CWI practice test score: am I ready for the exam?

The rules your score has to beat

AWS sets the line, and your practice should be measured against it:

• 72% on each part. Part A, Part B and Part C are scored separately.
• 72% composite. The simple average of your three part scores must also reach 72%.
• Scores round down. 71.9% is reported as 71%.

A strong part can't rescue a weak one. Take invented scores of 84% on Part A, 70% on Part B and 79% on Part C. The composite is 77.7%, over 72%, but Part B is under the line, so Part B is retaken. A single blended practice average can hide exactly that. Track three numbers, one per part. The CWI pass rate guide explains what AWS does and doesn't publish.

What the line looks like on each part

Part B has 46 questions and no pretest items. 33 correct is 71.7%, which reports as 71%. 34 correct is 73.9%, which reports as 73%. So you can miss at most 12.

Part A has 165 questions, of which 150 are scored and 15 are unscored pretest items that look like the rest. 72% of 150 is 108 correct, so that's the arithmetic line. Because you can't tell scored from unscored while you test, answer all 165 as if every one counts.

Part C on D1.1 has 55 questions in 135 minutes. Pretest questions can appear on some forms, so treat the arithmetic as approximate and focus on pace and domain scores instead.

Make your practice score mean something

A score only counts if it was earned under the same conditions as the exam:

1. Real pace. Part A at 49 seconds a question, Part B at about 2.6 minutes, Part C at about 2.5 minutes.
2. Real reference. Part A closed book. Part B with the free Book of Specifications. Part C with D1.1:2025 on screen with word search off.
3. Fresh questions. Retaking a set you've already seen measures memory of the answers, not skill. Use a different set each time.
4. Original material. Real or recalled exam questions are confidential and break the Candidate Attestation Agreement, so a source that claims to have them isn't a safe benchmark.

An untimed 85% on an open practice set may be worth a timed 65%. Log which one you took.

A worked example: reading three scores

Invented results from a candidate three weeks out, all timed and on fresh sets:

The composite is 73%, which looks fine. But the plan is Part B: the Book of Specifications lookups and the readings. Practice the drills in CWI Part B practice questions: drill measurements and rerun a timed set in a week.

A readiness rule of thumb

Passing isn't promised by any number, but this checklist keeps you honest. Book, or stay booked, when you can say yes to all of these:

• Each part cleared the 72% line with room to spare on two timed, fresh sets, not one.
• No domain is far below the rest. A domain with a high minimum weight and a low score is the first thing to fix.
• You finish on time. Running out of clock is a fixable but real risk, especially on Parts B and C.
• Your misses are scattered, not repeated. The same miss twice means the fix didn't stick.

If you can't say yes, the cost of waiting is usually lower than the cost of a retest. Retests are $445 for Part A or Part C and $385 for Part B, and the cost guide lists every fee. You also get at most three retests in three years, and the later ones need documented training first. See the retest rules before you book.

What to do if you're not there yet

Work from domains, not from the overall number. Pick the lowest domain with the highest weight, give it half your next week, then retake a fresh timed set. If you've already failed a part, the rebuild plan for a failed part uses the same loop. And if your timeline is tight, the 30, 60 or 90-day study plan helps you decide what to cut. For one explained question per part to start with, use the free CWI practice test.

Next step

Take the free 10-question check at /cwi-a (or /cwi-b or /cwi-c-d11 for your other parts) to see exactly which topics to fix. It's scored by domain with no signup. Then ask the study buddy at /study-assistant for a plan built around your exam date. The Fillet Gauge course gives you two full-length timed practice exams per part, so you can see your score per part before AWS does.

FAQ

What is a good CWI practice test score?

Each part needs 72%, and a timed score only a little above that is thin. Look for scores clearly above 72% on more than one fresh, timed set for each part, with no weak domain. A number is a signal, not a promise.

Does my practice score predict my real score?

Not exactly. Question sets differ, and exam-day nerves and pace matter. Practice scores are most useful for finding weak domains and testing your pace.

Do I need 72% on every part?

Yes, 72% on each part and a 72% composite across the three. If your composite is at least 72%, you retake only the part or parts you failed.

How many practice tests should I take before the exam?

Enough that you have at least two timed, fresh sets per part with results above the line. Our course includes two full-length timed practice exams per part. After the second, the result shows your score change by domain since the first.