Bill,
No books up for grabs, I keep all my materials for reference.
Now, there will be questions out of all ten modules of the WIT book. There are 150 questions total and that is the Part A ('A' stands for the air space between your ears; it is a closed book general knowledge test). Sure, we all know lots of information that is not included in the test. The trick is knowing what will be there and what won't and then having the ability to choose the correct answer and some of them are worded really ....tricky. I know, there are no trick questions on the exam. Baloney, every question is a trick question. That's the beauty of multiple guess exams and the way they are worded to check your comprehension skills, knowledge of the topic, and thoroughness when looking at the answers.
Part B (Bogus Book test for the hands on practical exam). If you think you know which information to ignore in order to only study what you need, go ahead. Your guess is as good as any one else's. Read the Part B that is available as a free download and get used to the layout. Note the distinct differences between it and D1.1. Don't go by memory, it is NOT the same as D1.1. For example, look at it's idea of the Table 6.1, your criteria for acceptance/rejection. At the bottom it says arc strikes are prohibited. That is not what D1.1 Table 6.1 says. Nor, Clause 5.29. Bottom line: PAY ATTENTION.
Part C (Codebook, open book exam). Get familiar with your chosen code and know where different items are. Preheat chart, Prequalified welds, WPS's, PQR's, etc. You will mainly be interested in Clauses 3-6 but there is at least one question from 1,2,7, and 8 as well. Know the scope of each clause and you will more easily analyze the questions as to where to go to find the required answer. And read the answers carefully. There may be more than one correct, but one is more correct/complete.
Good luck. Just go through it all. There is no such thing as too much knowledge or information.
He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, Brent
Better than a sharp stick in your eye, but has a computer ever answered you when you asked it a question?
Al
E-mail, Text or instant mesage chat.
"Helpful"? Now that is truly a loaded question! Can any information be NOT helpful? Should we accuse the AWS of offering a course that is totally worthless?
If you only gain enough knowledge to answer one question correctly on the exam then it was 'helpful'. If you gained insight into processes, procedures, metallurgy, inspections operations, or any other aspect of the welding industry that helped you understand the inspections responsibility, even if you didn't get one added question right because of that knowledge (which would be hard if not impossible to prove) then it was 'helpful'.
No matter how one defines 'helpful' I think it fair to say that it is indeed successful in imparting knowledge applicable to the CWI exams. I can say that even though I haven't gone through it because I know what the source material is that the classes are taken from and the purpose of the development of the classes.
I still feel one is wise to take the week long seminar with class and instructor interaction and networking of information and knowledge. But I would caution attenders to let the instructor do his job as outlined by the Education Dept. If you interject too much and too often you are imposing upon the ability of the process to do it's job as intended.
Note as well, that job is not to pass every person who attends. It is to educate and review in order to prepare mentally for something you should already be able to do with refreshed knowledge you already have.
If you are going into the exam cold turkey expecting the seminar, live or online, to get you ready to PASS the exams, SAVE YOUR MONEY AND TIME.
It is a great seminar to take by either method just for the information and skills in inspections you will gain even if you don't take the exam. Knowledge is never a waste of money.
He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, Brent
I asked the question only because I am considering taking it. I have no reason to accuse the AWS of offering worthless information. Thank you for your insight and definition to my question.
My question ("should we accuse...) was not accusing as much as rhetorical and mixed with sarcasm to make a point. Take it as information added from personal perspective to be used constructively in aiding one in the decision making process.
Good luck with your efforts.
He Is In Control, Have a Great Day, Brent
I'm currently going through the pre-seminar courses online and would like to know how much of that will be on the test. Seems like considerable time spent on things that I don't think will be on the test
This attitude of easy, faster, "I'm wasting my time on useless trivia" sorta talk just makes me cringe like chewing on a ball of aluminum foil.
I sure hope my dentist or surgeon didn't cop such a slacker's approach to their education.
I've taken the test a few times and quite honestly could not quote a single question from it.
