- Identity and Format at a Glance
- The Four-Part Structure on One Page
- Scoring Math You Must Memorize
- Domain Weights Within Each Part
- What You Can Bring: Reference Rules
- Eligibility Routes and Exemptions
- Fees, Retests and Renewal
- Sequencing and Deadlines
- Version Caveat: B5.16:2006 vs. B5.16:2025
- Allocating Study Time by Part
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CWEng is the American Welding Society's Certified Welding Engineer credential: four multiple-choice exams, 163 questions total, delivered through Prometric.
- Passing requires at least 60% on every part and a weighted composite of at least 70%.
- Part 4 carries 40% of the composite and is multiple choice, not a hands-on welding test.
- Parts 1 and 2 are closed book; Parts 3 and 4 are open book with strict reference lists.
Identity and Format at a Glance
This cheat sheet covers one credential only: the AWS Certified Welding Engineer, issued by the American Welding Society and tested at Prometric computer-based testing centers. It is not the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) exam, it is not a single part of the CWEng sequence, and it is not a state Professional Engineer license. If you need a primer on the credential itself, start with What Is CWEng Certification? and come back here for the quick-reference facts.
The credential is built from four separate computer-based examinations. Across all four you will answer 163 multiple-choice questions with nine hours thirty minutes of answer time. That total is aggregate, not one continuous sitting, and it excludes the extra appointment time built into Parts 3 and 4. An on-screen scientific calculator is available for all four parts.
The Four-Part Structure on One Page
| Part | Title | Questions | Answer Time | Book Status | Domains |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Basic Science Fundamental | 36 | 2 hours | Closed book | 1-3 |
| 2 | Applied Science Fundamental | 27 | 2 hours | Closed book | 4-6 |
| 3 | Welding Related Disciplines | 60 | 3 hours (3 hr 15 min appointment) | Open book | 7-13 |
| 4 | Practical Welding and Related Applications | 40 | 2 hr 30 min (3 hr appointment) | Open book | 14-19 |
Notice the shape of the sequence. Parts 1 and 2 are the engineering-science foundation, with 63 questions between them under closed-book conditions. Parts 3 and 4 shift to welding-specific knowledge and application, with 100 questions in open-book format. For a deeper look at how hard each stage tends to feel, see How Hard Is the CWEng Exam?
Scoring Math You Must Memorize
Two conditions must both be true to pass: at least 60% on each individual part and a weighted composite of at least 70%. Under AWS B5.16:2006, which the dated exam guide references, the composite is:
Composite = 0.15 × Part 1 % + 0.15 × Part 2 % + 0.30 × Part 3 % + 0.40 × Part 4 %
These are score weights, not question-count proportions. Part 1 has more questions than Part 2, yet both count for 15%. Part 4 has only 40 questions but drives 40% of the composite. Reported scores are rounded down to a whole percentage, so a 69.9 is reported as 69.
Domain Weights Within Each Part
The official content outline lists 19 headings spread across the four parts. That count is the number of examination-content headings reproduced in the guide, not a preparation curriculum. Critically, each percentage applies only within its own part. You cannot compare Physics at 50% to Fabrication at 25% as if they shared a denominator, and the numbers must not be normalized across all 19 headings. The guide labels the Part 3 and Part 4 percentages as minimum percentages.
Part 1: Basic Science Fundamental
- Domain 1: Mathematics (25%)
- Domain 2: Physics (50%), half of Part 1
- Domain 3: Chemistry (25%)
Part 2: Applied Science Fundamental
- Domain 4: Strength of Materials (40%)
- Domain 5: Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics (30%)
- Domain 6: Electricity (30%)
Part 3: Welding Related Disciplines
- Domain 7: NDE/Weld Discontinuities (10%)
- Domain 8: Welding Heat Sources and Arc Physics (20%)
- Domain 9: Welding Processes and Controls (20%)
- Domain 10: Welding and Joint Metallurgy (20%)
- Domain 11: Weld Design (20%)
- Domain 12: Brazing and Soldering (5%)
- Domain 13: Safety (5%)
Part 4: Practical Welding and Related Applications
- Domain 14: Fabrication (25%)
- Domain 15: Filler Metals (15%)
- Domain 16: Inspection (20%)
- Domain 17: Productivity (10%)
- Domain 18: Welder Performance Qualification (10%)
- Domain 19: Welding Procedure Qualification (20%)
A subtle trap: Fabrication is 25% of Part 4, and Part 4 is 40% of the composite. Those are two different layers of weighting. For topic-by-topic detail, the complete guide to all 19 content areas goes deeper than this one-pager can.
What You Can Bring: Reference Rules
Parts 1 and 2 are closed book. Parts 3 and 4 are open book, but only with the specific references AWS permits.
Part 3 References
- Approved hardcopy references only; digital copies are not supplied for Part 3
- ANSI Z49.1
- AWS Welding Handbook, volumes 1-5
- Design of Weldments
- Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels
Part 4 Reference
- AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020, 24th edition is the only permitted reference
- A hardcopy is permitted
- An on-screen, non-searchable PDF is supplied
Eligibility Routes and Exemptions
Applicants qualify through education plus welding-based experience. The routes in the exam guide are:
| Education | Required Welding-Based Experience |
|---|---|
| Engineering bachelor's degree or higher | 1 year |
| Engineering-technology bachelor's degree | 2 years |
| Another related bachelor's degree | 5 years |
| Associate in applied science degree | 10 years |
| High school or equivalent | 15 years |
The application requires education and experience documentation, professional references and a photograph. Our CWEng requirements guide walks through documentation in detail.
