Fact sheet F8 · Is it hard?
Is the CWI exam hard?
The CWI exam is hard mainly because of how it's built and scored: three different tests, one closed book, one hands-on, one open book against the clock, and each one has to reach 72% by itself.
- Exam
- CWI
- Checked
- October 2026
- Source
- AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026
Pass mark on every part
72%
Part A, Part B and Part C each need 72% on their own, and scores are cut down to the whole percent below, so a 71.9 is reported as 71. A strong part can't cover a weak one.
Source: AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026, checked October 2026
F8.1Where the difficulty comes from
Three skills, three formats
Part A is 165 questions in 135 minutes with nothing in front of you but a calculator. Part B puts gauges in your hand and gives you two hours to measure and judge. Part C is open book, and open book cuts both ways: the answers are in the code, but you have to find them before time runs out.
A wide Part A
AWS B5.1:2025 spreads Part A over ten areas, from terms and processes to metallurgy, fabrication math and inspector duties. When your years are on the welding side, the book-heavy areas are the ones to start early: heat treatment, NDE methods and calculations.
Questions that don't count, and you can't tell which
Fifteen of Part A's 165 items are unscored pretest questions mixed in with the rest. You work all of them.
Limited practice for Part B
The replicas and exhibits are confidential, so you build the skill with the free Book of Specifications and a sample kit. The Part B page lists what's supplied on the day.
Feeling outgunned by that scope is a fair reaction to an exam built this way. It says more about the format than about what you know from the shop. The work is to turn each part into a known quantity, one at a time.
F8.2The three parts side by side
| Point | Part A | Part B | Part C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Closed | Book of Specifications, supplied | Your chosen code |
| Delivery | Computer, Prometric | Paper and hands-on, AWS site | Computer, Prometric |
| Time | 135 min | 120 min | 135 min, or 120 with no pretest items |
| Questions | 165, 150 scored | 46 | 50–60 scored, up to 65 shown |
| Pass mark | 72% | 72% | 72% |
| Main pressure | Breadth of topics | Gauge reading on the clock | Finding clauses fast |
≠ marks a row where at least one of them differs.
The scores are reported to the nearest lower whole percent number.
F8.3What actually moves the score
- Read the passing score rules once, so a 71 never surprises you.
- Download the free Book of Specifications and measure real welds with real gauges.
- Pick your Part C code early and study it in the edition you'll sit; the code book page lists them.
- Run timed sets for Part A on the CWI mock exam until the pace feels routine.
- Start with your weakest area, then follow the study plan, which starts with the biggest Part A minimums.
- Know the retake rules before test day; they're on the results page.
F8.4Sources
- AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026 — passing rule, rounding (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 B5.1:2025 — Table 8.1, Part A areas and minimums (checked October 2026)
The rules are the easy part.
The questions take work. Our CWI prep app puts practice questions on your iPhone or iPad.