UT Level 2 General exam: topics and format

What the topics mean in practice

• Review of ultrasonic techniques: straight beam and angle beam ultrasonic testing, contact and immersion, and choosing a technique for the job.
• Evaluation of base material product forms: plate, forgings, castings and pipe, and the discontinuities typical of each.
• Evaluation of weldments: scanning welds with angle beams, locating indications, and the geometry behind it: beam angle, skip distance, surface distance and depth.
• Evaluation of bonded structures: testing bonds and laminates.
• Discontinuity detection: how indication type, orientation and size affect what you see on screen.
• General evaluation: calibration, reference standards, sensitivity, and reading and recording indications.

How to prepare

• Take the free check and note which topics cost you the most points.
• Drill one topic at a time in the UT Level 2 quiz: 18 original questions, every answer explained, scored so you see your weakest topic.
• Practice the math by hand: Snell's law for refracted and critical angles, skip distance for a given angle and thickness, and decibel gain to amplitude ratio.
• Work through the UT formulas guide, which has one worked example for each formula and states the convention it uses.
• Look up any term you trip on in the NDT terms glossary: skip distance, near field, DAC, couplant and acoustic impedance each have a drawing and their own page.
• Print the UT study checklist (PDF), which lists what to be able to do under each of the six topics and puts the formulas on one page.
• Tie each formula to a picture of the beam path. Most weld-evaluation questions are geometry once you've drawn it.
• This outline applies to exams taken up to 5 February 2027.

3 sample questions

Original practice items, with angles measured from the normal. The UT formulas guide shows each method step by step.

1. Wavelength. A 2.25 MHz shear wave travels in steel at 3.20 mm/µs. What is its wavelength?

• A. 0.70 mm
• B. 5.45 mm
• C. 1.42 mm
• D. 7.20 mm

Answer: C. Wavelength is velocity divided by frequency: 3.20 / 2.25 = 1.42 mm. A divides the wrong way round, B adds the two numbers and D multiplies them.

2. Couplant. Why does a contact probe need couplant between the wedge and the part?

• A. It removes the air gap, which would reflect almost all of the sound at the surface
• B. It cools the crystal so the frequency stays stable
• C. It converts the longitudinal wave in the wedge into a shear wave
• D. It raises the beam angle in the test material

Answer: A. Air and metal have very different acoustic impedance, so a thin air layer reflects nearly all the energy before it enters the part. Couplant fills the gap. Mode conversion and beam angle come from the wedge and the velocities, not from the couplant.

3. Angle beam. A 60° shear-wave probe is used on flat plate 20 mm thick. How far along the surface does the beam travel between its entry point and the point where it returns to the scanning surface after one full skip?

• A. 34.6 mm
• B. 69.3 mm
• C. 40.0 mm
• D. 23.1 mm

Answer: B. Full skip distance is 2 × thickness × tan(beam angle) = 2 × 20 × tan 60° = 69.3 mm. A is the half skip, the distance to the bottom surface. C forgets the tangent and D divides by it.

Studying MT or PT as well? The ASNT Level 2 study guide lays out every UT, MT and PT guide, tool and post in study order.

Still choosing a class? Ultrasonic testing classes: what to expect covers formats, hours and questions to ask a provider.

Find your weak topics free

Take the free 10-question check for UT General now. It needs no signup, every answer is explained, and it names the topics to drill first. The full course adds timed practice exams, a lesson for each published topic and a study plan built from your exam date. Start the free 10-question check.

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