Well when the time for my 9 yr. gets here which is soon I will do everything I can to avoid ever sitting for another test developed by the AWS. I think I have already met the necessary requirements thru my Film Interp. class I just took but we'll see. My
CWI 40 hr. class in Pheonix when I initially got it was a good experience. I did my homework on here and I got in one of Ed Bohnharts classes. I felt it was money and time well spent. I have also always gotten good advice here on the forum from some people involved with AWS, such as Joe Kane.
Now on the other side of the coin whenever I have attempted to handle something through the Miami office I have been extremely disappointed with their lack of professionalism or anything that even resembles customer service. It has to be one of the worst bunch of people I can remember dealing with.
Many of my colleagues took the prep class with different instructors and had bad experiences that were very different than mine. One friend took the class from someone who probably should have been removed as an instructor a long time ago and almost his entire class failed. Now AWS did let them take another class but as far as I know they still were out plane tickets, meals, hotel etc.
As far as the
CWI test goes I have always felt that it is designed very poorly. Much attention is paid to things that a real life
CWI will never use or use less that 5% of the time, while there is very little about important things like really being able to interpret and review WPS/PQRs etc. I also currently hold an API 510, 570 and 653. Personally I felt the API test are more straight forward and designed to test a person's knowledge of the subject matter. The
CWI test is designed to be a test that maintains a high fail rate which in turn generates more income for the AWS. And no I didn't fail my
CWI test for what it's worth, I actually did pretty well on it. And while we are on the subject of the test(s) you should either be a
CWI or not. Endorsements are just another income stream, I don't have to test for seperate vessels or tanks to be an API inspector. Either you can interpret code or you can't. Period. A weld defect on a sky scraper is still a weld defect on a bridge isn't it?
As far as the cert. goes because they give the test every week they have flooded the market with
CWI's which has driven the wages down for this certification. The lack of effort that is put into researching whether an individual is qualified or not is also of concern to most people who are tasked with hiring/reviewing inspectors. I sure don't assume that every
CWI has 5 yrs. experience because that is not the case. I once was around a guy who claimed he had got it at 20 yrs. old. So I guess he started getting experience at 15?? Another thing that should be changed is how someone can verify a
CWI. With the API database all I need is a name to find out if someone is who they say they are.
Just my .02. Take it for what it's worth.
Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / CWI 9yr Recertification Course - Past Attendee Questions
Chris, the course satisfies the # of hours of training required, in the last 3 years, so you sort of get around having to retest. I used my NDT training hours and didn't have to retest when I went through my 9 yr renewal several years ago. I see both sides of this....retesting on something that we've all done before and should have no problem doing again, is kind of silly waste of money, so taking something like a worthwhile course to gain the hours required to advoid retesting is worth considering.
