I-CAR AWQT study guide
I-CAR AWQT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The I-CAR Auto Welding Qualification Test (AWQT) is a professional credential for collision repair technicians who weld on modern vehicle bodies. It verifies that a technician can select the right joining process, set up equipment, execute sound welds, and inspect results against OEM repair procedures. The I-CAR AWQT study guide has 8 sections and about 2,703 words.
01Welding Safety and Personal Protective Equipment
This domain tests hazard recognition and PPE selection for the three processes you will actually run: GMAW, STRSW, and MIG brazing. The exam asks which control removes which hazard, not which slogan sounds safest.
367 words, about 2 min02GMAW (MIG) Welding Theory and Equipment Setup
This domain tests transfer modes, how wire-feed speed, voltage, and inductance interact, and correct setup of machine, gun, gas, and work clamp. The exam favors cause-and-effect over knob memorization.
364 words, about 2 min03Squeeze-Type Resistance Spot Welding (STRSW)
STRSW is the OEM's primary structural joining method in unitized bodies. The exam tests process variables, the destructive tests that prove a weld, and the weld-count rules that make a replacement panel equivalent to the original.
326 words, about 2 min04MIG Brazing and Silicone Bronze Applications
MIG brazing joins steel with a copper-silicon filler without melting the base metal. The exam tests when a procedure calls for braze rather than fusion weld, and why substituting one for the other damages the repair.
312 words, about 2 min05Steel Substrate Identification and Weldability
This domain tests whether you can identify the steel you are joining and match it to a validated weld schedule. Substrate identity drives wire, gas, heat input, and whether the part is repairable at all.
336 words, about 2 min06Aluminum Welding and Dissimilar-Metal Joining
Aluminum joining succeeds or fails on cleanliness, gas choice, and heat control. The exam tests those three plus the dissimilar-metal rule that keeps steel and aluminum apart.
337 words, about 2 min07Weld Quality Inspection, Destructive Testing, and Defect Analysis
Inspection is where the repair is proved. The exam tests visual criteria, the destructive tests used on coupons and salvage parts, and the defect-to-cause links that let you correct a process instead of guessing.
328 words, about 2 min08Vehicle-Body Repair Standards and OEM Procedure Compliance
This domain is compliance. The exam tests whether you treat the OEM procedure as the sole authority for a repair and whether you can spot the shortcuts that void it.
333 words, about 2 min