What is a prequalified WPS under AWS D1.1?

A prequalified WPS is one that meets all the joint design, base metal, filler metal, and preheat requirements of AWS D1.1 Clause 6 Section 6.2 and Annex A, so no physical PQR test plate is required. The engineer of record must still review and approve it.

Can any welding process use a prequalified WPS?

No. AWS D1.1:2025 allows prequalified WPS only for SMAW, SAW, GMAW (solid wire, spray or pulse transfer), FCAW-G, and GTAW. FCAW-S (self-shielded), GMAW short-circuit transfer, and ESW/EGW are NOT prequalified—they always require a PQR test.

What is the biggest advantage of a qualified-by-test WPS?

Flexibility. A tested WPS is not constrained by Annex A joint geometry limits or the base metal groupings of Clause 6 Section 6.2. If your project requires a joint configuration not in Annex A, or a base metal combination not permitted for prequalification, the tested path is your only option.

Do I still need a PQR if my process qualifies for prequalification?

Only if your joint geometry or base metal combination is not covered by Annex A. Within the prequalification limits, no PQR test is required—but the WPS must be in writing, signed by the fabricator, and reviewed by the engineer of record before production begins.

Prequalified vs. Qualified-by-Test WPS Under AWS D1.1

When AWS D1.1 lets you use a prequalified WPS and when you must run a PQR test—the two paths explained for structural fab shops and CWIs.

Two Paths to a Qualified WPS

Many structural fabricators—and even some CWIs early in their careers—treat all WPS documents the same way. They are not. AWS D1.1:2025 establishes two distinct paths to a qualified welding procedure specification, and choosing the wrong path (or mixing up the requirements) is one of the most common findings in AISC certification audits and third-party submittals.

The two paths are:

Prequalified WPS — meets all the requirements of AWS D1.1:2025 Clause 6 Section 6.2, so the fabricator is allowed to skip the physical test (PQR) and go straight to production.
Qualified-by-Test WPS — the fabricator welds a test assembly, runs mechanical tests per Clause 6 Section 6.4, documents results on a Procedure Qualification Record (PQR), and then the WPS is written with parameters bounded by the PQR.

Both produce a legitimate, AWS D1.1-compliant WPS. The path you take determines how much test cost you incur upfront and how much process flexibility you get in return.

The Prequalified Path

What It Covers

Prequalification in AWS D1.1:2025 is a carefully scoped exemption from physical testing. It applies when ALL of the following are true:

Process: SMAW, SAW, GMAW (spray or pulse transfer only—not short-circuit), FCAW-G, or GTAW. Process combinations (e.g., SMAW root + FCAW-G fill) are allowed for prequalification only if each process individually qualifies.

Base metal: The base metal must be in the AWS D1.1:2025 prequalified base metal list (Table 6.1 groups). Common structural grades—A36, A572, A992, A500, A53—are typically listed. High-yield grades like A514/A517, proprietary grades, and unlisted base metals are not prequalified and must be qualified by test.

Joint geometry: The joint must match one of the prequalified joint details in Annex A of AWS D1.1:2025. Annex A contains groove and fillet weld configurations with specific tolerance ranges for groove angle, root face, root opening, and groove radius (for J and U joints). If your joint geometry falls outside those ranges—even slightly—it is no longer prequalified.

Filler metal: Must be from the AWS D1.1 prequalified filler metal table for the applicable process. Recall that A5.36 was removed from the allowed GMAW/FCAW list in the 2025 edition (AWS D1.1:2025 Table 6.6 row 4). Rule library based on AWS D1.1:2025; verify against your governing edition.

Preheat and interpass: Must meet the minimums in Clause 7.6 or Annex I. The prequalified WPS may not use a preheat or interpass temperature below those minimums, regardless of what the fabricator would prefer.

The Catch: It Is Not "No Documentation"

A prequalified WPS is not an informal verbal procedure. AWS D1.1:2025 Clause 6.2 requires a written WPS that covers all the Annex M parameters. The document must be reviewed and accepted by the engineer of record (EOR) before production begins. "Prequalified" means no physical test plate and no PQR—it does not mean no written procedure, no EOR review, and no AISC quality record.

For AISC-certified shops, the prequalified WPS must be in your WPS log, stamped with the responsible welding engineer or CWI signature, and available to welders on the floor. See Annex M WPS Form AWS D1.1 Requirements for the required fields.

