CWI Part C on D1.5: the bridge code exam
AWS D1.5 is the Bridge Welding Code. AWS offers its code exam two ways: as the Part C exam on the way to a first CWI, or as a stand-alone endorsement for a current CWI or SCWI. Either way it is 50 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes, open book, with D1.5 (2020 edition) on screen and word search switched off. You need 72% to pass.
- Questions
- 50
- Time
- 120 minutes
- Exam fee (paid to AWS, not us)
- $445 member / $540 non-member
- Where
- Prometric CBT; 150 minutes seat time (120 to answer)
The five content areas
AWS publishes a minimum share of the exam for each area:
- Qualification (at least 25%): procedure and welder qualification under the bridge code.
- Fabrication (at least 25%): workmanship, preparation and the shop and field rules that govern the welds.
- Inspection (at least 25%): what the inspector checks, when, and the acceptance rules that apply.
- Reports and records (at least 5%): the paperwork the code asks for and who keeps it.
- Materials and design (at least 5%): base metals, filler metals and the design provisions.
These are the same five areas as the D1.1 Part C exam, but the answers live in a different book. Our D1.1 Part C guide covers the structural steel version.
Try one question
Question 1 of the free 10-question check on CWI Part C D1.5. No signup. Then ask Tack, the AI study assistant, why the answer is right and the others are wrong.
Inspection
Which method is a good choice to find fine surface-breaking cracks in a fillet weld on carbon steel?
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Open book, without word search
The code comes as an on-screen PDF with word search not enabled, and some other PDF features may be switched off. You may also bring a bound printed copy. So the skill is knowing where things are: which section holds qualification, which holds inspection, and how fast you get there from the bookmarks and the table of contents. Practice with your own licensed copy of the 2020 edition. AWS now sells a 2025 edition, but the exam still lists 2020.
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The exam in brief
- Questions and time: 50 multiple-choice questions, 120 minutes to answer and 150 minutes in the seat, at a Prometric test center.
- Pass mark: 72%.
- Cost: the stand-alone endorsement is $445 for AWS members and $540 for non-members (AWS price list, effective 1 January 2026). A Part C retest is $445.
- Retests: a candidate who fails Part C retests with the same code within the three-year retest period, at most three retests in three years.
Start with the free 10-question check
See which content area costs you points before you book. Take the free 10-question D1.5 check. It needs no signup, explains every answer and points to the code by section, never by quoting it.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by AWS or AASHTO.
Sources
Show the list
- D1.5 Endorsement Description, Rev. 11.05.2026, American Welding Society, read 7 November 2026.
- D1.5 endorsement, American Welding Society.
- CWI Examination User Guide, American Welding Society.
- Program price list, American Welding Society.
Exam facts
| Questions | 50 |
| Time | 120 minutes |
| Book | open book; D1.5:2020 as an on-screen PDF with word search not enabled (some PDF navigation features may be disabled by Prometric); a bound printed copy is also permitted |
| Passing | 72% |
| Where you test | Prometric CBT; 150 minutes seat time (120 to answer) |
| Code edition | AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5:2020 (Bridge Welding Code) |
| Exam fee (paid to AWS, not us) | $445 member / $540 non-member |
| Retakes | Re-examination follows AWS QC1:2016-AMD1 (description p.2); a candidate who fails Part C retests with the same code within the three-year retest period, at most 3 retests in 3 years (CWI Examination User Guide 09.04.2026 pp.14 and 18) |
Fee details
Stand-alone D1.5 endorsement: $445 member / $540 non-member (price list effective 1 Jan 2026, prices include a $60 Prometric seat fee). Part A or C retest $445. The initial CAWI/CWI exam is $1,255 member / $1,520 non-member; the price list does not say which Part C code it covers. Eligibility: any current CWI or SCWI may take it as a stand-alone endorsement, and any CWI candidate as the initial Part C exam.
What the exam covers
| Qualification | 25% |
| Fabrication | 25% |
| Inspection | 25% |
| Reports and Records | 5% |
| Materials and Design | 5% |
Sources
Show the 6 sources
- aws-p-001-delivery.sitecorecontenthub.cloud/api/public/content/D1.5-endorsement (checked 2026-11-07)
- aws.org/Certification-and-Education/Program-Price-List/ (checked 2026-11-07)
- aws-p-001-delivery.sitecorecontenthub.cloud/api/public/content/CWI-Examination-User-Guide (checked 2026-11-07)
- aws.org/certification-and-education/CWI-and-SCWI-Endorsements/d15-endorsement/
- aws-p-001-delivery.sitecorecontenthub.cloud/api/public/content/Open-book-Exam-Reference-Gu
- aws.org/certification-and-education/professional-certification/certified-welding-inspector
Facts come from American Welding Society's own documents (sources above); the latest source retrieval was . If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.
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