What the CWI exam costs in 2026: fees, retests and seminars

Start with the Fillet Gauge overview if you are still comparing the exam parts. This page covers initial certification and retesting, rather than renewal or recertification.

Initial exam fees

The AWS program price list gives these US-dollar amounts:

• ✓ Initial CWI exams: $1,255 member; $1,520 non-member.
• ✓ Initial exams with Part B training: $2,000 member; $2,265 non-member.

The price-list footnotes matter. Student and Early-Career memberships do not qualify for member pricing. The initial non-member price includes a three-year AWS Individual Membership. Listed exam prices already reflect the applicable Prometric seat fees, so do not add those fees again to these totals.

Choose the row that describes what you intend to book. A preparation course, an initial examination and an endorsement are different purchases. Do not use an endorsement price as the cost of becoming a CWI.

Seminar-only versus seminar-and-exam packages

AWS lists the following D1.1-focused options on the same price page:

• ✓ CWI seminar and exam package: $3,070 member; $3,335 non-member.
• ✓ Two-week in-person seminar and exam: $3,935 member; $4,200 non-member.
• ✓ CWI D1.1 seminar week, exam excluded: $2,245 member; $2,510 non-member.

Read the event description alongside the price row before comparing offers. Check the teaching format, code focus, materials, exam inclusion and any deposit terms. A seminar-only price and a package price answer different budgeting questions. If the package includes the exam, do not add the initial exam fee again.

Think about the kind of help you need before choosing a seminar. If your difficulty is understanding a process, look for instruction and worked explanations. If it is finding requirements in a code, look for guided navigation practice. If it is applying inspection tools, check the practical instruction offered. Price alone does not tell you which gap a course addresses.

Retest fees

The AWS price list separates retests by the parts required:

• ✓ Part A or Part C: $445 for either membership category.
• ✓ Parts A and C together: $870 for either category.
• ✓ Part B: $385 for either category.
• ✓ All parts: $915 member; $1,180 non-member.

Use your official score letter to identify the retest route before choosing a fee. Read the CWI retest rules for the attempt limits and documentation requirements. A retest budget may also need preparation and travel expenses; the exam charge alone does not describe the whole cost of another attempt.

Costs to put on your own worksheet

The CWI Examination User Guide, page 9 adds a $125 processing charge for domestic applications sent by email or paper mail. International candidates apply through an AWS agent and should obtain the applicable pricing from that agent.

For the rest of your budget, get current quotes rather than using a national estimate. Write down:

• Your chosen exam or package and membership category.
• The references and preparation materials you still need.
• Travel, accommodation, meals and local transport.
• Time away from paid work and any employer reimbursement conditions.
• A reserve for another exam appointment and further preparation.

Ask an employer which expenses it reimburses and when reimbursement happens. Keep receipts and written approval together. If reimbursement depends on earning the credential, make sure you can cover the payment before reimbursement arrives.

Prepare before choosing the spending level

Use the Part A guide and Part C D1.1 guide to identify what you need to practice. Try the Part A diagnostic or Part C check to organise your study priorities. Recheck AWS's prices before paying; the published list says prices can change without notice.

Sources

Show the list

• Certification and Education Program Price List, American Welding Society, effective 1 January 2026. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
• CWI Examination User Guide, American Welding Society, revision 09.04.2026, page 9. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.