AWS Certified Welder Structural Steel
D1.1 Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
Q&A Instant Download Pdf
1. What is the primary purpose of AWS D1.1?
A. To establish requirements for welding structural steel
B. To establish requirements for welding aluminum aircraft
C. To regulate pressure-vessel fabrication
D. To establish requirements for plastic pipe welding
Answer: To establish requirements for welding structural steel
Rationale: AWS D1.1 provides requirements for the welding of structural steel,
including fabrication, qualification, inspection, and related welding practices.
2. Which organization publishes AWS D1.1?
A. ASME
B. API
C. AWS
D. ASTM
Answer: AWS
Rationale: The American Welding Society publishes AWS D1.1, the Structural
Welding Code—Steel.
3. What is the purpose of a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS)?
,A. To identify the welder's employer
B. To provide welding variables and instructions for making a weld
C. To replace inspection requirements
D. To determine the steel's purchase price
Answer: To provide welding variables and instructions for making a weld
Rationale: A WPS establishes the essential welding variables and practical
instructions needed to produce an acceptable weld.
4. What document records the actual variables used during procedure
qualification testing?
A. PQR
B. SDS
C. BOM
D. NCR
Answer: PQR
Rationale: A Procedure Qualification Record documents the actual variables and
test results used to qualify a welding procedure.
5. What does WPS stand for?
A. Weld Production Standard
B. Welding Procedure Specification
C. Welding Performance System
D. Weld Preparation Schedule
Answer: Welding Procedure Specification
Rationale: WPS is the standard abbreviation for Welding Procedure
Specification.
6. What does SMAW stand for?
,A. Shielded Metal Arc Welding
B. Submerged Metal Arc Welding
C. Standard Manual Arc Welding
D. Shielded Mechanical Arc Welding
Answer: Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Rationale: SMAW uses a flux-covered consumable electrode and an electric arc
to produce the weld.
7. What does FCAW stand for?
A. Flux-Cored Arc Welding
B. Flux-Controlled Automatic Welding
C. Flexible Core Arc Welding
D. Fused-Copper Arc Welding
Answer: Flux-Cored Arc Welding
Rationale: FCAW uses a tubular electrode containing flux and may be self-
shielded or gas-shielded.
8. What does GMAW stand for?
A. Gas Metal Arc Welding
B. Gas Manual Arc Welding
C. Grounded Metal Arc Welding
D. Gas-Molded Arc Welding
Answer: Gas Metal Arc Welding
Rationale: GMAW uses a continuously fed consumable wire electrode with
externally supplied shielding gas.
9. What does SAW stand for?
A. Shielded Arc Welding
B. Submerged Arc Welding
, C. Standard Arc Welding
D. Structural Automatic Welding
Answer: Submerged Arc Welding
Rationale: SAW uses a continuously fed electrode and granular flux that covers
the arc and weld zone.
10.What is the main function of shielding gas in GMAW?
A. Increase base-metal thickness
B. Protect the molten weld pool from atmospheric contamination
C. Harden the electrode
D. Remove all slag
Answer: Protect the molten weld pool from atmospheric contamination
Rationale: Shielding gas prevents atmospheric oxygen, nitrogen, and moisture
from contaminating the molten weld metal.
11.What is preheat?
A. Heating the electrode before welding
B. Heating the base metal before welding
C. Heating the weld after inspection
D. Heating shielding gas
Answer: Heating the base metal before welding
Rationale: Preheat raises the temperature of the base material before and
during welding to control cooling rate and reduce cracking risk.
12.Why is preheat important when welding certain structural steels?
A. It eliminates the need for filler metal
B. It can reduce the cooling rate and help minimize hydrogen cracking
C. It increases welding speed in every situation
D. It prevents all distortion
D1.1 Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026
Q&A Instant Download Pdf
1. What is the primary purpose of AWS D1.1?
A. To establish requirements for welding structural steel
B. To establish requirements for welding aluminum aircraft
C. To regulate pressure-vessel fabrication
D. To establish requirements for plastic pipe welding
Answer: To establish requirements for welding structural steel
Rationale: AWS D1.1 provides requirements for the welding of structural steel,
including fabrication, qualification, inspection, and related welding practices.
2. Which organization publishes AWS D1.1?
A. ASME
B. API
C. AWS
D. ASTM
Answer: AWS
Rationale: The American Welding Society publishes AWS D1.1, the Structural
Welding Code—Steel.
3. What is the purpose of a Welding Procedure Specification (WPS)?
,A. To identify the welder's employer
B. To provide welding variables and instructions for making a weld
C. To replace inspection requirements
D. To determine the steel's purchase price
Answer: To provide welding variables and instructions for making a weld
Rationale: A WPS establishes the essential welding variables and practical
instructions needed to produce an acceptable weld.
4. What document records the actual variables used during procedure
qualification testing?
A. PQR
B. SDS
C. BOM
D. NCR
Answer: PQR
Rationale: A Procedure Qualification Record documents the actual variables and
test results used to qualify a welding procedure.
5. What does WPS stand for?
A. Weld Production Standard
B. Welding Procedure Specification
C. Welding Performance System
D. Weld Preparation Schedule
Answer: Welding Procedure Specification
Rationale: WPS is the standard abbreviation for Welding Procedure
Specification.
6. What does SMAW stand for?
,A. Shielded Metal Arc Welding
B. Submerged Metal Arc Welding
C. Standard Manual Arc Welding
D. Shielded Mechanical Arc Welding
Answer: Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Rationale: SMAW uses a flux-covered consumable electrode and an electric arc
to produce the weld.
7. What does FCAW stand for?
A. Flux-Cored Arc Welding
B. Flux-Controlled Automatic Welding
C. Flexible Core Arc Welding
D. Fused-Copper Arc Welding
Answer: Flux-Cored Arc Welding
Rationale: FCAW uses a tubular electrode containing flux and may be self-
shielded or gas-shielded.
8. What does GMAW stand for?
A. Gas Metal Arc Welding
B. Gas Manual Arc Welding
C. Grounded Metal Arc Welding
D. Gas-Molded Arc Welding
Answer: Gas Metal Arc Welding
Rationale: GMAW uses a continuously fed consumable wire electrode with
externally supplied shielding gas.
9. What does SAW stand for?
A. Shielded Arc Welding
B. Submerged Arc Welding
, C. Standard Arc Welding
D. Structural Automatic Welding
Answer: Submerged Arc Welding
Rationale: SAW uses a continuously fed electrode and granular flux that covers
the arc and weld zone.
10.What is the main function of shielding gas in GMAW?
A. Increase base-metal thickness
B. Protect the molten weld pool from atmospheric contamination
C. Harden the electrode
D. Remove all slag
Answer: Protect the molten weld pool from atmospheric contamination
Rationale: Shielding gas prevents atmospheric oxygen, nitrogen, and moisture
from contaminating the molten weld metal.
11.What is preheat?
A. Heating the electrode before welding
B. Heating the base metal before welding
C. Heating the weld after inspection
D. Heating shielding gas
Answer: Heating the base metal before welding
Rationale: Preheat raises the temperature of the base material before and
during welding to control cooling rate and reduce cracking risk.
12.Why is preheat important when welding certain structural steels?
A. It eliminates the need for filler metal
B. It can reduce the cooling rate and help minimize hydrogen cracking
C. It increases welding speed in every situation
D. It prevents all distortion