CWB welding tickets for millwrights in Canada
Millwrights weld, but a "CWB ticket" works differently from most credentials. It's tied to your employer. Here is how it works.
Facts checked on the CWB Group website as of November 2026. Check with CWB or your employer for your situation.
What it is and who it's for
A CWB welder qualification shows you passed a witnessed practical weld test in a set process and position. CWB calls it the only nationally recognized welding credential in Canada. Millwrights who build or repair bases, frames, guards and structural supports may need one, depending on what they weld and for whom.
Who issues it
CWB Group (Canadian Welding Bureau). Tests are witnessed by a CWB representative.
Required or voluntary?
Required for some work. CWB says welders on certain products, buildings and bridge structures, or their parts, under CSA standards W47.1, W47.2, W55.3 or W186 must be CWB-qualified and work for a CWB-certified company. Whether your job falls under those standards is your employer's call. Welding on pressure piping and boilers is covered by separate provincial rules. Check with your provincial safety authority.
How you get tested
- In-house, if you work for a CWB-certified (or applicant) company.
- At a CWB Accredited Test Centre. Each centre sets its own schedule and fees.
- Through a CWB-accredited union hall, if you're a member.
- At CWB's own test centre in Nisku, Alberta.
Test classifications
| Class | Covers |
|---|---|
| FW | Fillet welds and tack welds |
| S | Full-thickness groove welds from both sides, or one side with backing. Also covers FW. |
| T | Full-thickness groove welds from one side without backing. Also covers S and FW. |
Each test qualifies you for the process and position you tested in.
Cost
CWB doesn't publish one price. Test centres set their own fees, and many employers pay for tests.
How long it lasts
- Most qualifications last two years. Check the date on your card.
- You can do a check test within 90 days before or after expiry. After that, it's a full test.
- It stays valid only while you work for a certified company. If you leave, transferable cards are revoked unless a certified company hires you within three months.
- It can also be revoked if you don't use the process for three months or more.
How it connects to the Red Seal exam
Cutting and welding is task A-6 in the Red Seal exam weightings: 16 % of the common occupational skills section, which is 16 % of the exam. That is about three or four questions out of 135 (our estimate), on oxy-fuel, plasma and air carbon arc cutting, SMAW, GMAW, FCAW and GTAW, and welding equipment.
How CrewForge helps
Welding and cutting lessons for the Red Seal exam are coming in the CrewForge program. They teach the theory the exam asks about. They don't replace a CWB test, which is a hands-on weld.
Practice questions
Written by CrewForge for practice. Not taken from any CWB test or CSA standard.
1. A fillet weld has a 3/8 in leg. What is its theoretical throat?
About 0.265 in (6.7 mm). For an equal-leg fillet, throat = 0.707 × leg. 0.707 × 0.375 = 0.265 in. In metric, 0.375 in = 9.5 mm, and 0.707 × 9.5 = 6.7 mm.
2. You passed a T-class test. Can you also do fillet welds in the same process and position?
Yes. A T qualification also covers S and FW.
3. Your ticket expired 60 days ago. Do you need a full test?
Not yet. CWB allows a check test within 90 days before or after expiry. Past 90 days, you need a full test.
4. Why do you preheat thick, high-carbon steel before welding?
To slow the cooling. Fast cooling makes a hard, brittle zone next to the weld that can crack. Preheat slows it down. Follow the welding procedure for the temperature.
Get ready for the whole Red Seal exam
CrewForge is building lessons for every section of the millwright exam, welding and cutting included.
CrewForge is not affiliated with or endorsed by CWB Group or CSA Group.