Revision and qualification guide · AWS D1.1

Does a WPS change need revision or requalification?

The answer depends first on what kind of WPS you have. A production change against a written Clause 5 WPS, a new or revised prequalified WPS, and a change to a PQR-qualified WPS follow different rules.

Use the right table for the route: Table 5.5 addresses variables and operating tolerances for prequalified WPSs. Tables 6.6 and 6.8 address essential-variable requalification for PQR-qualified WPSs. A threshold from one table cannot be applied to the other route.

Decision matrix

Current procedure	What changed	Decision path	What this does not establish
Clause 5 prequalified WPS	The production condition remains within the WPS-stated value or Table 5.5 tolerance, and all other applicable WPS and Clause 5 requirements remain satisfied.	Use the existing written WPS within its stated scope. Confirm the exact variable, units, process, and other applicable limits.	Table 5.5 does not independently prove that the whole WPS or project is compliant.
Clause 5 prequalified WPS	A variable goes beyond the original WPS's Table 5.5 tolerance, or a new procedure is needed.	Prepare a new or revised WPS, then recheck every applicable Clause 5 requirement. If the new conditions still satisfy Clause 5, a PQR test is not required solely because the old WPS range was exceeded.	The old WPS does not cover the out-of-range production condition. Revision alone does not make the replacement prequalified.
WPS supported by an existing PQR	A change is proposed to a variable governed by Table 6.6, or by a supplementary essential variable in Table 6.8 when CVN requirements apply.	Compare the proposed condition with the applicable process column, recorded PQR values, table notes and all other qualification variables. A change that crosses an applicable essential-variable limit requires requalification.	Being under one listed threshold does not by itself prove coverage; the PQR's recorded values, qualification type, joint, materials, thickness, position, and other applicable variables still matter.
Any route; route or records unclear	The WPS basis, PQR, target variable, contract edition, or CVN status is unknown.	Hold the conclusion at “undetermined” and identify the missing record or project fact. Do not infer that new testing is required from missing information alone.	A missing document is not evidence that a change is within scope or beyond qualification.

Clause 5: change the written procedure when its range no longer fits

A prequalified WPS is a written procedure. Clause 5.2.1 and Table 5.5 require applicable variables to be stated and define permitted variation from the WPS values. When an essential variable exceeds its Table 5.5 tolerance, the route is a new or revised prequalified WPS, or a tested procedure under Clause 6. These are alternatives; crossing the old prequalified WPS range does not automatically require a PQR.

Before calling a revised WPS prequalified, reassess the new procedure against the full applicable Clause 5 requirements: eligible process, base metals, joint details, filler and shielding conditions, temperature controls, process-specific limits, and other project requirements. A change outside one written WPS range cannot be carried forward under that old WPS.

For example, if a listed Table 5.5 parameter is outside the value and tolerance written on a prequalified WPS, the decision is to revise or replace the procedure and check Clause 5 again. The example is bounded to that documented fact; it does not assume any particular current, voltage, gas, material, or joint is otherwise acceptable.

Clause 6: compare a PQR-supported WPS to qualification variables

For a WPS based on a PQR, use Table 6.6 for the applicable process and variable. Its requalification triggers and limits differ by process and by variable. If a proposed change crosses an applicable essential-variable limit, the WPS requires requalification. Do not borrow Table 5.5's Clause 5 tolerances for this comparison.

First compare the target production range with the actual PQR record. Then apply the relevant Table 6.6 rule, including its process column, notes, units and comparison basis. The code threshold is a requalification trigger, not a blanket production range that can be detached from the PQR record.

Where contract requirements include CVN toughness, Table 6.8's supplementary essential variables apply in addition to the applicable Table 6.6 rules. Review both tables and the related requirements; a Table 6.6-only check is incomplete for that case. Special process or tubular qualification paths can have additional rules and should be checked under their applicable clauses.

A bounded example: changing a variable listed for the relevant process in Table 6.6 beyond that row's stated requalification limit triggers requalification. The exact outcome cannot be assigned without identifying the process, variable, PQR value, applicable column and any CVN or special qualification requirements.

Why Table 5.5 is not interchangeable with Tables 6.6 and 6.8

Table	Procedure context	Question it answers	Use boundary
5.5	Clause 5 prequalified WPS	Which variables must be written into the WPS, and what operating tolerances apply around those specified values?	When a Table 5.5 essential-variable tolerance is exceeded, prepare a new/revised prequalified WPS or use the Clause 6 tested route. Recheck full Clause 5 eligibility.
6.6	Applicable PQR-qualified process WPS	Which listed changes to procedure variables require WPS requalification, and under what process-specific limits?	Apply the applicable process column, row, footnotes, PQR record and any general qualification provisions. A dash or an unlisted trigger is not blanket permission.
6.8	PQR-qualified WPS where CVN requirements apply	Which supplementary essential variables further restrict the qualified procedure?	Apply these in addition to the relevant Table 6.6 provisions; verify the actual contract and test requirements.

Do not compare numbers across these tables as if they were one shared tolerance system. The procedure route, applicable variable, process, PQR evidence and contract requirements determine which rule applies.

A short review sequence

Identify the governing code edition and whether the procedure is Clause 5 prequalified or supported by a PQR.
Record the actual proposed change and the exact value, unit, process and WPS/PQR reference it is compared with.
For a prequalified procedure, apply Table 5.5 and Clause 5.2.1; if needed, revise or replace the WPS and reassess all Clause 5 requirements.
For a PQR-supported procedure, apply the relevant Table 6.6 row and process column, then add Table 6.8 where CVN applies and check other qualification limits.
Keep the result as “covered,” “new/revised WPS required,” “requalification required,” or “undetermined pending evidence.” Do not collapse missing evidence into a positive or negative qualification finding.

Code basis and references

This guide follows AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025 base edition plus its registered base-edition errata dated July 28, 2026. AMD1 is excluded. The contract's required edition governs a project; an edition-specific review is needed if it differs.

Primary provisions: Clauses 5.1, 5.2 and 5.2.1 (printed page 62; PDF page 89); Table 5.5 (printed page 72; PDF page 99); Clause 6.8.1 and Tables 6.6 and 6.8 (printed pages 149–154; PDF pages 176–181). These references identify the decision framework; they do not replace the purchased standard, notes, footnotes, or project review.

Read the edition and errata basis. See the prequalified versus existing-PQR route guide.

AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2025 publication information

Public source links last checked October 7, 2026.

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