WPQ2 endorsement exam: format and outline
The Welding Procedure Qualifier (WPQ2) endorsement is for a current AWS CWI or SCWI. It is not a Part C option for a new CWI. The exam asks you to plan, qualify and finalize a welding procedure specification (WPS) against two documents: AWS D1.1 (2020 edition) and AWS B2.1 (2021 edition). It is 55 multiple-choice questions, 50 scored and 5 unscored pretest questions, in 180 minutes, and you need 66% to pass.
- Questions
- 55
- Time
- 180 minutes
- Exam fee (paid to AWS, not us)
- $540 member / $630 non-member
- Where
- Prometric CBT; 210 minutes seat time (180 to answer); a Chinese language-assisted form also exists
The three areas
AWS's test specification splits the exam three ways:
- Planning (30%): what the job needs before a procedure is written.
- WPS qualification and testing requirements (40%): the test welds, tests and results that qualify a procedure, and which code rules apply.
- Finalization of the WPS (30%): turning the qualified record into a usable procedure, with its ranges and limits.
Two books, no word search
Both D1.1 and B2.1 are on screen as PDFs with word search not enabled, and some PDF features may be switched off. You may also bring bound printed copies. The skill is moving between the two documents quickly and knowing which one governs each step.
Try one question
Question 1 of the free 10-question check on WPQ2. No signup. Then ask Tack, the AI study assistant, why the answer is right and the others are wrong.
WPS qualification and testing requirements
A joint will see low service temperatures, and the contract requires toughness testing of the weld. Which test is used?
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The exam in brief
- Questions and time: 55 questions (50 scored, 5 pretest), 180 minutes to answer and 210 in the seat, at a Prometric test center.
- Pass mark: 66%.
- Cost: $540 for AWS members and $630 for non-members (AWS price list, effective 1 January 2026).
- Who can sit it: a current CWI or SCWI. It is one of the four endorsements on the SCWI path, and it can count as the exam for a CWI's 9-year recertification when taken in that period.
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- 3modules of lessonsEvery task on the outline
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Sources
Show the list
- WPQ2 Endorsement Description, Cert. Rev. 11.05.2026, American Welding Society, read 7 November 2026.
- Program price list, American Welding Society.
Exam facts
| Questions | 55 |
| Time | 180 minutes |
| Book | open book; AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020 and AWS B2.1/B2.1M:2021 as on-screen PDFs with word search not enabled (some PDF navigation features may be disabled by Prometric); bound printed copies also permitted |
| Passing | 66% |
| Where you test | Prometric CBT; 210 minutes seat time (180 to answer); a Chinese language-assisted form also exists |
| Code edition | AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020 Structural Welding Code - Steel and AWS B2.1/B2.1M:2021 Specification for Welding Procedure and Performance Qualification |
| Exam fee (paid to AWS, not us) | $540 member / $630 non-member |
| Retakes | Endorsement exam retest $540 member and non-member (price list, SCWI endorsement path table). Retest limits and waiting periods for WPQ2 are not stated in the description (unconfirmed). |
| Eligibility | A current AWS CWI or SCWI (description p.2; WPQ2 page FAQ). Not an option for a new CWI's initial certification: it is not a Part C codebook exam. Counts as the exam for a CWI's 9-year recertification if taken in that period. One of the four endorsements on the SCWI path (price list). |
Fee details
WPQ2 endorsement exam $540 member / $630 non-member (price list effective 1 Jan 2026; WPQ2 page).
What the exam covers
| Planning | 30% |
| WPS qualification and testing requirements | 40% |
| Finalization of the WPS | 30% |
Sources
Show the 3 sources
- aws-p-001-delivery.sitecorecontenthub.cloud/api/public/content/Welding-Procedure-Qualifier (checked 2026-11-07)
- aws.org/Certification-and-Education/Program-Price-List/ (checked 2026-11-07)
- aws.org/certification-and-education/CWI-and-SCWI-Endorsements/welding-procedure-qualifier- (checked 2026-11-07)
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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