CWI Part C practice test: D1.1 lookup drills

Why Part C is a speed test in disguise

Part C is open book, so it feels safe. It isn't, because the book is big and the clock is fixed. 135 minutes divided by 55 questions is 2.45 minutes. A candidate who needs four minutes for each lookup runs out of time with a third of the questions untouched.

What helps is a fixed route. You need to know which clause owns a kind of question, reach it by clause number, and read the conditions before you answer. The code is on screen with word search off, and AWS suggests practicing with the PDF's bookmarks, so build your habits on a copy you can only navigate by contents and numbers. The Part C exam guide covers the format and exam-day steps.

Use the right edition

Exams in 2026 use D1.1:2025, and a retest uses the same code as your original exam. Some free practice tests are still built on the 2020 edition, so clause numbers and table references can differ from what you'll see. Confirm the edition before you trust any practice set, and check which D1.1 code book to buy before you order one. If you're still choosing between D1.1 and another code, see D1.1 or API 1104.

Drill 1: the starting clause

Each task below has a home clause in D1.1:2025. Name it before you open the code, then check yourself. Aim for a few seconds per answer, because this is recall of the map.

The table is an entry point. Finding a familiar heading doesn't answer the question, so always read the scope and the notes in your own copy. For what each clause covers and where Part C questions lean, see the D1.1 clause map.

Drill 2: the full lookup, timed

Now practice the whole path. Here are three invented scenarios. For each, write the decision type, the starting clause, the final reference, and the conditions you checked, and time yourself.

1. A shop wants to skip testing. A fabricator proposes a groove weld with a joint detail, process and filler that they believe the code already accepts. Decision type: prequalification. Start in Clause 5, then confirm that every condition for prequalification is met, not just the joint detail.
2. A lapse in welding. A welder last used a process nine months ago. Decision type: performance qualification. Start in Clause 6, find the part on welder qualification and the period of effectiveness, and write "performance" next to the reference so you don't drift into procedure qualification.
3. A finished fillet. You measure 1/32 in. of undercut on a fillet in a statically loaded, nontubular connection. Decision type: inspection and acceptance. Start in Clause 8, find the table for that connection type, and compare your measured value with its limit and notes. D1.1 visual acceptance criteria, explained covers this route row by row.

For each one, record which step cost you the time. If the start was wrong, review your map. If the start was right and the answer slow, work on moving within the clause. If the answer was wrong after a right start, you skipped the scope, conditions or notes. The Part C navigation workflow walks through this record.

Drill 3: keep three qualification questions apart

Qualification is where lookups cross wires. Practice naming which question you're answering:

• Prequalified WPS (Clause 5): are all the conditions satisfied so the WPS doesn't need a test?
• WPS qualified by test (Clause 6): which test record supports it, and what range does it cover?
• Welder or operator performance (Clause 6): whose qualification is it, and what do their record and limits show?

For background on how the three documents fit together, read WPS vs PQR vs WPQ, explained. The words are close, and so are the wrong answers on a practice test.

A weekly Part C routine

• Three 30-minute drill sessions: ten timed lookups each, in the D1.1 navigation drill, using the PDF with bookmarks and no word search.
• One 60-minute session: work 24 questions at 2.5 minutes each and keep the miss log.
• One review session: redo every miss from the week, starting from the contents, not from memory of the last answer.
• Before the exam: at least one full 135-minute run on the 2025 edition.

Order matters too. Part B comes first, and your Part B confirmation letter carries the eligibility codes you use to book Part C. Build the Part C routine alongside your Part B work using the 30, 60 or 90-day study plan. To test your readiness against the 72% line, see CWI practice test score: am I ready?.

Next step

Take the free 10-question check for Part C at /cwi-c-d11 to see exactly which topics to fix, and how your speed holds up by domain. Then ask the study buddy at /study-assistant for a plan built around your exam date. For the full prep, the Part C course adds code-navigation drills, a lesson for every exam subject, two full-length timed practice exams and a worked explanation with every answer that cites the clause. Its timed lookup sets give you 8 lookups per set in your own D1.1, answered as clause and table numbers, with your median seconds and how it moved since the last set, and each timed exam shows your score change by domain since the last one.

FAQ

How many questions are on the CWI Part C exam?

For D1.1, Part C has 55 questions in 135 minutes, open book, with the code as an on-screen PDF at a Prometric test center.

Can I use word search in the D1.1 PDF?

No. Word search is switched off, so you reach clauses through the contents, bookmarks and clause numbers. Practice that way from the start.

Which D1.1 edition should I practice on?

The edition your exam uses. Tests in 2026 use D1.1:2025, and a retest uses the same code as your original exam.

Do your Part C questions copy code text?

No. They cite clause numbers only and explain the answer in original words. Use your own licensed copy of the code to read the clauses.