AWSCertification

The CWI examination is a three-part test. A minimum score of 72% is required in each part; a candidate who clears all three is certified as an AWS Certified Welding Inspector.

• Applications must reach AWS at least 6 weeks before the chosen exam date.
• Candidates select their exam location and their Part C code book on the application form.
• Supporting education and work-experience documents are submitted with the application and the fee.
• A pre-seminar course is optional but strongly recommended before sitting the exam.

Parts A and C are delivered as computer-based tests (CBT) at Prometric centres. Part B is a hands-on practical assessment held at an approved practical exam location.

• Results are typically available 4-6 weeks after the exam.
• A failed part may be retaken within one year; retake fees apply per part.
• Failing all three parts means reapplying as a new candidate.

• Part A - Fundamentals: 150 multiple-choice questions, computer-based, covering welding processes, destructive and nondestructive testing, metallurgy, welding symbols and safety.
• Part B - Practical Inspection: 46 questions, a hands-on assessment using weld replica samples, gauges and inspection tools against a supplied Book of Specifications.
• Part C - Code Book Application: 50-65 open-book questions on the welding code the candidate selected at application.

One of the following is selected on the application form and used in the open-book Part C exam.

• AWS D1.1 - Structural Welding Code, Steel
• AWS D1.2 - Structural Welding Code, Aluminum
• AWS D1.5 - Bridge Welding Code
• AWS D15.1 - Railroad Welding Specification
• AWS D17.1 - Fusion Welding for Aerospace Applications
• API 1104 - Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities
• ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Sections V, VIII and IX
• ISO standards, for candidates working to international specifications

Eligibility is a combination of formal education and welding-related work experience. The higher the qualification, the shorter the experience requirement.

The programme is governed by two AWS standards, both available as downloads from AWS.

• QC1 - Standard for AWS Certification of Welding Inspectors
• B5.1 - Specification for the Qualification of Welding Inspectors

The CWI certificate runs on a 9-year cycle with renewals at the 3-year and 6-year marks.

• A renewal application plus fee is submitted every 3 years, with documentation of continued activity in welding inspection.
• Renewal can be filed from 6 months before the expiry date.
• A grace period applies after expiry, after which the certification lapses and re-certification is required.
• At the end of the 9-year cycle the inspector must re-certify rather than renew.

At the 9-year mark an inspector re-certifies through one of the accepted routes.

• Retake the Part B Practical Examination.
• Complete the required professional development hours (PDH) within the cycle.
• Present a documented record of continued welding-inspection employment.
• Attend AWS-approved refresher training and submit the completion record.
• Re-apply and sit the full examination as a fresh candidate.