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Up Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / Confused about SCWI exam, need help.
- - By PFI (**) Date 04-05-2012 10:18
I'm taking my SCWI exam in a few months and I'm a bit confused about the AWS-recommended self study (examination preparatory material),  Is this the subject matter that the tests will contain? or is it the books listed on the application page (page 1) in the box "open format"

additionally, does anyone know if there is a practice exam for SCWI exam?
Parent - - By 803056 (*****) Date 04-05-2012 14:34
I don't know what you mean by an "open format".

The last time I took the SCWI (you, I've taken a couple over the years just for the heck of it), it was an open book examination where you could use any reference you could lug, pack, pull, or truck into the examination room. All the questions are based on references available from AWS.

A good portion of the examination included questions relating to quality control systems (including the most usless system in the world; ISO) and functions. There was a good number of questions relating to NDT. One half the examination was looking up answers and information in B2.1. That portion of the examination was directed to qualifying welding procedures and to a lesser extent on how to qualify a welder. It was structure similar to the CWI Part B examination where you had to look up specific information, enter the information on a form, determine the range of thickness qualified, blah, blah, blah.

You do not have to evaluate plastic weld replicas, you already did that when you passed the CWI.   

In general, I thought it was a reasonable examination. There are portions that I thought could be beefed up and certain areas that didn't really relate to my day to day work, but then again, the type of work we each do is never the same. We all serve different markets.

As always, things are always changing at AWS and how the certification is earned/awarded. The SCWI program is going to be revamped in the "near" future, but it is still a work in progress. I should wait until the changes have been reviewed, voted on, and approved before going into any details, after all, it will be changed again several more times before being inplimented.

Study material: none that I am aware of. Check the "body of knowledge" listed in B5.1 for a fairly good break down on the subjects that must be included in the examination.

Best regards - Al
Parent - - By PFI (**) Date 04-05-2012 15:24
AL,

A lot of great information !!! thank you so much for providing that.  This is an expensive exam, so i want to have as much information as possible going into this.

I failed to identify the "open format" properly, It's actually "open book format" then is says "references for the exam" the listed references are AWS B2.1:2005 or 2009, AWS B4.0:2007, AWS QC1:2007 and ASNT SNT-TC-1A:2006. 

I'm very fluent in the ISO system as i have been a Quality Assurance manager for 12 years, to some extent i agree with your comment. 

Of course you would not want to bring a bunch of books to the test facility as I'm sure there is not enough time to be shuffling through tons of books to find the answers.  I have heard that alot of the questions pertain to stainless steel for some reason and reading up on that would be the most beneficial.

I see they list 12 books in the body of knowledge but the stainless standard is not listed.
Parent - - By Joseph P. Kane (****) Date 04-05-2012 15:48
I would agree with Al.  There were also several questions about welding Stainless Steel, and the material properties of SS.  However, the ISO reference material was not readily available from AWS.
Parent - - By PFI (**) Date 04-05-2012 16:58
Joe,

I have the ISO 9000 standard, I assume that would be the reference material?
Parent - By Joseph P. Kane (****) Date 04-05-2012 23:37
Yes, and the Stainless Steel electrode A-5 Documents.
Parent - By Jovi Zhu (**) Date 04-12-2012 14:24 Edited 04-13-2012 13:32
AL,

With regard to the ISO 900X standards, I thought they were useless and I prefered spending more time on ASME, AWS, API, EN, etc. other than that 36-page ISO9001~

It's common truth that to get your company ISO9001 certified all you need is money.

But just recently, I went through ISO9000, 9001, 9004 and I tried to apply those ISO concepts and principles to some quality problems I'm encountering with my company, I started to realize that ISO is never useless. Most of us say ISO900X is useless probably because we do not know how to use its principles and methodologies. One who believes ISO900X is useless is comparable to ones who believed the sun went around the earth.

For example, management of some companies punish welders who have made bad welds and the inspectors who fail to identify nonconformity, by reducing their salary/bonus but do not perform re-training and re-qualification because they think if employees lose their qualifications no enough ones left to do the job.

If you apply the PDCA "process approach" methodology promoted by ISO900X to such case you will konw that punishment is not a solution and you will consider the welder and inspector as "processes" to transform "input" to "output". The welder's output is the quality weld and the inspector's output is the objective inspection results.

