I am sure you are aware of BINDT’s current PCN Scheme, which was designed to meet the requirements of BS EN ISO 9712:2012. You will also probably be aware that BS EN ISO 9712:2012 was subject to a significant review to meet current industry requirements. The review was necessary to allow current and aspirant certificate holders to take advantage of such things as advances in non-destructive testing (NDT) technology and culminated in the release of BS EN ISO 9712:2022.
You are also probably aware through publication of previous NDT News articles of PCN’s recent commitment to review the current PCN Scheme against those revised and refreshed requirements within BS EN ISO 9712:2022.
To accomplish this task, a decision was taken by the BINDT Certification Management Committee to form a working group with the remit that a revised certification scheme format should be designed and implemented to meet the revised requirements contained within the revised standard. I can now inform you that this significant piece of work is all but complete and that revised PCN Scheme documents are being released to BINDT’s Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) and Authorised Qualifying Bodies (AQBs) for use by 1 July 2024.
As part of the implementation process and to demonstrate transparency, a ‘PCN24’ workshop was scheduled at BINDT’s Annual Conference last year, which took place at the Northampton Town Centre Hotel to highlight to all PCN’s ATOs and AQBs the development and review process implemented by PCN and to provide, amongst other things, details on the following:
How PCN progressed with a review of the current PCN Scheme in order to benchmark the revised scheme, which would be released as PCN24 (24 denoting the revised scheme release date of January 2024)
How PCN Scheme documents would look in their revised format
How PCN intends to reduce the number of PCN appendix documents potential scheme users would be exposed to on the BINDT website, as it could be demonstrated that many commonalities existed between documents
Details on the revised number of days candidates are required to demonstrate satisfactory completion of an approved training course and in addition for the accrual of practical industrial experience
How revised PCN certificates will provide the employer with additional details/clarification on the candidate’s core NDT competencies tested during the PCN examination
Details on newly developed requirements for the implementation of pre-NDT method training for product technology using online/blended learning techniques/resources
Confirmation that the requirements for candidates to provide a detailed written instruction (PCN Level 2 candidates only) were now standalone and marked independently of other practical examination testing elements. This will be of benefit to any PCN candidate who unfortunately fails the written instruction, as they will now not be required to undertake the full practical testing examination they once would have been expected to
Confirmation that candidates for digital/computed radiographic testing (RT) certification would now not be required to first hold conventional/film RT certification where a suitable specific scheme syllabus has been developed alongside a suitable PCN question database, where the organisation holds suitable test specimens and where the ATO/AQB has digital computed RT on its scope of approval
The introduction of in-house PCN specimen marking guides, eliminating the need for the AQB to produce in-house marking guides and allowing PCN to standardise/benchmark marking, while reducing the overall burden on the AQB to have its marking schemes authorised at audit.
The event update highlighted requirements that would feature within revised PCN Scheme appendix documents scheduled for release on the BINDT web portal shortly and in addition provided a period of six months for organisations to become conversant with the revised scheme document format to ensure their businesses are suitably positioned on 1 July 2024.
The revised requirements detailed herein in conjunction with those revisions highlighted within BS EN ISO 9712:2022 (see below) should provide you with the necessary information required to move forward with PCN certification from 1 July 2024.
The main changes within BS EN ISO 9712:2022 compared to the previous edition are as follows:
Clarified responsibilities for the certification body, the authorised qualification body, the examination centre and the employer
Added and revised definitions
Defined responsibilities for examiners and referees
Revised requirements for the duration of training and industrial experience
Modified requirements for visual acuity testing
Revised requirements for examinations
Revised requirements for the certification documents
Revised requirements for the conditions of certification
Added requirements for candidates for the renewal of certificates
A revised structured credit system for Level 3 recertification
The inclusion of a new Annex F for techniques.
Although this article cannot explain in detail all the latest revisions implemented, revised PCN Scheme documentation will be available to download and view free of charge from the BINDT web portal in the not-too-distant future. All interested parties would be advised to rekindle their relationship with PCN certification through their personal review of PCN24/GEN and any associated PCN method - specific appendix documents.
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