Route R6 · Endorsements
Which endorsements can a CWI add?
A CWI can add AWS endorsements in three groups: code endorsements (D1.1, D1.2, D1.5, D15.1, D17.1, API 1104, ASME IX with B31.1 and B31.3, and ISO standards), MT and PT method endorsements, and four function endorsements. Since April 1, 2025, those four function endorsements are the route to SCWI (AWS endorsements page and AWS SCWI page, checked October 2026).
- Exam
- CWI
- Updated
- October 2026
R6.1The catalog
| Endorsement | Group | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| AWS D1.1 | Code | Structural steel |
| AWS D1.2 | Code | Structural aluminum |
| AASHTO/AWS D1.5 | Code | Steel bridges |
| AWS D15.1 | Code | Rail vehicles |
| AWS D17.1 | Code | Aerospace hardware |
| API 1104 | Code | Pipelines |
| ASME IX, B31.1, B31.3 | Code | Pressure work and piping |
| ISO standards | Code | ISO welding standards |
| MT | Method | Dry powder yoke |
| PT | Method | Solvent-removable penetrant |
| Welder Performance Qualifier | Function, SCWI | Welder tests |
| Welding Procedure Qualifier | Function, SCWI | Procedure tests |
| Welding Coordination and QA | Function, SCWI | Welding quality system |
| NDE Coordination | Function, SCWI | Managing NDE |
MT covers ferromagnetic welds with an electromagnetic yoke and visible dry powder; PT covers visible, solvent-removable penetrant on nonporous materials. ASME means Section IX with B31.1 power and B31.3 process piping.
R6.2Who can sit one, and what it costs
You need an active CWI first; AWS says so on its endorsements page. Some endorsements carry extra prerequisites, and some add a practical test on top of the written one.
A code endorsement exam is the same kind of exam as Part C: open book, on that one code. If you sat Part C on D1.1 and now work pipeline, the API 1104 endorsement is the matching move. The Part C code book page explains how that format works.
AWS lists a Prometric endorsement exam at $445 for members and $540 for non-members, a price that covers every endorsement except Structural Drawing Reading and includes a $60 seat fee. MT and PT are priced separately and have a practical part arranged with an AWS testing facility (AWS CWI page, checked October 2026).
R6.3Names that get mixed up
- Welder Performance Qualifier
- About testing the welder: running and judging the performance qualification test a welder takes.
- Welding Procedure Qualifier
- About testing the procedure: running the qualification test behind a WPS and its PQR.
- Welding Coordination and QA
- The quality system around welding: who does what, and how quality is assured.
- NDE Coordination
- Managing the NDE side: personnel qualification, method choice, running the examinations.
- Code endorsement
- A Part C style exam, open book, on another code.
R6.4What endorsements do for you
Do endorsements count toward the 9-year recertification?
Yes. A CWI endorsement exam is one of the recertification routes, and QC1 says the endorsement doesn't need to be current when you apply. See the CWI 9-year recertification.
Which endorsement covers pipeline work?
API 1104. The 22nd edition is the one listed for exams on that code (AWS Exam References and Editions Guide, August 2025, checked October 2026).
Can I earn an endorsement before I'm a CWI?
No. AWS requires an active CWI certification first.
Can I hold more than one code endorsement?
Yes. Endorsements stack on one active CWI, and the SCWI path itself asks for four of them. Each one's its own exam and its own fee, so add them as your work moves to new codes.
R6.5Sources
- AWS endorsements page — catalog, active-CWI prerequisite (checked October 2026)
- AWS CWI page — endorsement exam prices (checked October 2026)
- AWS SCWI page — four-endorsement path since April 1, 2025 (checked October 2026)
- AWS QC1:2016-AMD1 — clause 16.3.1, endorsement as a recertification route (checked October 2026)
- AWS Exam References and Editions Guide, August 2025 — API 1104 edition (checked October 2026)
Pick the code before you pick the endorsement
Practice questions on iPhone or iPad, in our CWI prep app.