Can a WPS reference more than one PQR?

Yes. AWS D1.1 allows a WPS to be supported by multiple PQRs. This is common when no single test coupon spans the full thickness, position, or process combination the WPS needs to cover.

How do qualification ranges from multiple PQRs combine on one WPS?

Each PQR contributes its own qualification range for each essential variable. A thin-material PQR and a thick-material PQR together can fill a gap that neither covers alone. The WPS is limited to the actual qualified range contributed by each PQR — ranges don't multiply, they stack.

Do all PQRs supporting a WPS need to use the same process?

Yes. PQRs that support a single WPS must cover the same process. You cannot combine a SMAW PQR with a GMAW PQR to support one WPS listing both processes — those need separate WPSs or the WPS must cite separate PQRs for each process clearly.

What does an auditor check when a WPS lists multiple PQRs?

They verify that each PQR has its own signed test record, mechanical test results meeting D1.1 acceptance criteria, and CWI witness. They also confirm the combined ranges actually cover the parameters stated on the WPS, not just that the PQRs exist.

Multiple PQRs supporting one WPS under AWS D1.1

A single WPS can cite more than one PQR when no one test record covers the full range needed. Here is when that applies and how to document it correctly.

Most shops build their WPS library the obvious way: one procedure qualification record (PQR) supports one welding procedure specification (WPS). That works until you run into a job where no single PQR covers everything the WPS needs to claim — the thickness range is too wide, the position combination wasn't on the original test, or you want to expand an existing WPS without scrapping it. That is when multiple PQRs come in.

AWS D1.1 allows a WPS to reference more than one PQR, provided the PQRs collectively establish the qualification range the WPS claims. Understanding when and how to use this correctly keeps you from either over-qualifying (and over-spending on test coupons) or under-qualifying (and discovering the gap during a third-party audit).

The more common direction: one PQR, many WPSs

Before going further, it is worth distinguishing this from the reverse pattern. Many shops generate one PQR — a robust test record with a thick test plate, multiple positions, and full mechanical testing — and then derive several WPSs from it. Each WPS sits within the qualification range that PQR establishes. This is efficient and documented in multiple WPSs from a single PQR.

The scenario here is different: a single WPS that needs more than one PQR to cover its stated range. This happens when:

The WPS covers a thickness range wider than any single PQR provides
The WPS covers positions that weren't all tested in one session
The shop has two existing PQRs from separate projects, and it makes sense to combine their ranges under a new consolidated WPS rather than maintain both parent WPSs

When a single PQR's range falls short

Under AWS D1.1, the qualified thickness range from a PQR is based on the test plate or pipe thickness and the rules in Clause 6 (Table 6.6 for essential variables). For a production weld on 1-inch plate, the qualification range from a 3/4-inch test plate typically extends down to a minimum and up to the maximum allowed by the table.

If a shop needs a WPS that covers both thin gussets (say 3/16 inch) and heavy column splices (say 2-1/2 inch), a single PQR may not span that range without using an unusually thick test plate. Two PQRs — one on thin material and one on heavy plate — each contribute their range, and together they support a WPS with a broader thickness range than either PQR alone.

The key rule: the WPS cannot claim a range beyond what its supporting PQRs collectively establish. If PQR-001 qualifies thickness T1 to T2, and PQR-002 qualifies T3 to T4, the combined WPS covers T1 through T4 only if there is no gap between T2 and T3. A gap means you need a third PQR to fill it, or you must cap the WPS's stated range.

Position combinations

Position is another common driver. A shop might have an older PQR from flat-position plate work and a newer PQR that added the vertical and overhead positions. Rather than writing a new WPS, they can update the existing WPS to reference both PQRs and claim the full position range that the two together establish.

The same principle applies: the WPS can only claim positions actually tested across the supporting PQRs. If PQR-001 covered 1G and 2G and PQR-002 added 3G and 4G on the same process and filler metal, the WPS can now list all four positions. But if the processes or F-numbers differ between the PQRs, combining them on one WPS becomes more complicated and usually isn't permissible.

For a review of how positions qualify each other under D1.1, see welder qualification positions and ranges — the same position hierarchy logic applies when reading combined PQR coverage.

Essential variable alignment

When two PQRs support one WPS, all essential variables under Table 6.6 must be consistent, or each PQR must independently support the WPS for its portion of the range. For example:

Filler metal F-number: both PQRs should use the same F-number (or both cover the F-number the WPS specifies). If PQR-001 used E7018 (F4) and PQR-002 used E6010 (F3), you cannot combine them into a WPS that lists F4 only — PQR-002 doesn't support that claim.
Preheat and interpass: each PQR was run at a specific minimum preheat. The WPS preheat must be ≥ the minimum established by the higher-preheat PQR.
PWHT: if one PQR was run with PWHT and the other without, they cannot jointly support a WPS that claims both with-PWHT and without-PWHT conditions — those are separate essential variable states requiring separate support.

If CVN (Charpy impact) testing was required on the PQRs, the supplementary essential variables under Table 6.8 must also be met by each PQR independently. CVN results do not pool between PQRs; each record must show passing CVN results for the conditions it supports.

Rule library based on AWS D1.1:2025; verify against your governing edition.

Documentation on the WPS form

The WPS must explicitly list every PQR that supports it. Using AWS Annex M format or an equivalent form, there is typically a field for "Supporting PQR Number(s)." Enter all PQR numbers that the WPS relies on.

For each PQR listed:

The PQR must be on file with full mechanical test results
The PQR must be signed by the CWI who witnessed the test
The PQR date must predate the WPS effective date (you cannot backdate a PQR to support a WPS that was in use before the test was run)

Auditors routinely request all PQRs referenced on a WPS, not just the primary one. If any PQR is missing or has incomplete mechanical test data, the WPS's qualification range is effectively narrower than stated — or potentially unsupported entirely.

For a breakdown of what mechanical test data belongs on a PQR, see PQR tensile and bend test requirements under AWS D1.1.

When to use this approach and when not to

Use multiple PQRs on one WPS when:

You have two PQRs from different projects that together cover a range useful for future work, and maintaining two parent WPSs would be redundant
A specific job requires a thickness or position range that a single new PQR won't span efficiently
An existing WPS is being expanded after the shop qualifies additional positions or base material thicknesses

Don't combine PQRs on one WPS when:

The PQRs differ in process, filler metal class, or any other essential variable — those differences mean the WPS cannot apply uniformly
The intent is to avoid requalification when one PQR expired or had a test failure — you cannot substitute a passing PQR from a different thickness range to fix a failing result for the original range

The complementary article multiple WPSs from a single PQR covers the more common scenario and is useful background for understanding how qualification ranges work in either direction.

Practical auditing tip

When a shop inherits a WPS library — through acquisition, a new CWI hire, or a change in QC manager — one of the first reconciliation steps is to pull every WPS and verify that every PQR number listed on it is physically in the file. Missing PQRs are among the most common deficiencies in inherited libraries. Once the PQRs are in hand, verify that the mechanical test results in each PQR actually support the essential variable ranges the WPS claims.

For a checklist of what to look for in a document review, see the audit-ready welding procedure library overview.

Managing a WPS library across multiple supporting PQRs gets easier when the records are linked digitally and qualification ranges are calculated automatically rather than manually. See how the WPS platform handles PQR-to-WPS traceability.