American Welding Society (AWS) Certifications for WELDING INSPECTOR WELDING ENGINEER EDUCATION 

1. American Welding Society (AWS)
Certifications for
WELDING INSPECTOR
WELDING ENGINEER
EDUCATION
THIRUNAVUKARASU.H
13MY12

2. WELDING INSPECTOR
• In today’s world there is increasing emphasis on the
need for quality.
• Weld quality is an important part of the quality effort.
• This concern for product quality is due to several
factors, including economics, safety, government
regulations, global competition, and the use of less
conservative designs.
• In reality, many people participate in the creation of a
quality welded product.
• The welding inspector is one of the “front line”
individuals who must check to see if all of the required
manufacturing steps have been completed properly.

3. WELDING INSPECTOR AND
CERTIFICATION
• Section 4 of “AWS QC1, Standard for Qualification and
Certification of Welding Inspectors.” outlines the various
responsibilities of the welding inspector.
• A successful quality control program begins before the
first arc is struck.
• Before welding, the inspector will check drawings and
specifications to determine such information as the
configuration of the component, its specific weld quality
requirements, and what degree of inspection is required.
• Once welding begins, the welding inspector may observe
various processing steps to assure that they are done
properly.
• Final inspection should simply confirm the success of
those operations.

4. WELDING INSPECTOR AND
CERTIFICATION
• The ten modules listed below are sources for
examination information.
• Module 1 : Welding Inspection & Certification
• Module 2 : Safe Practices for Welding Inspectors
• Module 3 : Metal Joining and Cutting Processes
• Module 4 : Weld Joint Geometry and Symbols
• Module 5 : Documents Governing Welding
Inspection and Qualification

5. WELDING INSPECTION AND
CERTIFICATION
• Module 6 : Metal Properties and Destructive Testing
• Module 7 : Metric Practice for Welding Inspection
• Module 8 : Welding Metallurgy for the Welding Inspector
• Module 9 : Weld and Base Metal Discontinuities
• Module 10 : Visual Inspection and Other NDE Methods

6. CERTIFICATION
• The American Society for NondestructiveTesting has issued
guidelines for certification of NDE personnel in ASNT SNT TC-1A.
• This document describes the recommended procedures
for certifying inspectors performing nondestructive
testing. ASNT recognizes three levels of certification,
Levels I, II, and III.
• The document AWS QC-G, Guide to AWS Qualification and
Certification, provides the necessary applications and
background information.
• AWS QC-1 Standard for AWS Certification of Welding
Inspectors establishes the requirements for AWS certification
of welding inspection personnel, describes how personnel are qualified,
lists the principles of conduct, and notes the practice by which
certification may be maintained.

7. • Experience:
• Candidates with a high school education, either by
diploma or state or military equivalency, must have at
least 5 years experience.
• With supporting documentation (e.g., copies of
transcripts, reference letters, credited hours of training,
quarter hours or semester hours) up to two years of
work experience may be substituted for post high
school educational experience. Substituted educational
experience includes as Associate or higher degree in
engineering, physics or physical science and welding
technology.
• Trade and vocational courses can be applied to work
experience substitution for completed courses related
to welding (up to one year maximum).

8. • Individuals with eighth grade schooling are
required to have not less than 10 years job
experience to qualify for the examination.
• For individuals with less than eighth grade
schooling, not less than 15 years is required.
• A subordinate level of qualification is the
Certified Associate Welding Inspector (CAWI),
which requires fewer years of experience for each
educational level.
• Individuals who qualify for the Certified Welding
Inspector Examination take a three-part
examination.

9. • Part A – Fundamentals.
• The Fundamental examination is a closed book
test consisting of 150 multiple choice questions.
• The topics covered in this portion of the exam
include reports and records, destructive tests,
welding performance, duties and responsibilities,
weld examination, definitions and terminology,
safety, welding and nondestructive examination
symbols, nondestructive examination methods
welding processes, heat control, metallurgy,
mathematical conversions and calculations.

10. • Part B – Practical.
• The Practical examination consists of 46 questions.
• It requires measurement of weld replicas with provided
measuring tools, and evaluation in accordance with a
supplied “Book of Specifications”.
• Not all questions require the use of the Book of
Specifications; they do require the individual to answer
from practical knowledge.
• The Practical Test covers welding procedures, welder
qualification, mechanical tests and properties, welding
inspection and flaws, and nondestructive test. Test
candidates should be familiar with fillet and butt weld
gages, micrometer, dial calipers, and machinist’s scale.

