IIW IWS exam-day guide
IIW IWS · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Photo identification
Bring the same government-issued photo ID whose details you used at registration; the name must match your registration record exactly. If you registered under a name variant or a passport versus a national ID, confirm with the provider which document is acceptable before travelling.
Admission or appointment confirmation
Carry a printed and a digital copy of your test appointment or admission letter, including the test centre address, date, session time and your candidate number. Confirm with the provider whether printed confirmation is mandatory.
Approved writing instruments
Bring two or three black or dark-blue ballpoint pens and a pencil with eraser if the provider permits. For practical welding or inspection stations, confirm with the provider whether any marking tools, chalk, or scribers are supplied or must be brought.
Personal protective equipment for practical stations
Where the exam includes practical welding, inspection or workshop tasks, bring your own safety shoes, coveralls or flame-retardant workwear, safety glasses, gloves and, where relevant, a welding helmet with the correct filter shade. Confirm with the provider which PPE is mandatory versus supplied on site.
Hearing and eye protection
Bring ear plugs or ear defenders and impact-rated safety glasses if practical tasks are involved. Confirm with the provider whether disposable ear plugs are provided and whether prescription glasses must have side shields.
Watch, not a smart device
A simple analogue or digital wristwatch helps you pace written sections where a room clock is not visible. Smartwatches and fitness trackers are almost always prohibited; confirm with the provider whether any watch is allowed.
Permitted reference material
Most IIW-related examinations are closed-book. Do not bring standards, textbooks or notes unless the provider has explicitly confirmed in writing that a specific document is permitted. Confirm with the provider in advance.
Refreshment and medication
Bring water in a clear container and any medically necessary items such as inhalers or glucose tablets; declare them at check-in. Confirm with the provider whether food and drink are allowed at the desk and what the procedure is for declared medication.
Travel and accommodation plan
Know the route to the centre, the arrival time and a backup transport option. Arrive with a buffer for security checks and registration. Confirm with the provider the exact reporting time, which is usually earlier than the published start.
Rest and revision plan for the final night
Prepare a one-page summary of formula families, weld defect classifications, NDT method selection and acceptance-criteria logic, and stop active study early enough to sleep. This is preparation advice, not an exam rule.
Leave prohibited items at home or in accommodation
Phones, smartwatches, earphones, cameras and unauthorised notes are normally banned from the test room. Confirm with the provider where they must be stored if they cannot be left behind.
Plan the day
Re-read the provider's candidate instructions line by line and note every item you must bring. Check that your ID matches your registration name exactly and that your appointment letter is correct. Resolve open questions by email to the provider now, not on the day. Lay out PPE and clothing, check the welding helmet filter and that boots and gloves are serviceable, and confirm travel times and the reporting time.
Switch from learning new material to consolidating. Work through a small number of representative calculation types, such as heat input, preheat considerations, dilution or deposition-rate style estimates, and rehearse the reasoning behind welding procedure and qualification logic. Practise stating why a defect class, NDT method or acceptance decision is appropriate, because practical and oral stations reward structured reasoning more than memorised lists.
Do one timed run-through of the written format you expect, then review only your own error list. Pack the bag completely: ID, confirmation, pens, PPE, water, medication. Charge nothing you cannot bring, and decide where your phone will stay. Check the weather and transport disruptions for the route. Confirm with the provider any last points such as parking, locker availability or whether PPE is inspected at check-in.
Eat normally, avoid late caffeine and alcohol, and set two alarms plus a backup. Read your one-page summary once, then stop. Prepare clothes for the practical station so you are not deciding at 06:00. Aim for a full night's sleep; fatigue costs more marks in a long practical day than one extra hour of revision gains.
Eat a proper meal and hydrate, since sessions can run long. Arrive at the centre with a generous buffer before the reporting time. Go through the checklist physically, item by item, before leaving. At the centre, follow registration and security instructions, keep your ID visible, and ask staff about locker or storage arrangements for anything not permitted in the room.
Read the instructions and mark allocation first, then answer the questions you know with confidence before returning to harder ones. Watch the time against the number of questions and leave a few minutes to check that every item is attempted and that units and significant figures are consistent. If a question is ambiguous, answer the most defensible interpretation and, where the format allows, show your reasoning so partial credit is possible.
Listen to the full instruction before touching equipment, confirm the task and any safety requirements, and work methodically. For inspection or assessment tasks, describe what you observe, the method you are using and the criterion you are applying, then state the conclusion. For oral questions, answer directly first, then justify with the relevant principle. Observe all site safety rules, including PPE and machine isolation, because unsafe conduct can end a station regardless of technical accuracy.
Note any questions you found ambiguous and, if the provider allows, raise them through the official channel rather than with invigilators under time pressure. Keep your candidate number safe for results enquiries. Confirm with the provider the published results timeline and the procedure for appeals or re-sits.
Rules to check
Carry valid photo identification matching your registration details and present it at check-in; if your ID situation is unusual, confirm with the provider in advance what will be accepted.
Arrive by the reporting time stated by the provider. Late arrival may mean exclusion from the session, and the exact cut-off is set by the provider, so confirm it rather than assuming a grace period.
Bring only permitted items into the test room. Phones, smartwatches, wearables, earphones and unauthorised notes are normally prohibited; confirm with the provider where such items must be stored.
Follow all safety instructions at practical stations, including PPE requirements, machine guarding and isolation procedures. An unsafe act can lead to removal from the station or the examination, so confirm the site safety rules at the briefing.
Breaks, toilet visits and leaving the room are governed by the provider's invigilation rules and may be escorted or limited. Ask at the start of the session what the procedure is rather than assuming.
Do not communicate with other candidates during the examination and do not share or copy answers. Suspected malpractice is handled under the provider's misconduct procedure, which you should read beforehand.
Scoring and pass criteria are set by the awarding body and may combine written, practical and oral components with minimum requirements per component. Confirm with the provider how your result is calculated and what the pass standard is.
If you believe a question is defective or your performance was affected by a centre problem, report it immediately to the invigilator and follow the provider's official complaints or appeals route afterwards.