If you are an experienced welder seeking to obtain American Welding Society qualification, Swaby Academy offers professional weld testing services designed specifically for welders who are ready to demonstrate their skills and obtain a recognized qualification.

Scheduled AWS Testing

Our core four AWS welding processes on carbon steel are tested in positions 1G through 4G:

• SMAW – Shielded Metal Arc Welding

• GMAW – Gas Metal Arc Welding

• FCAW – Flux-Cored Arc Welding

• GTAW – Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

Current scheduled testing for these four standard processes is offered once per month. Testing is performed with a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) present on-site for visual monitoring and testing. Each candidate receives a practice plate prior to the official test, providing an opportunity to warm up, verify machine settings, and ensure readiness. Once the practice plate is completed, the candidate receives the official test plate for the qualification test. Upon completion, the test plate is evaluated on-site by the CWI.

Testing includes both visual inspection and destructive bend testing, with results provided immediately following the evaluation. Successful completion of the applicable testing requirements results in an AWS qualification for the specific welding process, material, thickness, and position tested, as applicable to the governing AWS standard or code.

Customized & Corporate Testing

Swaby Academy also offers customized and corporate weld testing for welders, contractors, employers, and organizations with specialized qualification requirements.

Customized and corporate testing may accommodate a wider range of welding positions, materials, processes, and qualification requirements, including, but not limited to, 1G through 6G positions, as well as specialized plate and pipe configurations.

Testing materials may include carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminum, galvanized steel, and other ferrous and non-ferrous materials, including, but not limited to, materials required for specific employer, project, industry, or code qualifications. Available welding processes may include SMAW, GMAW, FCAW, and GTAW.

Customized testing can also be structured around specific base materials, material thicknesses, pipe or plate configurations, filler metals, joint designs, welding positions, and applicable qualification standards or codes. This flexibility allows Swaby Academy to accommodate specialized qualification needs that fall outside our regularly scheduled monthly testing.

Customized and corporate testing, including 6G testing, specialized materials such as aluminum and stainless steel, and additional welding processes is available by special appointment only. These services are quoted and priced separately based on the specific testing requirements.

Testing Standards & Requirements

Testing is conducted according to the applicable American Welding Society (AWS) requirements and/or other specified qualification standards, depending on the type of qualification being requested. Because qualification requirements can vary based on the material, welding process, position, thickness, joint configuration, and governing code or specification, all candidates and companies are encouraged to contact us to discuss their specific testing needs.

All-Inclusive Scheduled Testing

For our regularly scheduled core-process testing, the test fee includes the testing coupon, testing fee, required consumables, on-site visual examination, destructive bend testing, and immediate test results. There are no additional material fees for scheduled testing.

Schedule Your Weld Test

After completing registration, contact Swaby Academy to schedule your weld test if it does not fall in our monthly scheduled slot to discuss customized and corporate testing requirements. You may schedule your next test by following the link below.