The AWS Certified Radiographic Interpreter program certifies the ability of individuals to properly assess welding-related indications produced on radiographic film and related media.

The AWS Radiographic Interpreter Certification assures employers and practitioners alike that the principles of radiographic interpretation are reliably applied to the examination of welds. If your job responsibilities include reading and interpretation of weld radiographs, this program is for you. You’ll learn proper film exposure, correct selection of image quality indicators, characterization of indications, and use of acceptance criteria as expressed in the AWS, API, and ASME codes.

Your certification as an AWS Certified Radiographic Interpreter demonstrates your ability to analyze radiographs of weldments, and that you have met the requirements of AWS B5.15:2010, Specification for the Qualification of Radiographic Interpreters.

Five-Day Seminar

The five-day AWS Certified Radiographic Interpreter (CRI) Seminar is designed to ensure that individuals have the knowledge to properly assess indications produced on radiographic media of weldments or adjacent base metal. It will prepare you for the CRI Certification exam, which is given at the end of each seminar week.

Interpreting radiographs involves more than staring into a light box and making a “judgment call.” The radiographic interpreter must determine whether the radiograph has been exposed properly, whether the image quality indicators have been correctly chosen in accordance with code requirements, and which specific acceptance criteria are applicable under the governing code. Failure to do any of these tasks can put your product, your company’s reputation, or your job at risk. 

The time and money spent on taking the seminar and upgrading your qualifications in this area can pay your employer back many times over. You can be assured that the American Welding Society will deliver a quality product, backed by leading experts in the field of radiographic interpretation. Our training provides the necessary knowledge. The certification provides your employer with proof that the training was effective.

You’ll learn:

• Nature and properties of X- and gamma radiation
• Photographic aspects
• Fundamental aspects of radiographic quality
• Radiation safety principles
• X-ray and gamma ray equipment
• Effects of equipment change on radiographic quality
• Geometry of image formation
• Exposure calculations
• Application to welds
• Viewing radiographs
• Welding technology

Your CRI Seminar and Exam Week

• General (70 questions) and Specific (78 questions) - 3 hours
• Practical (40 questions reading film) - 3 hours

Over $200 Worth of Books Included

The following publications are provided to participants at the seminar: AWS B1.10, Guide for the Nondestructive Examination of Welds; AWS Radiographic Interpretation Textbook; AWS Radiographic Interpretation Workbook; and ASNT Radiographic Interpretation.

A three-year individual AWS membership for nonmembers is also included. Once you are certified, you will receive a free subscriptiion to Inspection Trends magazine to keep you informed of the latest developments in testing and materials inspection.

CRI Certification Can Also Be a CWI Endorsement

If you are a CWI or SCWI and you successfully pass your exam for CRI certification, this endorsement makes your existing certification even more valuable. It can also exempt you from your next 9-Year CWI or SCWI Recertification Exam. Certified Welding Inspectors often find themselves required to use their skills in the interpretation of radiographs. The AWS Radiographic Interpreter program helps them expand their credentials in a related inspection skill.

Do You Qualify?
 
In order to take the examination as a Certified Radiographic Interpreter, you must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Visual Requirements. Good near-vision is necessary to perform the functions of the radiographic interpreter. The inability to differentiate relatively small indications on radiographic film may result in allowing weldments or adjacent base metal with rejectable defects to be placed into service. You must pass an eye examination, with or without corrective lenses, to prove near-vision acuity on Jaeger J2 letters at not less than 12 inches in each eye. The eye exam must be administered by qualified personnel and must be performed not more than seven months prior to the date of the successful completion of the exam or recertification. 
• Education Requirements. A valid high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED).
• Training Requirements. A minimum of 40 hours of organized training in radiographic interpretation/ examination (fulfilled by the AWS CRI Seminar) related to the topics covered in the seminar.
• Experience Requirements. At least one year experience as a company-certified or nationally-certified individual in radiographic interpretation, or performing radiographic interpretation under the direct supervision of such an individual, is required. In some cases, a maximum of six months of other NDE experience or education can be substituted for radiographic interpretation experience.

For More Information

Call 1-800-443-9353 ext 273 now for more information or to receive a detailed application packet. Please apply six weeks in advance.

For custom training at your facility, call 1-800-443-9353 ext 229.

CRI Program Application

CRI Re-Exam Application

CRI Renewal Application

Technical Documents
CRI Body of Knowledge
QC15:2008  Specification for the Certification of Radiographic Interpreters
B5.15:2010  Specification for the Qualification of Radiographic Interpreters