AWS Welding Procedure Qualifier study guide
AWS Welding Procedure Qualifier · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Welding Procedure Qualifier (WPQ2) is one of four required endorsements that AWS lists toward earning the Senior Certified Welding Inspector (SCWI) credential. AWS states that the standalone SCWI exam is retired and that candidates now qualify step by step by completing WPQ1, WPQ2, WCQA, and NDEC. WPQ2 sits in the procedure side of that path: it addresses welding procedure qualification, welding coordination and quality assurance, nondestructive examination coordination, and welder performance qualification. Because AWS publishes WPQ2 as an endorsement rather than a standalone certification, it is aimed at experienced welding quality professionals, typically CWIs building toward SCWI, who already work with procedure qualification records, quality systems, and NDE oversight. The AWS Welding Procedure Qualifier study guide has 4 sections and about 1,550 words.
01Welding Procedure Qualification: Specification, Testing, and Range of Approval
A Welding Procedure Specification (WPS) is a production document; the Procedure Qualification Record (PQR) is the evidence behind it. Qualification demonstrates that a procedure, made with a specific combination of process, base metal, filler, position, and essential variables, can produce a weld meeting the specified mechanical and soundness requirements.
404 words, about 2 min02Welding Coordination and Quality Assurance: Documents, Traceability, and Control
Welding coordination covers the planning and control needed to ensure welds are produced to specification: reviewing contract and design requirements, confirming that suitable procedures and qualified personnel exist, controlling consumables, verifying equipment condition, and maintaining records. In quality-assurance terms, the coordinator is the link between engineering intent and shop-floor execution.
371 words, about 2 min03Nondestructive Examination Coordination: Methods, Timing, and Acceptance
Nondestructive examination (NDE) confirms weld soundness without destroying the joint. The common methods are visual, penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic, and radiographic testing.
392 words, about 2 min04Welder Performance Qualification: Tests, Variables, and Range of Approval
Welder performance qualification tests the individual's ability to deposit sound weld metal, not the adequacy of a procedure. The test is performed to a qualified procedure or a standard test detail, and the resulting weld is examined, usually by visual and radiographic or bend testing.
383 words, about 2 min