Certified Welding Inspector

Since the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) program was introduced in 1976, AWS has certified over 100,000 welding inspectors alone, plus thousands more working professionals across the other certification categories. Certification is accomplished through testing and evaluation of corresponding procedures. The Radiographic Interpretation Certification, for example, includes a detailed general knowledge exam, a test of specific information from the AWS code book on radiographic quality and interpretation, and a practical exam testing the individual's ability to read radiographic films.[4] Most AWS certifications are typically renewed after a period of three years, and are required to satisfy re-certification requirements every nine years.

Below are the available endorsement certifications that AWS offers

• D1.1 Structural Steel
• D1.2 Structural Aluminum
• D1.5 Welding
• D15.1 Railroad
• D17.1 Aerospace
• API 1104 Pipeline
• Structural Drawing Reading
• Structural Bolting Inspection
• ASME Pressure Piping B31.1 and B31.3
• ASME Pressure Vessel Section VIII, Div. 1

AWS publishes codes on multiple aspects of welding and materials joining. The code books are assigned specific letters and numbers for easy reference, and many welders will refer to a specific code letter/number combination when referring to the code book. Different welding methodologies, inspection methods, and metals are published under different codes. For example, AWS B1.11 explains how to visually examine welds; AWS B2.1-1-004 explains welding carbon steel of thickness range of 18 through 10 gauge with semiautomatic metal gas arc welding; and AWS C2.20/C2.20M explains metalized zinc cathodic protection systems. Some codes also describe the standards used by AWS to certify welders, inspectors, and welding educators. All codes are available in hard copy, and in recent years AWS has started to make most codes available online.

A very influential AWS code is AWS D1.1, which covers all general requirements for structural welding. This code has been adopted by ANSI as a National Standard in the United States.