QC-1

Date 01-21-2008 21:20

CC, Read it 2-3 times. Have it in your rotation when you study. They will ask questions about eduction, experience, etc. Don not worry about this. Just read it 2-3 times, skim it as you study and you will be just fine. If you are putting in the study time, 1/2 to 1 hour per day at this point, you should be fine.
You are going to do well. Just pause, and breathe!
BABRT's

By CWI555

Date 01-22-2008 01:03

hmmm is that bacon or cajun I smell sizzling?

Seriously, as already mentioned, just remember to read the question in it's entirety. Most people who miss a question like that either didn't study, or didn't read the question properly.

As a word of advice, worrying to much about it, is just as bad as not worrying enough, either can cause failure. The happy medium is where you don't wake up thinking about it, but do consider it in detail when studying. Equating the exam to the electric chair is a bit extreme, best thing you can do for passing the exam is to simply be relaxed and calm about it, and study.

Regards,
Gerald

By crazycajun (**)

Date 01-22-2008 11:55

yeah thats cajun bacon you smell. lol. i have the Welders Inspection Technology text book and i heard several people say that book would be enough to pass the general knowledge part of the exam. do you believe that. i have been reading at least 1 chapter a night sometimes i skip a night but i do read just about every night. and i am going through Real Educational for the exam they said they will send me study material as well, so i guess i should be alright. i am going through the 10 prepatory, being that it has been awhile since i had to study any kind of material for a test, i figured the 10 would help me a lil more. but i am coming out of my pocket with the $$$$ cause if i let the company pay for it they will try and deny me a raise, and say well we just payed for your school, what do you think i should ask for after i get my CWI i told my boss i would not stay for anything less than $25 after i get my CWI what do you guys think i should get?

By Superflux (****)

Date 01-22-2008 23:33

crazycajun, the WIT book info would probably not be enough to pass the exam alone (if you were to score 100%, maybe). Consider the addition of symbols and definitions (A3.0 & A2.4), yes then you've got a real chance of passing. A great many welders/craftsmen are quite good at what they do but are lacking in solid technically acurate knowlege. There are more myths and misinformation disguised as fact in this business than most realize. I've personally been certified 3 times as a CWI and every time after leaving the testing facility "felt fairly confident" but could not say Yes! I know I passed, and when recieving the results of scoring, always was amazed that subjects I would swear I aced were somewhat mediocre grades and others just plain got lucky. Hats off to you for financing your own test. When that card and stamp come in the big manilla envelope, they're all yours and the company can't hold that over your head, it is a good feeling to be master of your destiny. Speaking of which, I get the impression that your not 100% a company man and that they don't want to play ball and compensate for a more valuable employee. Fortunately for us, these are great times to be in this business and we are in HIGH demand. Heck, play horse trader, tell them XYZ Inspection has already offered you $28, company car, key to the executive toilet and better benifits package when you're certified. Good Luck, and show up on test day well prepared (I misplaced my calculator and had to borrow the funky basic 15 key model from the front desk last time!!!!), rested and confident. Don't sweat it, you'll only smell bad. We are all behind you!
John

By CWI555

Date 01-23-2008 03:02

Word to the wise, no matter who you work for, they will always remember what they hired you in at and for what. It's pretty rare to be given a proper boost for advancing yourself.
It can even extend to the town in general your from. From level I to II I had to change companies, from II to III I had to do it again and change towns. Sucks but thats my experience with it.

By aevald

Date 01-23-2008 04:00

Hello Gerald, I can't agree with you more regarding being properly compensated for doing a better job or advancing your skills for a given employer. Time and time again I have run into some very skilled and talented individuals who have been working for the same employer for years and compared to others with similar skills, doing the same work for someone else, they are sorely underpaid. In some cases it is "somewhat" understandable, I only say that based on the fact that they may be working for a non-union outfit and possibly they have a number of other individuals to contend with if they give a large boost to one individual. Deserved or not, the others will raise hell and cause such a ruckus that it just wouldn't fly, so you either accept a pittance or find something else. Union situations can have like results if you are trying to get ahead based on your skills and capabilities. Unless you are adding additional scale compensated skills such as becoming a carpenter/welder, electrician/welder, tube welder in the boilermakers as opposed to being a general boilermaker, or some other like additional classification the majority of hands will be paid the same based upon geographical area and union local (please forgive me if I have stated this incorrectly and correct accordingly). You will definitely make your best advancements by changing employers. You go in, call your shot, back-up your capabilities, and you're generally off and running. When people accept mediocrity it is many times based on staying in their comfort zone, feeling that they can't risk stability for the family or other similar reasons. Fear of the unknown is many times the reason for not taking a chance. I believe most of us are guilty of it to one degree or another. I can attest, as you stated, that I have made my most measurable advancements by changing jobs along with employers. My $.02. Best regards, Allan

By 803056

Date 01-23-2008 04:36

crazycajun;

Make sure you understand the basic math you will be required to do. If math isn't you strong point, get some help from someone that can help you calculate area, elongation, reduction in area, ultimate tensile strength, convert metric (SI) to customary units (US) and vice versa.

Math can be difficult for some of us that don't use it on a regular basis. Its easy to forget what was taught and learned many years ago.

They will review the mathematics in the seminar, but if you are struggling, it will be too little too late.

Best regards - Al

By crazycajun (**)

Date 01-23-2008 18:53

yeah i talked to an inspector that went to the same school that i plan to go to and he says i should be alright cause they cover all the bases and make you feel as comnfortable as possible with the exam, not just a story teller like some of the seminars. and the study material they give you just about covers everything that you need to know for the exam. so as long as i start now and read through the material i have i could have a good head start. i have the WIT A3.0 and A2.4 so the only thing i have left is the code book. they say that you have to have a orignal code book fo the exam no copies. so there goes another $300.00 in my self inprovenment program so i am guessing i will throw about $3000.00 into my future. well now fellows i dont think that is so bad of a deal, being that this is the rest of my life that we are talking about here. not having to freeze in the winter and sweat all day in the summer. i'd say thats not a bad deal at all.

By Duke

Date 02-07-2008 03:39

"Not having to freeze in the winter"??? That's a good one. get close while they're preheating, you might be ok. Seriously, tho, 3K is well spent, when i got my stamp, i got a good bump, but more importantly, i stay busy all the time now, i'll bet its been worth 20K a year over what i made with the ICC cert. Go for it, get a good nights sleep the night before the exam... good luck