About the CWEng Exam: Four Parts, 163 Questions & Testing Logistics
Key Takeaways
- The CWEng examination has four parts totalling 163 multiple-choice questions: Part 1 has 36 items, Part 2 has 27, Part 3 has 60 and Part 4 has 40 (AWS CWEng Examination User Guide, rev. 01.24.2025).
- Parts 1 and 2 are closed-book and two hours each; Part 3 is open-book with 180 minutes of content time and Part 4 is open-book with 150 minutes of content time.
- Part 4 permits only one reference: AWS D1.1/D1.1M, 24th Edition, 2020, supplied on screen as a PDF with a hard copy also allowed.
- Candidates must pass Parts 1 and 2 before sitting Parts 3 and 4, and only the failed part has to be retaken.
- All four parts are delivered as computer-based tests at Prometric centres, and an on-screen scientific calculator is provided for every part.
Why the Structure Matters Before the Content Does
The CWEng is not one examination. It is four separate computer-based tests, taken in two sittings, drawn from the Body of Knowledge in Clause 8 of AWS B5.16-2006, Specification for the Qualification of Welding Engineers — the standard AWS still names as governing in the current Examination User Guide. Two of the four parts are closed-book general engineering science; the other two are open-book welding engineering. Candidates who prepare for "the CWEng exam" as a single body of material consistently misallocate their study time, because the four parts reward completely different preparation.
The Four Parts at a Glance
| Part | B5.16 clause | Items | Content time | Book | What it really tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Basic Science Fundamental | 9.1 | 36 | 120 min | Closed | Sophomore engineering maths, physics and chemistry |
| 2 — Applied Science Fundamental | 9.2 | 27 | 120 min | Closed | Mechanics of materials, thermofluids and circuits |
| 3 — Welding Related Disciplines | 9.3 | 60 | 180 min (195 min session) | Open | Welding science, metallurgy, design, NDE, safety |
| 4 — Practical Welding & Related Applications | 9.4 | 40 | 150 min (180 min session) | Open — D1.1 only | Code-driven fabrication and qualification practice |
163 items in total. Note how unevenly they are distributed: Parts 3 and 4 together carry 100 of the 163 questions, or about 61% of the items, and they carry an even larger share of the score (see the next section on composite weighting).
Part 1 — Basic Science Fundamental Examination
| Content domain | Percent of questions |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 25% |
| Physics | 50% |
| Chemistry | 25% |
| Total | 100% |
Closed book, 36 multiple-choice items, 120 minutes. AWS states plainly that there are no specific reference books to study for Parts 1 and 2; the scope is the Clause 8.1 Body of Knowledge. Physics is half of this part on its own, which surprises candidates who assume a welding exam leads with metallurgy.
Part 2 — Applied Science Fundamental Examination
| Content domain | Percent of questions |
|---|---|
| Strength of Materials | 40% |
| Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics | 30% |
| Electricity | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
Closed book, 27 multiple-choice items, 120 minutes. Twenty-seven questions across three demanding engineering disciplines means roughly eleven strength-of-materials items and eight each in thermofluids and electricity — every single question carries real weight.
Part 3 — Welding Related Disciplines Examination
| Content domain | Minimum percent of questions |
|---|---|
| Welding Heat Sources and Arc Physics | 20% |
| Welding Processes and Controls | 20% |
| Welding and Joint Metallurgy | 20% |
| Weld Design | 20% |
| NDE / Weld Discontinuities | 10% |
| Brazing and Soldering | 5% |
| Safety | 5% |
| Total | 100% |
Open book, 60 multiple-choice items, 180 minutes of content time inside a 195-minute session. AWS publishes the exact list of references from which Part 3 questions are drawn, and candidates may bring hard copies:
- ANSI Z49.1, Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes (available as a free PDF from AWS)
- AWS Welding Handbook Volume 1 (9th and 10th editions)
- AWS Welding Handbook Volumes 2, 3, 4 and 5 (9th edition)
- Blodgett, Design of Weldments (James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation)
- Lippold & Kotecki, Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels (Wiley)
Four domains are weighted equally at 20% each. That is a deliberate signal: arc physics is worth exactly as much as metallurgy, and weld design is worth exactly as much as processes.
Part 4 — Practical Welding and Related Applications Examination
| Content domain | Minimum percent of questions |
|---|---|
| Fabrication | 25% |
| Inspection | 20% |
| Welding Procedure Qualification | 20% |
| Filler Metals | 15% |
| Productivity | 10% |
| Welder Performance Qualification | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Open book, 40 multiple-choice items, 150 minutes of content time inside a 180-minute session. The reference rule here is far stricter than Part 3:
AWS D1.1/D1.1M, 24th Edition, 2020 is the only reference material permitted during Part 4. An electronic PDF of D1.1 is displayed on screen during the exam, and candidates are also allowed to bring a hard copy to the test centre.
That single sentence should reshape your Part 4 preparation. Fabrication, Inspection and Welding Procedure Qualification together make up 65% of Part 4, and D1.1 is the only book you will have in front of you — so navigation speed in D1.1 is a scored skill, not a convenience.
Testing Logistics
- Sequencing. Parts 1 and 2 must be passed before Parts 3 and 4 are attempted. Candidates who pass Parts 1 and 2 are invited to apply separately for Parts 3 and 4, and they have one year from passing the last of Parts 1 and 2 in which to apply.
- Delivery. All four parts are computer-based tests at Prometric centres worldwide. AWS recommends scheduling at least 30 days in advance.
- Calculator. An on-screen scientific calculator is provided during all four parts. Personal calculators are not on the permitted-items list.
- Permitted at the workstation. Government-issued photo ID, the locker key, pencil and scratch paper issued by the test-centre administrator, and relevant hard-copy code books where the part allows them. Water is allowed in a clear container with labels removed.
- Not permitted. Phones, tablets, wearables, bags, hats, coats, personal notes, loose paper, erasers, food, and any reference book not listed for that part.
- Retakes. Only the failed part needs to be retaken, and a candidate may retest a maximum of three times within a three-year period beginning on the original test date.
Exam-Day Traps Built Into the Structure
Trap 1: Treating Part 3 as "open book means low preparation." Sixty questions in 180 minutes is three minutes per item. If you have to search five reference volumes for each answer you will not finish. Open book rewards candidates who already know the material and use the books to confirm numbers.
Trap 2: Bringing the wrong edition of D1.1 to Part 4. The permitted reference is the 24th Edition, 2020. Bringing a newer or older printing means your tabbed copy no longer matches the clause and table numbering the questions are written against.
Trap 3: Underestimating Part 1 physics. Physics is 50% of Part 1 — roughly 18 of the 36 items — yet it is the domain welding professionals revisit least. Mechanics, heat and electricity at sophomore level deserve dedicated study time.
How many multiple-choice questions are on the AWS CWEng Part 3 (Welding Related Disciplines) examination, and how much content time is allowed?
Which reference material may a candidate use during CWEng Part 4?
Which content domain carries the single largest share of questions on CWEng Part 1?