Not logged inAmerican Welding Society Forum
Forum AWS Website Help Search Login
Up Topic Welders and Inspectors / Education & Training / cwi exam
- - By willbergj (**) Date 12-03-2008 18:15
i have a problem i cant seem to pass the d1.1 code portion of the cwi exam.  i have passed the fundimental and the practical with an average of greater than a 74 so i have to only retake the code portion.  i just called aws and found out i still failed the retake d1.1.  i am a welding instructor and do not use the code daily, the only reason i want the cwi is to offer certification and qualification my students. 
i have to figure out a way to get 40 hrs. of training and somehow pass this thing.
any suggestions? ideas?

thanks
Parent - - By hogan (****) Date 12-03-2008 21:13
willbergj,
Sorry to hear that you're still having trouble. I have noticed that you have posted a few time in relation to this topic. If you don't mind me asking, what is your experience? I noticed that you mentioned that you attended a seminar with no prior experience. While this is not uncommon, it is a little odd that you are welding instructor and have no prior experience?
One of the first thing I would consider if I were in your shoes is to contact scott helzer. For the price you paid for the seminar, most instructors/organizations will offer additional training if student have continued difficulty in passing the exam. As other have suggested to you in the past, use the search function to research this topic. I doubt that anyone will tell you anything you have not heard before. You know what are your having trouble with. If you are not able to pass the exam after all of the advise that is given, the same advise that is given to others that ask the same question, then maybe the CWI is not your calling. I'm not trying to be a prick (sometimes it just happens) just offering my observations.

Also, I have a question about one of your statements.

"i am a welding instructor and do not use the code daily, the only reason i want the cwi is to offer certification and qualification my students."

Can you explain what you meant by this statement? From what I read, you are wanting the CWI in order to certify your students. AWS doesn't require a CWI for welder qualification.
Parent - - By willbergj (**) Date 12-03-2008 21:26 Edited 12-03-2008 22:08
i have many years welding experience and teaching, but no experience inspecting or using the code.
we just implemented the sense program this year and i am under the impression that a cwi is required to certify and qualify my students if they meet the sense requirments.  if i can be that cwi i can save my student the initial cost required by the inspector.

thanks
Parent - - By hogan (****) Date 12-03-2008 22:57
I'm not up to date with the sence program. Maybe Lawrence or others will provide input as to the current requirements. As far as getting in touch with Scott Helzer(is he missing a few fingers?), I believe he can be contacted through AWS.
Parent - - By willbergj (**) Date 12-04-2008 01:36
i have searched the aws website and cannot find an email contact for him.  do you by any chance know it?

thanks
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 12-04-2008 11:07
http://www.aws.org/education/sense/

The above link is a good start...   I don't know why you are under the impression that a SENSE instructor is required to be a CWI.   It's a good thing but at this point not a requirement for SENSE.

Some people become confused about SENSE schools needing to be an accredited test facillity... This is not a requirement.

Much like the code book for the CWI... If you are serious about implementing the SENSE program it would be very important to become familliar with AWS EG2.0 and AWS QC-10.
Parent - - By willbergj (**) Date 12-04-2008 14:04
i understand you dont have to be a cwi to be a sense instructor, but cant students qualify under a cwi without going to an accredited testing facility?

we have a lot of low income students that come through our program with the impossibility of going to a post secondary welding school so by implementing the sense program we were hoping to help this type of student out.  i know the kids can be employed as level I, II or III welder (if they successfully meet the requirments) but i wanted to go a step further and offer process, position, ect. qualification to the students as well.

i believe i could do well on the code portion of the cwil exam if i had more time.  yes, i know there is a reason for the time limit but for some reason i develope anxiety when i sit down and take the exam.  it takes me 2.5 hrs to answer 50 questions.

i plan to retake the exam in april, does anyone know if the number of question will be increased? will we still have the option to use the d1.1 2006 version or will the d1.1 2008 be required?
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 12-04-2008 15:16 Edited 12-04-2008 15:24
Will,

If your students successfully meet the SENSE requirements, nothing stops you from recording that information today and sending it to the AWS.  The cost for SENSE registry with the Society is only $15 and any cost increases will be minimal.  Even low income students can manage that eh?

There are high schools and community colleges all over the country that are participating in SENSE that don't have CWI's or CWE's in the program.  Accreditation of SENSE schools is in the works.. But I think the focus will be on CWE credentials

High School and Tech college welder performance qualification test records (certs) have limited value..  They are a good tool for opening doors for interviews and further testing in industry.. Not much more.  Some *few* people view SENSE doccumentation highly because it has an acedeimic componant as well as workmanship samples. 

