AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code: Clause Map

This is a map in our own words, for the 2025 edition that 2026 exams use. Use it with your own licensed copy. We give clause numbers and topics, never code text or tables, and the exact subclause layout is whatever your book prints.

The eleven clauses at a glance

Titles are given where our existing Part C guides use them. Where they do not, we describe the topic instead, so check your own contents page for the exact wording.

Where Part C questions lean

AWS publishes the Part C weighting by area, and the clauses line up with it. Qualification, fabrication and inspection each carry at least a quarter of the questions, and reports and records and materials and design carry smaller shares. That puts most of the weight on four clauses.

• Clause 5 answers "can we weld this without testing the procedure?" Questions ask whether every condition for a prequalified WPS is met, not just the joint detail.
• Clause 6 answers "what does this test record or welder qualification actually cover?" It has separate parts for procedure qualification by test and for welder qualification, and they are different subjects. Write "procedure" or "performance" beside your reference before you compare any range.
• Clause 7 answers "how must this be fabricated, and how is a rejected weld repaired?" Think workmanship, preparation, fit-up, tack welds, preheat in practice and repairs.
• Clause 8 answers "how do I inspect this, and is it acceptable?" The visual acceptance criteria sit in its acceptance part, and the nondestructive testing rules sit in later parts. Expect to measure something, then look up a limit.

The other clauses are smaller targets, but they still appear. Clause 4 covers connection design questions, Clause 9 covers stud welding, Clause 10 covers tubular work and Clause 11 covers existing structures. Clauses 1 and 3 are where you go for scope, responsibility or the meaning of a defined term.

For tubular or existing-structure work, start in the special clause, then check whether the general route still applies. A special scope can change the answer, and it can also send you back to an earlier clause.

A quick route for common tasks

A familiar heading is an entry point, not an answer. Read the scope and the notes in your own copy before you commit.

How to navigate the on-screen code fast

On exam day the code is a PDF on the test center screen, and word search is off. So the habit that scores is getting to a clause by its number.

1. Name the decision first. Prequalification, procedure qualification, performance qualification, fabrication, inspection. Say it before you touch the book.
2. Pick the starting clause from the map. Do not scan. If you hesitate between two clauses, the decision type usually breaks the tie.
3. Go through the contents or bookmarks, not search. Bookmarks may be limited at the test center, so also practice reaching a clause from its number alone.
4. Read scope, conditions and notes. Most wrong answers come from stopping at the heading.
5. Check the cross-reference. Many answers point to another clause. Follow it, then come back and finish.
6. Log the miss. Was it the wrong starting clause, a slow search inside the clause, or a misread condition? Each needs a different fix.

Study the edition your exam uses. The D1.1 code book guide explains why 2026 candidates use 2025 and where to buy the right book, and the Part C navigation workflow walks through the lookup routine in more detail.

Drill the map against the clock

Reading a map does not make you fast. Timing yourself does.

• Run the D1.1 navigation drill. Each item names a topic, you find the clause in your own copy, and the page times you. Compare only with your own earlier runs. The drill follows an older clause layout, so check each answer against your 2025 copy.
• Once you can reach Clause 5 and Clause 6 quickly, practice reading the records themselves on the WPS and PQR review drill. It sets invented WPSs against their PQRs and welders' qualifications against jobs, so you practice spotting the one entry that is out of range.

Find your weak clause in 10 questions

Take the free Part C check and see which clauses cost you time. Take the free 10-question check. It scores you by topic in minutes, no signup. When you are ready for more, the Part C course adds clause-finding drills, a lesson for every exam subject, two timed practice exams and a worked explanation for every answer.

FAQ

What is the AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code?

AWS D1.1/D1.1M is the American Welding Society's structural welding code for steel. Its eleven clauses run from design and procedure qualification to fabrication, inspection, stud welding, tubular structures and existing structures. CWI candidates who choose D1.1 for Part C use the 2025 edition as an on-screen PDF.

How many clauses does AWS D1.1 have?

The 2025 edition has eleven numbered clauses, from general requirements through strengthening and repairing existing structures. Your own copy's contents page is the reference.

Which D1.1 clauses matter most for CWI Part C?

Clauses 5, 6, 7 and 8: prequalification, qualification, fabrication and inspection. Qualification, fabrication and inspection each carry at least a quarter of the exam.

Can I memorize D1.1 instead of navigating it?

No. Part C is open book and scenario based. The skill that pays is going to the right clause by number and reading its conditions.

Is word search available in the on-screen D1.1?

No. Word search is switched off, and some PDF navigation features may be limited, so practice with the contents and clause numbers.

Does Fillet Gauge reproduce D1.1 text?

No. We cite clause numbers and explain in our own words. Use your own licensed copy of the edition your exam uses.