CWI

CWIs determine if a weldment meets acceptance criteria, handle qualification records, oversee non-destructive testing, and ensure proper materials are available during testing. In practice that means reviewing welding procedures and welder qualifications, witnessing and evaluating work, and deciding whether a finished weld is accepted or rejected under the governing code.

AWS does not publish the item count or time limit on its public certification pages. Those details appear in the Program Exam and Reference Guide and the current Price List, both available through AWS. Confirm format and timing there before you schedule, and do not trust figures carried forward from older study guides, since exams are revised periodically.

There is no single published figure. AWS notes that advanced certifications such as the CWI can cost significantly more, several thousand dollars when you factor in prep courses, study materials, and exam fees. Check the AWS Program Price List for current seminar, exam, and endorsement pricing before you budget.

Beginning January 15, 2026, AWS no longer accepts paper applications for certifications or endorsements. All applications, including required documentation and a current photo, must be submitted online through the My AWS Portal. Create or log in to your account and follow the portal's application submission instructions.

AWS offers in-person seminars, online instructor-led training, self-paced online courses, and custom seminars tailored to an organization's requirements. Seminars and exams are scheduled at locations across the United States, plus international training programs run through contracted agents. Check the Seminar and Exam Schedule and the CWI training locations list to find a session near you.

The Certified Associate Welding Inspector (CAWI) credential was developed for young professionals who aspire to a career in welding inspection but still need to meet the minimum work experience requirement to become a Certified Welding Inspector. It lets you enter the inspection career path while you accumulate qualifying experience.

CWI and SCWI endorsements cover structural steel (D1.1), structural aluminum (D1.2), bridge welding (D1.5), railroad (D15.1), aerospace (D17.1), pipeline (API 1104), magnetic particle testing, penetrant testing, ASME BPVC Section IX, ISO, nondestructive examination coordination, welding coordination and QA, and the WPQ1 and WPQ2 qualifier endorsements.

AWS maintains separate CWI Renewal and CWI Recertification pages describing each process, so check those for current cycle requirements rather than assuming a fixed interval. To confirm an inspector's credential is active, use AWS Certification QuickCheck, the free online service that returns immediate results for an individual's certification information.

Retake rules sit in the AWS Certification Credentials Policy rather than on the public CWI page, so confirm permitted attempts and any waiting period directly with AWS. In practice, a failed section usually traces to under-rehearsed code application rather than to process fundamentals, so weight your study time accordingly.

No. The standalone SCWI exam is retired. The SCWI credential is now earned by completing four required endorsements, WPQ1, WPQ2, WCQA, and NDEC, with renewal every 5 years and recertification every 10 years. This changes the SCWI pathway only; the CWI exam itself is unaffected.