Definitions + Terms
12%of exam
Welding Processes
12%of exam
SMAWGMAWFCAWGTAWSAW
Symbols + Drawings
10%of exam
Arrow SideOther SideTail NotesField WeldAll Around
Weld Examination
10%of exam
VTAcceptanceProfilesFlawsMeasurements
Practical Inspection
34%of exam
BOSWeld ReplicasTool KitSpec UsePart B
Qualification
25%of exam
WPSPQRWPQEssential VariablesPart C
Fabrication
25%of exam
PreheatFit-upBase MetalFiller MetalRepairs
NDE Methods
8%of exam
PTMTRTUTMethod Limits
Quick Facts
- Credential
- AWS CWI
- Parts
- A, B, C
- Pass
- 72% each
- Part A
- 165 questions
- Part B
- 46 questions
- Part C
- 55-65 questions
- Order
- Part B first
- Renewal
- Years 3, 6
- Recert
- Year 9
Three Parts
A knows, B measures, C finds
A: fundamentalsB: practicalC: codebook
CAWI vs CWI
CAWI
- Same exam
- Less experience
- Associate level
CWI
- Same exam
- Experience met
- Independent inspector
Experience separates
Exam Part Picker
- Closed-book fundamentals→Part A(Prometric CBT)
- Weld replica task→Part B(AWS site)
- Codebook lookup→Part C(Prometric CBT)
- Starting application→Part B(Schedule first)
- Retesting Part C→Same codebook(Three years)
Exam Logistics
- Part A
- Fundamentals CBT
- Part B
- Practical PBT
- Part C
- Codebook CBT
- Part B order
- Must go first
- A time
- 135 minutes
- B time
- 120 minutes
- C time
- 120-135 minutes
- Score
- 72% each part
- Results
- Consolidated report
Part A vs Part C
Part A
- Closed book
- Fundamentals
- 165 questions
Part C
- Open book
- Code application
- 55-65 questions
Memory vs lookup
Eligibility
- Vision
- Required proof
- Experience
- Education-based path
- Bachelor path
- One year
- Associate path
- Two years
- Trade path
- Four years
- High school
- Five years
- 8th grade
- Nine years
- No 8th
- Twelve years
Part A Weights
- Definitions
- 12% minimum
- Processes
- 12% minimum
- Symbols
- 10% minimum
- Examination
- 10% minimum
- Performance
- 9% minimum
- NDE
- 8% minimum
- Metallurgy
- 6% minimum
- Calculations
- 6% minimum
- Duties
- 4% minimum
- Destructive
- 3% minimum
- Cutting
- 2% minimum
Weld Anatomy
- Root
- Joint bottom
- Face
- Exposed surface
- Toe
- Face/base junction
- Leg
- Fillet side
- Throat
- Root-to-face distance
- HAZ
- Heated unmelted metal
- Fusion zone
- Melted region
- Reinforcement
- Excess weld metal
Process Picker
- Portable field weld→SMAW(Stick)
- Continuous wire→GMAW(Gas shield)
- Windy field→FCAW-S(Self-shielded)
- Precision weld→GTAW(Tungsten)
- High deposition flat→SAW(Granular flux)
- Ferrous severing→OFC(Oxidation)
Process Map
- SMAW
- Flux-coated stick
- GMAW
- Wire plus gas
- FCAW-G
- Flux plus gas
- FCAW-S
- Self-shielded wire
- GTAW
- Tungsten electrode
- SAW
- Granular flux
- OFC
- Oxidation cutting
- Stud weld
- Fastener attachment
Electrodes
- E7018
- Low hydrogen
- E6010
- Deep penetration
- E6011
- AC capable
- E6013
- Light penetration
- E7024
- High deposition
- First digits
- Tensile strength
- Third digit
- Positions
- Last digit
- Coating/current
Symbol Side
Below belongs by the arrow
Below: arrowAbove: otherBoth: both sides
Symbol Rules
- Below line
- Arrow side
- Above line
- Other side
- Both sides
- Both symbols
- Left number
- Weld size
- Right number
- Weld length
- Flag
- Field weld
- Circle
- All around
- Tail
- Process/spec
Discontinuity vs Defect
Discontinuity
- Structure interruption
- May be acceptable
- Measure first
Defect
- Exceeds criteria
- Reject condition
- Needs disposition
Criteria decides
Discontinuities
- Crack
- Usually rejectable
- Porosity
- Trapped gas
- Slag
- Nonmetallic inclusion
- Undercut
- Toe groove
- Overlap
- Unfused rollover
- LOF
- Incomplete fusion
- LOP
- Incomplete penetration
- Crater crack
- Stop-start shrinkage
Porosity vs Slag
Porosity
- Trapped gas
- Rounded voids
- Shielding clue
Slag
- Entrapped flux
- Irregular inclusion
- Cleaning clue
Gas vs solid
LOF vs LOP
LOF
- Fusion failure
- Sidewall/pass issue
- Heat/angle clue
LOP
- Root not fused
- Penetration issue
- Joint prep clue
Sidewall vs root
Part B Weights
- Inspection/flaws
- 34% minimum
- Procedures
- 28% minimum
- Welder quals
- 28% minimum
- Mechanical tests
- 8% minimum
- Properties
- 8% minimum
- NDE
- 8% minimum
- Specifications
- 8% minimum
- Drawings
- 8% minimum
Part B Materials
- BOS
- Exam specification
- Exhibits
- Documents/photos
- Replicas
- Four plastic welds
- T-joint
- Fillet practice
- Groove
- Profile practice
- Bend
- Test specimen
- Pipe
- Hi-lo checks
- Tools
- AWS supplied
Inspection Tool Kit
- Fillet gauge
- Leg size
- V-wac
