The MT General outline change for exams after 15 December 2026

This page sets out which list applies, how the old headings line up with the new domains, and which tasks are new enough to need their own study time. For the eligibility side, read NDT Level II requirements by method. UT has its own dated change, covered in the UT General outline change.

Which outline applies to your exam date

The headings on ASNT's examinations page split the MT General topics by exam date. ASNT's 9712 Level II examinations page carries the same date and the same two MT lists, so the two pages agree on this point. That page belongs to the separate ASNT 9712 program; check which program your application names before relying on either.

Your exam date	Topic list ASNT shows for it	Items and time
Before 15 Dec 2026	10 topics, headed "For Exams Prior to 15 December 2026"	50 items, 2 hours
On 15 Dec 2026	Not assigned by either heading (see below)	50 items, 2 hours on both lists
After 15 Dec 2026	5 domains with task statements, headed "For Exams After 15 December 2026"	50 items, 2 hours

Unresolved in ASNT's published headings: an appointment on 15 December 2026 itself. One list says "prior to" and the other says "after", so neither covers that day in words. If your seat falls on that date, ask ASNT which outline your exam will follow when you book, and keep the answer with your appointment confirmation.

ASNT's examinations page also carries a banner saying it is rolling out revised exam topics for several NDT methods. Dated changes like this one can move, so re-read the page shortly before your exam, and again if you reschedule.

ASNT does not publish a percentage weight or item count for any MT topic or domain on either list. Any split you see in a course or practice product, including ours, is that provider's own assumption.

Booking rules that matter near the date

These rules come from the examinations page, checked 20 Oct 2026. They decide which side of 15 December you land on if plans change.

• Retakes: a failed exam can be retaken after a 30-day wait, and you apply and pay again through MyCert and get a new approval letter before scheduling. The retake fee is $370 for members and $410 for nonmembers, per the program page.
• Reschedules: changes must be made at least 48 hours before the appointment, or the exam fee is lost.
• Booking window: all applied-for exams must be scheduled and completed within one year of the Letter of Approval.
• Delivery: computer-based, in person at Pearson VUE or an ASNT Authorized Exam Center, with no walk-ins. Exams are in English, with an online translation dictionary of NDT terms.

Two consequences follow from the dates (our reading, not an ASNT ruling). First, a failed attempt taken after 15 November 2026 cannot be retaken until after 15 December, so the retake would sit under the later heading. Second, moving an appointment from early December into January moves you from one list to the other. If either case is likely, study the new domains now rather than in the gap between attempts.

The old topics mapped to the new domains

ASNT does not publish a crosswalk between the two lists. The table below is our editorial mapping, made by reading each old heading against the new task statements. It is a study aid, not ASNT's equivalence, and an MT Level III has not yet checked it. Most old headings spread across more than one new domain.

Earlier topic (before 15 Dec 2026)	Where it sits in the new domains (our mapping)
1. Principles	Domain 1, MT Principles and Theory
2. Flux Fields	Domain 1 (choosing the field type for the part's shape); Domain 3 (how each technique sets up the field)
3. Effects of Discontinuities on Materials	Domain 1 (theory); Domain 4 (characterizing indications)
4. Magnetization by Means of Electric Current	Domain 1 (choosing the magnetizing current); Domain 3 (direct contact, central conductor, prod and coil techniques)
5. Selecting the Proper Method of Magnetization	Domain 3 (selecting the technique); Domain 1 (field type and particle type)
6. Demagnetization Procedures	Domain 3 (applying demagnetization and verifying it)
7. Equipment	Domain 2, Use and Care of MT Equipment and Accessories; Domain 3 (yoke technique)
8. Types of Discontinuities	Domain 4 (relevant, nonrelevant and false indications); Domain 3 (examining for surface flaws)
9. Evaluation Techniques	Domain 4 (sizing, recording and reporting); Domain 5 (accept or reject decisions)
10. Quality Control of Equipment Processes	Domain 2 (calibration, daily standardization, particle concentration, light intensity, field verification tools)

Read the other way, the five new domains break down like this. The task counts are from ASNT's list after 15 December 2026; the summaries are in our words.

