§1.2 · Reading the job
Welding and NDE symbols on the CWI
Welding symbols are read off the reference line: which side of it the weld symbol sits on, what's written to its left and right, and what the tail adds. AWS A2.4:2020 sets the rules on the CWI, and NDE symbols ride the same line.
- Exam
- CWI
- Clause
- §1.2
- Tags here
- 15
- Part A minimum
- at least 10%
1.2.1Weld symbol, welding symbol
A2.4 uses two names that people blur together. The weld symbol is the small shape: the fillet triangle, the groove V, the plug rectangle. The welding symbol is the whole assembly: reference line, arrow, weld symbols, dimensions, supplementary symbols and tail. Drawings and exam options both use the two names, so keep them straight.
Read a symbol in a fixed order and it stops being a puzzle. Find the joint the arrow touches. Check which side of the reference line the weld symbol sits on. Read the size on its left, then the length and pitch on its right. Check the tail last. Pitch is the center-to-center spacing of intermittent welds, not the gap between them.
Groove welds add one trap. Groove depth (S) and groove weld size (E) are two separate numbers, written S(E), because the depth of the prep isn't what the weld achieves. The shapes and their dimensions are covered on groove weld symbols and the fillet weld symbol page. The words the symbols stand for (root, face, toe, bevel) come from welding terms and definitions.
NDE symbols
An examination symbol uses the same skeleton. The method letters sit on the reference line, on the side that matches the side to be examined, and how much of the weld gets examined goes with the letters. A2.4:2020 rewrote and expanded the NDE clause, so learn it from the current book. The methods behind the letters are on NDE methods.
Busy joints
When a joint needs more than one operation, for example a groove weld, a back gouge and then a back weld, the symbol stacks extra reference lines. Read them in order: the line nearest the arrow is the first operation, and each line further out comes after it. A2.4:2020 also added combination groove symbols, where one groove symbol may be drawn backward to show two different edge shapes, and subreference lines for a groove weld that runs around a joint with no clear point where one joint type turns into the next.
Symbols on Part B
Symbols come back on the practical. Utilization of Specifications and Drawings carries at least 8% of Part B (AWS B5.1:2025, Table 8.1, checked October 2026), and you read drawings out of the Book of Specifications. See the Part B practical for how that session runs. If you landed here looking for a weld symbol chart, check the date on it. A chart printed before 2020 still shows the old contour and plug rules.
1.2.2Anatomy of a welding symbol
1.2.3What each part carries
| Part | Where it sits | What it tells you | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reference line | Horizontal, always | Holds the weld symbols and dimensions; below = arrow side, above = other side | The arrow's direction changes nothing |
| Arrow | From one end of the line to the joint | Which joint the symbol is about | Side comes from the line |
| Size | Left of the weld symbol | Fillet leg, groove S(E), plug size | Plug size still uses Ø, though Ø is no longer part of the plug symbol |
| Length and pitch | Right of the weld symbol | Weld length, then center-to-center spacing | No length means the full joint |
| Contour | Next to the weld symbol | Flat, flush, convex or concave face | Flat is for fillets only since 2020 |
| Weld all around | Circle at the arrow junction | The weld continues around the joint | Easy to confuse with other supplementary symbols |
| Tail | Far end of the line | References that don't fit on the line | Optional |
| NDE method letters | On the reference line | Which examination, on which side | Same side rules as weld symbols |
1.2.4Symbols off the drawing
Before the options, work out which side of the line the weld is on, which number sits where, and what any extra mark adds.
0 of 15 tagged · 0 accepted
Tag 01
Which welding symbol orientation indicates that a weld is to be made on the far side of the joint?
Remarks on every option
- A Correct: Far side is AWS's other side, the side of the joint away from the arrow, and other-side welds are drawn on top of the line.
- B Symbols on both sides of the line mean welds on both sides of the joint, not just the far side.
- C A symbol centered on the line is for welds with no arrow-side or other-side meaning, like some spot and seam welds.
- D Below the reference line means arrow side, the near side.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 02
When a weld symbol appears on both sides of the reference line, what does this indicate?
Remarks on every option
- A A symbol above the line points to the other side, so it can't mean two arrow-side welds.
- B A welding symbol is a requirement, not a menu. Both welds are required.
- C Correct: Each side of the line carries its own weld, so a symbol on both means one weld on the arrow side and another on the other side.
- D Size comes from the dimension next to each weld symbol. Showing both sides doesn't double it.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 03
What does a flag at the arrow/reference line junction indicate?
Remarks on every option
- A All-around is the circle at the arrow junction, not the flag.
- B Correct: The flag marks a field weld, made on site instead of in the shop. The direction the flag points has no meaning.
- C Intermittent welds are shown by length and pitch dimensions, not a flag.
