Abstract Different nondestructive magnetic methods – major hysteresis loop measurement, Barkhausen noise measurement and minor hysteresis loop analysis (Magnetic Adaptive Testing) – were applied on a plastically deformed series of transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel samples. The results of the different methods were compared with each other. Good correlation was found between magnetic characteristics, measured in different ways. Magnetic Adaptive Testing (MAT) seems to be the most sensitive method. Good correlation was also found between magnetic parameters and with the destructively measured Vickers hardness values. MAT yields a linear correlation between Vickers hardness and magnetic descriptors, without magnetic saturation of the specimen.