Exemption Routes
- Engineering Fundamentals / FE-exam route: AWS B5.16:2006 provides a route for satisfying Parts 1 and 2.
- State PE license in welding engineering: a separate route, with a 2026 PE-exemption application fee of $480 member / $745 nonmember.
- IIW International Welding Engineer or EWF European Welding Engineer diploma holders: a diploma-plus-one-year-experience eligibility route. This is an eligibility route, not an automatic substitution for the entire CWEng examination.
AWS approval governs every exemption. CWEng itself is not a state Professional Engineer license, and holding one does not grant the other.
Fees, Retests and Renewal
Pricing below reflects the AWS 2026 price list effective January 1. Applicable examination seat fees are included in these prices, so do not add them again.
| Item | Member | Nonmember |
|---|---|---|
| Initial: Parts 1 and 2 | $665 | $755 |
| Initial: Parts 3 and 4 | $705 | $795 |
| Retest: one of Parts 1 or 2 | $345 | $430 |
| Retest: both Parts 1 and 2 | $705 | $790 |
| Retest: one of Parts 3 or 4 | $365 | $450 |
| Retest: both Parts 3 and 4 | $745 | $830 |
| Renewal (every five years) | $605 | $870 |
The two member pair fees total $1,370 before reference materials and other optional costs. Nonmember initial prices include one year of AWS Individual Membership, so a single nonmember applicant should not automatically add both nonmember pair prices together; establish the applicable membership rate for each purchase. Student and Early Career membership do not qualify for the member discount. For a fuller breakdown, see CWEng Certification Cost 2026.
Renewal Mechanics
Certification is valid for five years. Renewal requires a renewal application, 80 contact hours of relevant continuing education (or the permitted contact-hour/CEU equivalent) during the five-year period, and the renewal fee. Routine renewal does not require another examination.
Sequencing and Deadlines
- Parts 1 and 2 first. The dated guide requires these to be passed before Parts 3 and 4.
- One-year window. You have one year from passing the last of Parts 1 and 2 to apply for Parts 3 and 4.
- Retests. The guide permits up to three retests within three years of the original exam date.
Key Takeaway
Do not pass Parts 1 and 2 and then drift. The one-year clock to apply for Parts 3 and 4 starts when you pass the last of the first two. Plan your reference-book acquisition and study calendar before you sit the foundation exams. Scheduling specifics are covered in CWEng Exam Dates 2026.
Version Caveat: B5.16:2006 vs. B5.16:2025
This cheat sheet uses the Examination User Guide dated 05.06.2026, which still cites AWS B5.16:2006 and provides the four-part blueprint, counts and timing above. However, AWS also publishes AWS B5.16:2025, Specification for the Qualification of Welding Engineering Personnel, third edition, and its undated "Your Step-by-Step Pathway to CWEng" cites B5.16-2025.
The two documents also describe deadlines differently. The pathway states a three-year completion window measured from application approval, while the dated guide describes a retest window measured from the original exam date. These are not the same statement.
Allocating Study Time by Part
Because the composite weights are lopsided, a flat study schedule wastes effort. A weighted approach, tied to the actual exam structure, looks like this. For the full method, see the CWEng Study Guide.
Part 1 Foundations
- Prioritize Physics first, since it is half of Part 1
- Then Mathematics and Chemistry equally; both are 25%
- Drill calculator-based problems using a scientific-calculator workflow
Part 2 Applications
- Lead with Strength of Materials (40% of Part 2)
- Split remaining time across Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics and Electricity (30% each)
Part 3 Breadth
- Spend most effort on the four 20% areas: arc physics, processes and controls, metallurgy, weld design
- Tab and annotate your permitted hardcopy references
Part 4 Code Fluency
- Practice D1.1:2020 lookups until clause navigation is fast
- Emphasize Fabrication, Inspection and Welding Procedure Qualification
- Remember this part is 40% of your composite
When you are ready to test yourself under realistic conditions, the CWEng practice tests let you rehearse question style and pacing before the proctored attempt. To gauge your readiness against others, review what the pass-rate data shows, and remember that the AWS exam guide notes AWS does not offer a CWEng preparation seminar, so self-directed study matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
The four examinations total 163 multiple-choice questions: 36 in Part 1, 27 in Part 2, 60 in Part 3 and 40 in Part 4. Total answer time is nine hours thirty minutes, spread across separate appointments rather than one sitting.
No. Despite the title "Practical Welding and Related Applications," Part 4 is a 40-question multiple-choice examination. It is open book, with AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020, 24th edition, as the only permitted reference.
You need at least 60% on each of the four parts and a weighted composite of at least 70%. The composite weights are 15% for Part 1, 15% for Part 2, 30% for Part 3 and 40% for Part 4, with scores rounded down to a whole percentage.
Partly. The dated guide requires Parts 1 and 2 to be passed before Parts 3 and 4, and you have one year from passing the last of Parts 1 and 2 to apply for Parts 3 and 4. Up to three retests are permitted within three years of the original exam date.
Certification is valid for five years. Renewal requires a renewal application, 80 contact hours of relevant continuing education (or the permitted equivalent) and the renewal fee of $605 for members or $870 for nonmembers. Routine renewal does not require retaking the exam.
For a look at the career side once you hold the credential, see our analysis of whether the CWEng certification is worth it.