Abstract: A method comprises repeatedly magnetizing a test article by a pulsed axially symmetric magnetic field normal to the surface of the test article, and reading the gradient of a residual field. Magnetizing the article is effected by two trains of pulses in two steps: first until a first instant of discontinuance in the growth of the gradient of a remanent magnetic field and then until a second instant of discontinuance, the pulse amplitude of the second pulse train being lower than a maximum amplitude of the second pulse train.An apparatus to carry out the proposed method comprises a pulse shaper 1 for forming pulses of an axially symmetric magnetic field and a measuring circuit for measuring the gradient of a remanent field normal component. According to the invention said apparatus is further provided with a working storage 4, a comparison circuit 5 and a pulse amplitude measuring device 2 for measuring pulse amplitude at the output of the pulse shaper 1.