- 2nd Party Certification Scheme: is a personnel certification scheme in which an employer is responsible for defining the requirements of personnel qualification and certification. As a result, the employee’s certificates belong to the employer. These certificates can be issued in accordance with SNT-TC-1A, ANSI/ASNT CP-189, AIA/NAS 410, or EN 4179.
- 3nd Party Certification Scheme: is a personnel certification scheme in which the certification processes are defined by a body independent of the employer. These bodies shall be accredited by IAF based on ISO/IEC 17024. These certificates issued in accordance with ISO 9712.
- Accreditation Body (AB): is a reference body that grant accreditation. In Iran, this body has been named as the National Accreditation Center of Iran (NACI). It is accredited by the IAF and ILAC in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011.
- Authorized qualification body: body, independent of the employer, authorized by the certification body to prepare and administer qualification examinations.
- Basic Examination: written examination, at Level 3, which demonstrates the candidate’s knowledge of the materials science and process technology and types of discontinuities, the specific qualification and certification system, and the basic principles of NDT methods as required for Level 2.
- Candidate: individual seeking qualification and certification who gains experience under the supervision of personnel having a qualification acceptable to the certification body.
- Certificate: document issued by the certification body under specified provisions, indicating that the named person has demonstrated the competence(s) defined on the certificate.
- Certification body (CB): body that administers procedures for certification according to specified requirements. For example:Nik Bazdid is a certification body.
- Certification: procedure used by the certification body to confirm that the qualification requirements for a method, level and sector have been fulfilled, leading to the issuing of a certificate.
- Employer: organization for which the candidate works on a regular basis.
- Examination Centre: center approved by the certification body where qualification examinations are carried out.
- Examiner: person certified to Level 3 in the method and product or industrial sector for which he is authorized by the certification body to conduct, supervise and grade the qualification examination.
- General examination: written examination, at Level 1 or Level 2, concerned with the principles of an NDT method.
- Industrial experience: experience, acceptable to the certification body, gained under qualified supervision, in the application of the NDT method in the sector concerned, needed to acquire the skill and knowledge to fulfill the provisions of qualification.
- Invigilator: person authorized by the certification body to supervise examinations.
- International Accreditation Forum (IAF): is a worldwide association of accreditation bodies and other bodies interested in conformity assessment in the fields of management systems (ISO/IEC 17021), products and services (ISO/IEC 17065), personnel (ISO/IEC 17024) and other similar programs of conformity assessment.
- International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation: is an international accreditation organization that validates conformity assessment bodies including calibration processes (ISO/IEC 17025), examination (ISO/IEC 17025), medical laboratories (ISO 15189), inspection institutions (ISO/IEC 17020), proficiency testing (ISO/IEC 17043) and manufacturers of reference materials (ISO 17034).
- Job-specific training: training, provided by the employer (or his agent) to the certificate holder in those aspects of non-destructive testing specific to the employer’s products, NDT equipment, NDT procedures, and applicable codes, standards, specifications and procedures, leading to the award of operating authorizations.
- Main-method examination: written examination, at Level 3, which demonstrates the candidate’s general and specific knowledge, and the ability to write NDT procedures for the NDT method as applied in the industrial or product sector(s) for which certification is sought.
- Multiple-choice examination question: wording of a question giving rise to four potential replies, only one of which is correct, the remaining three being incorrect or incomplete.
- NDT instruction: written description of the precise steps to be followed in testing to an established standard, code, specification or NDT procedure.
- NDT method: discipline applying a physical principle in non-destructive testing.
- NDT procedure: written description of all essential parameters and precautions to be applied when non-destructively testing products in accordance with standard(s), code(s) or specification(s).
- NDT technique: specific way of utilizing an NDT method.
- NDT training: process of instruction in theory and practice in the NDT method in which certification is sought, which takes the form of training courses to a syllabus approved by the certification body.
- Operating authorization: written statement issued by the employer, based upon the scope of certification, authorizing the individual to carry out defined tasks.
- Practical examination: assessment of practical skills, in which the candidate demonstrates familiarity with, and the ability to perform, the test.
- Qualification: demonstration of physical attributes, knowledge, skill, training and experience required to properly perform NDT tasks.
- Qualification examination: examination, administered by the certification body or the authorized qualification body, which assesses the general, specific and practical knowledge and the skill of the candidate.
- Qualified supervision: supervision of candidates gaining experience by NDT personnel certified in the same method under supervision or by non-certified personnel who, in the opinion of the certification body, possess the knowledge, skill, training, and experience required to properly perform such supervision.
- Sector: particular section of industry or technology where specialized NDT practices are used, requiring specific product related knowledge, skill, equipment or training.
- Significant interruption: absence or change of activity which prevents the certified individual from practicing the duties corresponding to the level in the method and the sector(s) within the certified scope, for either a continuous period in excess of one year or two or more periods for a total time exceeding two years.
Legal holidays or periods of sickness or courses of less than 30 days are not taken into account when calculating the interruption.
- Specification: document stating requirements.
- Specific examination: written examination, at Level 1 or Level 2, concerned with testing techniques applied in a particular sector(s),including knowledge of the product(s) tested and of codes, standards, specifications, procedures and acceptance criteria.
- Specimen: sample used in practical examinations, possibly including radiographs and data sets, which is representative of products typically tested in the applicable sector.
A specimen can include more than one area or volume to be tested.
- Specimen master report: model answer, indicating the optimum result for a practical examination given a defined set of conditions (equipment type, settings, technique, specimen, etc.) against which the candidate’s test report is graded.
- Supervision: act of directing the application of NDT performed by other NDT personnel, which includes the control of actions involved in the preparation of the test, performance of the test and reporting of the results.
- Validation: act of demonstrating that a verified procedure works in practice and fulfills its intended function, normally achieved by actual witnessing, demonstration, field or laboratory tests or selected trials.
- Renewal: procedure for revalidation of a certificate without examination at any time up to five years after success in an initial, supplementary or recertification examination.
