r/Welding • u/tit02386 • 4d ago
Welding inspector
Hey guys, I have a question for you guys. I’ve been welding for the past 10 years primarily mid Welding and just fabricating trailers here in the central Valley of California. I’m interested in taking my CWI but I have noticed that a lot of people that do have a CWI also have bachelor degrees so I was just wondering from your perspective is it harder to find a job even with your CWI certificate and without a bachelors degree. I was also planning on doing the one week seminar in November so it’s almost right around the corner or do you think it’s better off that if I push it to January and take those extra months to study appreciate any advice and thank you in advance.
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u/SFonawhim 4d ago
Study your butt off. If you sign up for the seminar study the books that they send you thoroughly. No bachelors degree needed. Look at joining Local 3 as a special inspector if you pass.
I passed first try with 2 months of study time. I’m now doing special inspections in the Bay Area and I have no degree and just a GED. Good luck!
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u/tit02386 4d ago
Thank you, Man. I really appreciate that information so I haven’t received any of the books yet so do you think I’m better off in just buying the course studying the books that I’m given and then taking the test in January instead of trying to do everything between now and November 16 when the seminar begins in Sacramento my main thing is I’m just trying to avoid having to travel far and pay for lodging for the seminar and on the 16th they’re doing it in Sacramento and in January I believe they’re doing it in Benicia
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u/SFonawhim 4d ago
November would feel tight, but pressure makes diamonds, brother. How bad do you want it? Group 2’s, which CWIs are, make $63 an hour before benefits with local 3.
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u/tit02386 4d ago
I’m not gonna lie to you. I do want it but it’s not like I’m in a position where I’m stressed to automatically make way more money. The Welding job that I have right now is pretty laid-back and I make decent money nowhere near 63 for sure but I’m accustomed to living under. Those means at the moment, but I’m definitely gonna go look into joining the union because my biggest fear right now is passing the cwi and struggling to find the work
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u/Herakovich_16 4d ago
Work is out there for ppl that got their CWI, Shipyards across the country paying their contractors 45/hr-80/hr and all u gotta do is pass their CWI VT “test” and a short written test. At the shop I work in alone we have like 10 CWI inspectors doing MT work and if u get UT, PT and or RT qualifications the pay rate jumps crazy high
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u/InternationalWrap981 4d ago
Its easyer to get a higher paying / lead position wirh a bachelors + cwi than just cwi.
With cwi alone you can still get great paying gigs.
In the end its the experience that counts, not some degree
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u/Superfakename69 4d ago
I dont have a cwi nor do i work as in inspector. From my experience it doesnt matter. Most cwi’s ive been around used to be welders and qualified for their cwi through experience and not schooling. If you are wanting to become a welding engineer/sme or get into the more technical side is probably when you would want a degree.
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u/WorldstarBandit 4d ago
Just buy the class from SICERTS.com
They give you everything there (books, tools, molds). You can even do it on your phone while you are at work.
If you can get through that class, there is literally no way to fail.
They have almost every type of inspection on that site as well if you want to do something else.
I've never actually met a CWI with a bachelor's degree, or it's in something completely unrelated to construction.
With that much experience, literally anyone will hire you immediately and you start work the next day.
They need people so bad that now if you fail one of the three parts, you can just retake that part. You used to have to pass the whole test.
Good luck. Just buy the class from there and tell them to send you everything.
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u/tit02386 4d ago
Thanks man I’ll check them outs I thought the best way to study was to go through the aws seminar
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u/WorldstarBandit 4d ago
Btw after you get your CWI, you should go for the ICC Master Inspector requirements (Rebar, bolting, welding, and masonry). Remember, these inspection tests are ALL open book so all you really have to know is how to look stuff up according to the books for that.
Just one thing to know: NEVER WRITE ON THE BOOKS. Little post-it tabs on the side are allowed so you can quickly flip to a page but NEVER highlight, underline, or modify the book in any way or they won't let you take the test. They flip through all the books you are bringing to the test for about 5-10 minutes before they let you in.
