- The Passing Score in One Sentence
- Two Parts, Two Separate Hurdles
- What 70% Actually Demands
- The Part B Question-Count Conflict
- Where the Points Live: The 11 Domains
- Open-Book Rules That Shape Your Score
- Retake Math and Cost of a Miss
- A Score-Driven Prep Sequence
- After You Pass: Keeping the Credential
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Certified Welding Supervisor requires at least 70% on both Part A and Part B, scored separately.
- Each part allows 2 hours of exam time, for 4 hours total across the two parts.
- Productivity and Performance (Domain 11) is the largest published category at 30% and maps to Part B.
- Retesting costs $445 per part or $650 for both parts, for members and nonmembers alike.
The Passing Score in One Sentence
To earn the American Welding Society's Certified Welding Supervisor credential, you must score at least 70% on each of the two examination parts. There is no blended average, and no way to "bank" strength in one part to cover weakness in the other. Part A (Fundamentals of Welding Supervision) and Part B (Welding Practices & Economics) are each judged against the same 70% threshold.
That simple rule hides several details that matter for planning: how the two parts differ in length, how the published exam objectives are weighted, how the open-book format changes what "70%" feels like, and what a miss costs you. This guide works through each of them. If you want to test yourself against realistic questions as you read, our CWS practice test is built around the same exam structure.
Two Parts, Two Separate Hurdles
Both parts are computer-based, open-book examinations delivered at Prometric test centers. Every question is four-option multiple choice. Each part allows 2 hours of examination time, and the scheduled seat time is 2.5 hours per part to cover check-in and administration. Total examination time is 4 hours across the two parts.
| Feature | Part A | Part B |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Fundamentals of Welding Supervision | Welding Practices & Economics |
| Format | Computer-based, open-book, four-option multiple choice | Computer-based, open-book, four-option multiple choice |
| Passing requirement | At least 70% | At least 70% |
| Exam time | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Scheduled seat time | 2.5 hours | 2.5 hours |
| Question count | 150 | Conflicting published figures (see below) |
| Exam objectives covered | Domains 1-10 | Domain 11 |
The practical consequence: you can pass one part and fail the other. A candidate who clears Part A comfortably but stumbles on Part B has not passed the credential, and vice versa. Treat them as two independent exams that happen to share a certification.
What 70% Actually Demands
On Part A, with 150 questions, 70% translates to 105 correct answers. That is the one place where the published numbers let you do clean arithmetic. You can miss up to 45 questions and still pass, which is a meaningful cushion, but a 2-hour clock across 150 items leaves under a minute per question on average. In an open-book exam, that clock is the real adversary.
Because the exam is open-book, the questions tend to reward applied judgment over rote memorization. You will be asked to interpret situations a welding supervisor faces and select the best of four options, often with a reference nearby to confirm the answer. Candidates weighing how demanding that style is should read How Hard Is the CWS Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026, and for what outcomes look like in aggregate, see CWS Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
The Part B Question-Count Conflict
Here is a detail most prep sites gloss over. The current Examination User Guide (footer version 05.06.2026) lists Part B as 60 items on printed page 7 but 30 items on page 9. AWS QC13:2006, clause 6.1.2, specifies 30. The sources disagree, and no aggregate question count for the full credential can be stated with confidence.
Why does this matter for your passing score? Because the number of questions determines how many you must answer correctly to reach 70%. At 30 questions, 70% is 21 correct; at 60 questions, it is 42 correct. The percentage threshold is the constant; the raw count is not. Do not build your pacing plan around a specific Part B question count until you have confirmed the current figure with AWS or on your candidate materials when you schedule.
Where the Points Live: The 11 Domains
The exam objectives come from the current Examination User Guide, corroborated by AWS QC13:2006 clause 6.2. They are formal examination objectives, not preparation-curriculum headings, and QC13 describes the weights as approximate percentages. The published table totals 100%. Domains 1 through 10 correspond to Part A, and Domain 11 corresponds to Part B.
| Domain | Weight | Part |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Knowledge of Welding Supervision | 5% | A |
| 2. Understanding of Drawings and Specifications | 10% | A |
| 3. Knowledge of Base Material and Welding Materials | 5% | A |
| 4. Familiarity with Welding, Brazing, Cutting, Equipment, Theory and Application | 5% | A |
| 5. Knowledge of Safety Requirements | 10% | A |
| 6. Welding Instructions | 10% | A |
| 7. Knowledge of Welding Practices and Production Controls | 10% | A |
| 8. Welding Inspection | 5% | A |
| 9. Work Reports and Records | 5% | A |
| 10. Understanding the General Applications of Welding Standards | 5% | A |
| 11. Productivity and Performance | 30% | B |
Domain 11: Productivity and Performance (30%)
This is the single largest published category, and it is the entire basis of Part B. Because Part B is judged on its own 70% threshold, this domain is effectively a pass/fail gate for the whole credential.
- Part B is titled Welding Practices & Economics, so expect cost, efficiency, and process-economics reasoning rather than purely technical recall.
- Candidates who treat Part B as an afterthought to the ten Part A domains are taking the biggest risk on the exam.
