CWEng Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Two Thresholds: 60% Per Part and 70% Composite

The Certified Welding Engineer credential from the American Welding Society (AWS) is not scored like a single pass/fail test. It has four examinations, delivered through Prometric computer-based testing centers, and passing requires clearing two separate bars at the same time:

1. A floor of at least 60% on each individual part. A strong showing on one part cannot rescue a part that falls below 60%.
2. A weighted composite of at least 70% across all four parts.

This dual-threshold design is the single most important thing to understand about the CWEng passing score. Candidates who think in terms of "I need 70% overall" tend to under-prepare for their weakest part, while candidates who obsess over a 60% floor sometimes forget that a collection of bare-minimum scores will still fail the composite. For context on how demanding the exam is in practice, see our guide on how hard the CWEng exam is.

How the Composite Score Is Calculated

The dated Examination User Guide (05.06.2026) references AWS B5.16:2006, which defines the composite formula:

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. This distinction trips up many candidates. Part 1 has 36 questions and Part 2 has 27, yet each contributes the same 15% weight. Part 4 has only 40 questions but carries 40% of the composite. Because weights are applied to your percentage on each part, a single Part 4 question is worth far more composite points than a single Part 1 question.

Across all four parts, the exam totals 163 questions and nine hours thirty minutes of answer time. That figure is an aggregate, not one continuous sitting, and it excludes additional appointment time. An on-screen scientific calculator is available for all four parts.

Worked Scenarios: Who Passes and Who Doesn't

The examples below are illustrative arithmetic using the official weights, not data about real candidates or pass rates. (For what is and isn't publicly known about outcomes, see our CWEng pass rate analysis.)

Notice the "one part under the floor" row: a composite of 74.2 does not matter when any single part is below 60%. And the last row shows the opposite trap, where every part clears 60% but the weighted result misses 70%.

What Each Part Tests and Why It Matters for Scoring

Parts 1 and 2: The Closed-Book Science Gate

Part 1 (Basic Science Fundamental) and Part 2 (Applied Science Fundamental) are closed book, with only the on-screen scientific calculator to help. Together they contribute 30% of the composite, but their real danger is the 60% floor. Candidates with strong shop-floor or fabrication backgrounds sometimes underestimate the math, physics and strength-of-materials content, then fail the floor on a closed-book part despite excelling elsewhere.

Parts 1 and 2 must be passed before you can proceed to Parts 3 and 4, which makes them a genuine gate rather than just two more components.

Part 3: Welding Related Disciplines

Part 3 is open book with 60 questions and carries 30% of the composite. It covers the welding-specific disciplines: nondestructive examination and weld discontinuities, heat sources and arc physics, processes and controls, welding and joint metallurgy, weld design, brazing and soldering, and safety.

Part 4: Practical Welding and Related Applications

Despite its title, Part 4 is a multiple-choice examination, not a hands-on welding performance test. You will not strike an arc. Its 40 questions cover fabrication, filler metals, inspection, productivity, welder performance qualification and welding procedure qualification, and it carries the heaviest composite weight at 40%. Your study plan should reflect that.

Reading the Blueprint Percentages Correctly

The exam guide lists 19 content headings across the four parts. Two cautions apply when interpreting them:

• Each percentage applies only within its own part. Physics at 50% means half of Part 1, not half of the whole credential. These figures must not be normalized across all 19 headings.
• The 19 is a count of official content headings, not a count of preparation topics you must study as separate units. The Part 3 and Part 4 percentages are labeled by the guide as minimum percentages.

A common mistake is conflating "Fabrication is 25% of Part 4" with a claim about the whole exam, or confusing Part 4's 40% composite weight with a content percentage. They are different things. Our complete guide to all 19 content areas walks through each heading in detail.

Sequencing, Retests and the Clock

Passing score strategy has to account for the process rules in the dated guide:

• Parts 1 and 2 first. Both must be passed before Parts 3 and 4.
• One-year window. Applicants have one year from passing the last of Parts 1 and 2 to apply for Parts 3 and 4.
• Up to three retests within three years of the original exam date, per the dated guide.

