UT Level II practice questions with worked answers

How to use these questions

Cover the answer choices, work the problem on paper, then compare. If you only recognize the right choice after you see it, you have learned the answer, not the skill. On exam day the on-screen calculator is the only one you get (see ASNT Level II exam day), so use a scientific calculator layout for every question below.

All four items are original practice written for this site. They are not ASNT questions, and the numbers are made up. Angles are measured from the normal.

Question 1: Snell's law in a wedge

A plastic wedge has a longitudinal velocity of 2.73 mm/µs. The probe is coupled to steel, where the shear velocity is 3.23 mm/µs. The incident angle in the wedge is 40°. What is the refracted shear-wave angle in the steel?

• A. 40.0°
• B. 49.5°
• C. 32.9°
• D. 59.0°

Answer: B. Snell's law gives sin θ₂ = sin θ₁ × (v₂ / v₁). So sin θ₂ = sin 40° × (3.23 / 2.73) = 0.6428 × 1.1832 = 0.7606, and θ₂ = 49.5°. The beam bends away from the normal because the second velocity is higher. A assumes no bending. C flips the velocity ratio, which is the most common slip: it bends the beam toward the normal. D has no basis in the numbers.

The Snell's law calculator lets you check this with your own inputs.

Question 2: Decibels and screen height

A reflector gives an 80% full-screen-height signal. You want it at 40% so you can compare it with a reference. By how many decibels do you reduce the gain?

• A. 2 dB
• B. 3 dB
• C. 6 dB
• D. 12 dB

Answer: C. The amplitude ratio is 40 / 80 = 0.5, and dB = 20 log₁₀ (0.5) = −6.02, so you reduce gain by about 6 dB. B uses 10 log instead of 20 log, which is correct for power but not for amplitude. D would take the signal down to 20%, because each 6 dB halves the amplitude. A matches nothing in the ratio.

A quick check you can run in your head: 6 dB is about a factor of 2 in amplitude, and 20 dB is a factor of 10. The decibel calculator confirms the arithmetic.

Question 3: Beam path to depth

A 60° shear-wave probe is scanning flat plate 25 mm thick. An indication appears at a beam path of 38 mm. Assume the indication is in the first leg. What is the reflector's depth below the scanning surface?

• A. 19.0 mm
• B. 32.9 mm
• C. 38.0 mm
• D. 65.8 mm

Answer: A. Depth in the first leg is beam path × cos(beam angle) = 38 × cos 60° = 19.0 mm. Check the assumption: 19.0 mm is less than the 25 mm thickness, so the reflector is before the back wall and the first-leg assumption holds. B is the surface distance from the probe index, 38 × sin 60°. C is the path length itself. D doubles the surface distance.

Questions like this punish a missing sketch. Draw the plate, the beam leaving at 60° from the normal, and a right triangle with the beam path as its hypotenuse. Depth is the side along the normal, so it uses cosine. Surface distance is the side along the surface, so it uses sine. The skip distance calculator helps once you have the picture.

Question 4: Resolution and frequency

You need to tell two reflectors apart when they sit close together in depth. Which change helps most?

• A. Move to a lower-frequency probe
• B. Move to a higher-frequency, well-damped probe
• C. Raise the gain until both signals saturate
• D. Use more couplant

Answer: B. A higher frequency means a shorter wavelength, and a well-damped probe produces a shorter pulse, so two close reflectors are more likely to show as separate signals. The trade-off is that higher frequencies attenuate faster, so penetration drops in coarse-grained or thick material. A moves the wrong way. C hides detail. D does nothing to pulse length.

When you miss a question like this, ask what the trade-off was. Judgment questions usually hinge on knowing both sides of it.

A weekly drill routine

Run this loop once a week:

1. Sit a short set cold. Ten questions, scientific calculator layout, no notes.
2. Log each miss in one line. Write the topic, then tag it physics, geometry, calculation or judgment, then write one fix.
3. Redo the working with new numbers. Change the angle or the velocity and solve again. If you get it wrong, your method is the problem, not the arithmetic.
4. Draw before you read the choices on any weld question. Most weld evaluation is geometry once the picture is right.
5. Wait a few days before you repeat a set. A repeat score measures memory.

Read the six topics in the UT General exam guide and cover all of them, since ASNT publishes no topic weights. The UT formulas guide states the convention for each equation, which matters when two sources write the same formula differently. If your exam is after the outline change, check the dates in the outline change guide first.

For a calendar around these drills, use the 30, 60 and 90 day UT plan. If you are fitting study around shifts, how to study while working full time shows how to slot 15-minute sessions into a work week.

Next step

Take the free 10-question check to see exactly which topics to fix. It needs no signup, scores you by topic and explains every answer. Ten questions are a sample, not a forecast of your exam result, so treat the topic list as your starting point and run the drill routine on whatever it names.

FAQ

Are these the questions on the real UT Level II exam?

No. They are original practice items with invented numbers, written to ASNT's published topics. Never seek out real or recalled exam items; candidates agree to keep the exam confidential.

How many practice questions should I do before the exam?

There is no magic number. Quality matters more than volume: after each set, you should be able to explain every miss without the choices in front of you. A smaller set you review deeply beats a large set you skim.

Do I need to memorize the UT formulas?

Know what each formula means and how to set it up from a sketch. You get a built-in calculator on the exam, so the skill is choosing the right relationship and keeping units straight.

Why do I keep missing weld geometry questions?

Usually because the sketch is missing. Draw the plate, the beam angle and the right triangle before you pick a formula, then decide whether the question wants depth, surface distance or beam path.