Welder screening questions: processes, positions, codes and AWS certification
On this page
- The vocabulary you need before the call
- AWS certification versus employer qualification
- Knockout questions
- Shop, structural, pipe or production: questions that separate them
- Safety and site questions
- Pay, travel and why they are moving
- How welding experience gets overstated, and a checklist
- Questions people ask
Welder screening questions have to pin down four specifics, because "welder" on a resume covers very different jobs: which process (stick, MIG, flux core or TIG), which positions they can weld in, which code or standard the work was inspected to, and whether they hold a current certification or qualification for it. Ask for the last test they passed in detail, and the last job that used it. A welder who can say "6G, 6010 root and 7018 cap, X-rayed, eight months ago" has given you more than a page of resume.
This bank is for welding and fabrication orders. General production and warehouse screens are in light industrial screening questions, which is the right starting point for machine operators and general laborers. Welders need their own screen because the job is defined by a test they either pass or do not, and many clients weld-test before hiring.
The vocabulary you need before the call
| Term | What it means | Why it matters to the order |
|---|---|---|
| SMAW (stick) | Shielded metal arc welding with coated electrodes, such as 6010 and 7018 | Common in structural, pipe and field repair work; works outdoors in wind |
| GMAW (MIG) | Gas metal arc welding with a wire feed and shielding gas | Common in production and fabrication shops; fast on thinner material |
| FCAW (flux core) | Wire-fed with a flux-cored wire, with or without gas | Common in structural steel erection and heavy fabrication |
| GTAW (TIG) | Gas tungsten arc welding with a separate filler rod | Stainless, aluminum, thin wall, sanitary and aerospace work; slower and more precise |
| Positions: 1G to 4G, 5G, 6G | Plate positions run flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead (1 to 4); pipe positions include 5G (horizontal fixed) and 6G (fixed at 45 degrees) | A welder qualified flat-only cannot be put on overhead work; 6G is a common pipe test |
| WPS | Welding procedure specification: the written parameters for a weld | Tells you whether the candidate is used to working to written procedures |
| Codes | AWS D1.1 (structural steel), ASME Section IX (qualification for pressure vessels and piping), API 1104 (pipelines), among others | The client's code decides which test the welder must pass |
AWS certification versus employer qualification
The AWS Certified Welder program is performance-based, with no prerequisite courses, and testing is done at AWS Accredited Test Facilities. AWS says certified welders must submit maintenance documentation every six months confirming they still perform the process they certified in, and that the National Registry of Welders is used by employers to verify certification (as of September 2026). The Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) is a separate credential for inspectors, not welders.
Many working welders are not AWS Certified Welders at all. They were qualified by an employer, who tested them to its own procedure under a code, and those records usually stay with that employer. Codes commonly include continuity rules, so a qualification can lapse if the welder has not used the process for a period. So the useful questions are the same either way: what was the test, when, and have you been welding that process since?
Expect the client to weld-test. A certificate gets a welder into the booth; it rarely replaces the client's own test. Ask the client what the test is before you screen, and tell the candidate.
Knockout questions
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| This job is mainly [process] on [material and thickness]. How much of your last year was that? | "Flux core on half-inch plate most days, some stick on repairs." | Their daily process is a different one, and the match is from years ago. |
| The client tests in [position]. What positions have you tested in, and when was the last test? | "3G and 4G on plate for D1.1, passed a bend test in March." | "All positions" without a test they can describe. |
| Do you hold a current certification or qualification for this work? Who holds the paperwork? | An AWS certification number, or "qualified at my current employer to their WPS, they keep the records." | A certificate from school, years ago, with no welding in that process since. |
| The client will give you a weld test on [date]. Are you comfortable with that? | A plain yes, and a question about the joint and position. | Reluctant to test, or wants the test waived because of experience. |
| The shift is [hours], at [shop or field site]. Can you work it, including [overtime / travel]? | Yes, or a specific limit. | Needs a different shift, mentioned only at the end. |
| The client provides [hood, leathers, tools] and expects you to bring [items]. Does that work? | Knows their kit. | A field pipe welder with no rig, for a role that expects one. |
Shop, structural, pipe or production: questions that separate them
| Setting | What the work usually involves | A question that tests it |
|---|---|---|
| Production welding | Repeat parts on fixtures, usually MIG, speed and consistency, sometimes robotic cells | "How many parts did you run in a shift, and how was quality checked?" |
| Fabrication shop | Building from drawings: layout, cutting, fitting and welding assemblies | "Walk me through fitting and welding the last assembly you built from a print." |
| Structural and erection | Beams, columns, connections, often flux core or stick, at height in the field | "What was the last structural job, and how were your welds inspected?" |
| Pipe | Process piping, pipelines, power plants; open root, stick or TIG, radiography | "What pipe sizes and schedules, which process on the root, and what percentage of your welds were X-rayed?" |
| TIG on stainless or aluminum | Food and pharma sanitary lines, aerospace, thin wall | "What material and thickness, and did you purge the line?" |
Experience questions with strong answers and red flags
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"Describe the last weld test you passed."
- Strong answer: process, electrode or wire, position, material and thickness, and how it was tested: bend test, X-ray, visual. Names where and when.
- Red flags: cannot describe the joint or the test method. Or the last test was in school.