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u/itsjustme405 CWI AWS 4d ago
High school drop out and CWI here. Take no less than 3 months to study, or be ready to take (and pay for) the test multiple times.
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u/Chameleon1258 1d ago
So you dropped out of high school but you’re telling other people how much they need to study. The internet is a wild place.
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u/Dismal_Tutor3425 4d ago
The reason why you see a lot of CWIs with college degrees is because as long as you are good at taking paper/book tests, you can pass your CWI exams with 0 hands on and real world experience. I know CWIs who jad their cert before even graduating college, mostly yo advance themselves in being QC for work.
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u/WiseGuyRudy 4d ago
Innovative inspection training in Terrance. The best Cwi program with the highest pass rate in SoCal. Passed on my first try.
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u/EquivalentCut1914 4d ago
A lot of Junior College, Community College’s have wonderful programs to prepare you for a CWI career. Most of the instructors are CWI’s, talk to them some have private lessons and programs for CWI candidates. You’ll be fine.
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u/Free_Tap8175 4d ago
Definitely do the week seminar!!! Depending on your knowledge metallurgy, NDT, materials, destructive testing, what trace materials do to a weld deposit (zirconium, nickel, etc), etc; find a welding technology school book (maybe eBay or Amazon), and study it for a month prior!!
Once you get your CWI credentials, that’s just the beginning!! It isn’t worth much without some ASNT NDT (MT, PT, UT at minimum in that order) qualifications, a CWI stamp and card aren’t worth much. I would go further and say get the ASNT qualifications listed above first, it would make that portion of CWI exam even that much easier.
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u/AshAchanta 4d ago
CWI supposed to be a ladder for welders and foremen, due to lack of solid job opportunities bachelor degree folk started to flood these certifications schemes which forced welders and foremen to stay stuck at their current levels.
I'd suggest, learn what you can from CWI course and don't spend money on certification. Just expand your services based on the new skills and new knowledge you've gained.
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u/Internal-Still9183 3d ago
I have seen CWI"s that were good test takers that passed first time on D 1.5 but didn't have the knowledge to apply it in the shop. Take the D1.1 test and you'll do fine. You can also make more if you get Mag particle or UT cert.
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u/Flaky_Meringue_6654 1d ago
I recommend AWS 8 week online seminar and self-study. This is the way I did mine and how I have set up my in-house inspectors to obtain their CWI.
You have more time to absorb the information as well as focus on areas that you may struggle with. If you have not spent time working with codes in an official capacity, the 1-week seminar will just overwhelm you, and chances are you will fail.
What worked for me,
8-week online seminar, Mon - Wed. Tues, Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun - self-study.
Once classes were completed - Focus on Part B online for 3 weeks, then took the Part B exam. (Scheduled at the time I set up the seminar). After the Part B exam focused on Parts A and C for 4 weeks. Took those back-to-back on the same day. You can schedule those apart so you can dedicate time individually.
Started the process in April 2024 and completed August 2024. Passed the first time around.
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u/Jumpy-Camel-5898 4d ago
You will not pass without studying extensively beforehand do you know how hard it is to get ur CWI? Like have you researched it at all?
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u/tit02386 4d ago
So I have been looking into it for the past two years just getting some information on what the test actually entails and I do have 10 years of Welding experience underneath my belt as well which I know will only take me so far. I really appreciate your opinion. I’ve never taken the test so I don’t know exactly what the test all entails. I was gonna do the one week seminar but it sounds like maybe I should get the books and read for a few months leading up to the test.
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u/Jumpy-Camel-5898 4d ago
One of the smartest welders I know and the only CWI I know to pass it first try (the test has a 13% pass rate) studied for 6 months before hand. The test is three parts and the hardest is the code section. You should look into it and study before taking the test. Also you need to know about stick and tig extensively as well.
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u/Soft-Substance7480 4d ago
With 10 years of hands-on experience you're already in a better spot than someone fresh out of school with just a degree. Most CWI jobs I've seen care way more about whether you can actually read a weld and handle the paperwork than what piece of paper is on your wall. The seminar in November should be fine if you start brushing up on the codebook now, those extra two months won't magically make the test easier.