Even so.. There is nothing stopping you right now (without your CWI) from doing guided bends of your students work done to prequalified WPS's (SENSE provides these) and when a student sucsessfully passes the guided bends you may prepare a welder performance qualification test record for them to have as proof that they were able to make sound welds to a standard and following a WPS.   The value of that paper will be in direct proportion to the competency those students show on the job in your region.

If the paper is signed by a CWI and the welder performs poorly, the paper will loose credibility... If the paper is signed by a non CWI and the welder performs well.. your program grows in stature.....  I'm not knocking CWI's... I think you should continue your persuit of the credential, But in my opinion there is nothing hindering you from serving your students right now.
Parent - By willbergj (**) Date 12-04-2008 15:26
thanks for your help
Parent - By miggun (*) Date 12-04-2008 17:38
I to was given the opportunity to test the code portion of C.W.I exam twice. I also had found the time limit to be the hardest part of the code portion, so what I did was try to get faster. I spent much more time looking through the code book, and also picked up this trick from these forums. I hand indexed the pre-approved joints in the back of the book. (See attachment.) These are not indexed in the book, and take a large amount of time to thumb through to find, and if I recall there were about five questions relating to them. When I did this I showed it to the test administer before the test started and got the OK from him. He said you could Write, Tab, and Highlight any way you want to in the book. I did it on one of the blank pages in the back of the book. I can honestly say it was not the only factor, but I did improve my score from 68% to 80%, so it may be worth your effort to make an index.

Hope this may help you!
Attachment: AWSD1.1.jpg (264k)
Parent - - By willbergj (**) Date 12-03-2008 21:31
how would i contact scott helzer
Parent - - By Jim12 (**) Date 12-04-2008 14:35
I would tab all areas so you can navigate the code book as quickly as possible. Also am I correct in that the CWE does not take the code book exam, if so maybe this is the direction you should have taken.
Parent - - By willbergj (**) Date 12-04-2008 15:31
book is tabbed, possibly to much.

i think i am going re enroll in the code portion of the seminar and then re exam.  kinda wish i did the hobart one in the beginning so it would be free to retake the seminar.  i had scott helzer as the instructor of the seminar and it was great i really acquired alot of info.  wish i could slip in on the next one without having to pay. ha ha
Parent - - By jrw159 (*****) Date 12-04-2008 15:36
Jason,
  Hobart no longer offers that option, but they still have a very high pass rate. Here is a portion of the e-mail discussing this with someone from Hobart.

" When I took my test, several years ago, if we failed we had the option of being able to take the course again at no charge and would only have to pay the exam fee. Does this still apply?"

"Hello John. We no longer offer the guarantee. We did away with it about 2 years ago. The AWS has made the test much more difficult to pass and our success rate is not as high as it once was."

"Sorry to hear that the success rate has gone down but hopefully it is producing a high caliber inspector. I still feel that regardless of the success rate Hobart is the best place to study. I would venture to guess that Hobarts success rate is still one of the highest around."

"Yes John. I think your right! The purpose of AWS making the test harder was to weed out those that were passing the test but knew little about the inspection world. We have been getting lot's of people that took AWS`s seminar and failed it miserably. And I think your right; I feel we still have one of the best preparation classes around."

jrw159
Parent - - By willbergj (**) Date 12-04-2008 16:32
thanks

yea i heard it had gotten much more difficult

any idea how to get scott helzers email?  i have looked all over the web and aws website.
Parent - By jrw159 (*****) Date 12-04-2008 16:33
No, sorry I do not know the gentleman.

jrw159
Parent - - By johnnyh (***) Date 12-04-2008 17:59
Maybe you should try a different code to test to.
Parent - - By willbergj (**) Date 12-04-2008 18:12
i thought about it
Parent - - By jrw159 (*****) Date 12-05-2008 04:57
I tabbed mine down the side with section/clause and major sections and tabbed the top for important parts (tables, figures and notes) within these sections/clauses. This way I could tab to an area of the code from the side, and then work off of the top tabs clearly without having to worry about the side tabs that were not pertinant to my immediate search at that time. Tabbing will help with quick navigation of any code book.
Parent - By willbergj (**) Date 12-05-2008 15:32
yea i tabbed mine simular

i think what would help me would be to have a bank of sample questions so i could practice over and over.

if there is a disorders such as "test anxiety" i think i have it.....lol

thanks
Up Topic Welders and Inspectors / Education & Training / cwi exam

Powered by mwForum 2.29.2 © 1999-2013 Markus Wichitill