AWS CWEngCertified Welding Engineer
The senior technical credential in welding. Four examination parts covering science, metallurgy, processes and practical engineering — 60% on each part and a 70% composite to certify.
- Senior credential
- The most advanced of the AWS professional certifications
- Technical authority
- Own the procedure, the design and the qualification
- Internationally recognised
- Accepted worldwide across engineering and fabrication
- Career growth
- Engineering leadership, QA/QC programmes and consulting
- Renewed, not re-examined
- 80 contact hours of CPD every five years
// Overview
What is AWS-CWEng?
The AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng) credential is awarded by the American Welding Society to engineers who have demonstrated the knowledge and skill to take technical responsibility for welding — design, materials, processes and quality control together, rather than inspection alone.
The welding engineer directs the operations behind a weldment so that it meets its contract documents, codes and standards. That work begins before production welding starts and continues through the process until the product is complete, which is why the examination reaches back into mathematics, physics, chemistry, strength of materials and heat transfer before it reaches welding at all.
It is the most demanding of the AWS professional credentials, and the one furthest from the CWI. Where the CWI decides whether a weld meets the code, the CWEng writes the procedure, selects the filler metal and qualifies the process the code is applied to.
WeldFab Tech provides eligibility assessment, preparation across all four parts, documentation support and application guidance for candidates in India and abroad. The examination itself is administered by AWS through Prometric.
Benefits of AWS-CWEng certification
The credential supports roles that carry deep technical insight, leadership and code-level accountability — welding procedure and design development, QA/QC programme leadership, consulting and expert analysis, and project oversight in construction and manufacturing.
The senior AWS technical credential
International professional recognition
Technical authority over procedures and design
Code-level accountability in project roles
Leadership of QA/QC programmes
Higher earning potential
Consulting and expert-analysis work
Command of welding metallurgy and design
Credibility with clients and third-party auditors
Eligibility for senior engineering positions
Access to the AWS professional network
A five-year credential renewed by CPD, not by exam
Why choose WeldFab Tech
WeldFab Tech works only in welding and fabrication. The CWEng is four examinations across a very wide syllabus, and the difference between candidates who pass and candidates who stall is almost always the study plan — so our programme is built around the published body of knowledge and the domain weights AWS assigns to each part.
- Experienced international faculty
- Preparation mapped to the four exam parts
- Domain-weighted study plans
- Eligibility assessment before you apply
- Application and documentation support
- Mock examinations and practice papers
- Open-book technique for Parts 3 and 4
- D1.1 navigation practice for Part 4
- Classroom, live online and hybrid batches
- Personalised mentoring and renewal guidance
Who should apply
The CWEng suits professionals already carrying technical responsibility in welding, metallurgy, inspection, manufacturing or quality assurance:
- Welding Engineers
- Design Engineers
- Metallurgists
- QA / QC Managers
- Fabrication Engineers
- Production Engineers
- Project Engineers
- Senior Welding Inspectors
- R&D Engineers
- Materials Engineers
- Technical Consultants
- Welding Faculty & Researchers
What the course covers
The programme follows the CWEng body of knowledge in AWS B5.16, taught towards all four examination parts — the science fundamentals first, then the welding disciplines and the practical applications that build on them.
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Strength of Materials
- Heat Transfer & Fluid Mechanics
- Electricity
- Welding Heat Sources & Arc Physics
- Welding Processes & Controls
- Welding & Joint Metallurgy
- Weld Design
- NDE & Weld Discontinuities
- Brazing & Soldering
- Welding Safety
- Fabrication
- Filler Metals
- Inspection
- Productivity
- Welder Performance Qualification
- Welding Procedure Qualification
- Mock Examinations
Education and experience requirements
Eligibility is a sliding scale: the higher the formal qualification, the shorter the welding-based work experience required. That experience should carry significant technical responsibility — design, manufacturing, fabrication, construction, research and development, or training. WeldFab Tech assesses eligibility before you apply.
Your qualificationWelding-based experience required
- Bachelor of Science or higher in engineering
Minimum 1 year.
- Bachelor of Science in engineering technology
Minimum 2 years.
- Other related Bachelor of Science degrees
Minimum 5 years.
- Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Minimum 10 years.
- High school diploma or equivalent
Minimum 15 years.
- Special consideration
A State Professional Engineering Licence in Welding Engineering, or an IIW or EWF diploma, is given special consideration by AWS.
- Basic and applied science waiver
Parts 1 and 2 may be met instead by passing the Engineering Fundamentals Examination (formerly the E.I.T.) administered by a State Board of Engineering or other governmental entity.
Your step-by-step pathway to CWEng
The route AWS publishes, from confirming your eligibility to renewing the credential five years later.
