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By Haley Cowans
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In a new episode of Chat NDT with ASNT, host Debbie Segor, CAE, sits down with Gary Zimak, Director of Quality Supply at Newport News Shipbuilding, and Brian Frye, Program Manager at ASNT, to delve into the intricacies of the recently launched Navy Shipbuilders NDT Level III Specific Exam. This Q&A about the new exam has been adapted from their conversation. For more details on these and more topics, listen to the full episode.
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Q: What is NAVSEA?
A: NAVSEA stands for the Naval Sea Systems Command, an organization that is an arm of the United States Navy. NAVSEA engineers, builds, buys, and maintains ships, submarines, and combat systems. It provides the requirements for shipbuilders to follow, which includes an NDT program.
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Q: What is the Navy Shipbuilders NDT Level III Specific Exam?
A: This is a Newport News Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat project, working together with NAVSEA and the US Navy. These organizations have been looking for ways to improve how the shipbuilder suppliers administer the examiner-specific examination to NDT Level IIIs. Currently, all examiner personnel are required to pass an examiner-specific examination in accordance with NAVSEA Technical Publication T9074-AS-GIB-010/271, also referred to as NAVSEA 271. This is a technical publication generated by the Navy that shipbuilders follow to manage their NDT programs.
After evaluating the benefits of using a third party, such as ASNT, the group implemented a detailed strategy working with ASNT to develop and administer the Specific Exams. These exams will be administered through ASNT using Pearson VUE.
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Q: What are the benefits of the new Navy Shipbuilders NDT Level III Specific Exam to the industry?
A: Previously, NAVSEA 271 required that the Specific Exams be administered by the employer. Just like any other program or any other process, there’s always some inherent variability in the quality of the exams when they’re administered by every organization throughout the supply base. Working with ASNT ensures that the exams achieve the highest standards in accordance with the Navy as well as ASNT. This adds consistency and rigor to the examination process and provides a centralized database that can be searched to find certified Level IIIs. It will also eliminate the need for suppliers to administer their own Specific Exam.
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Q: What are the benefits of the new Navy Shipbuilders NDT Level III Specific Exam to individuals working in this industry?
A: With this new exam, inspectors will no longer have to continually take multiple Specific Exams for each company they work for. If they have ASNT certification along with this new Specific Exam, one Specific Exam will cover all the work.
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Q: Who can take the Navy Shipbuilders NDT Level III Specific Exam?
A: Anyone who performs work in accordance with Newport News Shipbuilding or General Dynamics Electric Boat where a contract invokes NAVSEA 271 can take this exam. That is, if you are a supplier of either Newport News Shipbuilding or Electric Boat and you are performing work in accordance with those requirements, you will be able to take that exam. However, if you’re an individual who does not currently have a contract either through one of Newport News Shipbuilding’s or General Dynamics Electric Boat’s primes or sub tiers, we will not allow you to take the exam at this time.
The individuals who will be taking this exam have either been previously certified through the company they work for—so that company would have previously administered their Specific Exam—or they could be a brand-new Level III just starting for a company, and this might be the first time they’re taking this exam.
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Q: Will there be training material available to prepare for this NDT Level III Specific Exam?
A: Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding are working together to develop training material that will be available to the NDT Level III Examiner candidates prior to taking the exam.
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Haley Cowans is the Content Strategist at ASNT, hcowans@asnt.org.
Debbie Segor, CAE, is the Marketing and Communications Manager at ASNT, and the host of Chat NDT with ASNT. To be a guest on the podcast, contact dsegor@asnt.org.
For more information, listen to the full episode below or contact Gary Zimak at gary.zimak@hii-nns.com .
Hi there ,
It’s my pleasure to contact with you, I hope this Replay finds you well.
I work as Safety Engineer in Saudi Arabia with 2 years of experience, my question is can I get one of your Certificates? And what Certificate should I consider taking if I want to be accredited ?
Yours sincerely
Thank you for commenting!
To learn more about ASNT Certifications checkout our website at https://asntcertification.org/. For specific questions, the Certification & Accreditation Department will be able to help you. Please contact them directly at certifications@asnt.org
We’re in Australia Defence but want to be part of the servicing of the Virginia Class, hence a ‘chicken & egg’ situation, so are there any appeals to take the NAVSEA exam.
Thank you for commenting!
Eligibility is restricted to NDT Level III Test Examiners contracted to work for:
• U.S. Navy
• Huntington Ingalls/Newport News
• General Dynamics Electric Boat
• A prime contractor of these entities
More information is available here: https://www.asntcertification.org/Get_Certified/Naval-Shipbuilders-NDT-Level-III.aspx
Call me when you are ready for your first person to attempt the exam!