Certified welding inspector
The American Welding Society’s CWI credential, earned with years of welding work, a near-vision test and a three-part exam, then renewed every 3 years.
How to get it, step by step
Check your education and experience
With a high school diploma or equivalent you need five years of welding-based work. A welding degree cuts it to one year; with only 8th grade schooling it takes nine.1
Pass a near-vision eye exam
You must read Jaeger 2 letters at 12 inches with at least one eye, glasses allowed. A doctor, nurse or optometrist fills in AWS’s vision form within a year of your exam.2,3
Apply to AWS and choose your code book
Apply at my.aws.org with your work history, documents and a photo, and pick the code you’ll be tested on in Part C. The exams cost $1,255 for AWS members.1,2
Pass Parts A, B and C
A covers fundamentals and C the code book, both by computer at Prometric; B is hands-on with AWS’s equipment. You need 72% on each. Our class preps all three.1
Renew at years 3 and 6
Each certification period lasts three years. To renew by work experience, you can’t have a break in practice longer than two years in the past three; otherwise you retake Part B.1,2
Recertify every 9 years
At the end of year nine, recertify: for example, retake the Part B practical or show 80 professional development hours of continuing education.1,2
The exam, and the money
The exam
- Part A, Fundamentals
- 150 questions, by computer at a Prometric center1
- Part B, Practical
- Hands-on with AWS equipment, 46 questions, at an AWS seminar site1
- Part C, Code Book
- Open book, 50 to 65 questions, by computer at Prometric1
- Results
- One score report by email, about 2 weeks after Parts A and C1
- Retests
- Up to 3 in 3 years; after the first, 16 hours of documented training for 1 or 2 parts2
Study for the exam
34 lessons in 8 chapters · about 5 minutes each
- Part A 10%+
1Weld and NDE symbols5
Part A: Symbols – Welding and NDE
- Welding symbols: arrow side and other side Lesson 1 · free
- Fillet and groove weld symbols
- Size, length and pitch
- Tails, flags and contours
- Reading NDE symbols
- Part A 26%+
2Terms, processes and cutting5
Part A: Definition and Terminology; Welding Processes; Cutting
- Joints, welds and their parts
- Stick welding (SMAW)
- MIG and flux-cored welding
- TIG and submerged arc welding
- Thermal cutting and gouging
- Part A 15%+
3Metallurgy and weld math4
Part A: Heat Control & Metallurgy (carbon and low-alloy steel); Welding Related Calculations; Destructive Tests
- Preheat and cooling rate
- Heat input, worked out
- Tensile strength calculations
- Bend, hardness and impact tests
- Part A 18%+ · Part B 8%+
4Finding flaws4
Part A: Weld Examination; Test Methods – NDE. Part B: NDE
- Discontinuity or defect?
- Cracks, porosity and undercut
- Magnetic particle and penetrant testing
- Radiography and ultrasonic testing
- Part A 13%+
5Your job as an inspector3
Part A: Duties and Responsibilities; Welding Performance
- Who can become a CWI
- What a welding inspector does
- WPS, PQR and welder qualification
- Part B 78%+
6Part B: the practical5
Part B: Welding Inspection and Flaws; Procedure and Welder Qualifications; Mechanical Test and Properties; Utilization of Specification and Drawings
- Measuring welds with the gauges
- Inspecting the plastic replicas
- Checking a PQR against the WPS
- Grading bend test specimens
- Using the Book of Specifications
- Part C 50%+
7Part C: qualification and fabrication4
Part C: Qualification; Fabrication
- Finding your way in D1.1
- Prequalified versus qualified WPSs
- Qualifying welders under the code
- Fit-up, preheat and fabrication limits
- Part C 35%+
8Part C: inspection and records4
Part C: Inspection; Reports and Records; Materials and Design
- Visual acceptance criteria by clause
- Base metals and joint design
- Records an inspector signs
- Test day
Built on AWS CWI Examination Information Guides: Part A Fundamentals, Part B Practical, Part C Codebook Applications (test specifications per AWS B5.1) · Parts A and B Rev. 03.01.2024; Part C Rev. 02.11.2025
The full class, $149 at launch.
Paid once, when it opens. Lesson 1 is free now.
- Worked calculations
- Symbols & visual inspection
- Code navigation drills
Not affiliated with AWS. We teach by clause number and never reproduce the code.
Questions
How long does it take to become a CWI?
Mostly the experience: five years of welding-based work with a high school diploma, less with a welding degree. Once you sit the exams, results come about two weeks after Parts A and C.1
How long does a CWI certification last?
Nine years, as long as you renew at years three and six. Then you recertify, for example by retaking the Part B practical or with 80 hours of continuing education.1,2
Can you get your CWI online?
You can prepare online, but not test fully online. Parts A and C are taken by computer at Prometric centers, and Part B is hands-on at an AWS seminar location.1
What if you fail one part of the CWI exam?
If your average across the parts is 72% or more, you retake only the parts you failed. You get up to three retests in three years; after the first, you need 16 hours of documented training.2
Sources
Read on . Rules change, so check the source before you pay a fee or book a test.
- Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) Program · American Welding Society
- AWS QC1:2016-AMD1, Specification for AWS Certification of Welding Inspectors · American Welding Society
- AWS B5.1:2025, Specification for the Qualification of Welding Inspectors · American Welding Society