- D AWS A2.4 has no separate shop-weld mark. The flag is for field welds.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 04
Which supplementary symbol indicates that a weld should be ground flush?
Remarks on every option
- A Correct: G is the finishing designator for grinding. Paired with the flush contour symbol, it calls for grinding the weld flush.
- B F isn't a finishing designator. Flush comes from the contour symbol.
- C C means chipping, not grinding.
- D M means machining, not grinding.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 05
What does 'C' indicate when shown as a supplementary symbol?
Remarks on every option
- A Correct: C is the finishing designator for chipping, used with a contour symbol to say how the contour gets made.
- B A continuous weld needs no extra mark. A weld with no length and pitch is continuous.
- C Complete penetration is called out with CJP in the tail or by groove dimensions, not a C.
- D There's no centerline letter on a welding symbol. C is chipping.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 06
Which symbol modification indicates a convex surface contour requirement?
Remarks on every option
- A Correct: The convex contour symbol is an arc bulging away from the weld symbol, matching a weld face that crowns outward.
- B An arc curving inward is the concave contour symbol.
- C A zigzag line isn't a contour symbol.
- D A straight line is the flat or flush contour symbol, not convex.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 07
What does a melt-through symbol represent when shown on a welding symbol?
Remarks on every option
- A Melt-through means visible penetration on the root side. It never permits incomplete penetration.
- B Consumable inserts have their own supplementary symbol. Melt-through doesn't call for one.
- C Melt-through calls for weld metal showing on the root side, not surface melting with no filler.
- D Correct: The melt-through symbol calls for complete joint penetration with visible root reinforcement on the side opposite the weld symbol.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 08
What does a leader line with multiple arrows indicate?
Remarks on every option
- A Order of operations is shown with multiple reference lines or notes, not extra arrows.
- B Different welds need their own symbols. Several arrows on one symbol mean the same weld repeats.
- C Correct: Several arrows on one reference line mean the same weld, as specified on that symbol, is required at each location pointed to.
- D Inspection locations are shown with NDE symbols, not by adding arrows to a welding symbol.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 09
On an examination symbol, '10%' is written just to the right of the letters RT. What does it call for?
Remarks on every option
- A Exposure time is set in the RT procedure, not on the symbol. A percentage beside the method letters is about how much weld gets examined.
- B Correct: A percentage next to the method letters gives the extent of examination. Here, 10% of the weld length gets radiographed.
- C A count of examinations is shown as a number in parentheses with the method letters, not as a percentage.
- D The symbol doesn't fix inspection points. Which 10% gets shot is set by the contract documents or the inspector's selection.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 10
Which symbol represents a magnetic particle testing method in NDE symbols?
Remarks on every option
- A RT is radiographic testing.
- B Correct: MT is magnetic particle testing, for surface and near-surface flaws in ferromagnetic material.
- C PT is penetrant testing.
- D UT is ultrasonic testing.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 11
Which part of a welding symbol indicates supplementary information about the weld process?
Remarks on every option
- A The arrow points to the joint. It doesn't carry process information.
- B The reference line holds the weld symbols and dimensions, not process notes.
- C Correct: The tail carries the process, specification or other references. When there's nothing to add, the tail is left off.
- D There's no part called a connecting line. The parts are the reference line, arrow, tail and weld symbols.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 12
How is the size of a spot weld indicated on a welding symbol?
Remarks on every option
- A Correct: Spot weld size is the diameter, shown to the left of the spot symbol. Strength, when called for, goes in the tail instead.
- B A strength value can go in the tail, but size and strength are different things. Size goes left of the symbol.
- C Arrow side is shown by placement relative to the reference line. Size isn't written below the arrow.
- D The right of the spot symbol is where pitch goes, not the diameter.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 13
What does a double bevel groove symbol with equal angles indicate?
Remarks on every option
- A One beveled side is a single-bevel groove, not double-bevel.
- B Correct: In a double-bevel groove the member is beveled on both sides. Equal angles mean both bevels are cut to the same angle.
- C Different angles would show two different values.
- D No bevel would be a square groove. A double-bevel symbol means a beveled prep.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 14
What does RT stand for in NDE symbols?
Remarks on every option
- A Correct: RT is radiographic testing, with X-rays or gamma rays and film or a digital detector.
- B There's no resistance testing designation in NDE symbols. RT is radiographic.
- C Resonance isn't one of the standard NDE method letters. RT means radiographic testing.
- D Reflection is how UT works, but RT means radiographic testing.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
Tag 15
Which NDE symbol represents eddy current testing?
Remarks on every option
- A Correct: ET is eddy current testing, an electromagnetic method for surface and near-surface flaws in conductive material.
- B ED isn't an NDE method letter. Eddy current is ET.
- C EY isn't a standard designation.
- D EC isn't the AWS letter designation. Eddy current is ET.
Pick an option. The remarks on all 4 open here.
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