D1.5 endorsement exam study materials

Date 01-10-2020 01:28

The questions are going to be nearly identical to those asked for D1.1. The difference will be where you find the information needed to respond correctly.

Al

By fsirk

Date 01-10-2020 02:43

Thank you Al,
I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my question.
Happy New Year!
-Kris

By SWN1158 (***)

Date 01-10-2020 11:20

This may be helpful....

https://www.flashcardmachine.com/cwi-test.html

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 01-10-2020 13:24

Note:

Those flash cards have not been updated to reflect D1.1 2015 revisions

Saw some errors on backing, code revision cycles, and a few other things.

By fsirk

Date 01-10-2020 21:38

That flashcard machine is cool. Thanks for the link.

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 01-10-2020 21:45

The main point to remember would be a combination of Al, Scott, and Lawrence's posts.

1) Since the questions will be very similar, use the flashcards as practice for D1.5 and don't worry about how they compare with the current edition of D1.1.

2) They are JUST FOR PRACTICE TO GET TO KNOW YOUR CODE BOOK. Don't worry about accuracy of the question but can you find the info to get an answer in D1.5?

3) Much has changed with the advent of Prometrics. Question and answer choice configuration, etc. So note that use of any study tools will be only to get familiar with the applicable code book. Sample questions are SAMPLES, NOT EXAM QUESTIONS.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 01-10-2020 22:13

I am replying under Brent's post, but this isn't directed to him.

AWS offers a lot of endorsements, but they need to offer some study material geared towards the specific endorsements that they are trying to sell you on. Many of the guys who have taken these endorsements just simply have experience in those areas and probably do not even need any study materials to pass it. I just think that it would offer up more revenue for AWS if they put together some material to help guide someone who is interested in purchasing one of those endorsement exams.

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 01-11-2020 00:18

I agree with you John.

Here is my take on some of the problem:

Program gets initiated without complete thought and carry through.
Program gets handed off to Exam Bank to develop a testing program.
Exam Bank develops and begins testing of endorsement.
No one was tasked with developing a study material or seminar. Usually because they are targeting a market that is specialized enough that the market is questionable and there is no true return as far as profits.

You would be amazed at how low the volume is on several of these. There may actually be some weeding taking place.

If people really want a particular exam as well as seminars and study materials, they need to be pestering (I really hated to say that) AWS so they know there is interest. But the bottom line is, volume and returns. Market, Money, yep, follow the MONEY.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By 803056

Date 01-12-2020 16:17

The training materials are prepared and offered by the Education Department. If the market will not sustain the cost of developing the training material, it isn't developed. Money talks.

Should the endorsement be eliminated if the market won't support the cost of developing the training material? I think that would be to the detriment of the CWI and the CWI program. The purpose of the code endorsement is to permit the CWI to demonstrate proficiency in a particular welding standard that may be required by the customer. A good example of this is the Bridge Welding Code; the number of people taking that examination is very limited since the number of CWIs working in that particular industrial sector is rather limited. The same can be said of the endorsement offered for the Structural Welding Code/Aluminum. Financially, it just doesn't make sense to develop a training course for those and many other endorsements, yet we have CWIs working with those codes.

The philosophy of the Certification Committee is that if one can navigate one standard, the skill is transferable to another standard. I agree with the philosophy, but many customers want evidence of demonstrated proficiency in the code that's applicable to their product. The endorsement fulfills that need and as a benefit, it qualifies for recertification.

If the committee philosophy holds true, one only needs to familiarize themselves with the specific code so they can navigate it to answer the questions expected on the endorsement examination. If one isn't working with a specific welding standard, why take the examination for that endorsement? It seems rather wasted effort to me unless one is simply trying to build a better resume.

The endorsements are a fine means of offering examinations to satisfy areas of specialization and a limited market need without having to justify the cost of developing expensive training programs that would be financially unsustainable.

Just my opinion.

Al

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 01-14-2020 08:31

I agree completely and may just steal this, in quotes of course, as you verbalized it much better than I and as thoroughly as is needed to make the point.

