Are you interested in becoming a certified welding inspector? Not sure what to expect with the CWI exam, or how you can best prepare? We’ll we’re here to help by providing you with all the information you need to ace your exam.
How to Prepare for Your CWI Exam
Becoming a certified welding inspector isn’t something that just happens overnight. To become one, you need to get practical welding experience in advance, and experience requirement differs based on your education level. For example, if you have an associate degree in engineering or engineering technology you need 3 years of work experience, whereas you’d need 5 years if you only have a high school degree.
Once you have the experience needed, it’s time to prep for the CWI exam. This test isn’t easy. It covers many topics, so it’s important that you prep enough in advance to ace the test.
Here are some good ways to prepare for the exam:
Read the Study Materials
Before you take the test, there are two very important documents you should review: Specifications for the Qualification of Welding Inspector and the Standard for AWS Certification of Welding Inspectors. These documents outline everything about the CWI program and exam.
The first document covers everything you need to know to become a successfully certified welding inspector. The second document covers the ins-and-outs of the exam itself.
Take a Seminar
If you’re someone who needs a more formal study setting, consider taking a CWI seminar. These seminars are a crash course on everything that will be included in the exam. And in most scenarios, you can take the CWI certification exam immediately upon completion of the seminar.
If you’re not ready for the formal seminar, you can also take a pre-seminar, which will help teach you the basics of the exam. These options are also available online, which means you can learn the material at your own pace.
What You Need to Know About the Exam
The CWI exam consists of three parts: the fundamentals, practical application, and code application. You’re allotted two hours to complete each section.
You also need a score of 72% or higher for each section in order to pass. If you receive less than 72% on a section, you don’t need to retake the whole test, but rather just that section.
Part A of the exam covers welding fundamentals. Part B, practical application, covers a wide range of topics including welding examination and welding qualifications. The last part, the code application, tests your ability to locate, understand, and use the information within the welding codebook.
What Forms Do You Need to Take to Your CWI Exam?
There are some important forms you’ll need to bring with you on the day of your CWI exam. Here are the forms you should have ready with you:
- Current Issued ID
- Confirmation Letter
- Codebook
- Qualifying Work Experience Form
- Visual Acuity Form
These are the basic forms everyone should bring, but there are more general forms you may want to know about. Make sure to review these General Forms before you show up for your test.
Ready to Ace Your Exam?
Passing the CWI exam is no easy feat. But by studying in advance and showing up prepared, you can pass your test with flying colors and become a certified welding inspector!
Want some help prepping for your exam? Contact us and we’ll help set you up with a customized training program that will make you as prepared as possible!
