CWI (Certified Welding Inspector)

CWI eligibility runs on a sliding scale between education and welding work experience rather than one fixed requirement: a bachelor's degree in welding plus 1 year of experience qualifies, as does a high school diploma plus 5 years of experience, or less than an 8th-grade education plus 12 years of experience. Every candidate, regardless of path, also has to pass a vision test, a reminder that inspection work depends on being able to actually see weld quality clearly.

The certification itself is three separate exam parts, each requiring a 72% passing score on its own. Part A (Fundamentals) is a 150-question computer-based test covering destructive and nondestructive testing, fabrication math, safety, metallurgy, and welding symbols. Part B (Practical) is hands-on, applying welding procedure specifications and inspection methods, actually executing required welds, plus 46 related questions. Part C (Code Book) is open-book in a narrow sense, one specific, approved code reference allowed, covering roughly 50 to 65 questions on applying that code.

AWS's welding inspector credentials come in three levels: Associate CWI (CAWI), an entry-level credential; CWI itself, the primary certification; and Senior CWI (SCWI), requiring additional qualifications beyond CWI. It's worth not confusing this with the welding certification a structural welder earns to a specific code like AWS D1.1 (already covered elsewhere on this site under the Welder career); that verifies someone can perform welds to a code, while CWI verifies the separate skill of inspecting and judging other people's welds against that same code.

Cost runs meaningfully higher than most credentials on this site, roughly $1,220 to $1,520 for initial certification depending on AWS membership status, before factoring in any optional training seminar package. Once earned, it stays valid for 9 years, with renewal checkpoints due at years 3 and 6, each offering several valid paths to maintain it: confirming continued relevant work experience, retaking Part B, completing 80 Professional Development Hours, or earning a Certified Radiographic Interpreter credential.

The practice questions below are original, covering CWI's real eligibility structure and exam content, not copied from any actual AWS exam. For the role this credential most directly supports on this site, see QA/QC Inspector.