A caution about reading these weights: they have not been recalculated within either part or converted into inferred question allocations. Do not assume Domain 2's 10% means exactly 15 of the 150 Part A questions. Use the weights as a guide to relative emphasis, not as a question-by-question budget. For deeper coverage of each content area, see CWS Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 11 Content Areas.
Part A's Heavy Hitters: Domains 2, 5, 6, and 7 (10% each)
Four Part A domains carry the largest individual weight within that part.
- Drawings and Specifications: reading and interpreting what a job actually requires.
- Safety Requirements: a core supervisory responsibility, tied to the safety reference materials.
- Welding Instructions: communicating how work is to be performed.
- Practices and Production Controls: keeping fabrication consistent and in control.
Open-Book Rules That Shape Your Score
"Open-book" is not a free pass; it is a constrained resource you must manage. The rules directly affect how many points you can realistically capture:
- References must be original and bound. Permitted references must be original, permanently bound or securely fastened through all pages. Loose sheets are prohibited, so a stack of personal notes will not help you.
- Calculators are limited. Approved models include four-function, construction, and nonprogrammable scientific calculators. Programmable devices are out.
- Digital references are supplied. Digital copies of references are provided at the test center, except for the AWS Welding Handbook series.
- Check the edition. The examination guide lists ANSI Z49.1:2005, while the program webpage lists ANSI Z49.1:2012. The applicable approved edition needs to be confirmed when you schedule, because a safety question answered from the wrong edition is a point you did not need to lose.
- Visual acuity. The current examination guide requests visual-acuity documentation.
Key Takeaway
Before exam day, tab and annotate your permitted bound references by topic, then practice answering timed questions using only those references. Familiarity with where things live in the documents is worth more than another read-through of the content. Our CWS Cheat Sheet helps you build the mental map of what to look up versus what to know cold.
Retake Math and Cost of a Miss
Since the 70% threshold applies to each part, a failed attempt costs you only the part you missed. The 2026 pricing makes the stakes concrete:
| Item | Member | Nonmember |
|---|---|---|
| Initial examination (both parts, including Prometric seat fees) | $665 | $756 |
| Retest, one part | $445 | $445 |
| Retest, both parts | $650 | $650 |
The nonmember initial price includes one year of AWS Individual Membership. Notice that retesting a single part costs $445, which is a large fraction of the original fee. If you are borderline on either part, investing in additional preparation is usually cheaper than a retake. The full fee picture, including renewals, is in CWS Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Before any of this applies, you must qualify to sit for the exam: a high-school diploma or approved equivalent and three years of qualifying practical welding experience involving weldments fabricated to codes, specifications, or other standards. Three years of documented relevant teaching may substitute for one year of practical experience, and two years of welding-supervision experience is preferred. Details are in CWS Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
A Score-Driven Prep Sequence
Rather than a generic study calendar, build your sequence around where the exam's weight and risk sit. One reasonable ordering, tied to the published domains:
Domain 11 first
- Productivity and Performance is 30% and drives all of Part B.
- Start here so the largest, separately-scored block gets the most repetition.
The 10% Part A domains
- Drawings and Specifications, Safety Requirements, Welding Instructions, and Production Controls.
- Practice locating answers in your bound references under time pressure.
The 5% domains and full timed runs
- Sweep supervision, materials, equipment, inspection, records, and standards applications.
- Take full-length timed simulations of each part against the 2-hour limit.
For a fuller methodology, see CWS Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. Formal preparation training is optional, so how much structure you add depends on your supervisory background.
After You Pass: Keeping the Credential
Passing is the start of a maintenance cycle. Certification is valid for three years, with renewals at years 3 and 6 based on documented continued welding-supervisor activity. Renewal costs $425 for members and $516 for nonmembers. At the ninth year, recertification requires continued-activity documentation plus either passing both exam parts again or earning 80 PDHs over nine years, including at least 20 in the final three years. Ninth-year recertification costs $455 (member) or $546 (nonmember) by PDHs, and $615 (member) or $706 (nonmember) by examination.
If you are weighing whether the investment pays off, see Is the CWS Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CWS Salary Guide 2026. When you are ready to put dates on the calendar, CWS Exam Dates 2026 covers scheduling. To rehearse under realistic conditions, start with the CWS practice exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need at least 70% on each of the two parts, Part A (Fundamentals of Welding Supervision) and Part B (Welding Practices & Economics). The parts are scored separately, so a strong result on one does not offset a failing result on the other.
On Part A, which has 150 questions, 70% is 105 correct answers. For Part B, the published question count conflicts (the examination guide lists both 60 and 30, and AWS QC13:2006 specifies 30), so confirm the current count when you schedule. The 70% threshold itself does not change.
No. Retesting is priced per part at $445, or $650 for both parts, for members and nonmembers. You only need to retest the part you did not pass.
Yes, but with restrictions. Permitted references must be original and permanently bound or securely fastened through all pages; loose sheets are prohibited. Digital references are supplied at the test center except for the AWS Welding Handbook series. Confirm the approved edition of references like ANSI Z49.1 when scheduling.
Part B deserves serious attention because Domain 11, Productivity and Performance, carries 30% of the published exam objectives and is the sole basis of that part. Part A spans ten domains, with Drawings and Specifications, Safety Requirements, Welding Instructions, and Production Controls carrying the largest weights at 10% each.