Eligibility and Work Experience Requirements for the AWS SCWI Exam
To qualify for the AWS Senior Certified Welding Inspector (SCWI) exam, applicants must document direct professional involvement in the following areas:
Certification as a CWI for Six Years:
Applicants must have held a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification for at least six of the last eight years, along with professional experience in inspection roles.
15 Years of Work Experience in Relevant Fields:
Candidates must have at least 15 years of work experience in three or more of the following areas:
- Design: Includes preparing plans and drawings for weldments, developing inspection procedures, establishing requirements, and setting acceptance criteria, as well as qualifying welders or welding procedures.
- Production: Involves planning, controlling, and supervising welding materials, procedures, and operations, as well as managing base metal usage and applying welding codes and standards.
- Construction: Covers personnel supervision and the fabrication or erection of weldments, experience as a welder or welding operator, and operational techniques that meet quality control requirements.
- Quality Control: Focuses on detecting and measuring weld discontinuities, overseeing personnel, specifying quality control (QC) methods, and reviewing vendor QC programs. Includes the teaching of welding or related subjects.
- Quality Assurance: Encompasses specifying QA methods, reviewing QA programs for vendors, conducting audits, planning repair welding, and applying these methods in practice.
- Repair: Involves repairing defective welds or supervising personnel involved in repairs, as well as preparing written procedures for these processes.
AWS SCWI Exam Pattern
The AWS SCWI exam consists of two types of online exams: Part A and Part B.
Part A – Fundamentals Examination:
- Number of Questions: 140
- Duration: 2 hours
- Minimum Passing Score: 72%
- Exam Pattern: Closed Book
Content of Part A (Technical Fundamentals – Closed Book):
A. Quality Assurance & ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems Requirements
B. AWS B1.10 – Guide for Non-Destructive Testing Examination of Welds
C. AWS B1.11 – Guide for Visual Examination of Welds
D. AWS-D10.4 – Recommended Practices for Welding Austenitic Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Piping and Tubing
E. AWS B4.0 – Standard Methods for Mechanical Testing of Welds
F. AWS QC1 – Specification for AWS Certification of Welding Inspectors
G. Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A, ASNT
H. ANSI Z 49.1 – Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes
Part B – Technical-Specific Examination:
- Number of Questions: 60
- Duration: 2 hours
- Minimum Passing Score: 72%
- Exam Pattern: Open Book
Content of Part B (Technical Specific – Open Book):
A. AWS B2.1 – Performance Qualification
B. AWS B2.1 – Procedure Qualification
C. AWS B4.0 – Standard Methods for Mechanical Testing of Welds
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