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Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) examination
The Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) examination of the American Welding Society is a three-part exam - Part A Fundamentals, Part B Practical, and Part C Code Book - that candidates must pass with at least 72% on each part to earn the CWI credential.
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QuestionsThree parts totaling 246-261 questions: Part A 150 questions, Part B 46 questions, Part C 50-65 questions depending on the code book selected
Testing time2 hours for Part A, 120 minutes for Part B, and 2 hours for Part C
ScoringMinimum score of 72% on each of the three parts
Exam feeUSD 1,255 AWS member / USD 1,520 non-member for the initial three-part exam (includes USD 120 Prometric seat fee for all parts; non-member price includes a 3-year AWS membership); retests USD 445 per single part (A or C), USD 870 Parts A and C, USD 385 Part B, USD 915 member / USD 1,180 non-member all parts
Prep options
Study resources for CWI
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- AWS
- Category
- Welding & Fabrication
- Current version
- Current specification; no public version label (program governed by AWS QC1:2016-AMD1, Specification for AWS Certification of Welding Inspectors; Part B content guide Rev. 03.01.2024)
- Where it applies
- Global
- Exam languages
- English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese
- Testing provider
- Prometric (Parts A and C); AWS administers Part B directly
- Format
- Parts A and C: computer-based multiple-choice at Prometric centers (2.5-hour seat time each including tutorial and survey); Part B: paper-based hands-on practical at AWS test sites
- Availability
- Part B on fixed dates at AWS seminar locations (US application deadline about six weeks prior; international about four weeks); Parts A and C scheduled flexibly by appointment at Prometric after receiving the AWS eligibility code; all candidates must take Part B before Parts A and C
- Results
- Preliminary Notice of Completion emailed within two hours of finishing a CBT part; consolidated official score report for Parts A, B, and C emailed approximately two weeks after completing Parts A and C
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
Three required parts: Part A Fundamentals - 150 multiple-choice questions on destructive testing, fabrication math, safety, metallurgy, NDT, welding symbols, WPS/PQR, and welding fundamentals; Part B Practical - 46 open-book questions tied to hands-on inspection activities using AWS-supplied weld replicas and tool kits (domains: Welding Inspection and Flaws 34%, Procedure and Welder Qualifications 28%, Mechanical Test and Properties 8%, NDE 8%, Utilization of Specification and Drawings 8%); Part C Code Book - 50-65 open-book questions on the candidate's chosen code book (e.g., AWS D1.1, API 1104). Part B must be taken before Parts A and C.
Where rules vary
Delivered worldwide: Parts A and C at more than 450 Prometric Exam Centers across the globe (Prometric serves AWS exams in more than 160 countries) and Part B at AWS seminar locations in the U.S. and internationally through AWS International Agents; Part B Book of Specifications is issued in a US-customary version (US/Canada) and a metric version (international). AWS also grants CWI by reciprocity with the Canadian Welding Bureau and Israel's INWC.
Eligibility
Pass a vision test and meet a combined education/experience requirement ranging from a bachelor's in welding engineering/technology plus 1 year of welding-based work experience to 12 years of experience with less than 8th-grade schooling; supporting documentation required with the application
Retake policy
Candidates must complete all three parts before any part may be retaken; only failed parts are retaken, at per-part retest fees (USD 445 per CBT part, USD 385 for Part B)