CWI study plan for people who work full time

Set the order before you start

Part B is the first part you sit, and its confirmation letter carries the eligibility codes you use to book Parts A and C at Prometric. So the exam calendar runs B, then A and C in either order. The study order below follows it. Part A is closed book (165 questions in 135 minutes), Part B is open book against the Book of Specifications (46 questions in 120 minutes), and Part C is the D1.1:2025 code on screen (55 questions in 135 minutes). Each part needs 72%, and so does the composite average, so none of the three is a part to skip.

Three habits make the plan work around a work schedule:

• Same slots every week. Put the four weeknight sessions in your calendar like shifts. A session you have to find time for is a session you skip.
• Short and specific. Each session has one job: one domain, one drill or one set of questions. Forty-five focused minutes beat two unfocused hours.
• Log your misses. Keep one running list of every question or reading you got wrong and why. You will reread it in week 12.

Weeks 1 and 2: baseline and setup

Week 1. Check your route with the CWI eligibility checker, gather your education, employment and vision records, and pick a Part B event from AWS's live schedule. The confirmation letter takes about four to six weeks after you apply, so apply now and study while you wait. Then take the free 10-question check for Part A, Part B and Part C. Each is scored by domain, so you finish the week knowing where you start.

Week 2. Put a tool kit in your hands. Practice gauge readings on drawn welds with the weld gauge reading trainer, and download AWS's free Part B Book of Specifications. Spend one session just learning how the book is laid out. You are not memorizing it. You are learning where things live.

Weeks 3 to 5: Part B

Part B rewards speed with the book and accuracy with the gauges, and both come from repetition, so give it three weeks.

• Week 3: Welding inspection and discontinuities, the largest Part B domain. Learn each discontinuity by what it looks like and what usually causes it.
• Week 4: Procedure and performance qualifications. Practice checking a document against the book, one at a time, and write down the section you used.
• Week 5: The smaller domains (destructive testing, NDE application and using specifications and drawings), then one timed run of 46 questions in 120 minutes. That is about 2.6 minutes a question, which is time to measure carefully and not time to measure twice.

If your Part B date lands earlier than week 5, compress this block and move the rest of the plan later. The order stays the same.

Weeks 6 to 9: Part A

Part A is the biggest memory job: 165 questions in 135 minutes is under 50 seconds each, with no book and no notes. Everything has to be automatic, so give it four weeks.

• Week 6: Processes and terminology. Precise vocabulary matters because many questions turn on the exact meaning of a term.
• Week 7: Symbols. Practice with the welding symbols quiz until arrow side and other side take no thought.
• Week 8: Calculations by hand. Work heat input, carbon equivalent and stress problems with the CWI math calculator, then redo them on paper with different numbers.
• Week 9: NDE methods, visual examination, metallurgy and duties and responsibilities. Finish with the free CWI practice test and a fresh Part A check. Compare it with your week 1 result domain by domain.

The Part A guide shows where AWS puts its minimum weights, so you can match your hours to the points.

Weeks 10 to 12: Part C and review

Part C is not a memory test. It is a navigation test, and the on-screen PDF has word search switched off, so you get to a clause by bookmarks and clause numbers.

• Week 10: Learn the structure of your code edition and the bookmarks you will use. Confirm you are practicing on D1.1:2025, because clause numbers shift between editions.
• Week 11: Run the code navigation drill four evenings, timing yourself. The goal is a clause found in well under two minutes.
• Week 12: Reread your miss log, take one more free check for each part, and fix the two weakest domains. Then sort out exam-day details: ID that matches your appointment name, a calculator that meets Prometric's rules and a route to the test center.

Make the hours count

Seven hours a week for 12 weeks is a real investment, so spend it where the points are. A domain you score well on in week 1 needs maintenance, not another week. A domain you miss twice needs a lesson and a repeat, not just more questions. Two topics repay extra time in Part A: the WPS, PQR and WPQ explainer and the discontinuities article. If you're considering recorded lessons for some of those hours, CWI training videos: what they can teach covers what to expect. If you want a study order built from your own check results and your exam date, the Part A course builds one for you, with a lesson for every exam subject, worked calculations and timed practice exams. When you are ready to see where you stand, take the free Part A check: ten questions, no signup, scored by domain.

FAQ

How many hours a week do I need to study for the CWI exam?

There is no AWS number for this, and it depends on your experience. This plan uses about seven hours a week for 12 weeks. If your week 1 checks show strong domains, you can shorten the weeks for those. If they show gaps, add a week before the exam instead of adding hours to a week you already struggle to keep.

Which CWI part should I study first?

Study in the order you sit them. Part B comes first, and its confirmation letter carries the eligibility codes for Parts A and C, so begin with Part B and use the weeks while you wait for that letter to build your baseline.

Can I do the CWI plan with shift work or overtime?

Yes. Use whatever fixed slots your schedule allows, even if they change each week, and aim for four short sessions rather than one long one. Keep the weekend block, move the weeknight sessions around your shifts, and treat a missed session as a reason to slide the plan by a week, not to cram.

Do I need a seminar to follow this plan?

AWS says seminar training is optional. Choose prep around your gaps, whether that is a seminar, a course or self-study with practice questions. Read the how to become a CWI guide for the full route, fees and timeline.