CWI exam pass rate: what AWS publishes and every estimate checked

The numbers you'll see online

Several training and practice-test sites quote a CWI pass rate. None of them points to data anyone can check, they disagree with each other widely, and most sell a CWI course or practice product. A low number makes training look necessary; a high one makes the exam look within reach. Either way, it describes other people, not you.

The only performance figure in AWS's own documents is about a single sample question: the Part A information guide says roughly half of test-takers got it right. That's one item, not a pass rate.

The numbers AWS does publish

The 72% rules

Each part needs at least 72%. On top of that, the composite, the simple average of your three part scores, must also be at least 72%. Scores are reported rounded down to the whole percent.

Questions and time per part

Pretest questions aren't scored but look exactly like scored ones, so answer every question as if it counts. That works out to:

• Part A: about 49 seconds a question, with no book to look anything up.
• Part B: about 2.6 minutes a question, much of it spent measuring replicas.
• Part C: about 2.0 to 2.5 minutes a question, with each answer found in the code.

What the rules mean for you

A strong part can't rescue a weak one

Each part needs 72% on its own. Take a candidate who scores 84% on Part A, 70% on Part B and 79% on Part C. The composite is 77.7%, well over 72%, but Part B is under the line, so Part B gets retaken. The composite rule only bites when every part sits close to 72%.

Rounding down matters at the line

71.9% is reported as 71%. On Part B, with 46 questions and no pretest items, 33 correct is 71.7%, reported as 71%. 34 correct is 73.9%, reported as 73%. So on Part B you can miss at most 12 questions.

A failed part is retaken alone

Failing one part doesn't reset the others. The CWI retest rules cover which parts you retake, how many retests you get and the training paperwork later retests need.

Use your own score, not someone else's pass rate

Wondering how hard each part really is? Read how hard the CWI exam is, part by part.

A pass rate, even a real one, describes other people. What decides your result is 72% on each part, under a fixed clock, with Part A closed book. So:

• Measure yourself against 72% per part, not a combined score. A practice average across all three parts can hide one part that's under the line.
• Practice at the real pace. Part A at under a minute a question is a different skill from Part C at about two minutes with a code open.
• Give Part B its own prep. It's hands-on, with replicas, gauges and a reference book. The Part B guide covers the materials and a timed plan.
• Check eligibility before you pay. The free CWI eligibility checker runs your dates against AWS's published experience table.

Get your own number: take the free 10-question check

Find out where you stand against the 72% line with the free 10-question Part A check. It's scored by domain, takes no signup, and shows which topics to review first. When you're ready for the full prep, the Fillet Gauge course gives you a lesson for every exam subject, two full-length timed practice exams per part at the real length and time, and a worked explanation with every answer, so you can see your score per part before AWS does.

Sources

Show the list

• Certified Welding Inspector program page, American Welding Society. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• CWI Examination User Guide, AWS, revision 09.04.2026, p.17. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.
• CWI Part A, Part B and Part C examination information guides, AWS. Retrieved 20 Oct 2026.