New domain	Tasks listed	What the tasks cover (paraphrased)
1. MT Principles and Theory	4	Choosing field type, magnetizing current and particle type; guiding, training and overseeing MT personnel
2. Use and Care of MT Equipment and Accessories	11	Calibration, setup, daily standardization, bath concentration and contamination, light intensity, operating checks, field verification tools, handling equipment, parts and materials, inventories, work area
3. MT Techniques	9	Selecting a technique; direct contact, central conductor, prod, coil and yoke techniques; examining for surface flaws; demagnetizing and verifying it
4. Interpret, Evaluate, and Document Results	5	Classifying indications, spotting false ones, sizing, recording data, reporting findings
5. Codes, Standards, Specifications, and Procedures	5	Safety protocols, writing work instructions, picking and applying the right procedure (including its calculations), accept or reject decisions

What is new enough to need its own study time

Some task statements have no obvious home under the old headings. If your notes are organized by the 10 earlier topics, these are the gaps to fill first.

New task area	Domain	Why it may be a gap
Daily standardization, particle concentration, light intensity and operating checks	2	Old topic 10 named quality control, but the new list splits it into separate routine checks
Field verification tools	2	Listed as its own task; old notes may treat field strength only as theory
Verifying demagnetization	3	Old topic 6 covered the procedure; the new list adds a separate check that it worked
False indications	4	Listed apart from relevant and nonrelevant indications
Sizing, recording and reporting	4	Old topic 9 was about evaluation; documentation is now spelled out
Writing work instructions and selecting procedures	5	No old heading covered procedure work
Applying procedures and their calculations	5	Ties the technique math to a written procedure rather than to theory alone
Safety protocols and handling equipment, parts or materials	2, 5	Not named in the old list
Training and oversight of MT personnel	1	A supervisory task with no old equivalent
Inventories and work area upkeep	2	Housekeeping tasks with no old equivalent

Domain 5 is the biggest change in kind. The earlier list read like a theory syllabus. The later one asks about working from a written procedure: choosing it, turning it into work instructions, applying its calculations and making the accept or reject call it sets out. Study with a real MT procedure from your employer beside you, and cite codes and standards by section number in your notes rather than copying their text.

How to update your study plan

The following is an editorial method, not an ASNT requirement.

1. Confirm the date. Write your appointment date at the top of your plan and note which heading it falls under. If it is 15 December 2026, get ASNT's answer in writing.
2. Re-file your notes. Take each section of your existing notes and tag it with the new domain from the mapping table. Anything filed under two domains is fine; theory notes often support both Domain 1 and Domain 3.
3. Fill the gap list. Work through the "new task area" table. For each one, write a short explanation in your own words: what the check or task is for, when it is done, and what you do when it fails.
4. Practice from a procedure. For Domains 4 and 5, take a sample part and walk through technique choice, the procedure's acceptance criteria and a written report. A supervisor or Level III can check your reasoning.
5. Do not drop old material. A heading that disappeared is usually folded into a task statement, not removed. Theory on flux fields and current types still supports the technique and equipment tasks.
6. Re-read before the exam. Check the examinations page again in the week before your appointment and after any reschedule.

ASNT links a Level II MT self-study collection from the examinations page and says no single source should be the only basis for exam preparation. Our study material is one source among several in the same way.

Keep certification steps separate

ASNT gives the computer-based General and Specific exams; the employer handles visual acuity, practical and any job-specific exams under its written practice, according to the program page. The outline change affects the MT General topic list only. It does not change the MT training and experience figures on the program page (3 training days, 40 days in the method, 76 days total NDT experience, with a day defined as at least 7 hours). If you are unsure which route your employer uses, read the certification-route comparison.

To see which MT topics you already know, take the free 10-question check. The free check follows the 10-topic list that applies to exams before 15 Dec 2026, so read your score against your own exam date. A practice score does not predict your result or replace your employer's practical assessment.

Sources

Show the list

• ASNT NDT Level II Examinations, ASNT Certification Services. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• ASNT NDT Level II Certification, ASNT Certification Services. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• ASNT 9712 Level II Examinations, ASNT Certification Services. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.