Fuel element failures in a heterogeneous reactor may result in contamination by the fission products through various parts of the reactor and the associated coolant system. The consequences of such a failure are serious because of the costly and time consuming delays for reactor cleanup. The application of nondestructive tests helps to reduce fuel element failures by insuring the integrity of the fuel elements. The purpose of this paper is to review briefly some of the nondestructive test methods and techniques that have been or can be used to test nuclear reactor fuel elements.