TITLE: Number: QP-ISQ-2

Revision: 0
Industry Sector Qualification
Oil & Gas Program Date: October 25, 2018

Industry Sector
Qualification
Oil & Gas
Program
ASNT Document QP-ISQ-2 Revision 0

The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc.

The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc.
(ASNT)

All rights reserved

Revision Date Summary of Revisions

Original 10/25/2018 Original Document Release

QP-ISQ-2 Rev. 0 Page 1 of 8 10/25/2018

 FOREWORD

This document establishes the requirements for the ASNT Industry Sector Qualification (ISQ)
program for the Oil & Gas Industry (ISQ – O&G) which provides for an enhanced evaluation of
competency by examiners in hands-on practical demonstration of various NDT techniques. This
program has been developed to improve NDT reliability through a rigorous performance
demonstration qualification process by an accredited certification body. This program will provide
prospective users of NDT personnel (employers) with NDT personnel who have successfully
participated in the ISQ program whereas this can be an extension of an employer’s SNT-TC-1A
program.

The ISQ program outlined in this document may apply when any of the designations below are
required through Oil & Gas Industry asset owner/operators;

a) An owner / operator specification

b) Contractual requirements
c) A recognized & referenced industry standard; e.g. API, NACE, etc.
d) Fitness for Service critical examinations
e) In response to concerns around NDE technician Performance

ASNT has established these practical examinations based on psychometric principles to assure fair,
valid and reliable examinations that establish a minimum competency level while “raising the bar” in
NDT qualification. ASNT uses actual industry and owner/user representation in the development of
the examinations to assure applicability and acceptance by the industry stakeholders worldwide.

Individuals that pass the performance demonstration examinations covered by this program will have
demonstrated practical competency required to perform such work in the Oil & Gas industry sector.
Guidance for the expected prerequisite level of knowledge and experience to sit these ISQ
examinations can be found in the following guidelines:

ASNT Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A, Personnel Qualification and Certification in

Nondestructive Testing

ANSI/ASNT Standard CP-189, ASNT Standard for Qualification and Certification of

Nondestructive Testing Personnel

NOTE: Where gender specific words such as "his", "her", "he" or "she" appear in this document the other gender is also
applicable.

Inquiries related to this document should be directed to the following address:

Certification Management Council Chairman c/o

ASNT Chief Technical Officer
The American Society for Nondestructive Testing
1711 Arlingate Lane
P.O. Box 28518
Columbus, Ohio 43228-0518

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1.0 Scope

This document establishes the system for application of Industry Sector Qualification
examinations administered and maintained by the American Society for Nondestructive Testing
(ASNT).

The purpose of the Industry Sector Qualification (ISQ) Program is to provide the Oil & Gas
industry with NDT personnel who have demonstrated competency in practical application of a
specific technique through hands on performance demonstration qualification examinations. The
administration of written examinations is currently not intended to be part of this document &
program.

The nondestructive testing techniques covered, but not limited to, in this program are:

a) UT Thickness examination for Corrosion & Laminations in steel

b) UT Shearwave Flaw Detection & Characterization for welds in steel

c) UT Phased Array Flaw Detection & Characterization for welds in steel

d) UT Time of Flight (TOFD) Flaw Detection & Characterization for welds in steel

Other NDT test methods and/or techniques, can and, will be added to this program as industry
needs are identified and/or examination sponsorship is provided.

2.0 Definitions

2.1 Authorized examination center (AEC): An organization with facilities and

personnel, independent of the employer that has been authorized and approved by
the ASNT Certification Management Council (CMC) to administer NDT
qualification examinations.
2.2 Authorized Examination Proctor (AEP): An individual that has been authorized
and approved by the ASNT Certification Management Council (CMC), and the
International Service Center (ISC) certification group, to administer NDT
qualification examinations at an authorized examination center (AEC) or an
approved remote examination location.
2.3 Candidate: An individual seeking qualification in accordance with this document.
2.4 Certification Management Council (CMC): The ASNT council that has the
overall responsibility for developing and maintaining the technical content of all
ASNT certification programs and shall have the sole responsibility for the
determination of certification outcomes in those programs.
2.5 Employer: The corporate, private, or public entity that directly employs NDT
personnel for wages, salary, fees or other considerations.
2.6 Employer authorization: The process whereby an employer’s NDT Level III reviews the

