AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) — All Questions

During visual inspection, a fillet weld gauge is used primarily to:

• a.Measure the leg size and check the throat/convexity of a fillet weld✓
• b.Detect internal porosity within the weld
• c.Measure the electrical resistance of the base metal
• d.Determine the chemical composition of the filler metal

A fillet weld gauge physically fits against the weld to measure leg length and assess whether the profile is convex, concave, or within tolerance. Visual inspection tools measure geometry and surface conditions, not internal or chemical properties. Internal flaws require RT or UT, and composition requires laboratory analysis. Selecting the correct gauge for the weld type is a core Part B skill.

When performing hands-on visual inspection of a weld, which practice best ensures accurate and consistent results?

• a.Judging acceptability by memory rather than referencing the specimen's acceptance criteria
• b.Inspecting only after the part is painted so the surface looks uniform
• c.Ensuring adequate lighting and using the specified gauges to measure against the acceptance criteria for that weld✓
• d.Measuring only the longest weld and assuming the rest are identical

Reliable visual inspection depends on adequate lighting, clean access to the weld, calibrated/appropriate gauges, and comparing each measured feature against the documented acceptance criteria. Judging from memory introduces error, painting hides discontinuities, and sampling only one weld ignores variation. Consistent, criteria-based measurement is what the Part B practical evaluates.

In the Part B practical, a weld replica (RMA-type gauge set) is most useful for:

• a.Chemically etching the weld to reveal grain structure
• b.Physically comparing a weld's profile and discontinuity size against standardized reference shapes and dimensions✓
• c.Measuring the voltage used during welding
• d.Recording the welder's certification number

Replica gauges and weld measuring gauges provide standardized reference profiles and precise scales so an inspector can compare a weld's actual contour, undercut depth, or reinforcement height to fixed dimensional references. They translate a visual observation into a measured value that can be judged against acceptance criteria. They do not perform etching, electrical measurement, or record-keeping functions.

A specimen book used in the Part B practical exam most directly provides:

• a.The welder's wage schedule
• b.A list of approved filler-metal suppliers
• c.The chemical analysis of each test plate
• d.The acceptance criteria and requirements the inspector applies to judge each weld replica✓

The Part B specimen book (Book of Specifications) contains the acceptance criteria, definitions, and requirements the candidate must apply to evaluate the weld replicas. The inspector measures each specimen and compares the result to these criteria to decide accept or reject. It functions as the rulebook for the practical, not a supplier list, wage sheet, or chemistry report.

When an inspector measures a discontinuity that falls exactly at the maximum size permitted by the acceptance criteria, the correct disposition is generally to:

• a.Accept it, because meeting the maximum allowable limit means it is within the criteria✓
• b.Reject it automatically, because any measurable discontinuity is a defect
• c.Ignore the measurement and rely on overall appearance
• d.Double the limit before comparing

Acceptance criteria define a maximum allowable value; a discontinuity that measures at or below that limit conforms and is accepted. A discontinuity only becomes a rejectable defect when it exceeds the allowable criteria. This distinction between a discontinuity (any interruption in the typical structure) and a defect (a rejectable discontinuity) is central to inspection judgment. Overall appearance never overrides measured criteria.

Before using a measuring gauge to accept or reject welds in the practical, the inspector should first:

• a.Bend the gauge to fit the weld
• b.Verify the gauge is the correct type and in good condition so its readings are valid✓
• c.Assume any available gauge will give the same reading
• d.File down the weld to make measurement easier

Valid measurements depend on using the correct, undamaged gauge appropriate for the feature being measured. A bent or wrong gauge yields false readings that lead to incorrect accept/reject decisions. An inspector never alters the weld to suit the tool. Selecting and verifying the proper instrument is a disciplined habit tested in Part B.

Which surface condition would an inspector evaluate purely by visual inspection in Part B, without any additional NDT equipment?

• a.Internal slag inclusions deep within the weld
• b.Subsurface lack of fusion between passes
• c.Surface-breaking cracks, undercut, overlap, and weld profile✓
• d.Hydrogen dissolved in the weld metal

Visual inspection detects surface conditions: surface cracks, undercut, overlap, excessive reinforcement, and overall weld profile and size. Internal flaws such as buried slag, subsurface lack of fusion, or dissolved gases require volumetric methods like RT or UT and cannot be judged by eye. Knowing the limits of VT keeps the inspector from over-claiming what visual results prove.