For Individuals

BINDT Membership

The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) is the UK's professional body for individuals and organisations involved with NDT, condition monitoring and all other materials testing disciplines.

Membership of the British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing is open to anyone or any company working in or having an interest in NDT, condition monitoring, diagnostic engineering or materials and quality testing in general.

Individual members range from students embarking on engineering, physics, metallurgy or a wide range of other courses, practitioners in the hands-on world, managers and academics, to research scientists.

Company members – referred to as Corporate Members – come from an equally diverse range of industries: aerospace, power generation, oil & gas, petrochemical and universities, to name but a few – as well as the equipment manufacturers, providers of specialist services and consultancies. For further information on how to join as a company member, see the 'Guide to Corporate Membership'.

Individual membership

The grades of individual membership and entry requirements provide a structured and natural progression through the grades, from Affiliate or Associate to Member. The grade of Fellow is reserved for those who have had long experience of a high calibre and have achieved a position of high responsibility.

Individuals holding specific NDT qualifications, for example PCN or equivalents (see website), may be accepted into membership via the certification routes providing they meet the relevant training and experience requirements. They may progress to higher grades as they acquire higher levels of certification.

The Institute's constitution defines two broad categories of membership: voting and non-voting (previously referred to as corporate and non-corporate). Members in the Affiliate grade are not eligible to vote at Institute meetings; members in all other grades do have a vote.

Members in the Associate member, Honorary member, Honorary Fellow, Member and Fellow grades, together with Licensed Engineering Practitioners, may use post-nominal letters; these are detailed in the sections that follow.

Individuals joining the Institute as members have access to a range of valuable benefits, including:

Status – to demonstrate your standing in the engineering profession;
Education – to further your knowledge and enhance your career prospects;
Information – industry and employment news;
Free copy of Insight*, the Institute's monthly journal;
NDT News* monthly – Branch bulletin and certification news;
Free BINDT Yearbook*;
Free Branch membership;
Personal legal helpline;
Discounts on books, membership items and other goods;
Discounts for attendance at Institute conferences and seminars;
Engineers' registration opportunities – CEng, IEng and EngTech; and
The opportunity to participate in industry committees.

*Online-only copies for Affiliate Members.

Tax relief

Institute subscriptions and Engineering Council registration fees normally qualify for full tax relief, which may be claimed by employed persons who pay UK income tax. Quote reference C1/Sub/958 on the relevant tax return.

Entry requirements for membership of BINDT

Grades and the entry requirements are summarised below. For convenience, the PCN certification system has been used, but equivalents under other systems may also be accepted (please refer to BINDT website at www.bindt.org/membership for further details).

Non-voting grades

Affiliate (incorporating former ‘Student’ grade)
Affiliate membership is open to any persons who have a demonstrable interest in non-destructive testing, condition monitoring or any of the related technologies but who are ineligible for membership at, or who, for whatever reason, does not wish to join at one of the voting grades.
This includes:

bona fide students of science, engineering, metallurgy or other NDT-related subjects;
managers, trainees or assistants engaged in NDT, condition monitoring or related technologies; and
NDT certificate holders who are referred to as BINDT Registered Practitioners.

Voting grades

Associate – AMInstNDT (incorporating former ‘Practitioner’ and ‘Graduate’ grades)
Entry is by one of two routes:
Certification Route requires:

possession of a PCN Level 2 qualification, or equivalent; and
a minimum of three years’ combined approved professional development in NDT, condition monitoring or related technologies.

Standard Academic Route requires:

possession of one or more relevant academic qualifications, for example BTEC/SCOTVEC ordinary certificate or equivalent, in an approved subject; and
a minimum of three years’ combined approved professional development in NDT, condition monitoring or related technologies.

Member – MInstNDT
Entry is by one of four routes:
Certification Route requires:

possession of a PCN Level 3 qualification, or equivalent; and
a minimum of five years’ combined approved professional development in NDT, condition monitoring or related technologies, with at least two years in position(s) of responsibility.

Standard Academic Route requires:

possession of one or more academic qualifications, for example BTEC/SCOTVEC higher certificate or equivalent, in an approved subject; and
a minimum of five years’ experience in NDT, condition monitoring or allied technologies, of which at least two years shall have been devoted to approved training, with at least two years in position(s) of responsibility.

Individual Route (including Experiential Route):

Applicants who do not have exemplifying qualifications to demonstrate the required knowledge and understanding may do so in other ways via the Individual Route, but must clearly demonstrate they have achieved the same level of knowledge and understanding as those with qualifications.
These ways include:

writing a technical report based on experience and knowledge;
following an assessed work-based learning programme;
taking an acceptable academic programme.

Apprenticeship Route:

Applicants will have successfully passed both the NDT Engineer apprenticeship end-point assessment and meet the criteria for Incorporated Engineer.

Fellow – FInstNDT
Entry is limited to candidates who have long experience of a high calibre and responsibility. No specific qualifications are laid down; each application is assessed on the overall merits of the candidate. Typically, candidates would be of at least five years’ standing as a Member and have had at least ten years’ high calibre experience and achieved a position of high responsibility.

Chartered Engineers of at least five years’ standing and scientists of comparable status and seniority may also qualify.

In addition, candidates would normally have made (or be making) a significant contribution to the NDT, condition monitoring or associated industry and/or the Institute.

NOTE: It is the candidate’s responsibility to supply sufficient information to allow BINDT to arrive at a decision on the application. This may take the form of a written justification, which may be requested if not originally supplied.

To apply online visit shopBINDT.

Alternatively, download and complete an application form available from the Downloads link on the left-hand side of the page.