Certified Welding Engineer program is one of the professional certifications by the American Welding Society. Welding engineer is a well-trained person and capable of handling a variety of welding techniques and maintaining quality, etc. Besides this, they remain up-to-date with current codes and regulations. There may be many welding engineers but not all certified. Certification provides them an edge over others. In this article, read all about the certification procedure for a welding engineer.
Post Highlights:
- What is the Certified Welding Engineer Program?
- AWS CWEng Program Requirements
- How to Apply for the CWEng Program?
- Prices of AWS CWEng Program
- AWS Certified Welding Engineer Exam
- Suggested Books for AWS CWEng Exam
- CWEng Certification Renewal
- AWS CWEng Recertification
- Benefits of CWEng Certification
Certified Welding Engineer Program
AWS certified welding engineer program is proof of applicants’ demonstrating skills for reviewing and preparing written instructions for welding joints productions. During the program, welding engineers are tested for various specifications, standards, codes, and other aspects of assembly and fabrication. Basically, they are checked about working ability with management representatives, producing and repairing reports, inspecting personnel, and supporting crafts.
Technical Document
B5.16 – Specification for the Qualification of Welding Engineers
Requirements for AWS CWEng Program
Welding engineers should have both educational level and work experiences to become eligible for the AWS CWEng program. Work experience defines training, fabrication, construction, manufacturing, research, and development.
| Education Levels | Work Experiences |
| High School or an equivalent program | 15 years of experience in the related field |
| Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degree | 10 years of related work experience |
| Baccalaureate of Science (B.Sc.) Degree | 5 years of related work experience |
| Baccalaureate of Science (B.Sc.) Degree in Engineering Technology | 2 years of related work experience |
| Baccalaureate of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Engineering | 1 year of related work experience |
Normally, applicants with higher educational levels require less work experience and vice-versa.
How to Apply for AWS CWEng Program?
Aspiring candidates or welding engineers can apply online for the AWS CWEng program by visiting the official website of AWS (www.aws.org) and follow the instructions given there.
Note: Applicants will be charged $125 if they send application forms through paper or emails.
AWS Certified Welding Engineer Program Prices
The pricing of the AWS certified welding engineer program is as follows.
| Items/Products | AWS Members | Non-members |
| Part 1 and 2 Exam | $450 | $538 |
| Part 3 and 4 Exam | $450 | $538 |
| PE Exemption | $395 | $650 |
| Retest (per part) | $225 | $313 |
| Renewal | $500 | $755 |
| Total | $2020 | $2794 |
Note: The program prices are subjected to change without prior notice.
AWS Certified Welding Engineer Exam
The syllabus and pattern of the AWS CWEng exam are as follows.
A. AWS CWEng Exam Syllabus
| Sr. No. | Subjects |
| I | Basic Sciences |
| 1 | Mathematics |
| 2 | Chemistry |
| 3 | Physics |
| II | Applied Sciences |
| 1 | Strength of Materials |
| 2 | Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics |
| 3 | Electricity |
| III | Welding Related Disciplines |
| 1 | NDE/Weld Discontinuities |
| 2 | Welding Heat Sources and Arc Physics |
| 3 | Welding Processes and Controls |
| 4 | Welding and Joining Metallurgy |
| 5 | Weld Design |
| 6 | Brazing and Soldering |
| 7 | Safety |
B. AWS CWEng Exam Pattern
| Sr. No. | Topics | Questions % |
| I | Basic Sciences | |
| 1 | Mathematics | 25 |
| 2 | Chemistry | 25 |
| 3 | Physics | 50 |
| Total | 100% | |
| II | Applied Sciences | |
| 1 | Strength of Materials | 40 |
| 2 | Electricity | 30 |
| 3 | Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics | 30 |
| Total | 100% | |
| III | Welding Related Disciplines | |
| 1 | Brazing and Soldering | 5 |
| 2 | NDE/Weld Discontinuities | 10 |
| 3 | Safety | 5 |
| 4 | Weld Design | 20 |
| 5 | Welding and Joining Metallurgy | 20 |
| 6 | Welding Heat Sources and Arc Physics | 20 |
| 7 | Welding Processes and Controls | 20 |
| Total | 100% | |
| IV | Practical Welding and Related Applications Examination | |
C. Minimum Weighted Percentage
| Parts | No. of Questions | Percentage (%) |
| I | 35 | 60% |
| II | 25 | 60% |
| III | 45 | 60% |
| IV | 39 | 60% |
Note: There should not be less than 60% score in each of the four examinations.
