Prep compared X5 · CWI prep compared
Which CWI exam prep is worth your time?
The CWI prep you can actually check is mostly AWS's own: week-long and two-week seminars from $2,245 for members, a self-paced Pre-Seminar, and a separate Part B course (AWS CWI page and seminar pages, checked October 2026). Hobart Institute runs a two-week CWI class without a published price. Match the option to the part you're weakest on.
- Exam
- CWI
- Updated
- October 2026
X5.1Start with what the exam asks
You don't need any training for your first attempt; AWS says so in its User Guide. It becomes required later: a second or third retest needs documented training first, 40 hours when every part is retaken or 16 when it's just one or two (AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026, checked October 2026).
So the question is where you're thin. Part A is closed-book recall. Part B is hands-on with gauges, replicas and the Book of Specifications, and it comes first. Part C is finding clauses fast in your code. The Part B practical sheet explains what's in the room and why hands-on practice matters there.
X5.2Prep options with checkable facts
| Option | Format | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS CWI 1-Week In-Person Seminar | Sunday to Friday, 8 to 5. Ships the books, a tool kit and D1.1 | Seminar $2,245 / $2,510. With exam $3,070 / $3,335. With Pre-Seminar and exam $3,970 / $4,235 | AWS 1-week seminar |
| AWS CWI 2-Week In-Person Seminar | Two weeks in person | Seminar $2,875 / $3,140. With exam $3,935 / $4,200. With Pre-Seminar and exam $4,835 / $5,100 | AWS 2-week seminar |
| AWS 2-Week Online Seminar | US only. Live 4-hour sessions | Seminar $2,245 / $2,510. With exam $3,070 / $3,335. Plus a refundable $1,500 deposit to borrow AWS's weld replica set | AWS 2-week online |
| AWS 8-Week Online Seminar | US only. Live 2-hour sessions | Seminar $2,245 / $2,510. With exam $3,070 / $3,335. Plus a refundable $1,500 deposit to borrow AWS's weld replica set | AWS 8-week online |
| AWS CWI Part B Seminar | 3 days in person; you keep the tool kit | $1,135 / $1,230. Training and exam, 4 days: $2,170 / $2,435 | AWS Part B seminar |
| AWS CWI Pre-Seminar | Self-paced, 10 courses, about 80 hours, 120-day access | $1,030 / $1,360 | AWS Pre-Seminar |
| Hobart Institute CWI540 | 2 weeks, 80 hours, all three parts, Part B exam on the second Friday, D1.1 or API 1104, up to 30 students | Not published | Hobart CWI training |
Hobart also lists a 3-day Part A class, a 1-week Part B recertification class and a 2-day code endorsement class, without prices. For comparison, the price table on the AWS CWI page lists the initial exams alone at $1,255 / $1,520 and exams plus Part B training at $2,000 / $2,265; see the CWI exam cost sheet.
X5.3Books and free material
- Welding Inspection Technology
- AWS textbook with a workbook and a sample Part A exam. Ships with the AWS 1-week in-person seminar.
- Welding Inspection Handbook and Certification Manual for Welding Inspectors
- AWS titles on its CAWI body-of-knowledge list (AWS CAWI page). Named here without a review.
- D1.1 Code Clinic
- AWS reference manual for working the D1.1 code. Worth a look if D1.1 is your Part C book.
- Book of Specifications
- The Part B reference AWS supplies at the exam; it's a free public PDF, listed in the AWS Exam References and Editions Guide, August 2025.
- This site
- A free CWI practice test, a timed mock exam, CWI flashcards and a study plan by clause.
- Our CWI prep app on iPhone or iPad
- Practice questions for Part A recall on your phone. It can't put a fillet gauge in your hand, so pair it with Part B practice.
X5.4Picking prep, the short version
Do I have to take a seminar before the CWI?
No. Training is optional for the first attempt (AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026, checked October 2026). Documented training becomes required before a second or third retest: 40 hours for all parts, 16 for one or two.
I've welded for years. Do I still need Part B training?
Shop years help with discontinuities. Part B also tests reading the Book of Specifications and using inspection tools against it. AWS sells the Part B seminar on its own for $1,135 / $1,230, member / non-member (AWS Part B seminar page, checked October 2026).
What does the 1-week seminar ship?
AWS lists A2.4:2020, A3.0:2020, B1.10:2016, the Welding Inspection Technology textbook, workbook and sample Part A exam, the Book of Specifications, exhibits, a tool kit and the D1.1 code (AWS 1-week seminar page, checked October 2026). Other codes cost extra.
How is the Pre-Seminar different from a seminar?
It's self-paced online: 10 courses, about 80 hours, 120 days of access, $1,030 / $1,360 on its own (AWS Pre-Seminar page, checked October 2026). AWS also bundles it with the 1-week seminar and exam for $3,970 / $4,235.
X5.5Sources
- AWS 1-week in-person seminar page (checked October 2026)
- AWS 2-week in-person seminar page (checked October 2026)
- AWS 2-week online seminar page — includes the replica deposit terms (checked October 2026)
- AWS 8-week online seminar page — includes the replica deposit terms (checked October 2026)
- AWS Part B seminar page (checked October 2026)
- AWS Pre-Seminar page (checked October 2026)
- Hobart Institute CWI training page — no price published (checked October 2026)
- AWS CWI Examination User Guide, September 2026 — training rules for first attempt and retests (checked October 2026)
Part A recall between shifts
Our CWI prep app runs practice questions on iPhone or iPad. Part B still needs real gauges in your hands.