CWB LEVEL 2 CORE EXAM 2026 TEST QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔In a welding symbol, is the length of the weld located to the LEFT or RIGHT of the
fillet weld symbol? - ✔✔RIGHT
✔✔In what direction do the electrons flow in an electrical arc?
(A) anode --> cathode
(B) cathode --> anode - ✔✔(B) cathode --> anode
✔✔In arc welding, the arc temperature can exceed temperatures of __________ °
Celsius? - ✔✔30,000
✔✔Which welding process has the highest arc efficiency? - ✔✔SAW
✔✔Arc voltage __________ when arc length is increased.
[Increased / Decreased] - ✔✔Increases
✔✔In GTAW, what type of penetration and weld width can be expected when using
DCEP? - ✔✔Shallow penetration, and wide weld
✔✔Which polarity is most often chosen for direct current GTAW welding of steels and
why? - ✔✔DCEN. More heat concentrated at the workpiece --> deeper penetration
✔✔Does SMAW use CC or CV? - ✔✔CC
✔✔For out-of-position welding, would you select a small or large diameter electrode? -
✔✔A small diameter electrode
✔✔Does GMAW use CC or CV? - ✔✔CV
✔✔What happens to the SAW weld when you switch from DCEP to DCEN? -
✔✔Increased deposition rate, but less penetration
✔✔What is the temperature for storing low-hydrogen electrodes? - ✔✔120° Celsius
✔✔When using a consumable electrode in DCEN, the majority of the heat is
concentrated on the __________.
(A) Electrode
(B) Workpiece - ✔✔(A) Electrode
,✔✔When using a non-consumable electrode in DCEN, the majority of the heat is
concentrated on the __________.
(A) Electrode
(B) Workpiece - ✔✔(B) Workpiece
✔✔Which has a "drooping" curve characteristic - CC or CV? - ✔✔CC
✔✔AC transformer welding power sources use a:
(A) step-up transformer
(B) step-down transformer - ✔✔(B) Step-down transformer
✔✔What is a diode used for in a welding machine?
(A) To produce AC current
(B) To produce DC current - ✔✔(B) To produce DC current
✔✔The typical duty cycle for a Class 1 industrial welding power source is:
(A) 20%
(B) 35%
(C) 60%
(D) 150% - ✔✔(C) 60%
✔✔What current/polarity is used when welding aluminum with GTAW?
(A) DCEN
(B) DCEP
(C) AC - ✔✔(C) AC
✔✔True or False: a welding cable size designation "No. 4" is larger than a "No. 2". -
✔✔False.
Cable sizes (smallest-to-largest) are:
4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 1/0 - 2/0 - 3/0 - 4/0
✔✔To increase the melting rate (burn-off rate) of a SMAW electrode, which polarity
would you use? - ✔✔DCEN
✔✔Is it possible to operate a wire-feed welding process using constant current? -
✔✔Yes - but you must use a voltage-sensing wire-feeder to obtain a self-regulating arc.
,✔✔A transformer is a device that:
(A) transforms AC to DC
(B) transforms DC to AC
(C) changes the value of AC - ✔✔(C) changes the value of AC
✔✔A rectifier is a device that:
(A) transforms AC to DC
(B) transforms DC to AC
(C) changes the value of AC - ✔✔(A) transforms AC to DC
✔✔I = V/R and V = IR
are examples of what law? - ✔✔Ohm's Law
✔✔In Ohm's Law (I = V/R), what do each of the letters mean? - ✔✔I = Current (in
amps)
R = Resistance (in ohms)
V = Voltage (in volts)
✔✔What benefit to the weld deposit does cellulose provide in a SMAW electrode
coating? - ✔✔Improves ductility
✔✔The impact toughness of the weld deposit for the
B-G 49A 3C G6 (ER49S-6) electrode is:
(A) not specified
(B) 27 J at 0 degrees Celsius
(C) 27 J at -30 degrees Celsius
(D) 27 J at -6 degrees Celsius - ✔✔(C) 27 J at -30° Celsius
✔✔The result of increased nitrogen content in the final weld deposit will be:
(A) cracking
(B) undercut
(C) poor bead appearance
(D) porosity - ✔✔(D) porosity
✔✔The following electrode is NOT gas-shielded:
(A) E491T-1
(B) E492C-3
(C) E492T-3
(D) E492T-5 - ✔✔(C) E492T-3
, ✔✔According to AWS, a brown tungsten electrode will be composed of tungsten and
which alloying ingredient?
(A) zirconium oxide
(B) thorium oxide
(C) cerium oxide - ✔✔(A) zirconium oxide
✔✔The tensile value of an electrode designation is typically designated by CSA in ____.
(A) kPa
(B) MPa
(C) psi - ✔✔(B) MPa
✔✔What temperature does CSA W59 require low-hydrogen electrodes to be held at? -
✔✔120° Celsius
✔✔What does the suffix "-1" attached to electrode designations E4918 and E4924
indicate? - ✔✔Improved impact properties
✔✔Which of the following SAW fluxes may be gathered and re-used?
(A) Fused
(B) Bonded - ✔✔(A) Fused
✔✔What is the green colour tungsten electrode composed of? - ✔✔Pure tungsten
✔✔What nominal percentage of thorium oxide does a red colour tungsten electrode
contain? - ✔✔2%
✔✔True or False: Weld metal shrinkage is proportional to the amount of weld metal. -
✔✔True
✔✔In an assembly with both groove and fillet welds, which should be welded first? -
✔✔Groove welds
✔✔The contraction effects in weld metal that are of greater magnitude, and therefore
more serious are:
(A) longitudinal
(B) transverse - ✔✔(B) transverse
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔In a welding symbol, is the length of the weld located to the LEFT or RIGHT of the
fillet weld symbol? - ✔✔RIGHT
✔✔In what direction do the electrons flow in an electrical arc?