I am reminded of an exam for freshman English Lit many years ago in high school. The assignment was to read "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". The teacher knew half the class would read Cliff's Notes. We were told all those who passed could get a hall pass (which meant we could slide out the back door and leave campus). Come test day, there was only one question, requiring only a single word for the answer. It took me and a couple of others about 63 seconds to read, finish the test, sign it and out the door. AND this was just before lunch so we could go to the soda fountain (at the pharmacy) around the corner and hang out for an hour and a half.
I do not remember the question (sorry, that was 46 years ago!) just like I can't remember any of the CWI exam questions. I am fairly sure I would remember most of the answers though if asked again today because I read that 83 pounds of suggested literature. Yes it took me a year. I read at morning coffee, on the bus to work, at lunch, at my kid's band and ballet performances... Woke up many a time in the wee hours of the night with drool on my text books and a cigarette burn on the kitchen table.
Just read everything in the body of knowledge and then take the test. Don't concern yourself with specifics... read the books and absorb the information.
There's really no need to waste thousands of dollars on a seminar either. Read the books.
Oh yeah, the answer was "pillory"!
"Slacker"? Sure hope it didn't come off that way. I'm not trying to breeze through this by any means, but I understand what you are saying. I am very passionate about the path I am on and DO want to know all that I can. I'm loving the info, but feel the need to get to the meat of the test content (code, etc.). Part of my philosophy of life is to always add value to life. You may have heard it another way as, "Leave things better than the way you found them" (thanks Dad). This philosophy is true for all aspects of life such as teaching your children. It's about growth. I am the guy who gives a man a fish and THEN teaches him to fish. If he truly doesn't want to fish for himself then I cannot control that. I want to have a solid foundation for all the body of knowledge that is part of this industry so that I can not only inspect but help others become better at their craft. I have worked with young welders that know little to nothing about the "life" of their craft. They are just here to get a check. NOT GOOD. If I have something that might lead them into a better understanding of what they do and how they do it then it is my responsibility to offer that up. They can take it if they want. So, believe me when I say that I do not have an attitude of "easy, faster". I WILL make a difference.
By the way, chewing on foil and smoking are both pretty nasty habits.
Bonus question: "What is a wooden framework with holes for the head and hands, in which an offender was imprisoned and exposed to public abuse."?
Stocks :)
You may need to eat the meat and spit out the bones.... But you gotta put all of it in your mouth
No time is wasted in my experience.... Now there are certainly things that are more vital to know than others.... When I train CWI's for work... We focus on things that will help them pass the exam, with a heavy emphasis on processes and codes that apply to the job at hand..
Bill,
Sometimes I get a bit "Keyboard Komando" late at night when posting.
It sounds like you have the correct mindset. My best advice to training for the test is to search these posts for questions on the code of choice. Try not to read the answers just yet and dig through the code and find an answer you feel comfortable with. Return to the thread and see what the experts have said.
The key to part B is to erase your mind, stay focused on the bogus code and realise many questions are meant to make you want to assume the obvious. The answer is often hiding in the notes.
Chewing on tin foil is the most effective method I know to get rid of that horrible nicotine taste.
Bonus question #2:
When are Low hydrogen electrodes allowed to be run down hill per AWS D1.1?
Chapter and Paragraph please.
Table 4.1 and Note Table 4.5 27) & 30)
Bonus Question #3.....
Slag is spent flux, right?
Soooo... what is that crud actually called that clings to the bottom of a piece of steel after being cut with an Oxy/fuel cutting torch.
This was on the First CWI exam I took back in 1986. The wording was of course a bit different.
Bingo!!!
You get the kewpie doll.
Bring me back a Tiger instead okay? Seriously John, Go have some fun in Phuket because you deserve it!
Btw, I have some .pdf's on knife making and Blacksmithing like I mentioned previously but, they're kind of big in size so when you get a chance, thnk of the best way to send you these books to you... they're less than a gigabyte each so I shouldn't have any problem via e-mail yet, that's up to you so let me know how you want to do this okay?
Respectfully,
Henry
You guys are awesome. See! I'm learning new things everyday. Now out to the jobsite to impress everyone with my new word. (Hope I don't get beat up).