Retest pricing is structured by part group: one of Parts 1 or 2 costs $345 member / $430 nonmember; both Parts 1 and 2 cost $705 / $790; one of Parts 3 or 4 costs $365 / $450; and both Parts 3 and 4 cost $745 / $830. Failing a single part is therefore meaningfully cheaper to recover from than failing a pair, which is a good reason to prepare each part to a comfortable margin rather than gambling on a bare pass.

Fee Mechanics That Affect Your Passing Strategy

The 2026 AWS price list (effective January 1) lists Parts 1 and 2 at $665 member / $755 nonmember, and Parts 3 and 4 at $705 member / $795 nonmember. Applicable examination seat fees are included, so they should not be added again. The two member pair fees total $1,370 before reference materials and other optional costs.

Nonmember initial examination prices include one year of AWS Individual Membership, so you should not automatically add both nonmember pair prices into a single applicant's total; the applicable membership rate must be established for each purchase. Student and Early Career membership do not qualify for the member discount. For the full breakdown, see our CWEng certification cost guide.

The financial logic ties directly to scoring: because retests are priced per part group, the cheapest path to certification is passing each part the first time. If you are weighing the outlay against career upside, our ROI analysis and salary guide cover that question.

Open-Book Parts and the Reference Rules

Parts 3 and 4 are open book, but the references are tightly specified, and being fluent in them is a scoring skill, not a convenience.

• Part 3: approved hardcopy references include ANSI Z49.1, AWS Welding Handbook volumes 1-5, Design of Weldments, and Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels. Digital copies are not supplied for Part 3.
• Part 4: AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020 (24th edition) is the only permitted reference. A hardcopy is permitted, and an on-screen, non-searchable PDF is supplied. Do not assume the edition allowed on a different AWS exam applies here.

The practical implication: an open-book part is not an easy part. The Part 4 PDF is non-searchable on screen, so candidates who rely on a hardcopy they have never tabbed or practiced with can burn the clock. Fast navigation of D1.1 is directly tied to your Part 4 score, and Part 4 is the 40% part. AWS also notes it does not offer a CWEng preparation seminar, so self-directed familiarity with these references is on you. Our CWEng training overview covers preparation options.

Version Caveat: B5.16:2006 vs. B5.16:2025

The passing rules and composite formula in this article come from the exam-specific Examination User Guide dated 05.06.2026, which still cites AWS B5.16:2006 and supplies the four-part blueprint, question counts and timing used here. AWS also publishes AWS B5.16:2025 (Specification for the Qualification of Welding Engineering Personnel, third edition), and the undated pathway document cites B5.16-2025.

Before replacing the scope described here or treating the two guides as interchangeable, obtain AWS confirmation of any migration, applicable completion deadlines, and your individual eligibility or exemption decisions. Treat the 60%/70% structure and 15/15/30/40 weights as the dated guide's published rules, and verify them against your own application documents. Eligibility questions, including education and experience routes, are covered in our CWEng requirements guide, and scheduling in our exam dates article.

Note also that AWS B5.16:2006 provides an Engineering Fundamentals/FE-exam route for satisfying Parts 1 and 2, and a separate route for a state Professional Engineer license specifically in welding engineering. AWS approval governs these exemptions, and CWEng itself is not a state PE license.

Building a Score-Driven Study Plan

Because the passing standard is a floor plus a weighted composite, the most efficient plan protects the floor first and invests surplus effort where the weights are highest. A sensible ordering follows the exam's own sequencing, since Parts 1 and 2 must come first.

Adjust the calendar to your experience. A working welding engineer may compress the Part 3 and Part 4 weeks and extend the science weeks; a recent graduate may do the reverse. The principle is constant: target a comfortable margin above 60% on every part, then use remaining time to lift the Part 4 and Part 3 scores that dominate the composite. For a fuller approach, see our first-attempt study guide, the one-page cheat sheet, and the main CWEng practice test site for question practice that mirrors the multiple-choice format.

Frequently Asked Questions