National/international round robin studies and industry events have shown that current NDE personnel qualification and certification programs do not result in high levels of probability of detection in certain applications. To address these weaknesses, a new approach is needed to include industry best and proven practices such as the Systematic Approach to Training, Job Task Analysis, and Qualification Cards to direct the development of training and experience. The objective of the new approach is to consistently improve the skill level of NDE practitioners through effective training and proficiency demonstrations by applying psychometric and performance-based practices for both written and practical examinations. This paper will primarily focus on the current performance issues and industry-proven practices that will result in improved NDE reliability.