-
"Have you ever failed a weld test or had a weld rejected? What happened?"
- Strong answer: a specific defect (porosity, lack of fusion, undercut), what caused it, and what they changed.
- Red flags: never, from someone with years of inspected work. Or blames the inspector.
-
"How do you read a weld symbol? Tell me what the last print you worked from called for."
- Strong answer: explains arrow side and other side, weld type and size, and a specific callout they worked to.
- Red flags: "the lead tells me what to weld," for a fabrication or fitter role.
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"Do you fit your own work, or does a fitter set it up?"
- Strong answer: clear about which, and if they fit: layout tools, tacking sequence, checking square and controlling distortion.
- Red flags: a welder-fitter order where the candidate has only welded what others fit.
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"What cutting and prep equipment do you use?"
- Strong answer: plasma, oxy-fuel, grinders, bevel machines, as relevant, and what they set up themselves.
- Red flags: no prep experience for a pipe role where they bevel their own joints.
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"Tell me about working to a WPS. Where did you find it, and what did it tell you?"
- Strong answer: knows where the procedure was posted and names parameters: amperage range, filler, preheat, interpass temperature.
- Red flags: never seen one, for code work.
Safety and site questions
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| What do you check before hot work in an area that is not a welding booth? | Clears or covers combustibles, a fire watch where required, a hot work permit, extinguisher nearby. OSHA's welding, cutting and brazing page sets out the hazards. | "I just start." |
| How do you deal with fumes, especially on galvanized or stainless? | Ventilation or extraction, a respirator when required, knows coated and stainless material need extra care. | Treats fumes as part of the job with no controls. |
| Have you welded at height? What fall protection did you use? | A harness and tie-off, a lift, the site's rules. | For a structural role, no height experience or no fall protection habit. |
| Does the client's site require an OSHA 10 or 30 card or a site orientation, and do you have it? | A card and year, or willing to complete it. | A card they cannot describe. |
Pay, travel and why they are moving
| Question | What a strong answer sounds like | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| The rate is [$X per hour, overtime after 40, per diem of $Y / rig pay]. What do you need to make a move? | An hourly figure plus what else they weigh: overtime, per diem, job length. | Only a headline rate, with no view of hours per week. |
| This is [a local shop / a turnaround for about X weeks / a traveling pipeline job]. Does that work? | A clear yes or a clear limit. | Says yes to travel, then asks about home every night. |
| Why are you leaving, or why did the last job end? | Project ended, wants pipe work, wants a shop with steady hours. | Several jobs ended at the weld test stage. |
Ask what they need, not what they earn now; pay history questions are restricted in a number of states and cities. Wording is in salary expectation questions.
How welding experience gets overstated, and a checklist
- School certificates as current certification. A test from a program years ago, with no welding in that process since.
- "All positions" without a test. Ask which positions they have actually passed.
- Tacking as welding. Fitters and helpers tack; that is not a qualified weld.
- MIG production described as fabrication. Running a fixture is not building from a print.
- Pipe experience on plate. "Pipe welder" who has only welded pipe in a school booth.
- TIG on mild steel described as stainless or aluminum. Ask the material.
Before you submit a welder
- Process, material and thickness in the last year match the order.
- Last test described: position, code, test method, date.
- Certification number checked, or employer qualification described with continuity since.
- Blueprint and fitting ability confirmed where the order needs it.
- Client's weld test explained and accepted.
- Hot work and fall protection answers are sound.
- Shift, travel and pay confirmed.
- Consent to submit for this client and role, with the date.
General information, not legal advice. Code requirements depend on the client's work and contracts, and hiring rules vary by state and city. Confirm with the client and your counsel.
Describe the physical work and ask whether they can do it, with or without accommodation: "The job involves welding overhead, working from lifts at height and standing for most of a ten-hour shift. Can you perform those duties, with or without accommodation?" Do not ask about eyesight, injuries or medical conditions before an offer; the EEOC's pre-employment guidance sets the limits. Leave criminal history to the client's process; see ban-the-box interview questions.
Process codes, positions and test dates are exactly the details that get swapped between candidates after a day of calls. Interview Signal captures phone screens through your computer's audio with no bot on the call, so "3G flux core, bend tested in March" stays attached to the right welder.
Questions people ask
Is an AWS certification the same as being certified to a code?
Not quite. An AWS Certified Welder is tested at an Accredited Test Facility to a specific procedure and code, and the certificate covers that process, position and material range. Many welders are instead qualified by their employer to a procedure under a code such as AWS D1.1 or ASME Section IX, and that qualification usually stays with the employer's records.
Does AWS welder certification expire?
AWS says certified welders must submit maintenance documentation every six months confirming they still perform the process they were certified in. If they keep that up, the certification continues; if not, it can lapse and require retesting.
How can I verify an AWS Certified Welder?
AWS keeps the National Registry of Welders, which it says employers use to verify certification. Ask the candidate for their certification number and the test they passed, then check it.
What does 6G mean on a welder's resume?
It refers to a pipe test position in which the pipe is fixed at a 45-degree angle, so the welder works through flat, vertical and overhead in one joint. Ask which process, pipe size and wall thickness the test used, and whether it was X-rayed or bend tested.