AWS API 1104 Endorsement study guide
AWS API 1104 Endorsement · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Pipeline (API 1104) endorsement is one of the CWI and SCWI Endorsements listed by the American Welding Society (AWS) alongside Structural Steel (D1.1), Structural Aluminum (D1.2), Bridge Welding (D1.5), Railroad (D15.1), Aerospace (D17.1), and other specialty endorsements. In plain terms, it is a specialty add-on for people who already hold or are pursuing the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) or Senior Certified Welding Inspector (SCWI) credential and who want to demonstrate code-specific knowledge of pipeline welding inspection under API 1104 rather than structural or bridge welding codes. It is aimed at inspection personnel, welding coordinators, QA staff, and pipeline quality professionals whose work is governed by pipeline welding requirements. Preparation should center on the API 1104 document itself: girth weld qualification, welding procedure and welder qualification requirements, inspection and nondestructive examination acceptance criteria, and repair and retest rules, reinforced by field inspection experience and supervised practice applying the standard to realistic scenarios. Candidates should also review the AWS Certification Credentials Policy, the Exam and Reference Guide, the Seminar & Exam Schedule, and the program Price List before registering. This page is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by AWS or API; always confirm current exam logistics, eligibility, fees, and scoring directly with the certifying body. Topics on this exam: Pipeline (API 1104). The AWS API 1104 Endorsement study guide has 1 section and about 355 words.
01API 1104 Pipeline Welding: Scope, Qualification Logic, and Exam Traps
API 1104 is the standard for welding pipelines and related facilities. It covers girth welds in transmission and distribution lines, plus fabrication welds, and it is written for field conditions where joint fit-up, weather, and access are less controlled than in a shop. A candidate must know that the standard governs procedure qualification, welder qualification, production welding, inspection, and acceptance criteria as one linked system: a qualified procedure does not excuse an unqualified welder, and a qualified welder does not rescue an unqualified procedure. Understand the sequence.
355 words, about 2 minMore study resources for AWS API 1104 Endorsement
- Practice questionsUnder API 1104, what is the primary purpose of the radiographic examination of a girth weld?
- FlashcardsAPI 1104 scope. Covers welding of pipelines and related facilities, including butt, fillet, and sleeve welds in carbon and low-alloy steel pipe used for transmission and distribution.
- Cheat sheetAPI 1104 governs field girth welding of pipelines and related facilities; it covers butt, fillet, and sleeve welds in carbon and low-alloy steel pipe.
- Key termsGirth weld. A circumferential butt weld joining two lengths of pipe, made in the field or yard, as opposed to a longitudinal seam weld produced at the pipe mill.
- Study planMap the API 1104 document structure chapter by chapter and note which clauses govern scope, referenced standards, and definitions.
- Common mistakesMost candidates come from field welding or inspection backgrounds where company practice and client specifications fill gaps, so they answer from memory of how their spread did it instead of the clause-based requirement the item tests.
- Exam-day guideBring the exact ID form the provider requires (often a passport or driver's license).