CWS CWS Weld Inspection & Testing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which AWS qualification document governs the certification of welding inspectors in the United States?
- AWS D1.1
- AWS QC1 (Correct answer)
- AWS B2.1
- AWS A5.1
Correct answer: AWS QC1
AWS QC1 is the Standard for AWS Certification of Welding Inspectors, establishing requirements for CWI, SCWI, and related credentials.
Question 2: During visual inspection, a supervisor finds porosity in a SMAW weld. Which of the following is the LEAST likely cause?
- Damp or wet electrodes
- Excessive preheat temperature (Correct answer)
- Oil contamination on base metal
- Inadequate shielding
Correct answer: Excessive preheat temperature
Excessive preheat actually helps reduce porosity by slowing the cooling rate; damp electrodes, contamination, and poor shielding are primary porosity causes.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a bend test in weld procedure qualification?
- Measure tensile strength of the weld
- Verify hardness across the HAZ
- Evaluate weld soundness and ductility (Correct answer)
- Determine impact toughness at low temperature
Correct answer: Evaluate weld soundness and ductility
Bend tests evaluate a weld's soundness and ductility by bending a coupon to a prescribed angle and checking for cracks or open discontinuities.
Question 4: A CWS supervisor is reviewing liquid penetrant test (PT) results. The PT method can detect which type of defects?
- Internal volumetric defects only
- Surface-breaking discontinuities only (Correct answer)
- Subsurface laminations only
- Magnetic anomalies only
Correct answer: Surface-breaking discontinuities only
Liquid penetrant testing is limited to detecting surface-breaking discontinuities, as the penetrant must enter an open defect to be revealed by the developer.
Question 5: When inspecting a full-penetration groove weld on a pressure vessel, which AWS/ASME code primarily governs weld acceptance criteria?
- AWS D1.1
- AWS D1.2
- ASME Section IX
- ASME Section VIII (Correct answer)
Correct answer: ASME Section VIII
ASME Section VIII (Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels) provides weld acceptance criteria for pressure vessel fabrication, while Section IX covers qualification.
Question 6: What is the correct sequence for visual inspection of a weld?
- Post-weld, inter-pass, pre-weld
- Pre-weld, inter-pass, post-weld (Correct answer)
- Inter-pass, pre-weld, post-weld
- Post-weld only is required
Correct answer: Pre-weld, inter-pass, post-weld
Proper visual inspection follows a pre-weld (fit-up, cleanliness), inter-pass (between passes), and post-weld (final) sequence to catch defects at each stage.
CWS CWS Weld Inspection & Testing 2
Which AWS qualification document governs the certification of welding inspectors in the United States?