Free Practice Questions for AWS ASME IX Endorsement

It verifies that an active AWS CWI or SCWI can navigate and apply ASME BPVC Section IX (welding, brazing, and fusing qualifications) together with ASME B31.1 Power Piping and B31.3 Process Piping. Approximately 60 multiple-choice questions are weighted across general Section IX rules (QW-100), procedure qualification (QW-200), performance qualification (QW-300), welding variables (QW-400), and the B31.1/B31.3 chapters most relevant to fabrication and inspection.

The exam is 2 hours, delivered as a computer-based test at Prometric. The endorsement fee is $445 for AWS members and $540 for nonmembers. A 72% score is required to pass. Candidates may take the test as part of an initial CWI registration or schedule it later after obtaining CWI/SCWI status.

No. As of July 1, 2025, AWS no longer provides electronic copies of code books at Prometric for the Section IX endorsement. Candidates must bring their own bound, hard-copy editions of ASME BPVC Section IX, ASME B31.1, and ASME B31.3. Tabs and personal notes inside the books are typically allowed per the AWS endorsement policy, but loose papers and electronic devices are not.

AWS aligns the endorsement to the most recently published editions of ASME Section IX, B31.1, and B31.3. Inspectors should confirm the current reference edition on the AWS endorsement page before purchasing books, because ASME publishes Section IX on a 2-year cycle and the B31 codes on roughly a 4-year cycle. Buying the wrong edition is the most common avoidable preparation mistake.

Essential variables (QW-401.1) affect mechanical properties other than toughness and always require requalification when changed. Supplementary essential variables (QW-401.3) affect notch toughness and become essential only when the construction code requires impact testing (such as B31.3 low-temperature service). Nonessential variables can be changed in the WPS without requalifying the PQR, although they still must be documented on the WPS.

CWIs and SCWIs working on power generation, refineries, petrochemical plants, pharmaceutical and semiconductor fabs, district heating, or any pressure piping fabrication shop will benefit. Owners increasingly require the endorsement for inspectors signing off on ASME-stamped or B31-compliant piping. It is also a common stepping stone toward stacking additional CWI endorsements for SCWI eligibility.