200+ Free SCWI Practice Questions
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Key Facts: SCWI Exam
4
Required Endorsements
AWS SCWI pathway
240
Total Questions
Across all 4 exams
10h 45m
Total Content Time
Combined exam time
$2,345
Member Minimum Cost
2026 AWS pricing
Apr 1, 2025
Legacy Exam Retired
AWS pathway update
Jan 15, 2026
Portal-Only Applications
AWS endorsements page
SCWI is now a four-exam endorsement pathway, not a legacy two-part exam. Candidates complete WPQ1, WPQ2, WCQA, and NDEC at Prometric test centers, meet AWS B5.1/QC1 eligibility requirements, and then submit the SCWI application. The four exams total 240 questions (220 scored) and 10 hours 45 minutes of content time, with endorsement-specific passing scores ranging from 66% to 72%.
About the SCWI Exam
The current AWS Senior Certified Welding Inspector pathway is no longer a single exam. Effective April 1, 2025, AWS retired the standalone SCWI exam and now requires active CWIs to complete four stackable endorsements covering welder qualification, welding procedure qualification, welding coordination and quality assurance, and nondestructive examination coordination before applying for the SCWI upgrade.
Assessment
4 required CBT endorsements: WPQ1 (55 total / 50 scored), WPQ2 (55 / 50), WCQA (75 / 70), and NDEC (55 / 50)
Time Limit
10h 45m total content time: WPQ1 180 min, WPQ2 180 min, WCQA 150 min, NDEC 135 min
Passing Score
Pass all 4 endorsements: WPQ1 70%, WPQ2 66%, WCQA 70%, NDEC 72%
Exam Fee
$185 SCWI application + four required endorsement exams (minimum total $2,345 member / $2,705 nonmember) (American Welding Society (AWS))
SCWI Exam Content Outline
Welder Performance Qualifier (WPQ1)
55 total questions, 180 minutes, 70% passing score. Official weighting: planning 30%, review and conduct 40%, and record finalization 30%.
Welding Procedure Qualifier (WPQ2)
55 total questions, 180 minutes, 66% passing score. Official weighting: planning 20%, WPS qualification/testing requirements 65%, and finalization 15%.
Welding Coordination and Quality Assurance (WCQA)
75 total questions, 150 minutes, 70% passing score. Official weighting: quality system review 28%, qualification programs 24%, audit prep/response 20%, process improvement 18%, and personnel coordination 10%.
Nondestructive Examination Coordination (NDEC)
55 total questions, 135 minutes, 72% passing score. Official weighting: qualification/certification 25%, NDE testing methods 40%, and NDE coordination 35%.
How to Pass the SCWI Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Pass all 4 endorsements: WPQ1 70%, WPQ2 66%, WCQA 70%, NDEC 72%
- Assessment: 4 required CBT endorsements: WPQ1 (55 total / 50 scored), WPQ2 (55 / 50), WCQA (75 / 70), and NDEC (55 / 50)
- Time limit: 10h 45m total content time: WPQ1 180 min, WPQ2 180 min, WCQA 150 min, NDEC 135 min
- Exam fee: $185 SCWI application + four required endorsement exams (minimum total $2,345 member / $2,705 nonmember)
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
SCWI Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there still a standalone SCWI exam?
No. AWS states that the single SCWI exam was retired effective April 1, 2025. The current route is the four-endorsement stackable pathway: WPQ1, WPQ2, WCQA, and NDEC.
What endorsement exams are required for SCWI?
You must earn the Welder Performance Qualifier endorsement, Welding Procedure Qualifier endorsement, Welding Coordination and Quality Assurance endorsement, and Nondestructive Examination Coordination endorsement. AWS allows you to take the four exams in any order, then submit the SCWI application once all are complete.
How many questions and how much testing time are in the SCWI pathway?
Across the four required exams, the pathway totals 240 questions, of which 220 are scorable and 20 are pretest items. Content time is 10 hours and 45 minutes in total: WPQ1 180 minutes, WPQ2 180 minutes, WCQA 150 minutes, and NDEC 135 minutes.
What passing scores do I need?
AWS publishes endorsement-specific passing thresholds rather than a single SCWI cut score. The current official targets are 70% for WPQ1, 66% for WPQ2, 70% for WCQA, and 72% for NDEC.
How much does the SCWI pathway cost in 2026?
AWS's 2026 price list shows a $185 SCWI application fee plus four required endorsement exams priced at $540 each for AWS members or $630 each for nonmembers. That makes the minimum pathway total $2,345 for members or $2,705 for nonmembers before optional seminars, travel, or book purchases.
What changed for 2026 applicants?
AWS states that beginning January 15, 2026, paper applications for certifications and endorsements are no longer accepted. Candidates now apply through the MyAWS portal, and the current 2026 price list also updates the pathway costs.
Is the SCWI pathway open book?
Partially. WPQ1 and WPQ2 are open-book endorsement exams, while WCQA and NDEC are closed-book computer-based exams. All four required exams are delivered through Prometric test centers.