Fact sheet F1 · Exam format
How is the CWI exam set up?
The CWI exam has three parts, and Part A Fundamentals is the closed-book one: 165 questions in 135 minutes on a computer at a Prometric test center. Part B, the practical, comes first, on paper at an AWS site. Part C is an open-book code test. Each part has to clear the 72% passing score on its own.
- Exam
- CWI
- Checked
- October 2026
- Source
- AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026
Parts in the CWI exam
3parts
Part A Fundamentals, Part B Practical and Part C Code Book. AWS requires Part B before Parts A and C. Parts A and C are computer-based at Prometric test centers; Part B is a paper-based, hands-on exam at an AWS exam site.
Source: AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026, checked October 2026
F1.1Part by part
| Part | Questions | Time | Books | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A Fundamentals | 165: 150 scored, 15 unscored pretest | 135 min | None, closed book | Prometric, on computer |
| Part B Practical | 46 | 120 min | Book of Specifications, supplied | AWS exam site, on paper |
| Part C Code Book | 50–60 scored; 55–65 on screen with pretest items | 135 min; 120 with no pretest items | The one code you chose, printed or on-screen PDF | Prometric, on computer |
From the AWS Part A information sheet, March 2024, the Part B information sheet, March 2024, and the Part C information sheet, February 2025 (checked October 2026).
F1.2Why some pages say 150
The AWS CWI page lists Part A as 150 questions (checked October 2026). The Part A information sheet puts 165 on the form: 150 that count and 15 pretest items AWS is trying out for future exams. The pretest items sit at random among the rest and look exactly like them.
So you can't skip them. Treat all 165 as live and pace the 135 minutes for the whole form.
Part C works the same way on selected English forms. AWS adds roughly 10% unscored items, which is why the count runs from 50 to 65 and the clock from 120 to 135 minutes (AWS Part C information sheet, February 2025, checked October 2026).
Order of the parts
Part B goes first, by rule. The eligibility codes for Parts A and C arrive in your Part B confirmation letter, so you couldn't book them earlier anyway. AWS's 2022 fee policy adds two things: A and C are due within 120 days after Part B, and sitting A or C before B invalidates the attempt (AWS Policies and Fees, November 2022, checked October 2026). How the booking works is on the dates and booking page.
What each part asks of you
Part A covers the fundamentals: terms, processes, symbols, visual examination, NDE, metallurgy, calculations, destructive testing and inspector duties, each with a minimum percentage set in AWS B5.1:2025, Table 8.1 (checked October 2026). The CWI study guide breaks each area out. Part B hands you gauges, plastic weld replicas and sample documents and asks you to measure and judge. Part C is about finding and applying clauses in one code, and the code book page lists which codes and editions AWS accepts.
F1.3Asked about the format
Can I take the CWI exam online?
No. AWS offers no remote proctoring. Parts A and C run at Prometric centers, which AWS puts at more than 450 worldwide (AWS CWI page, checked October 2026), and Part B runs at AWS exam sites.
Must I pass all three parts in one go?
You need 72% on every part. When your composite average is 72% or higher and one part falls short, you retake only that part (AWS QC1:2016-AMD1, clause 6.2.3, checked October 2026). The full rules are on the results and retakes page.
Is Part A offered in other languages?
Yes. Language-assisted forms pair English with Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, Russian or Portuguese (AWS Part A information sheet, March 2024, checked October 2026). On-screen code books for Part C are English only.
What do all three parts cost together?
$1,255 for AWS members and $1,520 for non-members in the US and Canada (AWS CWI page, checked October 2026). The CWI exam cost page has the full fee table.
F1.4Sources
- AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026 (checked October 2026)
- AWS Part A information sheet, March 2024 (checked October 2026)
- AWS Part B information sheet, March 2024 (checked October 2026)
- AWS Part C information sheet, February 2025 (checked October 2026)
- AWS CWI page — lists Part A as 150 questions (checked October 2026)
- AWS Policies and Fees, November 2022 — 120-day rule, order of parts (checked October 2026)
- AWS QC1:2016-AMD1 — clause 6.2.3, retaking failed parts (checked October 2026)
Facts sorted. Now the questions.
Once the details make sense, our CWI prep app on iPhone and iPad gives you practice questions to work through.