo.

ASNT's examples of acceptable photo IDs are a passport, a driver's license or a state or government-issued ID card. Bringing a primary ID that carries a photo and a signature satisfies both columns. If your name differs anywhere, contact ASNT Certification Services well ahead of the 72-hour point.

At the test center

• Arrival: Pearson asks you to arrive 30 minutes before your exam time to check in.
• Check-in: each candidate has a photo taken and gives a signature before the exam starts.
• Calculator: Pearson says a calculator is built into the exam software and that you should not bring your own.
• Dictionary: the translation dictionary above is the aid ASNT names.
• Open or closed book, scratch materials, personal items: ask your test center. Pearson links a general what to expect in a test center page.

The on-screen calculator

ASNT publishes a short CBT and calculator demo, linked from Pearson's ASNT page. What it shows:

• You open the calculator with a Calculator button inside the test software. ASNT says that for its exams the button is available for the whole exam.
• You cannot reach the calculator through the computer's task bar; you have to use the button in the software.
• The calculator window has a Modes menu. The demo screenshots show Standard (a Texas Instruments TI-108 layout), Scientific (a TI-30XS MultiView layout) and Graphing in that menu.
• Closing the calculator window with its X button loses the calculation on screen. Clear works like a C key, and Enter works like an equals key.
• The demo toolbar also shows a Scratch Pad button next to the calculator.

You can try the test driver in Pearson's demo test; per ASNT's slides, question 3 of that demo opens the calculator. If your method uses formulas, as UT does, practice the keystrokes on the scientific layout before exam day. Our UT formulas guide has worked examples to try it on, and the NDT math drill gives you new numbers every set.

Retakes

• Waiting period: the examinations page says you can reapply and retest after a 30-day retake waiting period.
• Process: you apply and pay for the retake through MyCert and receive a new approval letter before you can schedule it.
• Fee: the program page lists $370 for members and $410 for nonmembers to retake a failed exam.

What ASNT publishes about scoring

The psychometrics information page says each passing score is a criterion-based cut score set with the Angoff method or Item Response Theory (IRT), and that ASNT exams are typically in the 70% to 80% range.

ASNT does not publish:

• the exact cut score for any method or exam;
• whether scores are scaled;
• how results or score reports are delivered, or what a report shows;
• topic weights or item counts per topic for the General exams.

The examinations page does say that once you pass and meet all requirements, your results are processed and your MyASNT record is updated, and that a digital badge arrives by email in one to two weeks.

What happens outside the test center

ASNT gives the computer-based General and Specific exams. The program page says employers carry out the visual acuity, practical and any job-specific exams. Plan those with your employer; ASNT central certification vs employer certification explains how the two routes differ. Once you hold the credential, verifying an ASNT Level II certification shows how others can check it.

Practice for the format

Each method has its own free 10-question check, written to ASNT's published topics: UT, MT and PT. For the penetrant topics, read the PT Level II exam guide. Each check needs no signup and explains every answer. The full course adds timed practice exams and a study plan built from your exam date.

Once you have a date, the NDT study plan builder turns it and your weekly hours into a week-by-week plan for UT, MT or PT, with a free check at the start and the midpoint.

FAQ

Can I bring my own calculator to the ASNT Level II exam?

No. Pearson says a calculator is built into the exam software and that you should not bring your own. ASNT's demo shows Standard, Scientific and Graphing modes.

What ID do I need for the ASNT Level II exam?

Two original, valid IDs, with the name matching your application. A government-issued primary ID with a photo and a signature meets both ASNT's and Pearson VUE's rules.

How late can I reschedule or cancel?

At least 48 hours before your appointment. ASNT's policy says a change inside 48 hours counts as a no-show and all fees for that exam are forfeited.

How soon can I retake a failed ASNT Level II exam?

ASNT lists a 30-day retake waiting period. You apply and pay for the retake through MyCert and need a new approval letter before you can schedule it.

Sources

Show the list

• ASNT NDT Level II Examinations, ASNT Certification Services.
• ASNT NDT Level II Certification, ASNT Certification Services.
• Cancellation and Refund Policy, ASNT Certification Services.
• Psychometrics Information, ASNT Certification Services.