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Up Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / CWI 9 Year Recertification
- - By apodesta (*) Date 08-10-2016 16:00
Hello,

I have searched the forums for any *specific* info regarding the Part B Practical Exam for the CWI 9 Year Recertification...

I understand the perception of the exam is that it is more difficult...

I read one thread where a user paraphrased  a CWI Seminar Instructor as saying anyone who elected to take the Part B for renewal would be a fool...

I am looking at my options for recertification and just trying to weigh them; travel for a seminar for renewal, or take the practical exam locally and risk failure...

Can anybody objectively/specifically present how the Part B is "more difficult" ?

Thanks,

-Andrew
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 08-10-2016 18:22 Edited 08-10-2016 18:30
Sure Andrew,

You will be provided with a "Book of Specifications" and a Book of Exhibits" along with various weld replicas.

Book of Specifications:
This represents the 'invented' codes
     A structural steel code
     A pipeline code
     A Pressure Piping code
Each code will have it's own unique workmanship, visual inspection and dimensional tolerances.
Also included are Procedure and performance qualification Requirements. and 10 separate annexes.

Book of Exhibits:
The Book of Exhibits includes:
at least 6 WPS's
at least 4 PQR's
at least 5 WTQR's  (welder qualification test reports)
and Heat treatment strip charts.

Weld Replicas
The Replicas are of excellent quality and include pipe and plates.
The pipes have welds, partial welds, root passes, beveled edges, corrosion, tool marks, cracks and any other defect or discontinuity you might imagine.
The pipes are marked in segments, both by length and circumference.

The questions themselves may be complex and multi-parted.  They may ask for a visual inspection of a certain quadrant to any one of the three codes.  They may ask for verification of data related to the WPS's for the process, or a combination of verifications linking WPS and PQR as they relate to the WTQR.

There may be several correct choices with one choice being 'most correct'

With all this data at your testing fingertips, the questions are virtually unlimited in scope, some quite straight forward, others have multiple linkages and footnotes as decision points.

Sound a little different ?

The person who said only a fool would take the test when a refresher is available?   I heard something very similar (but said in his own particular idiom) from former AWS President Jim Greer two weeks ago.

Take the refresher course :)

I took the refresher two weeks ago in Miami and we spent a portion of one day studying the new part B and taking a practice exam...   There were some very experienced pros, real experts in our cohort class, every single one of us was glad we were not in the next room over, studying for the exam with the folks preparing for their first exam and the new part B.
Parent - - By apodesta (*) Date 08-10-2016 18:35
Lawrence,

Thank you for taking the time to respond and including such detailed information...

I am pretty confident in my ability to find complete and thorough answers to inspection related questions in the field or in an office setting, just not sure about in a timed setting...

Thanks again!

Regards,

-Andrew
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 08-10-2016 18:40
Exactly man !

We all scored well on our 'practice test'

But we took a long time to find answers and all admitted that the answers required real work.

The 'fake' codes and exhibits are not in a particular order that mimics AWS/API/ASME... It's a mixed bag, which makes detailed research (our job) tough to do with a stopwatch :)
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 08-10-2016 21:48
Very, very, very 'weld' put Lawrence.  Great info and update.  Sounds like you had a great experience at the Boot Camp.

He Is In Control, Have a Great Day,  Brent
Parent - - By Lawrence (*****) Date 08-10-2016 22:45
I have some pretty big criticism of the 'refresher'

But that's not the issue at hand, and Jim Greer was the instructor, and I don't care to offend him too much.

So I'll prolly limit my blather.
Parent - - By welderbrent (*****) Date 08-10-2016 23:24
Same type of feed back I got from a couple of my local people out here.  They did enjoy it and learned a great deal based upon the cross section of participants involved but..... well, I will reserve further comment and definitely judgement myself.  Lets just say it has room for improvement.

