Certified Resistance Welding Technician (CRWT)

What Is ResIstance Welding?

Resistance welding is one of the most robust and proven of all the various welding processes used today, combining heat, time and pressure to create secure, long-lasting welds. It is used primarily in manufacturing automobiles, appliances, and other wire or sheet metal products.

The Resistance Welding Industry is a competitive, high-production industry, using costly and valuable equipment operated by highly skilled technicians and engineers.

What Is A ResIstance Welding Technician?

A Resistance Welding Technician may serve one or more roles in operating and/or managing the complex equipment required to join wire or sheet metal products.

What Is A Certified ResIstance Welding Technician?

The Certified Resistance Welding Technician (CRWT) credential is a new benchmark for the evaluation of resistance welding personnel that validates demonstrated skills and abilities in resistance welding principles, processes and equipment, through a combination of education, experience and examination. The CRWT credential, co-developed by the American Welding Society (AWS) and the Resistance Welding Manufacturing Alliance (RWMA), ensures welding professionals across the resistance welding industry can demonstrate the knowledge and skills essential for the CRWT.

Welders, engineers, technicians, quality control managers or supervisors in a resistance welding environment can benefit from the CRWT certification.

If your company employs welders, engineers, technicians, quality control managers or supervisors in a resistance welding environment, your company and your employees can benefit from the CRWT certification.

The information below outlines the required education, experience, and information which must be submitted prior to taking the CRWT exam. All requirements are detailed in:

• AWS C1.5:2019 – Specification for the Qualification of Resistance Welding Technicians
• AWS QC20:2020 – Specification for AWS Certification of Resistance Welding Technicians

The Certified Resistance Welding Technician (CRWT) credential validates the bearer has demonstrated knowledge about resistance welding principles, processes and equipment through a combination of education, experience and examination.

The information below outlines the required education, experience, and information which must be submitted prior to taking the CRWT exam. All requirements are detailed in:

• AWS C1.5:2019 – Specification for the Qualification of Resistance Welding Technicians
• AWS QC20:2020 – Specification for AWS Certification of Resistance Welding Technicians

To qualify for the Certified Resistance Welding Technician certification, applicants must have a combination of qualifying education and work experience that includes the design, application, or operation of welding lines or cells for the manufacture of welding products such as automobiles, appliances, wire products, sheet metal products, or other resistance welding products.

Applicants must submit supporting documentation that demonstrates the minimum work experience and education found below:

The American Welding Society offers all new applicants the opportunity to use the online Certification Application Portal to enter information, submit required documentation, a current photo, register for seminars and courses and make payment.

Before beginning the application process, please review the submission and document requirements below and be sure to have all of your documentation ready before you begin the application process.

Additionally, please review the education and work experience requirements that must be met to become a CRWT candidate found above.

All applicants should review and complete the following before beginning the online Certification Application Portal process.

Note: A CRWT candidate must receive an Confirmation Letter from AWS before scheduling exams with Prometric. The confirmation letter will be sent via email after initial, renewal or recertification applications and all required documentation is reviewed and processed by AWS.

CRWT FORMS & REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Employment Verification Form
Visual Acuity Exam Form
Qualifying Work Experience Form
Photo ID Requirements

Required forms are available for downloading.

CRWT EXAM PRICING

CRWT Exam Application (member): $400 USD
CRWT Exam Application (non-member): $535 USD

Please review the AWS Certification Price List for more details.

Access the online Certification Application Portal

Note: Submitting a paper-based application incurs a $125 USD processing fee.

A CRWT Candidate is required to take one (1) exam. There are 100 scored questions on the CRWT exam plus 10 pretest items which are not scored. Candidates have a maximum of 135 minutes to complete the exam.

• The CRWT Exam references and draws questions from Clause 6, Examination Requirements in the AWS QC20:2020 – Specification for AWS Certification of Resistance Welding Technicians.

Sample questions are provided in Appendix C of the Examination User Guide.

The passing score for the CRWT exam is a minimum of 60%.

For more information on what to expect for the Certified Welding Technician exam, please view the Examination User Guide.

Computer-Based Testing/Prometric Exam Centers

Exams are administered by Prometric at more than 450 Exam Centers around the world. Locations can be viewed at prometric.com/aws.

Learn more about Prometric CBT and Exam Centers:

• Understand Prometric’s security process when checking-in at an Exam Center .
• Review a tutorial on how to navigate the screen during your computer-based exam (CBT).
• Familiarize yourself in person with the computer-based testing environment by scheduling an appointment to Take a Test Drive Before Exam Day.
• Learn more about your Prometric test day experience on our FAQ for CBT page.
• Access Prometric’s various other resources, by visiting prometric.com/aws
• AWS COVID Policy
• Prometric Exam Center COVID Policy
• Prometric Exam Center Cleaning Practices

Education goes hand-in-hand with certification, and those preparing to take the CRWT exam may use one or more of the following courses of study. Each of these training options are comprehensive and can assist candidates in becoming familiar with content used in the CRWT exam.

AWS has created a comprehensive, online seminar to arm attendees with the knowledge needed to take the exam with confidence. The online seminar spans 16 modules and covers the following topics:

• Definitions and terminology
• Welding symbols related to RW
• RW equipment including machine/tooling design
• RW processes
• Weld schedules
• Weld quality
• Destructive and non‐destructive testing
• Resistance welding of steels, aluminum, and coated materials
• Conversions and calculations
• Welding procedures
• Maintenance

Learn More

RWMA Resistance Welding School

AWS and RWMA team up to offer a two day school, taught by resistance welding industry experts. For additional details, including how to register, click here.

CRWT Standards

A CRWT certification ensures the certificate holder meets all of the specification and certification requirements found in:

• AWS C1.5:2019 – Specification for the Qualification of Resistance Welding Technicians
• AWS QC20:2020 – Specification for AWS Certification of Resistance Welding Technicians

Technical and Reference Documents are provided when registered and attending an AWS Seminar.

If an applicant/candidate is not attending an AWS Seminar prior to testing and is planning to self-study, please review the Self-Study page for more information.

Technical and Specification Documents and Reference Materials
(AWS CRWT Body of Knowledge)

• C1.1M/C1.1:2019 – Recommended Practices for Resistance Welding
• RWMA - Resistance Welding Manual, Revised 4th Ed., 2013
• RWPH:2011 – Resistance Welding Pocket Handbook
• A2.4:2012 – Standard Symbols for Welding, Brazing, and Nondestructive Examination
• C1.5:2019 – Specification for the Qualification of Resistance Welding Technicians
• QC20:2020 – Specification for AWS Certification of Resistance Welding Technicians

To purchase any of the AWS publications, visit the AWS Bookstore

CRWT Renewal Overview

The CRWT credential cannot be renewed. A CRWT must recertify every five (5) years by reexamination.

CRWT Recertification Overview

A CRWT must recertify every five (5) years by reexamination.

The recertification application and exam registration can be completed via the online Certification Application Portal.

Use the MyAWS Portal to check your CWS credentials, application or exam registration status

CRWT Recertification Pricing

• CRWT Reexamination Application (member): $400 USD
• CRWT Reexamination Application (non-member): $535 USD

Please review the AWS Certification Price List for more details and options.

Please explore the frequently asked questions on the AWS Certification Frequently Asked Questions pages.

Certification FAQs
VA Licensing & Certification Benefit FAQs
CBT and Prometric Exam Centers FAQs