A Step-by-Step Guideline on How to Become a CSWIP 3.

1 Certified Welding Inspector

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CSWIP is an international scheme accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
CSWIP scheme certifies and assures personnel competence to ISO/IEC 17024. For instance,
personnel engaged in welding, joining, materials integrity and inspection in manufacturing,
construction, operation or repair of high integrity structures, plant or machinery.

A certified CSWIP 3.1 welding inspector is simply a welding inspector with certain experience and
criteria which is approved by CSWIP through a specific requirement to enter the exam in accordance
to BS EN ISO 17637:2016. The requirement can be found in the TWI website or download through
this link.

Here are the step by step guideline to become a certified CSWIP 3.1 Welding Inspector;

Step 1 – Gain Experience

To be certified, you should have experience in the related area. If you don’t have any experience,
find yourself a job related to welding or welding inspection. It is easier if you have an educational
background in mechanical engineering but not necessarily.

There are 3 criteria of jobs experience and its period that are accepted by CSWIP to qualified for the
CSWIP 3.1 exam. Either one is acceptable;

A minimum of 3 years welding inspection experiences related to the duties and responsibilities in the
area such as;

1.1 Post weld visual inspection, welding process, parent metal identification, welding consumable
identification, pre-weld inspection, preheating process, in-process welding surveillance.

1.2 The experience should also include supervision of the above activities, welding procedures,
witnessing of welder and procedure approval test, welder approval, Post weld heat treatment and
preparation of reports.

If you hold a CSWIP 3.0 Visual Welding Inspector Certification, then only a minimum of 2 years of
experience is necessary with job responsibilities in the area mention in 1.1 above.

If you hold a CSWIP Welding Instructor or Welding Foreman / Supervisor with experience related to
all of the above, then only a minimum of one year experience is needed.

Step 2 – Choose Your Preferred Training and Examination Center

Now that you have the necessary experience needed, it is time to proceed to the next step.
CSWIP 3.1 training and examination are provided either by International institutions such as The
Welding Institute (TWI) or local institutions. You can locate these institution with a simple Google
search set to your locality.

For TWI, the fee for CSWIP 3.1 training and examination is approximately USD2,000 depends on
which country you’re in. Other local institution might offer a slightly different fee and some even
offered free training and examination because the local government sponsored it. Nonetheless TWI
is the most popular choice because of it’s great facilities and recognition worldwide.

Step 3 – Register for the Course and Exam

If you decided to register with TWI, here’s what you need to do;

Visit the TWI website to check the available date for the course, exam, and fees. Fill in your country
and date of training. After that click the ‘more info‘ link of your preferred date and location.

On the ‘more info’ link, you can see the course detail and pricing. Click the ‘Course Enrollment Form’
on the bottom left to download your registration form.

Fill in the form and attach your resume with it. Your resume should have the detail of your
experience verified by either your previous or present employer.

Make payment to TWI as per instruction in the form.

The completed form should be post or email to the address provided in the Form.

Take note that the CSWIP 3.1 training course is mandatory prior to the examination, however,
enrollment on this course does not constitute the reservation of an examination. You must choose a
date of the exam.

Step 4 – Attend the Course

To be able to sit for the exam, it is mandatory for you to attend the course first. TWI will confirm the
date with you through e-mail or phone call upon successful registration and payment.

Up until the year 2018, the course content is as presented below:

The course will teach you about the duties and responsibilities of a welding inspector including
fusion welding processes, typical weld defects, types of, the hardening of steels, weldability, heat
treatment and parent metal defects.

The program also includes visual inspection, the testing of parent metals and welds, and destructive
and non-destructive test techniques.
You will also learn welder and procedure approval, codes and standards, and an outline of safe
working practices.

There will also be the opportunity to practice examination questions while undergoing continuous
and end-of-course assessment.

Step 5 – Attend the Examination

The format for the examination is in Multiple Choice Question.

They are as follow;

30 General Multiple-Choice Questions to be answered in 45 Minutes.

60 Technology Questions to be answered in 90 Minutes

24 Macroscopic Questions to be answered in 45 Minutes

20 Plate Butt Questions to be answered in 75 Minutes

20 Pipe Butt Questions to be answered in 105 Minutes

To pass the exam you will need a 70% pass mark on every section.

Take note that before attempting the examination, you MUST provide the following:

Two passport size photographs, with your name and signature on the reverse side of both.

Eye test certificate, the certificate must show near vision and color tests (N4.5 or Times Roman
numerals standard) and verified enrollment.

You can print from the complete examination form TWI website.

It is your sole responsibility to provide the above. Results and certification will be delayed if you
failed to do so.

Step 5 – Passing the Exam

If you pass the exam, TWI will send 2 copies of certificates and an identity card to you or your
sponsor.

The certification is valid for 10 years and after that, you will have to renew the license with another
exam.

There you have it, a step by step guide on How to Become a CSWIP 3.1 Certified Welding Inspector.
If you have anything to add or ask, please leave a comment below.

And please share if you liked this article.

Reference;

TWI

CSWIP

CSWIP 3.1 course note

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3 Replies to “A Step-by-Step Guideline on How to Become a CSWIP 3.1 Certified Welding Inspector”

Mohammed Rizwan

July 2, 2019 at 7:26 pm

Sir

So u mean to say is that welding experience is mandatory prior to taking up the cswip3.1 exam?

Only the cswip3.1 preparatory course isn’t sufficient? Help me out.

REPLY

Ali AR

July 21, 2019 at 3:48 pm

Yes it is a requirement for CSWIP 3.1 but not for 3.0. If you are lack of experience, try taking 3.0 first
and find a relevant job. After 1 year you can proceed with 3.1 application. Or there’s another way
that i should not mention here..

REPLY