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§0.1 · Practice rack

CWI practice test

This CWI practice test pulls tags from every Part A clause. Pick an option and the tag is marked ACCEPT or REJECT, with a remark on each option saying why it holds or fails. Use the chips to narrow the rack to one clause.

Exam
CWI
Tags
44
Areas
11

0.1.1What the rack covers

Part A, Fundamentals, is the closed-book knowledge part: terms, symbols, processes, metallurgy, NDE, calculations and inspector duties. That's what these tags drill. A Part A form puts 165 items on screen in 135 minutes, 150 of them scored, and you need 72% on that part on its own (AWS Part A information sheet, March 2024 and AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026, both checked October 2026). The exam format sheet has the whole layout.

Two parts don't fit in a browser rack. Part B, the practical, has you measure plastic weld replicas with real gauges and check them against the Book of Specifications. Part C is a lookup test in the code you picked. Practice for those means tools in your hand and pages in your code.

Using the chips

Leave the rack on all areas for a cold read of where you stand. Then take the clause that cost you the most and run it alone. Every clause page in the study guide carries its own tags, and none of them repeat the ones here, so a second pass on a weak clause is fresh material.

0.1.2Mixed Part A rack

Leave the chips on all areas or narrow to one clause, then commit to a pick. Wrong picks teach the most when you read why the key beats them.

0 of 44 tagged · 0 accepted

  1. Tag 01§1.1 Terms and definitions

    What is the correct term for the unwanted material that forms on the surface of molten metal during welding?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A Correct: Slag is the nonmetallic layer that floats up out of the molten metal and freezes over the bead. You chip or brush it off between passes.
    2. B Spatter is metal droplets thrown out of the arc that stick next to the weld, not a layer on the pool.
    3. C Scale is the oxide skin on hot-rolled or heated steel. It's a surface prep issue, not something the weld pool makes.
    4. D Dross is resolidified metal and oxide stuck to the bottom edge of a thermal cut. On a weld, that crust is slag.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  2. Tag 02§2.1 Joining and cutting

    What welding process is best suited for high-production automated welding of long, straight joints?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A Correct: SAW runs mechanized on long straight seams with high deposition and no visible arc. That's why it's the production pick for beams, plate and tanks.
    2. B SMAW is manual stick welding. Electrode changes every few minutes make it slow on long production seams.
    3. C FCAW can be mechanized, but it trails SAW on deposition for long straight automated seams.
    4. D GTAW is precise and clean but has the lowest deposition of the common processes. Wrong pick for high production.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  3. Tag 03§1.2 Welding and NDE symbols

    Which weld symbol feature indicates that finishing by machining is required?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A G is the finishing designator for grinding, not machining.
    2. B F isn't one of the A2.4 finishing letters. Those name the method: C chipping, G grinding, H hammering, M machining, R rolling.
    3. C C means chipping, the finish you'd get with a chisel or chipping hammer.
    4. D Correct: M placed with the contour symbol means the weld face is brought to that contour by machining.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  4. Tag 04§3.1 Visual examination

    What characteristic must be verified when examining the root pass of a multi-pass weld?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A Correct: The root has to fuse into both root edges with no cold lap. Poor tie-in gets buried by the next pass and turns into lack of fusion.
    2. B Ripple pattern is cosmetic. A neat root can still sit on one edge without fusing to the other.
    3. C Bead color tells you little about soundness on carbon steel. It's not what the root check is for.
    4. D A smooth surface doesn't prove fusion. The root check is about tie-in to both edges, not finish.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  5. Tag 05§2.2 Welding application and control

    What is the purpose of crater fill in automated welding processes?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A Penetration isn't the goal. Crater fill happens at the stop, where the arc is backing off, not digging in.
    2. B Cleaning is done by brushing or grinding. Crater fill adds metal; it doesn't clean anything.
    3. C Correct: Crater fill ramps the current down at the stop so the crater gets filled instead of left as a shrinking, concave pocket that tends to crack.
    4. D Arc starts are handled by start settings like hot start or run-in. Crater fill is an end-of-weld function.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  6. Tag 06§3.2 NDE methods

