Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When it was established in 1969, CSWIP originally stood for "Certification Scheme for Weldment Inspection Personnel."

However, over the years a wider range of schemes have been added to the programme, such as plastics, painting and brazing, and so it now represents "Certification Scheme for Personnel."

For more information about CSWIP please see our About Us page.

All CSWIP schemes are overseen by TWI Certification Ltd’s Governing Board, the Certification Management Board (CMB). The CMB also establishes Management Committees with specialist knowledge for specific schemes. The CMB and Management Committee members are industrial stakeholders who ensure that all CSWIP schemes are in compliance with international standards and meet the needs of industry.

Please contact TWI Certification Ltd with your full name, date of birth and brief details on how/why your certificate/ID card came to be misplaced and we will investigate.

Please note there may be an administrative charge for this.

Please contact TWI Certification Ltd with your full name, date of birth and brief details and we will investigate this for you.

Please note an administrative charge may be applicable if it is discovered that the details on the certificate are the same as those provided on the enrolment form.

The personal stamp is a tool that allows a "fixed" record of your status that can be used on records, reports, etc. It contains the certification body (CSWIP), your name, your unique customer/candidate number and your certification. The unique number is only known by TWI Certification Ltd (TWI Cert), therefore, if a client wants to verify your credentials they can call TWI Cert with this number.

Should we add the certificate number to the stamp, it would make it invalid every 5 years and this would become an added expense for the inspector.

We are unable to provide a list of persons qualified to a specific scheme, as this is against the Data Protection Act which we have to comply with.

If you wish to check the validity of an individual’s certification, please use our online verification website.

On the bottom of every CSWIP/BGAS-CSWIP certificate is a statement that reads "This certificate is the property of TWI Certification Ltd and must be surrendered on request."

Our experience is that sponsoring employers often retain the CSWIP certificates but provide the employee with the ID card and certificate number, which is sufficient to prove validity using the online verification services.

An application for renewal or recertification does not require original certificates, however all other requirements for renewal, including CPD and continued practice, preferably evidenced by log book records, must be satisfied. Please see Renewal page for details on specific certificates.

TWI Certification Ltd (TWI Cert), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Welding Institute, was formed in 1993 to exemplify the independence and impartiality required to deliver certification in accordance with international standards. Accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to BS EN ISO/IEC 17065, the international standard for bodies certifying products, processes and services; TWI Cert develops and implements certification schemes, approves training courses and authorises assessments to satisfy industry needs.

Through its Personnel Certification section, TWI Cert provides personnel competence assurance certification via the CSWIP and BGAS-CSWIP schemes. CSWIP certificates provide employer confidence in compliance with current standards and regulations, and offers assurance to their customers that their staff are competent and can deliver a quality product whilst maintaining the necessary safety requirements.

Company Certification, which provides certification for manufacturers in accordance with a number of standards. These are: Welding Fabricator Certification Scheme (WFCS) in accordance with ISO 3834, Conformity Assessment of the Execution of Steel and Aluminium Structures (CAESAS) in accordance to EN 1090-1, Certification for Welding of Railway Vehicles and Components (CWRVC) in accordance to EN 15085-2, and Certification of Manufacture of Special Materials (CMSM) in accordance with ISO 17782 (NORSOK M-650). These products have a direct relationship to the success and profitability of companies worldwide by enabling them to show compliance with European and International product standards. In addition, Company Certification offers a Certification Scheme for Welder Training Organisations (CSWTO).

In conjunction with this, TWI Cert is also an approved End Point Assessment Organisation, under the new Apprenticeship Standards, and the Authorised Nominated Body and Authorised Nominated Body for Company Certification for the European Welding Federation (EWF) and the International Institute of Welding (IIW).

More information about TWI Certification Ltd can be found on its website: www.twicertification.com.

CSWIP is a brand and only CSWIP can issue stamps bearing the name CSWIP. As a CSWIP certificate holder you are expected to act in a professional manner in accordance with the "CSWIP rules" and those who do not use a CSWIP recognised stamp are in breach of these rules.

For details on the CSWIP stamps please see our Merchandise page.

Those individuals who have been banned from holding a certificate issued by TWI Cert, including CSWIP, BGAS-CSWIP and the EWF/IIW Welding Coordinator Diploma, are listed here.

It is not mandatory to maintain your CSWIP Welding Inspector once you have gained your CSWIP Senior Welding Inspector. However, should you wish to do so, you can maintain both certificates. Please see our Renewals page for details on how to renew your certificates.

CSWIP certificates provide role-specific competence assurance. They are not formal educational qualifications, so they do not exist in the academic scale of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF).

