AWS Welder Performance Qualifier study guide
AWS Welder Performance Qualifier · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Welder Performance Qualifier (WPQ1) is one of four endorsements that the American Welding Society lists under its professional certifications and SCWI endorsements. AWS describes the Senior Certified Welding Inspector (SCWI) path as one where candidates complete four required endorsements - WPQ1, WPQ2, WCQA, and NDEC - to earn the SCWI credential, with the standalone SCWI exam retired and qualification now achieved step by step through endorsement achievements. The WPQ1 endorsement therefore sits inside a broader credential structure rather than standing alone: it addresses the qualification of welders through performance testing, and it is intended for experienced inspection and quality personnel who already hold a CWI credential and are working toward SCWI recognition. The other three endorsements cover welding procedure qualification (WPQ2), welding coordination and quality assurance (WCQA), and nondestructive examination coordination (NDEC), so candidates should expect overlap in subject matter across the set. The AWS Welder Performance Qualifier study guide has 4 sections and about 1,492 words.
01Welder Performance Qualification: Scope, Variables, and Continuity
Welder performance qualification (WPQ) demonstrates that an individual welder can produce sound welds to a qualified procedure. It is personal and non-transferable: a qualification earned by one welder cannot be used by another, and it is tied to the process, position, thickness, and joint configuration tested.
414 words, about 2 min02Welding Procedure Qualification: PQR, WPS, and Essential Variables
The procedure qualification record (PQR) documents an actual test weld and its destructive or nondestructive results. The welding procedure specification (WPS) is the production instruction derived from a qualified PQR.
388 words, about 2 min03Welding Coordination and Quality Assurance Responsibilities
Welding coordination covers planning, execution, and verification of welding work so that it complies with the specification. The coordinator ensures qualified procedures, qualified welders, suitable equipment, controlled consumables, and adequate inspection are in place before production begins.
332 words, about 2 min04NDE Coordination: Methods, Timing, and Acceptance
The procedure and applicable code define which nondestructive examination methods apply, how much of the weld is examined, and when. Common methods are visual (VT), liquid penetrant (PT), magnetic particle (MT), ultrasonic (UT), and radiographic (RT).
358 words, about 2 min