Brent
Parent - By bb29510 Date 08-11-2016 20:58
just take the nine year class at real education, inc or get 80 hours of credits
Parent - By mwmw (**) Date 08-11-2016 23:10
Thats funny- Jim did our Beta class and said he was side-swiped by the new Part B the first time they asked him to take it
Parent - - By Duke (***) Date 08-11-2016 21:42
Forget Part B
Just go take the Structural Drawings endorsement
You'll pass it easy
$275 out the door
Parent - By welderbrent (*****) Date 08-12-2016 02:10
This is probably one of the easiest, fastest, and cheapest ways to get an endorsement that enhances ones resume and qualifies for the entire 9 yr recert.  And it should be easy enough for anyone with a decent handle on print reading.  Remember, it will be a packet that covers a multi-story building and has schedules, notes, details, and all kinds of things to make it difficult.  Not to mention a time limit just as all other AWS exams. 

Brent
Parent - By In Tension (**) Date 08-12-2016 17:11
I gotta second Duke and Brent on this.  The endorsements that qualify for the 9-yr recert

a) Are cheap, relative to other avenues of fulfilling recert requirements 
b) Only take 1-2 hours out of a Saturday morning
c) Are a piece of cake

With so many other options there's no way I would opt to take Part B.
Parent - - By KenK (*) Date 08-12-2016 13:13
I recently took the CWI exam for the first time and the questions for the classroom portion and the study exam required a lot of searching of the code and book of exhibits and the 'best "answer" was sometimes a little gray. I found the actual test on Saturday to be more straight forward and although I barely passed the practice exam I scored 15 points higher on the actual test. Our instructor assured us that he had been told by former students that the real exam would be easier and he was correct. If you get familiar with the "code "for part b so you can move through it well you should do well.
Parent - - By bb29510 Date 08-13-2016 02:31
if you are certifide as d1.1 just take the 1104 test, more money
Parent - By 803056 (*****) Date 08-14-2016 12:34
????
Parent - By 803056 (*****) Date 08-14-2016 12:35
Congratulations if I didn't say so already!

Al
Parent - By Joey (***) Date 08-15-2016 02:44 Edited 08-15-2016 02:47
Taking exam is no guarantee of passing when you get older,..... afraid to fail and get criticise...then there is this long waiting of result that cause anxiety which is hazardous for those having weak heart. The good thing is you will get much closer to God for praying always to pass.

There is this exam exemption if able to meet a requirement of 80hrs PDHs during the nine year certification period. Twenty (20) of the PDHs must be earned in the final three year period. Why don't you try and dig your records at home. You may request for course certificates of attendance from those society / institution / company that you participated in the past 9years.

I did not take the test to renew my CWI & SCWI after 9 years, what I did is to submit the course certificates, seminars, talks I attended related to Inspection, Testing, Safety & Audit courses for past 9years. No questions at all, the first indication to know if your renewal application is approved is to wait for your credit card statement.

Wish you Luck!:lol:
- By 803056 (*****) Date 08-14-2016 12:37
A word of warning, not all the endorsements are a full substitute for the Part B Examination. If one is considering using an endorsement (I highly recommend it), verify the one endorsement is acceptable.

Taking a code book endorsement is an acceptable alternative to the Part B.

Al
- - By wogger Date 11-03-2016 19:08
Hello all,

I realize I'm late to the discussion but.... I took the CWI exam this year and passed Parts A and C but missed passing Part B by a couple of questions.  In talking to a friend of mine who is the fabrication lead contractor for an oil company based in Houston, he suggested I find someone who knew the 'Part B Practical Examination Book of Specifications' and had access to weld molds and inspection tool kit to practice and get familiar with.  I finally found someone and it was a real eye-opener to understand the intricacies of the Book of Specifications that I had missed in the 2-week seminar I attended.  I can't speak to the difficulty of the former practical exam versus the current exam, but I'm glad I had one-on-one time with someone to get a better feel for the specification.  To whomever is preparing for that exam I'd say get really familiar with the spec to the point you can answer some of the questions without having to find it in the book.  I retook the test and finished with time to spare....easily passed.
Parent - By Joey (***) Date 11-04-2016 03:33
Congratulations! :smile: Many years ago in the early 90', the book of specification  for practical exam was given only at the time of exam.
Up Topic American Welding Society Services / Certifications / CWI 9 Year Recertification

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