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 knowledge and experience of the employer’s NDT personnel and determines if further
training or examination is required and then, on behalf of the employer, authorizes
personnel to perform NDT for that employer.
2.7 Industrial Sector (IS): A specific area in industry or technology where specialized NDT
practices are utilized requiring specific skill, knowledge, equipment or training to achieve
satisfactory performance.
2.8 Industry Sector Qualification (ISQ): A qualification program where practical
demonstration examinations are given to an NDT examiner, for a specific NDT technique
applicable to a given industry sector, to assess competency in performing examinations.
The ISQ shall be awarded upon successful passing of the examination.
2.9 International Services Center Certification Group: The ASNT department
responsible for the administration and facilitation of ASNT certification programs in
accordance with procedures developed by the ASNT Certification Management Council
(CMC).
2.10 Practical Examination: An examination designed to assess the candidate's actual
application of a specific NDT method or technique by hands-on testing of specimens to
detect, identify, and record indications in those samples.
2.11 Qualification: As it pertains to the ISQ program, within this document and elsewhere,
qualification refers to the verification of competency in a given method and technique
through hands on performance demonstration testing. It does not refer to the use of the
word qualification as it pertains to NDT certification.
2.12 Steering Committee: The group of O&G owner / operator subject-matter experts
responsible for the development and maintenance of the ISQ program that fairly and
equitably represents the interests of all parties significantly concerned with the ISQ-O&G
scheme without any particular interest predominating. The parent committee is the ASNT
Certification Management Council (CMC) over the Oil & Gas owner/user steering
committee for the ISQ-O&G program.
2.13 Test specimen: a sample of a product form containing known discontinuities used in
practical examinations.
NOTE: Test specimens are representative of products typically tested in the Oil & Gas industrial
sector and may include more than one area or volume to be tested.

3.0 Responsibilities

3.1 Certification Management Council (CMC)

The ASNT Certification Management Council is the designated ASNT certification authority
made up of NDT subject matter experts that serve as the certification committee for ASNT.
Their role shall be as follows:

3.1.1 The CMC shall develop and maintain the content of all qualification
examinations;
3.1.2 The CMC shall develop and have final approval of procedures for the ISQ
– O&G including establishment of requirements for the administration of
the examinations;

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 3.1.3 The CMC shall determine, define and implement Industrial Sectors (IS’s)
within the ISQ program;
3.1.4 The CMC shall oversee various Industry Sector owner/user groups and/or
steering committees who are used to establish and promote various industry
sector examinations, endorsements, or programs; and
3.1.5 The CMC shall approve all AEC’s and AEP’s.

3.2 Oil & Gas Steering Committee

3.2.1 The steering committee shall identify areas of need related to techniques to be
developed in this program, order of rollout and locations of examination centers.
3.2.2 Shall approve all ISQ program procedures.
3.2.3 Shall periodically assess the programs validity and competence and provide
feedback to the CMC & ASNT.

3.3 Authorized Exam Centers (AECs) & Authorized Exam Proctors (AEP’s)

3.3.1 AECs, when authorized by the CMC, may be established at various geographical
locations to provide greater access to examinations for its members and users.
3.3.2 AECs may perform only those examination functions for which they have been
authorized by the CMC; e.g. proctoring of examinations.
3.3.3 AEP’s when authorized by CMC may administer remote ISQ examinations.
Requirements shall be defined by the CMC.

3.4 ASNT International Service Center (ISC) Certification Group

3.4.1 Shall implement all requirements related to qualification activities as

developed or approved by the CMC.
3.4.2 Shall provide the final grading of examinations and issuance of qualification
documentation.
3.4.3 Shall oversee procedures for and operation of, the Industry Sector
Qualification examinations in accordance with this document.
3.4.4 Shall maintain ultimate responsibility for the qualification credentials that are
issued.
3.4.5 Shall maintain and assure the safety, security and the confidentiality of the test
samples.

4.0 Application Requirements

4.1 A completed application for the various examinations shall be submitted to ASNT for
approval and scheduling of the examination.

4.2 The applicant (either individual or employer) shall be required to provide the following:

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 4.2.1 Name
4.2.2 Address
4.2.3 Phone number
4.2.4 Unique Email address
4.2.5 ASNT Member number (if applicable)
4.2.6 Passport Photo (Photo verified at exam location)
4.2.7 Payment Method

4.3 For qualification examinations which require a prerequisite, those prerequisites shall be
addressed in the individual examination protocol documents.

5.0 ISQ Examination

5.1 A hands-on practical examination will be used to assess the candidate's ability to
perform the NDT technique on a minimum number of samples and product forms per
the applicable ISQ. When designated by the exam, multiple areas of interest may be
contained in one test specimen. The specimens and areas of interest contain actual or
artificially induced discontinuities representing those discontinuities found in the
product type and Industry Sector for which qualification is sought. Candidates must
locate, interpret, and evaluate discontinuities and properly document test results.

