Route R5 · 9-year recertification
What are your options at the CWI 9-year recertification?
At year 9 you recertify the CWI one of five ways. Two don't need an exam at recertification time: 80 professional development hours (PDHs) or the AWS 9-year course. Three run through an exam: the Part B practical, a CWI endorsement exam, or a CRI certification. You can file once 8 years and 1 month have passed (AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026, checked October 2026).
- Exam
- CWI
- Updated
- October 2026
R5.1Five routes side by side
| Route | 80 PDHs | 9-year course | Part B exam | Endorsement | CRI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam at year 9 | No | No | Yes | Passed during the cycle | Earned during the cycle |
| What you show | 80 PDHs over the cycle, 20 in the last 3 years | The AWS 9-year course | A passing Part B practical | A CWI endorsement | AWS Certified Radiographic Interpreter |
| Recert fee, member | $770 | $2,060 | $1,130 | $770 | $770 |
| Recert fee, non-member | $1,035 | $2,325 | $1,395 | $1,035 | $1,035 |
≠ marks a row where at least one of them differs.
AWS prices the PDH, endorsement and CRI routes on one non-exam line. The endorsement exam itself is a separate Prometric fee, $445 or $540 per the same page.
R5.2The PDH rule in plain numbers
Eighty PDHs across the nine years, and 20 of them have to fall in the final three (AWS QC1:2016-AMD1, clause 16.4.1). The content has to relate to subjects or job functions in B5.1, and QC1 clause 16 caps how much any single course or meeting can count. The PDH route also asks for the same work attestation as a renewal: no break in welding activity longer than two years in the prior three (16.3.2).
The trap's at the back end. Plenty of hours early in the cycle don't cover the 20 required late. Keep certificates and attendance proof as you go; you won't find them in year 9.
When an exam is the easier way
Part B's the practical you already passed once, with tools and replicas supplied; the Part B practical covers what it tests. An endorsement exam sat during the cycle also counts: QC1 says it doesn't need to be current when you apply. The options are listed on CWI endorsements.
R5.3Filing the 9-year application
Pick the route by year 6
PDHs pile up over the whole cycle, and an endorsement has to be passed before you file. Both need lead time.
Wait for 8 years and 1 month
The User Guide opens 9-year applications after that point, through the Certification Application Portal.
Pull the paperwork
AWS lists the 9th-year recertification application, employment verification, the visual acuity form, the additional qualifying work experience form and photo ID requirements.
File before expiry
QC1 (16.1) wants the approved application in by the expiration date. The same 60-day grace period applies, with the credential listed as expired during it.
R5.4Year 9, asked plainly
Can I just renew by work experience after 9 years?
No. AWS limits renewals to two three-year periods; at year 9 the filing is a recertification.
What is the AWS 9-year course?
A recertification seminar AWS runs for CWIs and SCWIs. AWS prices the course route at $2,060 for members or $2,325 for non-members (AWS CWI page, checked October 2026).
Does the Part B route mean retaking the whole exam?
No. It's the Part B practical only, priced at $1,130 or $1,395 (AWS CWI page, checked October 2026).
R5.5Sources
- AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026 — routes, 8 years 1 month window (checked October 2026)
- AWS CWI page — fees, document list (checked October 2026)
- AWS QC1:2016-AMD1 — clause 16: PDHs, endorsement rule, deadline (checked October 2026)
Going the Part B or endorsement way?
Brush up before you book: our CWI prep app has practice questions on iPhone or iPad.