Recommendation: unless you specifically work in pipelines. Phase 4: Study & Prepare (3–6 months) This is where most people fail or succeed.
| | Best for... | Industry | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | AWS D1.1 | Structural steel, bridges, buildings | Construction, fabrication | | API 1104 | Pipelines, oil & gas transmission | Energy, pipeline construction | | AWS D15.1 | Railroad welding | Railcar, locomotive repair | how do i become a certified welding inspector
| | What it tests | Passing Score | Difficulty | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Part A (Scored) | Open-book code search (find clauses, tables, figures) | 72% | Medium | | Part B (Practical) | Identify weld defects, use gauges (fillet weld gauge, Hi-Lo, etc.) | 72% | Hardest | | Part C (Fundamentals) | Closed-book: welding processes, metallurgy, symbols, NDT | 72% | Medium-Hard | Recommendation: unless you specifically work in pipelines