Welding records · Field reference · Checked 26 September 2026
NDT personnel certificate: field-by-field reference (ISO 9712)
An NDT personnel certificate under ISO 9712:2021 states that a named person has shown competence in one method, at one level, in one or more sectors. It is issued by a certification body and is valid for at most five years. It is not, on its own, permission to work: the employer authorises the person to operate. That split between the certificate fields and the employer’s own records is what a register has to capture. Checked 26 September 2026.
Last updated .
On the certificate
Fields the certification body issues
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name and photograph | The certified individual, with a photograph on the certificate or card. | Name spelt differently across certificates, so one person appears twice. | Name and employer in the document template. |
| Certification body | The body that issued the certificate, for example PCN in the UK. | Confused with the training provider or examination centre. | Certification scheme in the document template. |
| Certificate number | The unique identification number. | One number recorded for a person holding several method certificates. | Certifications table in the document template. |
| NDT method | One method per certification, by its acronym: for example UT, RT, MT, PT, VT, ET. | Methods grouped into one row, hiding different expiry dates. | One row per method in the document template. |
| Level | Level 1, 2 or 3. | A level 1 technician recorded as able to interpret results or sign reports, which is not within level 1. | Level per method in the document template. |
| Sector | The product sector (for example welds, castings, forgings, tubes) or the industrial sector the certificate covers. | Sector not recorded, so a castings certificate is relied on for weld inspection. | Recorded with each method in the document template. |
| Limitations | Any restriction on scope, such as a technique or product form. | Left off the register because it is in small print. | Notes in the document template. |
| Date of certification and date of expiry | Validity is at most five years from certification. | Expiry calculated from the exam date or the date the card arrived. | Issue and expiry dates per method in the document template. |
| Signatures | The holder’s signature and that of the certification body’s authorised representative. | Unsigned copies filed as evidence. | Attach the signed certificate. |
Field headings are paraphrased from the certificate content required by ISO 9712:2021. Certification bodies present them in their own formats.
Beside the certificate
Records the employer keeps
These do not appear on the certificate, but renewal and the right to work on a job depend on them.
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authorisation to operate | The employer’s written authorisation for the person to carry out NDT tasks. | Assumed to be implied by the certificate. Certification is evidence of competence; authorisation is the employer’s decision. | Review and sign-off section in the document template. |
| Vision tests | Near-vision acuity checked at least annually, and colour vision as required for the method, with date and result. | Done once at certification and never repeated, which undermines renewal. | Vision test date and result in the document template. |
| Work activity record | Evidence of continued satisfactory work in the method, without significant interruption. | Not kept, so renewal evidence has to be reconstructed from memory. | Not a field; attach timesheets or reports as evidence. |
| Renewal due | Renewal before the five-year expiry, based on vision evidence and continued activity. | Left until expiry, when the certificate has already lapsed. | Recertification section in the document template. |
| Recertification due | Recertification at the end of each second validity period, by examination or, for level 3, a structured credit system. | Confused with renewal. They have different requirements. | Recertification section in the document template. |
The standard defines what counts as a significant interruption and the exact renewal and recertification requirements. Check them with your certification body.
Other schemes
Not every NDT certificate is an ISO 9712 certificate
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| Scheme | Who certifies | What changes in the record |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9712 (for example PCN) | An independent certification body. | Certificate number, body and expiry come from the certificate. |
| ASNT SNT-TC-1A | The employer, under its own written practice. | Certification ends when employment ends; the written practice sets intervals. Record the written practice reference. |
| ANSI/ASNT CP-189 | The employer, to a standard rather than a recommended practice. | As for SNT-TC-1A, with requirements fixed by the standard. |
A customer or code may require one scheme specifically. Record which scheme each certificate was issued under rather than treating them as interchangeable.
What Soteriaa holds today
Soteriaa’s tracked register with due-date alerts covers welder qualifications, WPS and WPQR records. NDT personnel certificates are covered by the NDT personnel certification record document template, which holds the certificate and employer fields above as a draft document, not as a tracked register with reminders. If you need renewal alerts for NDT staff today, keep the expiry dates in your own calendar or register alongside it.
The other field references
The four documents refer to each other: a WPQR supports a WPS, a welder is tested to a WPS, and inspection relies on certified NDT personnel. Welder qualification record fields · WPS fields · WPQR fields. For how the WPS and WPQR differ in purpose, read WPS vs WPQR.
How to use this reference
This is a record-keeping reference to the fields that commonly appear on these documents, checked 26 September 2026 against the current published editions named on the page. It paraphrases field headings; it does not reproduce the standard, and it is not a substitute for it. Qualification ranges, validity rules and acceptance criteria are set by the standard, your code of construction and your certification arrangements, so read those before relying on any field here. Soteriaa organises records and produces document drafts; it does not certify welders or NDT personnel, qualify procedures, or decide whether a range, result or date is acceptable. Soteriaa provides document and workflow tools, not legal assistance or compliance advice. It helps organise records, evidence and deadlines; it does not determine compliance, certify records or submit official reports on your behalf. You review the information and remain responsible for required checks and submissions.