- Undercut depth
- Caliper
- Linear measure
- Ruler
- Length checks
- C4.1 gauge
- Profile checks
- Protractor
- Angle checks
- Hi-lo gauge
- Pipe mismatch
- Mirror/light
- Access aid
Document Order
PQR proves; WPS instructs; WPQ qualifies
PQR: recordWPS: directionsWPQ: welder
WPS vs PQR
WPS
- Planned variables
- Production use
- Supported document
PQR
- Actual variables
- Test results
- Supporting record
Plan vs proof
Document Picker
- Need weld instructions→WPS(Production guide)
- Need test proof→PQR(Procedure support)
- Need welder range→WPQ(Performance qual)
- Need material proof→MTR(Traceability)
- Need reject record→NCR(Disposition path)
- Need hold point→ITP(Inspection plan)
Part C Weights
- Qualification
- 25% minimum
- Fabrication
- 25% minimum
- Inspection
- 25% minimum
- Reports
- 5% minimum
- Records
- 5% minimum
- Materials
- 5% minimum
- Design
- 5% minimum
- Lookup skill
- Primary lever
Essential vs Nonessential
Essential
- Affects properties
- Requires requalification
- Code listed
Nonessential
- Administrative/detail
- Revise WPS
- No retest
Retest trigger
Codebook Picker
- Steel structures→AWS D1.1
- Pipelines→API 1104
- Aluminum structures→AWS D1.2
- Bridge welding→AWS D1.5
- Railroad welds→AWS D15.1
- Aerospace fusion→AWS D17.1
- Boiler/piping quals→ASME IX
Documents
- WPS
- How to weld
- PQR
- Procedure test record
- WPQ
- Welder qualification
- WQTR
- Welder test record
- MTR
- Material properties
- ITP
- Inspection plan
- NCR
- Nonconformance report
- Traveler
- Process record
Part C Codebooks
- D1.1
- Structural steel
- API 1104
- Pipelines
- D1.2
- Aluminum
- D1.5
- Bridges
- D15.1
- Railroad
- D17.1
- Aerospace
- ASME IX
- Qualifications
- ISO/EN
- International standards
Hydrogen Crack
Hydrogen plus hardness plus stress
HydrogenSusceptible microstructureTensile stress
Preheat vs Interpass
Preheat
- Before welding
- Minimum temperature
- Crack prevention
Interpass
- Between passes
- Minimum/maximum
- Heat control
Before vs between
Metallurgy + Heat
- Preheat
- Slows cooling
- Interpass
- Between-pass limit
- PWHT
- Postweld heat treatment
- CE
- Cracking predictor
- HIC
- Hydrogen cracking
- Martensite
- Hard brittle phase
- Heat input
- Arc energy
- Restraint
- Stress multiplier
Fillet Math
Equal fillet throat equals .707 leg
Leg: gaugeThroat: strength.707: equal fillet
Calculation Cues
- Heat input
- VxAx60 / speed
- Throat
- 0.707 x leg
- Area
- Length x width
- Tensile stress
- Load / area
- Travel speed
- Length / time
- Deposition
- Weight per time
- Percent
- Part / whole
- Metric
- 25.4 mm/in
NDE Depth
VT/PT surface; RT/UT internal
VT: eyesPT: dyeRT: imageUT: echo
PT vs MT
PT
- Surface-breaking only
- Any nonporous material
- Dye/developer
MT
- Surface/near-surface
- Ferromagnetic only
- Magnetic particles
Material controls
NDE Picker
- Surface visual flaws→VT(First method)
- Open surface crack→PT(Dye indication)
- Ferromagnetic part→MT(Flux leakage)
- Volumetric evidence→RT(Permanent image)
- Planar internal flaw→UT(Sound reflection)
- Through-wall leak→Leak test(Pressure path)
NDE Methods
- VT
- Visual surface
- PT
- Surface-breaking flaws
- MT
- Ferromagnetic flaws
- RT
- Volumetric record
- UT
- Internal reflectors
- ET
- Conductive materials
- Leak test
- Through-wall flaws
- AET
- Active flaw growth
RT vs UT
RT
- Radiation image
- Volumetric flaws
- Permanent record
UT
- Sound waves
- Planar flaws
- Operator dependent
Image vs signal
Common Traps
Part order
Part B first ≠ A/C after B
Passing score
72% each part ≠ No weak part
Open book trap
Part C allows code ≠ A forbids references
Defect label
Discontinuity measured first ≠ Defect exceeds criteria
Codebook edition
Listed edition controls ≠ Wrong edition risky
WPS/PQR mixup
WPS says how ≠ PQR proves works
NDE material trap
MT needs ferromagnetic ≠ PT needs open surface
Symbol side
Below is arrow ≠ Above is other
Hydrogen cracking
Needs three factors ≠ Remove one factor
Calculator policy
Nonprogrammable allowed ≠ Memory calculators barred
Last Minute
- 1.Pass: 72% each part
- 2.Part B must go first
- 3.A: closed-book fundamentals
- 4.B: BOS plus tools
- 5.C: open-book code
- 6.Definitions/processes: 12% each
- 7.B inspection/flaws: 34%
- 8.C qual/fab/inspection: 25%
- 9.Below symbol = arrow side
- 10.WPS instructs; PQR proves
- 11.Defect exceeds acceptance criteria
- 12.MT requires ferromagnetic material
- 13.Heat input: VxAx60/speed
- 14.Throat: .707 x leg
- 15.Verify codebook edition
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