The industry spoke and ASNT listened. The industry needs advanced practical qualification exams without the full program cost. The purpose of the Industry Sector Qualification (ISQ) program is to provide the oil and gas industry with NDT personnel who have demonstrated competency in practical application of a specific technique through hands-on performance demonstration qualification examinations.

The ISQ program will:

• standardize performance demonstration initiative testing of NDT technicians
• alleviate the burden of owner/operators from providing their own NDT performance demonstration program
• provide a program for owner/operators that do not have their own NDT performance demonstration program
• provide global availability
• establish an industry recognized program for the oil and gas sector while minimizing the impact of cost and redundant testing of nondestructive testing (NDT) technicians.

The program will strive to meet the standards of all participating owner/operator representatives, and to achieve the full support of the industry.

ASNT is initially developing four ultrasonic testing (UT) technique qualifications that can be used as standalone qualifications or incorporated into an employer-based program. Additional technique exams will be added to meet industry needs as defined by participating oil and gas owner/operators.

During the initial program launch, the first technique to roll out will be UT Thickness, which emphasizes the candidate's ability to distinguish wall loss from laminations and accurately measure remaining wall thickness, potentially savings hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs or loss of production. Shear Wave, Phased Array, and Time Of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) for ASME weld quality will follow.

Limited release: the program will be released in June 2019 at one facility in Houston, Texas.

A full rollout in the United States will take place in the last quarter of 2019, followed by the international market in 2020.

The full rollout will bring many efficiencies to the process including group registration, an online scheduling system, and an online system for entering answers and grading.

About the ISQ Program

• Program Document (PDF) for the ASNT ISQ program.
• Examinations – the structure of the exams, including examination protocol, examination instructions and grading forms.

Apply for ISQ