Welder qualification test to EN ISO 9606-1
What actually happens on the day, what the code on the certificate means, and what the piece of paper does and does not entitle you to do.
The test itself
You weld a test piece — a plate or a pipe — to a pWPS, in the position and with the process being qualified, under the eye of an examiner. Nothing exotic is asked for: the point is to show that you can produce a sound joint under normal conditions and to a written instruction.
The piece then goes for examination. Visual inspection first, to the acceptance levels of ISO 5817 — usually level B. Then, depending on the material and thickness, radiography or ultrasonics, and bend tests or a fracture test. A macro-section may be taken. Anything the visual inspection rejects ends the matter there, which is why the surface finish of the test piece is worth the extra ten minutes.
Reading the certificate code
A designation looks like this:
EN ISO 9606-1 135 P FW FM1 S t10 PB ml
- 135 — the process, here MAG with solid wire.
- P — plate (T would be tube).
- FW — fillet weld (BW butt weld).
- FM1 — the filler material group.
- S — solid wire.
- t10 — test piece thickness 10 mm.
- PB — the position.
- ml — multi-run, welded from one side without backing.
Every field limits what you may weld. The one welders most often overlook is the material group: a certificate on group 1 steel says nothing about stainless. The thickness, diameter and position ranges are worked out by the qualification range calculator.
What the ranges mean in practice
A 10 mm plate test typically covers 5 to 20 mm. A pipe test at 114 mm outside diameter covers 57 mm and up. Multi-run and single-run test pieces qualify different ranges, because the thermal cycle is different — this is the trap in table 6, and it catches people who assume the thickness rule is the whole story.
Keeping it alive
Every six months, a signature from the employer confirming you have worked within the range. Every three years, either a re-test or — where the route is available — an extension based on documented production tests. Keep copies: certificates are regularly lost by the company that holds them, and reissuing one from the certifying body is easier than sitting the test again.
What the certificate does not do is authorise the joint on its own. The procedure has to be qualified too, and that is the WPS. Both documents, every time.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the certificate valid?
Three years, but only if the employer signs every six months that you have been welding within its range. A missed signature ends it early, and that — not the three-year date — is the usual reason a certificate turns out to be invalid on site.
Is a certificate from one EU country valid in another?
Yes. EN ISO 9606-1 is a European standard, and a certificate issued by an accredited body is recognised across the Union. What does not travel is the manufacturer's procedure qualification and factory production control — those stay with the company.
Which position should I take the test in?
The hardest one you can pass. Positions cover downwards, so PF covers PA and PB while PA covers almost nothing else. On pipe, H-L045 is the single test with the widest coverage. Paying twice to sit an easy test and then a hard one is the expensive route.
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