Step 1
Confirm eligibility
Match your degree against the experience table above, and make sure the experience you will describe carries significant technical responsibility in design, manufacturing, fabrication, construction, R&D or training. Your work history is what AWS reviews to decide which of the four exam parts you are eligible for, so it is worth writing thoroughly.
Step 2
Submit your application
Log in at my.aws.org, open the CWEng application wizard and complete the education and work-history fields. Digitally attach transcripts, resume, photo ID and the remaining documentation — each file under about 5 MB — then pay through the portal. International candidates apply through the AWS international agent for their region.
Step 3
Await approval
Roughly four to six weeks after submission, the AWS Certification Department emails a Confirmation Letter carrying your examination details. All four parts must then be passed within three years of application approval.
Step 4
Prepare
AWS does not run a preparation seminar for the CWEng — the knowledge required is too broad — so preparation is on the candidate. The suggested reference list is in B5.16 Annex A. This is the stage WeldFab Tech is built for.
Step 5
Sit the four parts
Schedule through Prometric. Parts 1 and 2 must be passed before Parts 3 and 4 may be attempted, and only a failed part needs retaking. Rescheduling or cancelling requires at least 48 hours notice.
Step 6
Certify
Score at least 60% on each part and a weighted composite of at least 70%. Six to eight weeks after scores are confirmed, AWS issues a serialised CWEng number, certificate and wallet card, verifiable through AWS QuikCheck.
Step 7
Renew at five years
Apply through the certification portal before the expiry date with documentation of 80 contact hours of continued education for the five-year period. No re-examination is required.
Exam information
Four computer-based examinations at Prometric test centres, all multiple choice. Each part must be answered at least 60% correctly, and the weighted composite across the four must reach 70%.
- Part 1 — Basic Science Fundamentals: 36 questions in 2 hours, closed book. Physics 50%, mathematics 25%, chemistry 25%.
- Part 2 — Applied Science Fundamentals: 27 questions in 2 hours, closed book. Strength of materials 40%, heat transfer and fluid mechanics 30%, electricity 30%.
- Part 3 — Welding-Related Disciplines: 60 questions in 3 hours, open book. Arc physics, processes and controls, metallurgy and weld design carry 20% each; NDE and discontinuities 10%; brazing, soldering and safety 5% each.
- Part 4 — Practical Welding and Related Applications: 40 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, open book. Fabrication 25%, inspection 20%, welding procedure qualification 20%, filler metals 15%, productivity and welder performance qualification 10% each.
- Parts 1 and 2 must both be passed before Parts 3 and 4 can be attempted, and only a failed part is retaken.
- Part 3 allows hard copies of the listed reference books at the test centre; Part 4 allows only AWS D1.1/D1.1M, on screen as a PDF and as a hard copy you may bring.
- All four parts must be passed within three years of application approval, with up to three retests in that period.
Validity and renewal
Five years, renewed on continuing professional development rather than on another examination.
- The credential is valid for five years from the date of issue.
- Renewal is by application through the certification portal before the expiry date, with documentation of continued education relating to the functions in AWS B5.16 Clause 5.
- That continued education must total 80 contact hours across the five-year period, or a combination of contact hours and continuing education units totalling 80 contact hours.
- No further examination is required to renew.
- A renewal submitted after the 30-day administrative grace period is not accepted, and the candidate starts the application process again — so the expiry date is worth diarising.
- Note that the CWEng credential does not by itself confer the status of a registered Professional Engineer under the laws of any state or jurisdiction.
Standards and reference materials
The credential is governed by B5.16, and the examination draws its questions from the references below. The suggested self-study list is in B5.16 Annex A.
- B5.16 — Specification for the Qualification of Welding Engineers
- D1.1/D1.1M — Structural Welding Code, Steel (Part 4)
- ANSI Z49.1 — Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes
- AWS Welding Handbook, Volume 1
- AWS Welding Handbook, Volume 2
- AWS Welding Handbook, Volume 3
- AWS Welding Handbook, Volume 4
- AWS Welding Handbook, Volume 5
- Blodgett — Design of Weldments
- Lippold & Kotecki — Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels
- B5.16 Annex A — Suggested Reference List
Documents and resources
What AWS asks for with the application, and what to prepare with. WeldFab Tech reviews the completed set before it is submitted.
- CWEng Exam Application (my.aws.org)
- Proof of Education / Transcripts
- Resume and Work History
- Work Experience Documentation
- Professional References
- Photo ID Requirements
- Recent Photograph
- Visual Acuity Exam Form
- Training Hours Documentation
- Candidate Attestation Agreement
- CWEng Examination User Guide
- CWEng Step-by-Step Pathway
- Exam References and Editions Guide
- CWEng Renewal Application
- ADA Disability Accommodations Request
- Change of Site / Cancellation Form
- Certification Duplicate Order Form
// Questions
AWS CWEng questions
What is the AWS Certified Welding Engineer (CWEng) certification?