    What factor must be considered when selecting ultrasonic transducer frequency?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A Correct: Coarse grain scatters sound, so coarse-grained metal like austenitic stainless calls for a lower frequency. Fine-grained steel can take a higher one for resolution.
    2. B Coating color has nothing to do with sound transmission.
    3. C What the steel cost doesn't change how sound travels in it. Frequency choice is about grain, thickness and the flaw you're after.
    4. D Air humidity doesn't affect sound in the steel. Couplant links the probe to the part, not the air.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  7. Tag 07§2.3 Heat control and metallurgy

    How does manganese content affect the hardenability of low-alloy steels?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A It works the other way. Manganese is one of the main hardenability elements, which is why it's in carbon equivalent formulas.
    2. B Manganese has a real effect. It counts in carbon equivalent precisely because it raises hardenability.
    3. C Manganese also strengthens and deoxidizes. Saying it only touches ductility misses its main effect on hardenability.
    4. D Correct: Manganese raises hardenability, so higher-Mn steel forms hard structure more easily on fast cooling. That's why it's weighted into carbon equivalent.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  8. Tag 08§2.4 Welding calculations

    Calculate the root opening for a butt joint if the material thickness is 0.625 inches and the opening requirement is 40% of thickness

    Remarks on every option
    1. A 0.275 in is 44% of 0.625 in. Check the multiplication.
    2. B 0.300 in is 48% of the thickness, too wide for a 40% requirement.
    3. C 0.225 in is 36% of the thickness, short of the 40% requirement.
    4. D Correct: 0.625 in × 0.40 = 0.25 in. Multiply the thickness by the percentage written as a decimal.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  9. Tag 09§4.2 Inspector duties

    When performing a visual inspection of a pressure vessel weld, what is the first documentation element that must be verified?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A The material spec gets checked, but against the code and drawings, so you need the code first.
    2. B Correct: The applicable code or standard comes first. It sets the acceptance criteria, and every other document is measured against it.
    3. C Welder qualification is checked against the code's requirements, so the code has to be identified first.
    4. D The WPS has to comply with the governing code, so identify the code before judging the procedure.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

  10. Tag 10§3.3 Destructive testing

    When comparing welds created by different welding processes, which method is most effective in revealing the differences in microstructure between the weld metal, the heat-affected zone, and the base metal?

    Remarks on every option
    1. A Visual inspection only sees the surface. It can't separate weld metal, HAZ and base metal structure.
    2. B RT shows density differences like porosity and slag. It doesn't resolve grain structure.
    3. C Correct: A metallographic exam, a polished and etched section under magnification, shows weld metal, HAZ and base metal structure side by side.
    4. D UT finds reflectors and measures depth. It doesn't image microstructure.

    Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.

0.1.3Where Part A ends and B and C begin

The three CWI parts at a glance
PartBook in the roomPractice on this site
A, FundamentalsNone. Closed book, nothing on screen but the itemThis rack, the timed mock exam and every clause page
B, PracticalBook of Specifications, supplied with the gauges and replicasThe Part B fact sheet. The hands-on part needs real tools
C, Code BookThe code you chose at application, open bookThe Part C fact sheet on editions and lookup

Source: AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026, checked October 2026.

0.1.4Fair questions about this rack

Are these questions from the real exam?

No. They're study items written on Part A topics. AWS has every candidate sign an attestation that keeps exam content confidential, so recalled questions have no place here.

If I hit 72% here, will I pass Part A?

Nobody can tell you that. AWS publishes no pass rates, and this set is shorter and built differently from a real form. Use the score to find weak clauses. The passing score sheet explains how AWS scores each part, rounding down included.

Which calculator can I take into Part A?

A four-function, construction or non-programmable scientific calculator (AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026, checked October 2026). Work the welding calculations tags on the one you plan to carry.

I keep missing the symbol tags. What should I do?

Go to the welding and NDE symbols clause, whose tags are separate from these, and use the CWI flashcards for the vocabulary.

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