# Welding Engineer Certification



## Relvinim (Mar 28, 2012)

Anyone here an AWS Certified Welding Engineer? My company wants me to take the exam to be a Certified Welding Engineer but there isn't much information on the exam itself. I was wondering if anyone had taken the exam and can give some advice on what books to study. Thanks in advance.


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## treyjay (Mar 28, 2012)

I dont know anything about it other than what is on the AWS website, but I would be interested in knowing why your company feels this is something you need if you are already a PE?

from what I know, being a certified welding engineer just seems like a way for someone who can't qualify as a PE to be called an engineer.

what does being a CWE do for you in addition?


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## Supe (Mar 29, 2012)

treyjay: Welding is such a highly visible yet niche arena of construction, that those who typically get pulled into welding-related technical arguments are routinely faced with four potential qualifications: PE, CWI, CWEng, and IWE.

Out of those four, PE's are typically valued the least, because most of the discussion surrounding welding, e.g. corrosion performance, NDE, creep properties, microstructures, etc, have almost nothing to do with "design" in the traditional sense as would be measured by a PE exam, excluding Ohio's Welding PE exam, which hasn't existed for many years now. The exception to this typically being a structural/mechanical firm that gets into issues over weld profiles or strength calcs, and not the processes or metallurgy behind it.

The CWI is a largely worthless title, but is thrown around as "I know everything, I'm a certified superinspector" more often than not, and management loves it.

The IWE, outside of the US, is the rock star of Welding Engineers, and is held in very high regard.

Very few people are CWEng's, so when you deal with a lot of AWS Code interpretation issues, debates over it's asinine conflicting rules (AWS Codes are a complete mess), the CWEng is a fantastic trump card that is often viewed with greater weight than the whiny superinspector. Again, management loves it, and it looks great on a resume if you're in welding engineering.

Relvinim: Check here: http://www.aws.org/certification/docs/#N

There you will find links to the suggested reference materials, and also a link to B5.16, which is the document which covers the requirements and test sections for the CWEng exam.


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## treyjay (Mar 29, 2012)

thanks for the response...that was very interesting.

sounds like some high level welding applications for these types of guys...more than your typical "special inspection" requirements where the CWI inspects and the testing lab PE signs off.

again, thanks for the info.


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## Relvinim (Mar 29, 2012)

Thanks Supe. You are right about the Company wanting this credential on their Resume. Apparently it's held in high regard.

I am familiar with the link you sent and appreciate that. Unfortunately the reference material list is 2 pages long and I can't understand how they can possibly expect me to study all this material. Studying for the PE exam seems easier than this.


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## Supe (Mar 29, 2012)

treyjay: Agreed. Most of the stuff I work with deals with new nuclear and fossil builds, and based on the contracts and DCD's, you're tied to (usually very old editions) of these Codes, so a lot of discussion and controversy comes up surrounding them.

Relvinim: I will see if I can drum anything else up for you at the next D1.X meetings, or find out who is on the B5.16 committee (I have a pretty good idea). I sit on some of the D1.X task groups, so I've got contacts for quite a few of the members. Had you posted this two weeks ago or so, I would have asked them in person at our San Diego meetings!


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