5.2 The exam protocols, exam samples, procedures, grading criteria, and exam sample keys
are maintained confidentially with ASNT and approved by review from the CMC Oil &
Gas steering committee.

5.3 Scope of Qualification: Currently the ISQ is a supplement to a technicians existing

NDT certification. The ISQ is NOT an NDT certification on its own. It is still the
responsibility of the technician’s employer to certify in accordance with their written
practice or verify their NDT personnel’s certification before sending them on NDT
activities and to provide evidence of their personnel’s certification to their clients.

5.4 Grading: The grading of examinations is performed by ASNT ISC Certification Group
staff using grading protocols approved by the CMC. Grading is not performed by AEC
or AEP examiners. Grading protocols for each ISQ exam is covered in the exam
specific protocol documents.

5.5 Re-examination Policy: Candidates who fail the exam shall meet the following conditions
to apply and retake the examination additional times.

5.5.1 After a failure on the first attempt, an immediate retake shall be allowed
following the same application process as the initial attempt.

5.5.2 After a failure on a second attempt, a thirty (30) day waiting period will be
required before an additional application will be processed and an exam can be
attempted. The application process shall be the same as the initial application
process. It is strongly recommended that the candidate participate in additional
training for the exam method in preparation for an additional exam attempt.

5.5.3 After a failure on a third attempt, a ninety (90) day waiting period will be

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 required before an additional application will be processed and an exam can be
attempted. The application process shall be the same as the initial application
process. It is strongly recommended that the candidate participate in additional
training for the exam method in preparation for an additional exam attempt.

5.5.4 After a failure on a fourth attempt and all subsequent attempts, a one hundred
eighty (180) day waiting period will be required before an additional application
will be processed and an exam can be attempted. The application process shall
be the same as the initial application process. It is strongly recommended that the
candidate participate in additional training for the exam method in preparation
for an additional exam attempt.

5.5.5 Any individual found to be in violation of the ASNT examination rules or code
of ethics shall be reported to the ASNT ISC certification group in accordance
with CMC 15.3.1.2.

6.0 Examination Results and Notification

6.1 ASNT ISC shall send examination results in Pass/Fail format to the candidate by
electronic mail within ten (10) business days (2-weeks) and shall be posted on the
ASNT ISQ online database within twenty (20) business days (4 weeks) from the date of
the examination.

6.2 Upon completion of all ISQ examinations required for the applicable test method or
technique, ASNT ISC will send electronic notification to the candidate to inform them
whether they have met the requirements for the ISQ method(s) or technique(s)
attempted.

6.3 By posting a Pass result on the ASNT ISQ online database, ASNT ISC verifies that the
individual has successfully completed a performance demonstration; however, ASNT
does not give authority or license to that individual to perform NDT. The employer or
other 3rd party shall be responsible to assure competency, certification, and performance
of NDT personnel through employer authorization.

6.4 Upon successful completion of ISQ examinations ASNT ISC shall add the technician’s
information to the online database of current ISQ holders. This database shall be on the
ASNT website and list all current technicians with an ISQ.

7.0 ISQ Validity

7.1 ISQ shall remain valid for a period not to exceed three calendar years. ISQ renewal shall
be by examination only.

7.2 Qualifications that are not renewed by the expiration date shall be considered expired.

7.3 The expiration of prerequisite qualifications does not affect the validity of any other
qualifications with ASNT.

7.4 New validation periods shall be for three (3) years from the current expiration when a

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 renewal examination is successfully completed within the three (3) months prior to the
current expiration.

7.5 Violations to the ISQ Code of Ethics shall be handled per CMC 15.3.1.2.

7.6 ISQ shall be revoked if the CMC determines that the qualification holder has violated
the applicable code of ethics.

7.7 If ISQ is revoked, ASNT ISC will no longer publish the qualification on the website.

8.0 Documentation

8.1 ASNT ISC shall maintain an online list of all ISQ individuals including the Industrial
Sectors, and NDT methods or techniques for which qualification is held and provide a
searchable database on the ASNT website.
8.2 All individual ISQ files are considered confidential and are maintained by ASNT ISC in
a secure location and for a duration in accordance with approved ASNT procedures.

9.0 Appeals, Complaints and Disputes

9.1 Appeals, Complaints and Disputes shall be handled in accordance with CMC 15.3.1.7.
9.2 Confidentiality: Information gained in the course of the ISQ process shall not be
disclosed to any third party except as required by law.

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