CWS (CWNP)

Two required exams: CWS Part A (Fundamentals of Supervision) and CWS Part B (Welding Practices & Economics). AWS delivers both by computer-based testing at more than 450 Prometric Exam Centers worldwide. You register through the AWS online portal, where you also submit documentation and a current photo.

AWS organizes CWS training around three parts. Welding Safety & Quality covers OSHA compliance, workplace safety, defect prevention, quality control, and inspection and testing procedures. Production & Cost Control covers welding economics, cost-reduction strategies, lean manufacturing principles, and productivity improvement. Supervisory & Leadership Skills covers managing welding teams, communication and problem-solving, and compliance with welding codes and standards.

There are two paths. Option 1 is at least three years of practical welding work in a fabrication, construction, or welding-related industry. Option 2 is at least two years of such practical work plus three years of teaching experience in welding or related subjects. You must also hold a high school diploma or a state or military approved high school equivalency diploma.

AWS lists Prometric exams at $665 for members and $756 for non-members. Retests are $445 per part or $650 for all parts, the same for members and non-members. The Supervisor Value Pak is $2,120 for members and $2,211 for non-members; the seminar alone is $1,585 and $1,676. Confirm current pricing before you register.

AWS prices retests per part at $445 and all-parts retests at $650, for members and non-members alike. It also offers combined packages such as Supervisor Seminar & 1 Part Retest at $1,990 for members and Supervisor Seminar & 2 Part Retest at $2,220. The source does not state a waiting period or attempt limit, so confirm those with AWS.

The credential is valid for three years. A CWS can renew twice, at year three and year six, and each renewal requires written documentation showing continued activity in the welding supervisor occupational position. After nine years of continuous certification you must recertify, either by passing Part A and Part B again or by documenting 80 professional development hours, 20 of them in the three years before recertification.

No. AWS states that formal training is recommended but not mandatory, and many candidates combine hands-on experience with self-study or prep courses. AWS does publish a body of knowledge for self-study, including AWS QC13, AWS B5.9, ANSI Z49.1, AWS A2.4, AWS A3.0, and welding handbook material on the economics of welding and cutting.

AWS describes a five-day course focused on the knowledge a supervisor needs to improve the welders' environment, productivity, throughput, weld quality, and safety, teaching the science rather than the art of welding so participants can control process variables. The Welding Supervisor Bundle adds seven self-paced courses with over 80 hours of instruction.

AWS describes a welding supervisor as someone who manages welding operations, overseeing teams, workflow, and materials to keep projects efficient, safe, and on budget, with a focus on operational oversight. A CWS is a professional who has proven knowledge, skills and abilities in welding supervision by passing the AWS-administered exam.

Start with the standards that anchor the exam: AWS QC13 and AWS B5.9 for the certification and qualification requirements, then ANSI Z49.1 for safety. Build the safety and quality material next, since defect prevention and inspection underpin daily supervisory decisions. Then work through welding economics and lean principles, and finish with team leadership and code compliance, which draw on the earlier sections.