IIW IWP study guide
IIW IWP · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The International Welding Practitioner (IWP) is an IIW personnel qualification aimed at people who supervise welding work rather than only perform it: welding supervisors, workshop team leaders, and technicians who coordinate welders, procedures and documentation on the shop floor. It sits between the practical welder qualifications and the engineering-level qualifications, and it is delivered through IIW Authorised Nominated Bodies (ANBs) in each country, so the route, language and scheduling depend on your national body. The IIW IWP study guide has 8 sections and about 2,561 words.
01Welding processes and equipment
The Welding processes and equipment domain checks whether you can select a process for a given joint and then set it up correctly - power-source characteristic, polarity, current, duty cycle and consumable handling. Expect questions that compare two processes on the same job rather than ask for a definition.
336 words, about 2 min02Materials and their behaviour during welding
The Materials domain tests whether you can predict what the weld thermal cycle does to a steel or alloy - hardening, cracking and loss of properties - and choose preheat, heat input and consumables accordingly. CEV = C + Mn/6 + (Cr+Mo+V)/5 + (Ni+Cu)/15.
322 words, about 2 min03Construction and design
The Construction and design domain tests drawing literacy and joint design: reading ISO 2553 weld symbols, selecting a joint preparation, and controlling distortion and residual stress before the first arc is struck. The arrow points to the joint; the reference line carries the symbol.
337 words, about 2 min04Fabrication, applications and weldability
Fabrication, applications and weldability tests shop-floor judgement: consumable control, preparation, fit-up, and whether a material can be welded to the required quality with the available process. Basic MMA electrodes absorb moisture; re-dry at 300–350 °C for the manufacturer's time, hold at 100–150 °C and issue in heated quivers.
323 words, about 2 min05Inspection, testing and quality assurance
Inspection, testing and quality assurance tests whether you can choose the right test, read the acceptance level and place both inside a quality system - not whether you can operate the equipment. VT (ISO 17637): surface, profile, undercut, misalignment; always first.
340 words, about 2 min06Health, safety and environment
Health, safety and environment tests hazard recognition and the hierarchy of control for welding operations - in the workshop and on site, including confined spaces and hot work. Fume: manganese and hexavalent chromium from stainless; zinc oxide from galvanised steel causes metal fume fever.
304 words, about 2 min07Practical welding competence
Practical welding competence tests whether you can set up and produce a sound test piece to ISO 9606 and explain every choice - position, polarity, current, technique and interpass care. ISO 9606-1 essential variables include process, product type (plate or pipe), joint type, filler, position, thickness and outside diameter ranges.
302 words, about 2 min08Supervision, planning and production control
Supervision, planning and production control tests the coordination side of EN ISO 3834 and ISO 14731: planning the work, controlling documents and people, and reacting to nonconformance with data. ISO 14731 defines welding coordination tasks - WPS, qualification, consumables, equipment, inspection, traceability and subcontracting.
297 words, about 1 min