Imp: Applicants should have a composite score of not less than 70% for resulting.
Certified Welding Engineer Exam Suggested Books
Applicants preparing for AWS CWEng examination can consult the following valuable books. They will help them to understand the Body of Knowledge.
| Sr. No. | Book Titles |
| 1 | ANSI Z49.1 Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes |
| 2 | Applied Fluid Mechanics (4th Edition) |
| 3 | ASM Handbook Vol. 17, NDE |
| 4 | ASM Handbook Vol. 6 Welding/Brazing (10th Edition) |
| 5 | AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code-Steel |
| 6 | Design of Weldments |
| 7 | Engineer in Training Manual |
| 8 | Essentials of Engineering Economics, 2nd Edition |
| 9 | Fracture & Fatigue Control in Structures, Application of Fracture Mechanics |
| 10 | Fundamentals of Engineering: The Most Effective FE/EIT Review |
| 11 | Fundamentals of Welding Technology, Modules 1-19 |
| 12 | Handbook of Arc Welding |
| 13 | Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, ISBN: 0 7167 2250 X |
| 14 | Introductory Physical Metallurgy of Welding |
| 15 | Introductory Welding Metallurgy |
| 16 | Manufacturing, Engineering, and Technology, ISBN: 0 201 538460 |
| 17 | Mark’s Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers |
| 18 | Mechanical Metallurgy |
| 19 | Metals and How to Weld Them |
| 20 | Modern Welding Technology (4th Edition) |
| 21 | NFPA 51B Standard for Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work |
| 22 | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29 Labor, Part 1910 Subpart Q-Welding, Cutting, and Brazing |
| 23 | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29 Labor, Part 1910.1200-Hazard Communication |
| 24 | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29 Labor, Part 1926 Subpart J-Welding and Cutting |
| 25 | Physics of Arc Welding |
| 26 | Product Design for Manufacture and Assembly, ISBN: 0 8247 9176 2 |
| 27 | Quality Control (5th Edition) |
| 28 | Robots & Manufacturing Automation |
| 29 | Stainless Steel |
| 30 | Statics and Strength of Materials (3rd Edition) ISBN: 0-13-453201-5 |
| 31 | Statics and Strength of Materials: A Parallel Approach to Understanding Structures |
| 32 | Weld IT CD, Computer Influence for Welding Personnel |
| 33 | Weldability of Steels (4th Edition) ISBN: 1-58145-430-9 |
| 34 | Welding Aluminum: Theory and Practice |
| 35 | Welding Design, Modules 30-39 |
| 36 | Welding Encyclopedia |
| 37 | Welding Handbook Vols. 1, 2, 3, 4 (8th Edition) |
| 38 | Welding Metallurgy |
| 39 | Welding Metallurgy |
| 40 | Welding Metallurgy |
| 41 | Welding Metallurgy, Modules 8, 9, 12, 20-23 |
AWS CWEng Certification Renewal
Welding engineers need to maintain the qualification through continued education. They are required to demonstrate successful completion of continued education every five years.
AWS Certified Welding Engineer Recertification
There is no recertification for welding engineers. They only need to renewals.
CWEng Certification Benefits
AWS certification for welding engineers provides them many benefits. They are as follows.
- AWS certification signifies that a person is capable of conducting welding operations as per the codes and standards of the welding industry.
- It increases career prospects for welding engineers in various welding industries.
- They may become welding instructors after obtaining certain educational qualifications and work experience.
Thus, the information on the procedure of AWS welding engineer certification is important for students, welders, engineers, and other professionals.
Related: Other Welding Certifications
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