The effect of crack-depth to specimen-width ratio on Crack Tip Opening Displacement (CTOD) fracture toughness is an important consideration in relating the results of laboratory tests to the behavior of actual structures.Deeply cracked, three-point bend specimens with crack-depth to specimen-width rati's (a/W) of 0.50 are most often used in laboratory tests. However, to evaluate specific weld microstructures or the behavior of structures with shallow surface cracks, specimens with a/W rati's much less than 0.50 often are required.Laboratory tests reveal that three-point bend specimens with short cracks (a/W = 0.15) exhibit significantly larger critical CTOD values than specimens with deep cracks (a/W = 0.5) up to the point of ductile initiation.