The AWS Certified Welding Engineer is the American Welding Society credential for engineers who take technical responsibility for welding — design, materials, processes and quality control. It is granted to a candidate who documents the training and work experience required by AWS B5.16 and passes the four-part examination.
How is the CWEng different from the CWI?
The CWI decides whether a completed weld meets the acceptance criteria of a code. The CWEng writes the welding procedure, selects the process and filler metal, designs the joint and qualifies the procedure that the code is then applied to. The CWEng examination reaches back into mathematics, physics, chemistry, strength of materials and heat transfer, which the CWI examination does not.
Do I need an engineering degree to apply?
No, but the experience requirement rises sharply without one. A Bachelor of Science or higher in engineering needs a minimum of one year of welding-based work experience; engineering technology needs two years; other related BSc degrees five years; an Associate in Applied Science ten years; and a high school diploma or equivalent fifteen years.
What kind of experience counts?
Work carrying significant technical responsibility in design, manufacturing, fabrication, construction, research and development, or training. AWS reviews your described work experience to determine which of the four examination parts you are eligible for, so it is worth documenting thoroughly.
Does an IIW or EWF diploma help?
Yes. AWS gives special consideration to candidates holding a State Professional Engineering Licence in Welding Engineering, or a diploma from an International Institute of Welding or European Federation for Welding, Joining and Cutting programme.
How many exams are there, and in what order?
Four. Part 1 Basic Science Fundamentals and Part 2 Applied Science Fundamentals are closed-book and must both be passed before Part 3 Welding-Related Disciplines and Part 4 Practical Welding and Related Applications, which are open-book.
What is the pass mark?
At least 60% correct on each of the four parts, and a weighted composite score across all four of at least 70%. A candidate who clears 60% on every part but misses the composite may retest any part they choose to raise the composite.
How long do I have to complete all four parts?
All four parts must be passed within three years of application approval, with a maximum of three retests in that three-year period commencing on the original test date. Only the part you failed needs to be retaken.
Which references can I use in the open-book parts?
For Part 3, hard copies of the listed reference books — ANSI Z49.1, the AWS Welding Handbook volumes, Blodgett’s Design of Weldments and Lippold & Kotecki’s Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels. For Part 4, AWS D1.1/D1.1M is the only permitted reference; an electronic copy is on screen and a hard copy may be brought.
Can Parts 1 and 2 be waived?
The basic and applied science portion may be met by successful completion of the Engineering Fundamentals Examination — formerly the E.I.T. — administered by a State Board of Engineering or other governmental entity.
Where is the examination held?
All four parts are computer-based and delivered at Prometric test centres worldwide. Scheduling instructions are sent after your application is approved, and rescheduling or cancelling requires at least 48 hours notice.
How long does the application take to process?
A Confirmation Letter carrying your examination details is emailed by the AWS Certification Department roughly four to six weeks after the application is submitted.
Does AWS run a preparation seminar for the CWEng?
No. AWS does not offer an exam preparation seminar for this credential because of the breadth of knowledge required, which is precisely why structured preparation matters. WeldFab Tech provides it.
Does WeldFab Tech conduct the AWS CWEng examination?
No. WeldFab Tech provides training, examination preparation, eligibility assessment, documentation review and application guidance. The examination and the credential are administered by the American Welding Society.
How is the credential renewed?
The CWEng is valid for five years. Renewal is by application through the certification portal before the expiry date, with documentation of 80 contact hours of continued education relating to the functions in AWS B5.16 Clause 5. No further examination is required, and a renewal submitted more than 30 days after expiry is not accepted.
Does the CWEng make me a Professional Engineer?
No. AWS states explicitly that the Welding Engineer certification does not imply the status of a registered Professional Engineer under the laws of any state or governmental entity, and that contract documents or jurisdiction laws may still require technical services to be performed under the direction of a registered P.E.
Can international candidates apply?
Yes. Candidates outside the US and Canada apply through the AWS international agent for their region, and sit the examinations at Prometric centres. WeldFab Tech supports candidates in India and abroad through the process.
Which industries value the CWEng?
Oil and gas, power generation, shipbuilding, aerospace, defence, railways, heavy engineering, pressure vessel and structural steel fabrication, and any organisation that writes and qualifies its own welding procedures rather than buying them in.
How can I enrol in the AWS CWEng preparation programme?
Contact WeldFab Tech for eligibility assessment, upcoming batch schedules, the registration process, fee details and corporate training programmes.
Ready to get AWS CWEng certified?
Tell us where you are starting from and we will come back with the schedule, the fee and what you need to have ready.