AWS D1.1 Welder Qualification: How the Test Works and What Records You Need

Before a welder works on structural steel under AWS D1.1, they must pass a qualification test for the process and positions they'll use. The result is recorded on a Welder Performance Qualification Record (WPQR) — the document an inspector or auditor will ask to see.

The Test Follows a Welding Procedure

The welder tests while following a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS): either a prequalified WPS, or one qualified by testing and supported by a Procedure Qualification Record (PQR). The test proves the welder can make a sound weld with that process. It doesn't replace qualifying the procedure itself.

Position and Thickness

• Plate groove test positions are 1G (flat), 2G (horizontal), 3G (vertical), and 4G (overhead); the positions tested set the positions the welder may weld in production.
• The thickness of the test plate sets the range of production thickness the welder is qualified for.

How the Test Is Judged

The test plate is inspected visually first. The checks include:

• No cracks of any size
• Craters filled to the full cross section of the weld
• Reinforcement and undercut within the code's limits
• Complete fusion, with no lack of fusion or incomplete root penetration

A plate that fails visual inspection goes no further. Plates that pass are cut into bend specimens and bent in a guided-bend jig, and the bent surface must meet the code's acceptance criteria.

Keeping Qualifications Current

A D1.1 welder qualification doesn't expire on a calendar date. It stays in effect as long as the welder uses the process at least once every six months. If more than six months pass, or there is a specific reason to question the welder's ability, the welder must requalify.

The Qualification Record

The results are recorded on the welder's WPQR, which shows who was tested, the procedure followed, the test results, and what the welder is qualified to weld.

Where Lion NDT fits in. Our AWS Certified Welding Inspector witnesses welder qualification tests at your shop, performs the visual examination, and documents results on the WPQR; where the code calls for bend tests, the coupons go to a qualified testing lab. We also review your WPSs and PQRs before testing starts.