As most of us in the aerospace world we have to deal with NADCAP.  When certifying an operator is Penetrant and Mag Particle inspections required? I have the official AWS interpretation.

AWS D17.1 Interpretation
Subject: Inspection and Examination Requirements
Code Edition: D17.1:2001
Code Provision: Paragraph 4.3.8.1
AWS Log: D17.1-01-I01
Inquiry: Paragraph 4.3.8.1 states that test welds for welder qualification shall be
inspected to Class A requirements. The paragraph further defines the inspection
methods (i.e. visual and X-ray for groove welds with alternative methods of
bend testing and metallographic for fillet welds). The suggested record from
Figure 4.1 also only defines visual, radiographic and metallographic in the test
results section.
Neither paragraph 4.3.8.1 nor Figure 4.1 define that Penetrant Testing (PT) or
Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) are required.
Class A inspection is however required. In paragraph 6.4 which defines the
inspection criteria, PT / MPI are mandated for Class A welds.
For Welder Qualification Tests, is PT for non-ferrous or MPI for ferro-magentic
materials required to be performed?
Response: Requirements in paragraph 4.3.8.1 specify both the methods of inspection and
acceptance criteria of Class A welds shall be performed for welder and welding
operator qualification. Figure 4.1 contains suggested content and format which
is provided as an example only.

Section 4.3.8.1 only refers to Metallograhpic and X-ray. Section 4 addresses welder qualification.  This is NADCAPS official standing on this.

Dear Nadcap Weld Program Participant:

The Weld Task Group has revised its Audit Criteria (AC7110, AC7110/1-9, AC7110/12, and AC7110/13) and has introduced User Member Supplemental Criteria ( AC7110/3S, AC7110/4S, AC7110/5S, AC7110/6S, AC7110/12S and AC7110/13S). Note that not all Audit Criteria have corresponding User Member Supplemental Criteria. This notification serves as the announcement of those revisions.

PRI Operating Procedure requires a 90-day notification of checklist revisions prior to their use in Nadcap audits. Thus, all Weld audits initiated on or after April 4, 2010 shall utilize the revised Audit Criteria and Supplemental Criteria.  Audits initiated between now and April 4, 2010 are encouraged to follow the new checklists and supplemental criteria.

All of the Audit Criteria and User Member Supplemental Criteria mentioned above can be found in Resources menu of eAuditNet by choosing Documents and clicking on Audit Checklists then by filtering on Welding.  Any changes made to the Audit Criteria are denoted by a vertical line to the left of the change.

Corresponding Handbooks are available for the new checklist revisions and can be located in the Resources menu of eAuditNet by choosing Documents and clicking on Public Documents, then Welding and Handbooks.

This change is predominantly to align the checklists in a standard Nadcap format, with unique Prime requirements being removed from the main checklists and added into the User Member Supplemental Criteria checklists. The Task Group has also taken the opportunity to allow limited usage of N/A answers. These can however only be used as defined in the checklists.

Should you have any questions regarding these revisions, please feel free to contact a member of the Nadcap Weld Department:

Best regards,

Nadcap Weld Task Group

Most of the people I have talked to in the industry as well as a few testing labs feel that NADCAP took the aws incorrectly.  The old 1595 didn'r require this. Can anyone enlighten me on this? I've read D17 time and time again and can't figure out how they came to this.