Then you will wonder if there is something wrong with your training/qualification processes for welders and inspectors. Then you will know how to consider people as RESOURCE to be managed other than slaves to be punished.

ISO900X do not tell you how to deal with the obstructions in you way but tell you where your destination is far away. Most of us can be very good at how to overcome obstructions one by one and assume that we are making progress but do not realize that our direction is deviating more and more from our destination.

Cheers,

Jovi
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 04-05-2012 23:53
PFI,

WELCOME TO THE AWS WELDING FORUM!!

Had to get that taken care of,  Al and Joe were a little remiss in their responsibilities there.

Anyway, as I have not taken the SCWI exam myself I cannot really add much to their responses.  I would however suggest as much study as possible in each of the suggested self study references.  I just saw an add in the Inspections Trends for a company that does seminars for those wishing to take the SCWI exam, at least I think my mind remembers that correctly.  Since you are a current CWI you should have received it in the mail or can view it on line here on the main website.

I have begun thinking that direction myself and begun information searches as I will qualify in the near future and I am one that likes to face those exams with all the advance study and information I can get. 

Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - - By Joseph P. Kane (****) Date 04-06-2012 04:20
I don't welcome people who won't give any information about themselves in their profile.
Parent - - By PFI (**) Date 04-06-2012 11:03
I'm sorry Joe, I just realized there was a profile page, I filled in some information.
I need to put I'm my certifications somewhere too I guess, but I'm currently a CWI and ASNT level 2 with Pt, MT, ISO 9001 trained also
Parent - - By Joseph P. Kane (****) Date 04-06-2012 11:46
PFI

Thank You for the Profile update.

No apology was necessary, however. 

It is just my own personal policy to I-G-N-O-R-E most posters who prefer their privacy.  Despite this personal policy, sometimes I answer a post before I look at the Profile, or  if the subject is important to me.  Besides, your post was well put, and reminded me of a proposed policy by the Test Bank Subcommittee, to put SCWI testing on hold until they got around to fixing the exam to better reflect what is listed in the B5.1 Qualification document. 

In a motion proposed by Al Moore, and supported by me, the Test Bank Subcommittee's proposed policy was overturned, and they were directed by the Main Committee to continue administering the SCWI exam.  Both Al and I were interested in seeing if the AWS Staff or the Chairman would ignore this policy defeat and just not give the current exam anyway!  If you have an exam date for the Senior Exam, it will be good to know.

A few years ago, I made a motion that the CWI Card be changed to a credit card style, so it could fit in your wallet, instead of having to trim it!  The Certified welder registry card is a credit card type, so the AWS already has the technology.  The Certification Department Manager at the time,  (CZAR Peter) objected, saying that he had just gotten 5000 new blanks made, and he wasn't just going to have them thrown out!  Well, I made the motion that the balance of the cards be discarded, and the AWS make a credit card style card forthwith.  The motion passed.  Not surprisingly, the policy directive was ignored by Staff.  Now, I recently discovered that they have had a new batch of cards printed, and never did change the style and size to a Credit Card style.  

Welcome to the Forum.
Joe Kane
Parent - By PFI (**) Date 04-07-2012 10:35
I completely agree about the card size being too big, a credit card size would be perfect.
Parent - - By cepennington (*) Date 04-06-2012 19:52
I just took the SCWI in November. You will need the B2.1 and B4.0 for sure. Those were the only two books I used. But, the best advise you are going to get is to bring the D10.4. I did not have a D10.4 and did not want to spend the money. I passed the exam, but would have done much better with the D10.4. The test was not that bad overall.

Thanks,
Chuck
Parent - - By PFI (**) Date 04-07-2012 10:39
Awesome, thanks Chuck!  I have access to the whole aws publication library per a company I contract for, helps to have friends too. Did you have access before taking the exam to a practice exam?
Parent - - By cepennington (*) Date 04-20-2012 15:02
No, no practice exam.
Parent - By PFI (**) Date 04-21-2012 20:10
Ok thanks, just trying to
Prepare as much as I can.
Up Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / Confused about SCWI exam, need help.

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