Independent study site
Study for the CWI one inspection tag at a time
The Certified Welding Inspector credential from the American Welding Society comes down to three exams, Part A Fundamentals, Part B Practical and Part C Code Book, and you need 72% on each one. Hold Point gives you practice tags with a remark on every option, a timed mock, a clause-by-clause study guide and fact sheets that name their source.
- Exam
- Parts A, B and C, all required
- Pass mark
- 72% on each part
- Sit first
- Part B, then A and C at Prometric
- Facts checked
- October 2026
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01What a CWI does and what the exam checks
A CWI inspects welds and the work around them, and can certify that a welder passed a qualification test. One rung down, a Certified Associate Welding Inspector works only under a CWI's active supervision. One rung up, a Senior CWI also supervises inspectors and audits vendors (AWS QC1:2016-AMD1, clause 4, checked October 2026).
- Part A, Fundamentals. Closed book, on a computer at a Prometric center: 165 items, 150 of them scored, in 135 minutes.
- Part B, Practical. On paper at an AWS exam site, with gauges, plastic weld replicas and the Book of Specifications: 46 items in 120 minutes.
- Part C, Code Book. Open book on the one code you choose when you apply: 50 to 60 scored items, in 120 or 135 minutes depending on the form.
Counts and times: AWS Part A information sheet, March 2024, AWS Part B information sheet, March 2024 and AWS Part C information sheet, February 2025. Order and pass rule: AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026. All checked October 2026.
Order matters. AWS has you sit Part B first, and the eligibility codes for Parts A and C arrive with the Part B confirmation letter. The CWI exam format sheet puts the three parts side by side. The route to becoming a CWI covers eligibility, the vision test and the application.
02What you get on this site
| Tool | What it does | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|
| Practice test | Mixed Part A tags with chips by clause. Verdict and remarks right after each pick | You want to find the weak clause |
| Mock exam | A timed set spread over the Part A clauses, verdicts held until you hand in | You want to work against a clock |
| Study guide | Part A minimum percentages, every clause and concept page, and the fact sheets | You need to decide what to read next |
| Flashcards | Terms, symbols and discontinuity names, front and back | The vocabulary won't stick |
| Study plan | 4, 8 and 12 week tables, bigger minimums first | You have an exam date |
| Passing score sheet | How AWS scores each part and rounds the result | You want the rule, not a rumor |
03Every page, by family
The clauses run in four chapters, from reading the job to signing off on it. Concept pages hang off their clause, and the study guide lists every one of them.
Start here
§1 Reading the job
- Terms and definitionsToe, face, root, HAZ: the A3.0 words
- Welding and NDE symbolsArrow side, tail, contour, NDE letters
§2 Making the weld
- Joining and cuttingArc processes, polarity, cutting
- Welding application and controlTechnique, parameters, distortion
- Heat control and metallurgyCooling rate, HAZ, heat treatment
- Welding calculationsHeat input, throat, cost, conversions
§3 Judging the weld
- Visual examinationVT conditions and discontinuities
- NDE methodsPT, MT, UT, RT, ET in one place
- Destructive testingBend, tensile, impact, macroetch
§4 Paperwork and authority
Fact sheets
- Exam format
- Passing score
- Exam cost
- Dates and booking
- Part B practical
- Part C code book
- Results and retakes
- Is it hard?
Getting certified
Comparisons
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