When to Use the Prequalified Path

Prequalification is the right choice when:

Your process, base metals, and joint geometries all fall within Annex A and the prequalified lists
You are working on a project with a tight schedule where commissioning a PQR test is a bottleneck
You are a smaller shop building a WPS library for routine structural steel work (connections, beams, columns) using standard E7018/E71T-1/ER70S-6 electrodes

The Qualified-by-Test Path

When Testing Is Required

You must qualify by test when any of the following are true:

The welding process is FCAW-S (self-shielded), GMAW short-circuit, ESW, or EGW—these processes are never prequalified under AWS D1.1
The base metal is not in the prequalified base metal table (e.g., A514 quenched-and-tempered, A709 HPS 70W, many proprietary HSLA grades)
The joint geometry does not match any Annex A configuration (custom joint designs, access-limited repairs, unusual groove angles)
The project owner specification requires a tested WPS regardless of process or joint type (common on bridge, nuclear, and high-seismic work)
The contract requires ASME Section IX or multi-code qualification, and you want one PQR to support procedures under both codes

The PQR Test Sequence

Qualifying a WPS by test follows the sequence in AWS D1.1:2025 Clause 6.4:

1. Write a preliminary WPS (pWPS). This document records the proposed welding parameters that will be used during the test. It is not yet a qualified WPS—it is a test plan.

2. Weld the test assembly. The test plate configuration (thickness, joint type, position) determines what the resulting WPS will cover. Table 6.9 defines the thickness and position ranges qualified by each test assembly geometry. A test on a 1-inch plate qualifies a wider range of production thicknesses than a test on 1/4-inch plate.

3. Test the specimens. Required tests depend on the joint type and process. For groove welds: reduced-section tension tests, root and face bend tests (or side bends for thicker material), and macroetch specimens. For CVN supplementary essential variables, notch-toughness specimens are also required.

4. Record results on the PQR. The Procedure Qualification Record captures the actual welding parameters used during the test, the test results, and the test laboratory's certification. The PQR is signed by the CWI or welding engineer who witnessed the test.

5. Write the production WPS. The production WPS is derived from the PQR, with parameters bounded by the essential variable ranges established by test. Multiple WPS documents can be written from a single PQR, provided none exceeds the qualification range.

See Multiple WPS from a Single PQR Under AWS D1.1 for how to maximize coverage from a single test.

The Advantage: No Annex A Constraints

The tested path offers something prequalification cannot: freedom from Annex A joint geometry limits. If your shop regularly encounters unusual groove angles (60° single-bevel on a tight-access repair, 30° double-V for a thick plate design), or uses base metals outside the prequalified list, the tested WPS is the only path that gives you a defensible, compliant procedure.

For high-yield or quenched-and-tempered steels like A514, the tested path is mandatory—but it also gives your QC team documented evidence of weld metal mechanical properties at the specific preheat and heat input used in production, which is worth having regardless of what the code requires.

Common Misconceptions and Audit Pitfalls

"I've been using this joint design for 20 years—it doesn't need a PQR." Years of production experience do not constitute a PQR. AWS D1.1 does not include a grandfather clause for historical shop practice. If the procedure has never been formally prequalified or tested, it is unqualified.

"The joint is close to Annex A—it should be fine." Prequalification is binary. A groove angle 2° outside the Annex A range is not "almost prequalified"—it requires a PQR, or the joint design must be changed to fall within the permitted range.

"My sub's WPS covers this." A subcontractor's WPS qualifies the subcontractor's welders under their quality system. It does not automatically qualify your shop's welders. If you are the responsible fabricator of record, you need your own qualified WPS and your own PQR (or prequalified documentation).

"GMAW short-circuit is fast and our shop has been using it forever." AWS D1.1 does not permit GMAW-S for structural applications without a qualified-by-test WPS, and even then only in limited circumstances. See GMAW Short-Circuit Transfer Structural Welding Restrictions for the specific clause language.

Choosing the Right Path for Your Shop

For most general structural fabrication—commercial buildings, industrial structures, standard connection details using A36/A572/A992 base metals—the prequalified path covers the vast majority of production welding. Building a prequalified WPS library for your common process/joint/base metal combinations is a low-cost investment that eliminates the PQR expense for routine work.

Reserve the tested path for:

Non-standard base metals required by a specific project specification
Novel joint configurations that don't fit Annex A
FCAW-S or GMAW-S processes where prequalification is never available
High-consequence work (seismic demand-critical welds, bridge fracture-critical members) where owners require tested procedures regardless of code minimums

WPS Welding supports both paths—prequalified WPS generation from your process/joint inputs and PQR-linked WPS documentation for tested procedures—so your qualification status is always clear from a single system. For a deeper look at the essential variables that govern what one PQR can cover, see WPS Requalification Triggers Checklist for AWS D1.1.