Welding Certification Tests allow a welding student to become certified as a welder or allow a welder to become certified as a welding inspector.

Certified Welding Inspector Exam

The Certified Welding Inspector Exam, administered by the AWS, is a highly esteemed exam in the welding industry. Many welding companies look to certified welding inspectors when seeking the highest quality welding work.

The exam itself is made up of three sections:

Part A- Fundamentals

Part B-Practical

Part C- Code Application

Each section must be completed in two hours. According to the AWS, in the code application section, applicants must answer 46-60 questions which evaluates the welder’s familiarity with one of five codes, selected by the applicant. Most applicants choose to test under D1.1 or AP1 1104. The code application part of the exam is open-book. The fundamentals section is made up of 150 questions based on the fundamentals of welding processes. It is a closed-book exam. Finally, the practical section consists of 46 questions that give the applicant a chance to prove his or her welding knowledge hands-on using visual aids, such as actual tools and plastic replicas of welds and a sample code book.

Certified Welder Exam

The Certified Welder (CW) exam requires no prior licensure or certification in welding. The exam can be taken at any of a list of accredited test facilities, which can be found at After an applicant has filled out an application and paid the registration fee, an appointment will be scheduled at a test facility. Then the applicant must prove his or her skill in welding. According to the AWS, the applicant must deposit a sound weld which is then inspected and judged by a Certified Welding Inspector. If the applicant fails the test, he or she may try again at any time as long as an appointment is scheduled.

Welding is a fabrication process whereby two or more parts are fused together by means of heat, pressure or both forming a join as the parts cool. Welding is usually used on metals and thermoplastics but can also be used on wood. The completed welded joint may be referred to as a weldment.

Some materials require the use of specific processes and techniques. A number are considered 'unweldable,' a term not usually found in dictionaries but useful and descriptive in engineering.

The parts that are joined are known as a parent material. The material added to help form the join is called filler or consumable. The form of these materials may see them referred to as parent plate or pipe, filler wire, consumable electrode (for arc welding), etc.