Certified Radiographic Interpreter program is one of the best initiatives from the American Welding Society for certification of radiographers, engineers, inspectors, and surveyors. It provides an ability certificate to individuals for assessing welding-related indications produced on radiographic film and related media. The program is most suitable for the person with job-related to reading and interpretation of weld radiographs.
Post Highlights:
- What is the Certified Radiographic Interpreter Program?
- Certified Radiographic Interpreter Program Requirements
- How to Apply for the CRI Program?
- AWS CRI Program Pricing
- Certified Radiographic Interpreter Exam Pattern
- AWS CRI Recertification
- Benefits of CRI Certification
AWS Certified Radiographic Interpreter Program
A radiographic Interpreter is a person who reads and interprets the principles of radiography in welding. During the program, applicants learn to identify characterization of indications, proper film exposure, correct selection of image quality indicators, and how to use acceptance criteria as the codes written in API, AWS, and ASME codes. Further, it provides essential knowledge of radiographic theory, practical interpretation of welds, and casting process.
Technical Documents
B5.15 – Specification for the Qualification of Radiographic Interpreters.
QC15 – Specification for the Certification of Radiographic Interpreters
Certified Radiographic Interpreter Program Requirements
Aspiring candidates need to possess the following minimum eligibility requirements.
1. Education Level – They should have a valid high school diploma or general equivalency diploma (GED) from a welding school.
2. Experiences – They should have at least one year of experience as a nationally-certified or company-certified individual in radiographic interpretation. Or
In some cases, the six months of NDE experience or education can be considered equivalent to radiographic interpretation experience.
3. Visual Requirement – The CRI certification requires applicants to have good near-vision. They should have passed an eye examination with or without contact lenses.
4. Training – They should have had 40 hours of radiographic interpretation training and examination.
How to Apply for the CRI Program?
Aspiring applicants seeking certification for Radiographic Interpreter can apply online by visiting the official website of the American Welding Society i.e. www.aws.org and follow all the instructions carefully.
Certified Radiographic Interpreter Program Pricing
The pricing of AWS certification program for Radiographic Interpreter will in the following ways.
| Sr. No. | Products | AWS Members | Non-members |
| 1 | Exam | $840 | $1,095 |
| 2 | Seminar Only | $1,407 | $1,662 |
| 3 | Initial Seminar and Exam | $1,833 | $2,088 |
| 4 | Renewal by Part B Exam | $720 | $975 |
| 5 | Renewal by Work Experience | $500 | $755 |
| 6 | Retest (All Parts) | $615 | $615 |
| 7 | Retest (Per Part) | $310 | $310 |
| 8 | 9-yrs Recertification by Part B Exam | $805 | $1,060 |
| Total | $7,030 | $8,560 |
Note: The prices for the CRI program is subjected to change without prior notice.
CRI Program Exam Pattern
The syllabus and pattern for the CRI exam are as follows.
I. CRI Exam Syllabus
General Knowledge – It consists of subjects like mathematics, metallurgy, film selection, welding, film processing, radiographic theory, film handling and storage, codes, specifications, etc.
Knowledge of Codes – It comprises topics like
- AWS D1.1
- AWS D15.1
- API 1104 (Radiographic quality and film interpretation)
- ASME B31.3
- ASME B31.1
- ASME Section VIII: Division 1, ASME Section I, ASME Section V
Practical (Film Interpretation) – It consists of topics like interpreting a minimum of 10 radiographs to a code, specification, or other standards.
II. CRI Exam Pattern
The exam consists of multiple-choice types of questions and divided into three Parts i.e. A, B, and C. Each part has its own pass percentage and then cumulative percentage.
| Parts | Subjects | Required % | Duration |
| A | Fundamentals of radiographic inspection | 70% | 3 hours for Part A and C |
| C | Open-book examination on radiographic codes | 70% | |
| B | Interpreting a minimum of 10 radiographs to a code, specification, or standard. | 70% | 3 hours |
Note: For passing successfully the CRI exam, applicants should have scored a minimum of 80% in all the three parts collectively.
III. Taxonomy of Questions
| General Knowledge | Questions % |
| Application to Welds (9.8) | 5% |
| Exposure Calculations (9.7) | 1% |
| Fundamental Aspects of Radiographic Quality (9.3) and Geometry of Image Formation (9.6) | 40% |
| Nature and Properties of X and Gamma Radiation (9.1) | 5% |
| Photographic Aspects (9.2) | 15% |
| Radiation Safety Principles (9.4) | 2% |
| Viewing Radiographs (9.9) | 1% |
| Welding Technology (9.10) | 25% |
| X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Equipment (9.5) | 1% |
| Code Knowledge | Questions % |
| Application to Welds (9.8) | 25% |
| Exposure Calculations (9.7) | 1% |
| Fundamental Aspects of Radiographic Quality (9.3) And Geometry of Image Formation (9.6) | 35% |
| Nature and Properties of X and Gamma Radiation (9.1) | 0% |
| Photographic Aspects (9.2) | 0% |
| Radiation Safety Principles (9.4) | 0% |
| Viewing Radiographs (9.9) | 30% |
| Welding Technology (9.10) | 1% |
| X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Equipment (9.5) | 3% |
| Practical (Film Interpretation) | Questions % |
| Application to Welds (9.8) | 40% |
| Exposure Calculations (9.7) | 0% |
| Fundamental Aspects of Radiographic Quality (9.3) And Geometry of Image Formation (9.6) | 40% |
| Nature and Properties of X and Gamma Radiation (9.1) | 0% |
| Photographic Aspects (9.2) | 0% |
| Radiation Safety Principles (9.4) | 0% |
| Viewing Radiographs (9.9) | 15% |
| Welding Technology (9.10) | 0% |
| X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Equipment (9.5) | 0% |
AWS CRI Recertification
AWS certified radiographic interpreter certification will be valid for three years. Candidates seeking recertification must provide evidence of continuous satisfactory technical performance to the certification authority.
Benefits of CRI Certification
Certified Radiographic Interpreter certification will be beneficial for the applicants in the following ways.
- Certification will make a holder use acceptance criteria correctly
- Imparting confidence while determining radiographic acceptable quality
- Ensuring standards and procedures while working
- Make familiar with the scope of the radiographic interpreter tasks
- Provides knowledge to understand the nature and origin of defects
Thus, the information on the certified radiographic interpreter program is beneficial for inspectors, surveyors, radiographers, and engineers for enhancing their overall job profiles. AWS CRI certification will fetch them a bright career in the welding industry.
Related: Other Welding Certifications