However, we are able to provide some correlation in regards to certain certificates. For example, the CSWIP Senior Welding Inspector has been approved by the Engineering Council as meeting the academic criteria for Engineering Technician (EngTech) registration. The standard academic requirements for EngTech is a level 3 qualification. So, while the CSWIP Senior Welding Inspector is not formally recognised within the Regulated Qualification Framework as a level 3 qualification, gaining EngTech through a CSWIP certificate would demonstrate that you have the same level of knowledge and understanding of at least a level 3 qualification.

There are a number of CSWIP certificates that have been approved by the Engineering Council as meeting the academic requirements for EngTech. Holders of these CSWIP certificates can take advantage of CSWIP's Registration Scheme, which is a very quick and simple method of gaining a professional qualification. For more information please see the TechWeldI Registration and AWeldI Registration pages.

For more information on professional membership and registration with the Engineering Council, please see The Welding Institute website.

Welding Inspection is not covered by ISO 9712:2012 as the standard states, under Section 1 Scope, "The certification covers proficiency in one or more of the following methods," to which sub-clause j) visual testing (direct unaided visual tests) and visual tests carried out during the application of another NDT method are excluded.

There has been an ongoing confusion amongst specifiers that compliance with ISO 9712 is required for welding inspection. Unfortunately, ISO 9712 Visual Testing (VT) method, even for Level 2 operators, is more related to use of optical instruments for inspection than inspection of welds. As such, most, if not all, Level 2 VT courses and examinations do not sufficiently address the understanding of welding technology, weld metallurgy and welding defects that is necessary to underpin the competence of welding inspectors.

The standard for welding inspection is BS EN ISO 17637:2016 "Non-destructive testing of welds - Visual testing of fusion-welded joints," and the CSWIP Welding Inspector scheme is in compliance with this standard.

For all examination queries, please contact TWI Examinations.

How and when can I apply to renew my CSWIP/ BGAS-CSWIP certificate?

You can apply to renew your CSWIP/BGAS-CSWIP certificate up to six months prior to your certificate expiry.

For further details on renewals please see the Renewal page.

This is dependent on the length of time that has passed since your expiry date:

0-6 months: You may be able to renew, please contact us for details, however you will be required to pay a late renewal fee.

6-12 months: For those with a valid reason for missing their renewal, applications for dispensations can be sent to the Appeals Panel. There is a non-refundable administration charge applicable. Please contact us for the relevant application form.

12 months and over: You are unable to renew and will be required to sit the initial examination again. Please contact TWI Examinations.

Please note: this does not apply to CSWIP Underwater Inspector, ROV Inspector or Inspection controllers - please see the FAQ below for details.

Certificate holders should contact CSWIP as soon as they become aware of their certificate’s expiry. Normally, renewal examinations should be conducted prior to the certificate expiry, however, candidates can request up to 3 months extra time in which to complete the exam post the certificate expiry. Requests should be made in writing to CSWIP explaining the circumstances as to why an extension is necessary.

Please note: This is extra time to sit the exam, not an extension to the certificate expiry date. Work carried out beyond the expiry date has no certificate cover.

If the certificate’s expiry is greater than 3 months, for those with a valid reason for missing their renewal, then applications for dispensations can be sent to the Appeals Panel of the CSWIP In-Service Inspection Management Committee. There is a non-refundable administration charge applicable. Please contact us for the relevant application form.

Most CSWIP/BGAS-CSWIP schemes run on a 5-year/10-year renewal cycle. This will mean that every 10 years – from when the certificate was initially gained - candidates will be required to sit the 10 year recertification examination.

Please see the Renewal page for specific details on individual certificates and how to apply for your 10-year recertification.

All CSWIP certificates are issued on a strict date received order, from the date the examination paperwork is received in the CSWIP office. This ensures that all candidates are treated equally.

This means it can take several weeks for a certificate to be issued, especially in busier periods.

Once certification has been issued, your certificate details can be found on the CSWIP verification website, by inputting your customer/candidate number and date of birth.

Every certificate holder who submits their renewal paperwork will receive an email confirming its receipt. If you do not receive an email, please review your Junk/Spam folder as it may have been sent there by your email provider.

Please add our email address - cswipapplications@twi.co.uk - to your address book to ensure our emails are delivered straight to your inbox in the future.

Full guidance on the CSWIP logbook and how it should be completed can be found on our website: here.

For FAQs and updates regarding the temporary suspension of TWI Certification Ltd’s ISO/IEC 17024 UKAS accreditation, please refer to the official statement published on the CSWIP website.