CWI Study Guide · Part C
Part C: How to Tab & Navigate AWS D1.1
Part C is open book — and that's the trap. With ~46 questions in about an hour, the candidates who pass are the ones who can find a clause in seconds. Here's how to tab your D1.1 and build the navigation habit that wins.
Open book is a speed test
It is tempting to relax because Part C is open book, but the clock is the real examiner. At roughly a minute and a quarter per question you do not have time to hunt. The winning mindset is to treat the code like a reference you operate, not a book you read: know where each topic lives, jump straight there, and confirm the exact value in the table or figure. You are being tested on whether you can apply the code quickly and correctly — not on recall.
What to tab
Tab the structure, not every page. Mark the major clauses (general requirements, design, prequalification, qualification, fabrication, and inspection), then tab the high-traffic tables and figures: visual acceptance criteria, the NDE acceptance criteria, prequalified joint details, and the procedure/welder qualification tables. Add the terms and definitions section — a surprising number of questions hinge on a precise definition. Keep the total count sane; a wall of tabs is as slow to scan as none.
A color scheme that scales
Use color to encode the TYPE of content so your hand goes to the right tab without reading it. For example: one color for clauses, a second for tables, a third for figures, and a fourth for definitions. Write a short, consistent label on each tab ("VT accept," "prequal joints," "welder qual"). The goal is that when a question says "acceptance criteria," your eye lands on the right color instantly.
The navigation loop to drill
Practice one loop until it is automatic: read the question and name the topic, go to the owning clause via your tab, then read the exact table or figure and answer. Do timed sets where you only practice FINDING the clause — not answering — so the retrieval becomes reflexive. Most wasted time in Part C is paging around because you were not sure which clause owns the topic, so invest your prep in learning the code's map.
Before test day
Confirm you are studying the correct EDITION of D1.1 for your exam, since clause and table numbers shift between editions. Verify the current AWS policy on what marking is allowed in your book. And bring the physical code you practiced with — a familiar, tabbed book is worth more than a clean one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the CWI Part C exam really open book?
Yes. Part C is an open-book test on a specific code — most commonly AWS D1.1 Structural Welding Code — Steel. You may bring and use the code book, but you have only about an hour for roughly 46 questions, so you cannot look up every answer. Speed of navigation, not memorization, is what decides Part C.
How should I tab my AWS D1.1 code book?
Tab the major clauses and the tables and figures you'll use most — the acceptance criteria for visual and NDE, the prequalified joint details, the WPS/qualification tables, and the definitions. Use a consistent color scheme (for example one color for tables, another for figures, another for clauses) and keep tabs to a useful number; over-tabbing is as slow as no tabs.
Can I write in my code book for the CWI exam?
Highlighting and tabbing are generally permitted, but adding extra notes, formulas, or loose papers usually is not. Rules can change, so always confirm the current AWS exam material policy before test day and keep your marking to tabs and highlights within the code itself.
What's the fastest way to find an answer in Part C?
Read the question to identify the topic (say, acceptance criteria for undercut), go straight to the relevant clause via your tab, then read the exact table or figure. Practice this loop until it is reflexive. Most lost time comes from paging around because you didn't know which clause owns the topic — so learn the code's structure, not its contents.
Drill Part C the smart way
Practice real AWS D1.1 code-application questions with instant explanations — build the navigation habit that passes Part C. No download required.