CWI Part B tool kit checklist (printable)
You don't carry a tool bag into CWI Part B. AWS puts an inspection tool kit on the table, and what decides your score is whether you can pick up each tool and get a clean reading in seconds. This page is the checklist: what's in the kit, what you bring yourself, how to practice every tool, and a pre-exam list you can print and tick off. For the full exam format and a clock plan, read the Part B exam guide.
Want to know where you stand first? Take the free 10-question check. It's scored by domain, takes no signup, and shows which Part B domains to fix first.
What AWS supplies on exam day
AWS's Part B information guide says all exam materials are supplied to each candidate on the test date. The tool kit lists ten items. Tick each one when you've handled it.
| Done | Tool | Practice goal |
|---|---|---|
| ☐ | Fillet weld gauges | Name the leg and the throat reading, and the blade that sets the size |
| ☐ | V-WAC gauge | Read undercut, reinforcement and misalignment on the right side of the scale |
| ☐ | Dial caliper | Zero it, read it in the right units, repeat the same reading three times |
| ☐ | Ruler | Measure length, and convert fractions to decimals without a slip |
| ☐ | C4.1 gauge | Know what it reads and where the Book of Specifications mentions it |
| ☐ | Protractor | Read an angle from the correct baseline |
| ☐ | Hi-lo gauge | Read the offset between two surfaces and record it with units |
| ☐ | Magnifying glass | Look closer before you name a surface discontinuity |
| ☐ | Mirror | Check a surface you can't see straight on |
| ☐ | Flashlight | Light a surface from the side so toes and low spots show up |
The rest of the table at your seat is a four-piece plastic weld replica set, an exam exhibit booklet and the Part B Book of Specifications. The replicas and the exhibit booklet are confidential, so you can't get them before the exam. The Book of Specifications is a free PDF from AWS, and AWS sells a Sample Tool Kit. The sample kit is the one purchase that makes this checklist real, because you can hold every tool on the list.
Try one question
Question 1 of the free 10-question check on CWI Part B. No signup. Then ask Tack, the AI study buddy, why the answer is right and the others are wrong.
Welding Inspection and Discontinuities
A convex fillet weld replica is checked with a leaf-type fillet gauge. The drawing calls for a single fillet size. The vertical leg fits the 3/8 in blade and the horizontal leg the 5/16 in blade. What size is recorded?
Press A–D or 1–4 to choose an answer while this question is on screen.
Choose an answer to begin
What you bring yourself
AWS handles the tools. You handle the rest, and the Part B exam guide has the full rules and the list of items to leave at home.
| Done | Bring |
|---|---|
| ☐ | A valid government-issued ID |
| ☐ | Your printed AWS confirmation letter |
| ☐ | No. 2 pencils |
| ☐ | An approved calculator: four-function, construction or non-programmable scientific |
Calculators are inspected at check-in, so don't bring a programmable one. Phones, scratch pads and sticky notes stay out of the room.
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The CWI Part B course
Available now · instant accessLearn the tool kit, the specification and the qualification records, then practice.
- 7modules of lessonsEvery task on the outline
- 3full-length timed exams46 questions in 120 minutes each
- 338practice questionsEach one explained
- 2worked calculationsStep by step
- 21specification drillsFind it fast in the Book of Specifications
- 1week-by-week study planSet to your exam date
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Every answer comes with a full explanation.
How to practice each tool
You don't need the exam replicas to build the habit. Any weld you can measure works, and the weld gauge reading trainer gives you generated cases when you have none. Work the tools in this order, because the early ones teach the habits the later ones rely on.
Dial caliper and ruler. Close the caliper and confirm zero before every set of readings. Measure one object three times and write each reading with its units. Then convert each reading: decimal to fraction and back. A unit slip turns a right measurement into a wrong answer, and it's the cheapest mistake to remove.
Fillet weld gauges. Pick the blade for the size you're testing, check the leg with one end, then turn the gauge over and check the throat. Write down which blade fit and which one didn't before you write a size. The shorter leg sets the size on an equal-leg weld. Ten fillets, or ten trainer cases, in one sitting is enough to make the sequence automatic.
V-WAC gauge. Before you read it, say aloud which feature you're measuring: undercut, reinforcement or misalignment. Then check which side of the scale is which on your own gauge. A correct reading of the wrong feature scores nothing.
Hi-lo gauge and protractor. Practice both on anything with two surfaces and an angle: two offset plates, a bevel, a bracket. Record the reading, the units and the feature, in that order.
C4.1 gauge. Learn what your gauge reads and search the Book of Specifications for where it comes up. Do this lookup before exam day, not at the table.
Magnifying glass, mirror and flashlight. Use them on every surface discontinuity you practice. Light the surface from a low angle, look, then name the discontinuity before you measure it. The weld discontinuity quiz drills the look-alike pairs: undercut against underfill, overlap against a rough toe, porosity against surface pits.
When the tools feel fluent, run the full routine in the Part B measurement workflow: name the quantity, pick the tool, check the reading, find the clause, record the decision. For a 10-session home plan built on these tools, see CWI Part B replicas and how to practice.
Pre-exam checklist
Print this page and tick these off in the last week.
| Done | Check |
|---|---|
| ☐ | I can zero a dial caliper and take the same reading three times |
| ☐ | I can read a fillet gauge for both leg and throat, and say which blade fit |
| ☐ | I know which side of the V-WAC scale is undercut and which is reinforcement |
| ☐ | I can name each tool in the kit and say what it reads |
| ☐ | I've downloaded the Book of Specifications and found the section for each domain |
| ☐ | I've run a timed half block: 23 questions in 60 minutes |
| ☐ | I write the feature, the reading and the units before I choose an answer |
| ☐ | My ID, confirmation letter, pencils and approved calculator are packed |
| ☐ | I know my start time and my check-in window, and I'll arrive early |
Take the free 10-question check for Part B
Tools are half the job. The other half is reading the result against the right section of the Book of Specifications, fast. Take the free 10-question check for Part B. It's scored by domain and takes no signup. The Part B course then gives you a lesson on measuring welds with the inspection tool kit, specification drills for finding the right clause, two full-length timed practice exams and a worked explanation with every answer.
FAQ
What tools do I get at CWI Part B?
AWS supplies an inspection tool kit with fillet weld gauges, a V-WAC gauge, a dial caliper, a ruler, a C4.1 gauge, a protractor, a hi-lo gauge, a magnifying glass, a mirror and a flashlight.
Do I bring my own tools to Part B?
AWS's information guide says all exam materials are supplied on the test date. You bring ID, your confirmation letter, pencils and an approved calculator.
Can I practice with the same tools before the exam?
Yes. AWS sells a Sample Tool Kit. You can also learn each instrument on any real weld, or use the weld gauge reading trainer for generated cases.
Sources
Show the list
- CWI Part B Practical Examination Information, American Welding Society, Rev. 03.01.2024, page 4 (materials and tool kit list). Retrieved 25 Oct 2026.
- AWS Part B Book of Specifications, free PDF from AWS; linked, not reproduced.
- Fillet gauge reading steps: G.A.L. Gage Co. fillet weld gauge instructions, as cited on the weld gauge reading trainer.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by AWS.
Facts checked 25 October 2026 against the sources listed above. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.
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Prefer paper? Free printables
- Print a class quiz (free PDF). 5 practice questions with an answer key on page 2.
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