Getting Started: AWS Certified Associate Welding Inspector (CAWI) and Certified Welding Inspector (CWI)

Education and Experience Requirements

Certified Associate Welding Inspector shall have:

• high school graduate and
• min. of 2 years of qualified experience with welding fabrication and standards and directly involved in 1 or more qualified areas
• alternatively, 2 years post-high school education in welding curriculum or engineering technology, engineering, or physical sciences, and a min. of 6 months experience in any of the welding functions

Note: CAWI shall perform inspections under the active supervision of a CWI or SCWI

Certified Welding Inspector shall have:

• high school graduate and
• min. of 5 years of qualified experience with welding fabrication and standards and directly involved in 1 or more qualified areas
• alternatively, max. of 2 years of post-high school education may be substituted for an equal number of years of the required 5 years experience, as follows:
  • eng., eng. tech., or sc. degree; 2 years max.
  • eng. or eng. tech. courses; 2 years max.
  • trade/vocational courses related to welding; 1 year max.

Note: The areas of qualified experience options are listed in AWS B5.1 paragraph 5.5.

AWS Welding Inspector Examinations

Certified Associate Welding Inspector:

• fundamentals; 2 hrs, closed-book
• practical; 2 hrs
• selected code; 2 hrs, open-book

• min. grade: 60%
• total: 6 hrs

Certified Welding Inspector:

• fundamentals; 2 hrs, closed-book
• practical; 2 hrs
• selected code; 2 hrs, open-book

• min. grade: 72%
• total: 6 hrs

Code Exams:

• AWS D1.1
• AWS D1.2
• AWS D1.5
• AWS D15.1
• API 1104
• ASME IX, B31.1, and B31.3
• ASME VIII-1 and IX

Renewals for CAWI, CWI, and SCWI

CAWI:

• valid for 3 yrs, nonrenewable

CWI/SCWI:

• 3 yrs reapply
• 9 yrs re-exam; either a practical or code exam or by experience and continuing education (min. 80 PDH with 20 PDH within last 3 yrs)

Reciprocity and Recognition

From CSA to AWS

• CSA W178.2 Level 1 to AWS CAWI with endorsement code(s)
• CSA W178.2 Level 2 to AWS CWI with endorsement code(s)

From AWS to CSA

• CAWI* to Level 1 with endorsement code(s)
• CWI* to Level 2 with endorsement code(s), but only after 2 years as a CWI

* must write a 0.5 hr open-book W178.2 exam

Note: When applying as an AWS CWI for CSA W178.2 Recognition, you will be permitted to inspect the equivalent code endorsement(s) for which you wrote your AWS CWI exam.