The same thing was just part of a discussion on the members only forum.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 01-14-2020 14:33

I think I agree as well.

So long as the body of knowledge (in this case it's usually a code book) is available for study I don't really see a problem.

Having said that.. Voids and flat surfaces usually get filled, (just look at my desk) and if some special training material is desired by enough folks, somebody will produce and sell it.

For example: I've built uncounted PowerPoints based on the CWI body of knowledge and about 4 hours of video that goes step by step through the "Guide to Visual Inspection" For the most part we grow our own CWI's and having a full toolbox is key to making that happen with excellence.

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 01-14-2020 18:22

So right Lawrence. Again, it comes down to the market. Some may be able to produce a viable training program cheaper than others and also present it cheaper than others. If so, they will corner a market that another skips over because they don't see the need or can't justify the expense from the market research that was performed.

But, ultimately, it always rests first and foremost with the person wanting to enhance their credentials and secondarily with the employers who want their people to have such credentials.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 01-14-2020 19:29

If I wanted to work in a field and use a particular endorsement, how would you know what books to purchase without sitting the exam first?

Example: I see a lot of wasted money buying several ASTMs only to find out that the ASTM specification you really need is in a different ASTM altogether and only referenced in the first ASTM that you purchased. Circles and more circles to get to where you really need to be. I would hate to purchase a bunch of books that do not get me where I need to be.

Blue print reading endorsement...now there is open ended source of material to purchase
Bolting endorsement....another open ended source of materials to purchase

Now the ASNT endorsements I would think are pretty straight forward, but again who really knows without sitting the exams to find out what you really need to be studying.

By Lawrence (*****)

Date 01-14-2020 20:06

Good points John

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 01-15-2020 01:08

I can tell you for an absolute certainty that the Bolting Endorsement has a body of knowledge posted on the AWS website. And, the whole thing is being updated.

Not sure where any "open ended source of materials" comes from. ???

And for what are you buying multiple ASTM's? Pretty much all of them I ever needed was in the compilation of ASTM's available through AISC and AWS.

Plan Reading is not an open book exam and is an interesting topic in any format. How would you like to see a suggested list of study materials? Classes can be taken from many schools. Unions train for it. You do what you must to learn how to read them.

How many people take the CWI exam without even looking up what the self study materials are? Many to most. And of those who look them up, how many buy them and study them? Few.

CWI exam is taken multiple thousands of times per year. Compare that with exams that are taken less than 1000 times per year. Some that are taken less than 100 times per year.

Where would your priorities lie?

I will gladly take constructive ideas from anyone and take them to our meetings and where viable make a push to make changes. Many have been made in the past couple of years and more are coming but there is lots to keep up with.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By welderbrent (*****)

Date 01-15-2020 02:00

Did some quick research on the AWS Website.

Plan Reading has suggested study materials but no documents are taken into the exam.

Bolting still has the study and exam materials which can be taken into the exam.

ASME, both of them, have study materials and exam available materials listed.

MOST of the D1 and other AWS code endorsements only name the current edition of the applicable code book as the material that can be taken in to the exam and what else would ever be needed?

MT and PT both have study materials listed.

Thus, I am really curious where the concern is? Only some code endorsements have no additional study materials suggested and what would you need once you have learned to negotiate a code book and had passed the original exams? Just study the code book that is under consideration to get used to where things are and use the same principles as taught originally.

John?? Where is the concern? And, if you do have some suggestions for any of them, let me know. I will see what we can do.

Note: Darrell went to CA to take a class on D1.8 and get the supplemental qualification for UT. While there, he also took a class on D1.5. Said the instructor gave some good pointers but overall nothing that he didn't already know and would have done on his own. Granted, my sons excell at creative thinking, critical thinking, organizational methodology, and other positive attributes of a welding inspector. But if one can't do it, they didn't deserve it or need it bad enough to put themselves out for it.

Have a Great Day, Brent

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 01-15-2020 14:33

Brent,
In their defense, I see that they have updated and added to the descriptions on the website.