(A) anode --> cathode
(B) cathode --> anode - ✔✔(B) cathode --> anode
✔✔In arc welding, the arc temperature can exceed temperatures of __________ °
Celsius? - ✔✔30,000
✔✔Which welding process has the highest arc efficiency? - ✔✔SAW
✔✔Arc voltage __________ when arc length is increased.
[Increased / Decreased] - ✔✔Increases
✔✔In GTAW, what type of penetration and weld width can be expected when using
DCEP? - ✔✔Shallow penetration, and wide weld
✔✔Which polarity is most often chosen for direct current GTAW welding of steels and
why? - ✔✔DCEN. More heat concentrated at the workpiece --> deeper penetration
✔✔Does SMAW use CC or CV? - ✔✔CC
✔✔For out-of-position welding, would you select a small or large diameter electrode? -
✔✔A small diameter electrode
✔✔Does GMAW use CC or CV? - ✔✔CV
✔✔What happens to the SAW weld when you switch from DCEP to DCEN? -
✔✔Increased deposition rate, but less penetration
✔✔What is the temperature for storing low-hydrogen electrodes? - ✔✔120° Celsius
✔✔When using a consumable electrode in DCEN, the majority of the heat is
concentrated on the __________.
(A) Electrode
(B) Workpiece - ✔✔(A) Electrode
,✔✔When using a non-consumable electrode in DCEN, the majority of the heat is
concentrated on the __________.
(A) Electrode
(B) Workpiece - ✔✔(B) Workpiece
✔✔Which has a "drooping" curve characteristic - CC or CV? - ✔✔CC
✔✔AC transformer welding power sources use a:
(A) step-up transformer
(B) step-down transformer - ✔✔(B) Step-down transformer
✔✔What is a diode used for in a welding machine?
(A) To produce AC current
(B) To produce DC current - ✔✔(B) To produce DC current
✔✔The typical duty cycle for a Class 1 industrial welding power source is:
(A) 20%
(B) 35%
(C) 60%
(D) 150% - ✔✔(C) 60%
✔✔What current/polarity is used when welding aluminum with GTAW?
(A) DCEN
(B) DCEP
(C) AC - ✔✔(C) AC
✔✔True or False: a welding cable size designation "No. 4" is larger than a "No. 2". -
✔✔False.
Cable sizes (smallest-to-largest) are:
4 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 1/0 - 2/0 - 3/0 - 4/0
✔✔To increase the melting rate (burn-off rate) of a SMAW electrode, which polarity
would you use? - ✔✔DCEN
✔✔Is it possible to operate a wire-feed welding process using constant current? -
✔✔Yes - but you must use a voltage-sensing wire-feeder to obtain a self-regulating arc.
,✔✔A transformer is a device that:
(A) transforms AC to DC
(B) transforms DC to AC
(C) changes the value of AC - ✔✔(C) changes the value of AC
✔✔A rectifier is a device that:
(A) transforms AC to DC
(B) transforms DC to AC
(C) changes the value of AC - ✔✔(A) transforms AC to DC
✔✔I = V/R and V = IR
are examples of what law? - ✔✔Ohm's Law
✔✔In Ohm's Law (I = V/R), what do each of the letters mean? - ✔✔I = Current (in
amps)
R = Resistance (in ohms)
V = Voltage (in volts)
✔✔What benefit to the weld deposit does cellulose provide in a SMAW electrode
coating? - ✔✔Improves ductility
✔✔The impact toughness of the weld deposit for the
B-G 49A 3C G6 (ER49S-6) electrode is:
(A) not specified
(B) 27 J at 0 degrees Celsius
(C) 27 J at -30 degrees Celsius
(D) 27 J at -6 degrees Celsius - ✔✔(C) 27 J at -30° Celsius
✔✔The result of increased nitrogen content in the final weld deposit will be:
(A) cracking
(B) undercut
(C) poor bead appearance
(D) porosity - ✔✔(D) porosity
✔✔The following electrode is NOT gas-shielded:
(A) E491T-1
(B) E492C-3
(C) E492T-3
(D) E492T-5 - ✔✔(C) E492T-3
, ✔✔According to AWS, a brown tungsten electrode will be composed of tungsten and
which alloying ingredient?
(A) zirconium oxide
(B) thorium oxide
(C) cerium oxide - ✔✔(A) zirconium oxide
✔✔The tensile value of an electrode designation is typically designated by CSA in ____.
(A) kPa
(B) MPa
(C) psi - ✔✔(B) MPa
✔✔What temperature does CSA W59 require low-hydrogen electrodes to be held at? -
✔✔120° Celsius
✔✔What does the suffix "-1" attached to electrode designations E4918 and E4924
indicate? - ✔✔Improved impact properties
✔✔Which of the following SAW fluxes may be gathered and re-used?
(A) Fused
(B) Bonded - ✔✔(A) Fused
✔✔What is the green colour tungsten electrode composed of? - ✔✔Pure tungsten
✔✔What nominal percentage of thorium oxide does a red colour tungsten electrode
contain? - ✔✔2%
✔✔True or False: Weld metal shrinkage is proportional to the amount of weld metal. -
✔✔True
✔✔In an assembly with both groove and fillet welds, which should be welded first? -
✔✔Groove welds
✔✔The contraction effects in weld metal that are of greater magnitude, and therefore
more serious are:
(A) longitudinal
(B) transverse - ✔✔(B) transverse
