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How to Pass a Welding Test: Easy Tips That Will Help You

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MIG welding

Becoming an approved welder increases your opportunities of getting a job offer to work with a top employer. But first, you have to take and pass the welding test. Your knowledge of welding theory and command of hands-on practical expertise in your welding specialty is tested.

Although there’s nothing that can replace assiduous study for this test, there are several tips that you can use to get ready to pass this challenging test. Take into account the below study tips.


How to Prepare for a Welding Test

You may have heard about the numerous opportunities in pipe welding, construction welding, or the highly paid profession in underwater welding. All of them have one thing in common; you must have a welder certification.

To get a welding task, numerous firms want their employees to excel in a welder certification exam. It’s where an autonomous organization oversees your welding expertise in particular situations.

There are various tests for particular types of welding (for instance, MIG or TIG). It implies that if you’re actively following a welding career, then you wouldn’t want to flump money on any of these tests.

Besides a welding certification exam, most employers will ask soon-to-be employees to do a welding certification exam to make sure they can apply their more general expertise to the particular tasks involved at their firm.

It implies that a welding certification exam offers a general foundation of presumed knowledge that employers can use to check applicants before further trialing.

What Is In A Welding Certification Exam?

If you want to sign up for a welding certification exam, then you have to select a specific welding procedure like TIG, Flux Core Arc, Stick, or MIG welding. In general, a welding exam makes sure that, as a welder, you can do the following:

  • Follow security processes and put together the right supplies
  • Set up the welding device well
  • Prepare and put together the joints you’re welding
  • Work on your weld in the right position
  • Adhere to the welding processes outlined in the exam

There are various welding positions on surfaces like pipe, metal, and level welds in a certification test. They comprise of a code system like the one below:

  • One – Level position
  • Two – Horizontal stance
  • Three – Perpendicular pose
  • Four – Overhead posture
  • Fillet weld – F
  • Grove weld – G

Practice these types of welding processes and joints before doing your exam. You can get a welding course that comes with a test to make sure that you’re well-prepared. However, you can also get numerous do-it-yourself tutorials and videos to guide you further.


Tips on How to Pass a Welding Test

Acquire Official Welder Training at a Vocational Institution

In a vocational school, you’ll learn everything you need to know to transcend the welder test. Among the numerous features of the official welding training program, you’ll study how to read blueprints, use distinct welding gear, and apply welding theory and approaches.

You’ll also be acquainted with a wide variety of welding specialties, for instance, pipe welding and welding codes. Furthermore, you’ll learn about construction codes and safety measures. Employers may choose applicants who have completed the official welding training program.

Official training isn’t needed as a prerequisite to acquiring a certificate. Nonetheless, having the right training will help you excel in the exam. Welding classes are commonly taught at vocational institutions and community colleges in the vicinity.

Teaching-Apprentice-To-Use-TIG-Welding-Machine_Monkey-Business-Images_shutterstock
Credit: Monkey Business Images, Shutterstock

Utilize Available Welding Certification Learning Guides

There are numerous options when it comes to for learning guides. You can get them on the internet, in bookstores, and in libraries. These learning aids strengthen the theory and approach in your formal welding training program. It also stresses the structure of the certification tests.

Perform As Many Practice Tests as You Can

Imagine you’re a world-class athlete. What makes you stand out from the crowd? The answer is practice, practice, and more practice. If you take these practice tests you’ll be cozier with the test format and typical questions.

You’ll be more confident and conversant with common exam questions when you take the actual test.

Hone your Techniques in Welding to Learn General Technical Skills

You’ll be expected to carry out general welding tasks during the practical part of the welding test. To get a welding certification, passing the practical expertise part is a requisite. Luckily, most institutions that teach welding stress hands-on training time.

Find an institution that has well-informed welding experts who are experienced. They’ll direct you during your training.

welding training vr
Image Credit: buffaloboy, Shutterstock

Utilize Resources Provided by Expert Associations

If you want to be an approved welder, get in touch with a chief professional organization for approved welders and welding inspectors. It provides various resources if you want to acquire welder certification.

The professional organization should be a premier distinguished authority for welder certification. They organize innumerable seminars and informative resources on the distinct specialties in welding.

A recognizable professional organization provides Accredited Test Facilities for holding and supervising approved welder tests.

When preparing to pass the welding certification test:

  • Determine which welding certification will apply to what you want to do. Numerous state and federal regulations impose several building rules, codes, and standards in welding.
  • Get an up-to-date copy of the test’s blueprint. Practice each welding type, working room clearance, all body positioning, and weather situations that you can be tested on.
  • Learn welding the two hardest positions and the broad steel plate on the exam. Once you excel in these two tests, then you’ll meet the set standards for all positions. You’ll also be qualified from 1/8-inch to limitless thickness if you pass the test using a 1-inch broad plate.
  • Practice carefully until each weld is perfect and continuously even. Usually, the most common failures are found on the first visual inspection.
  • Invite your perfectionist buddies to kvetch your work. Don’t depend on your supportive allies because they’ll only offer you excuses rather than helping you improve.
  • Don’t only go for a perfect surface weld. You can mask a poor weld to appear strong. If it passes through visual scrutiny, then the next thing to do is destructive testing, also known as the bend test.

What If You Don’t Pass a Welding Certification Exam?

Failing a welding exam doesn’t imply that that’s the end of your anticipated welding career. Usually, most welders are unsuccessful during the first attempt. To help you get ready for the welding exam, get in touch in advance and learn everything you need to know about the test.

However, before you prepare for it, at times, you have to fail the exam once. Fortunately, we have a lot of information that’ll help you get ready for the test.

Excel in Your Welding Test Using These Study Tips

These learning tips are designed to help you excel in welding certification tests. There are crucial steps to not just passing your welding test successfully but excelling in a welding certification test. They comprise getting exhaustive official training, tackling practice tests, honing your practical welding expertise, and practicing the use of esteemed test learning guides. You can also use the welding certification test resources provided by distinguished welding associations.


Featured Image Credit: dedek, Shutterstock

Cameron Dekker
 

Cameron grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a once-proud steel town on the Lehigh River, where he got a taste of TIG welding in his high school shop class. He holds certificates for Certified WeldingEducator (CWE) and Certified Resistance Welding Technician (CRWT) from the American Welding Institute. His interests include scuba diving, sculpture, and kayaking.