11. • Part C – Open Book Code.
• This portion consists of 46 questions on the code
the individual has selected for this part of the
examination.
• AWS D1.1.
• API 1104.
• ASME B31.1.
• ASME Section VIII.
• ASME Section IX.
• MIL-STD-1689 (SH) (83).
• MIL-STD-248D(89).

12. • The passing score in each part for the CWI is 72
percent; the passing for CAWI is 50 percent.
• Part of the welding inspector’s job is there view and
interpretation of various documents relating to the
welded fabrication.
• This requires that the individual have a full
understanding of the proper terms and definitions that
are used.
• ANSI/AWS A3.0 was developed by the Committee on
Definitions and Symbols to aid in welding information
communication.
• When non-standard terms are mentioned, they appear
in parentheses after the preferred words.

13. • While most of the terms used apply to the
actual welding operation, it is important for
the welding inspector to understand other
definitions which apply to other related
operations.

14. Certified Welding Engineer
• A person with the demonstrated education, experience, and
knowledge as defined by this information and who
successfully passes the required examinations is considered
qualified as an AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng).
• The CWEng is capable of directing those operations associated
with weldments and other types of joints that are completed in
accordance with the appropriate contract documents, codes,
and other standards to produce a satisfactory product.

16. Quality Assurance, Quality Control,
and Welding/Joining Economics.
• The AWS CWEng is knowledgeable in all aspects of quality control.
• The AWS CWEng shall understand procedure and welder performance
qualification, including destructive and nondestructive testing.
• The AWS CWEng is capable of performing visual inspection of welds and
specifying the appropriate nondestructive examination, NDE, methods for a
particular weldment.
• The AWS CWEng shall understand the advantages and limitations of NDE.
• The AWS CWEng is familiar with the qualification requirements of NDE
personnel.
• The AWS CWEng has a practical knowledge of manufacturing systems,
including material control, production scheduling, and quality assurance.
• The AWS CWEng is able to evaluate the relative cost effectiveness of
competitive welding/joining processes.

20. AWS Standard for Certification of Welding
Educators
• AWS QC 5-91 AWS Standard for Certification of Welding Educators
5.1 A Certified Welding Educator (CWE) is a person certified by AWS as
having met the qualification requirements of 5.1 and section 6. This shall
be the only level of certification of Welding Educators.
• The following applies to each applicant for certification as a Certified
Welding Educator (CWE): 5.1 The applicant shall be a high school
graduate; or hold a state or military approved high school equivalency
diploma.1

21. • 5.2The applicant shall have no less than five years experience in an
occupational function that has a direct relationship to weldments
fabricated to a code or standard and shall be directly involved in one
or more of the following:
• (1) Production. Planning and control of welding
materials, welding procedures and welding operations for
weldments.
• (2) Construction. Welding, fabrication and erection of weldments.
• (3) Inspection. Detection and measurements of weld
discontinuities and the verification of fabrication requirements.
• (4) Repair. Repair of welds that were found to be defective.

22. • 5.3The applicant shall submit written verification of
documented employment with the application. This
verification shall be completed and signed by the
applicant's most recent employment supervisor or the
appropriate personnel department staff.
• 5.4 The applicant shall be able to explain and
demonstrate the welding and cutting processes to be
taught.
• 5.5The applicant shall be thoroughly familiar and
capable of performing the duties described in section
4, Function.

26. 1 - 26
Welding Occupations Requiring a
High School Education
• Welding operator
• Welding fitter
• Combination welder
• Master welder
• Welding supervisor
• Welding analyst
• Inspector
• Welding foreman
• Welding superintendent
• Equipment sales
• Sales demonstrator
• Sales troubleshooter
• Welding instructor
• Robotics welder operator
• Jog or fabrication shop
owner

27. 1 - 27
Welding Occupations Requiring a
College Education
• Welding engineer
(metallurgical)
• Welding development
engineer
• Welding research
engineer
• Welding engineer
• Technical editor
• Welding professor
• Certified welding inspector
(AWS/CWI)
• Corporation executive
• Owner of welding business
• Sales engineer