Welding records · Field reference · Checked 26 September 2026
WPQR: field-by-field reference (ISO 15614-1)
A welding procedure qualification record is the evidence that a procedure works: the test piece was welded under recorded conditions, examined, and found acceptable. From it, the standard derives a range of qualification, and every WPS it supports must stay inside that range. Below is each field on an ISO 15614-1:2017 record in the order it usually appears. Checked 26 September 2026.
Last updated .
Identification and certification
Whose record, tested when, certified by whom
On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer’s WPQR number | The manufacturer’s own unique reference. | Changed when the certificate is reissued, breaking every WPS that points to it. | Reference. |
| Examiner or examining body reference | The examiner’s or examining body’s certificate reference. | Stored only in the PDF file name. | Examining body and certificate number. |
| Manufacturer and address | The organisation that welded the test piece and owns the qualification. | A WPQR from a previous owner or a sister site assumed to transfer. | The workspace company. |
| Code or testing standard | The standard and edition, and for ISO 15614-1:2017 the test level: level 1 or level 2. | Test level not recorded. The two levels have different requirements and ranges. | Standard; test level held on the attached record. |
| Date of welding | When the test piece was welded. | Confused with the date of the laboratory report. | Test date. |
| Certification statement | The examiner’s signed statement that the test was prepared, welded and tested satisfactorily to the standard. | An unsigned draft kept as if it were the record. | On the attached signed WPQR. |
Range of qualification
What the procedure is now qualified for
The WPQR lists the qualified range, not just the test values. This is the table every WPS is checked against.
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding process | ISO 4063 number, or each process in a combination. | A combination WPQR used to support a single-process WPS without checking the rules. | Process, within the qualified ranges. |
| Type of joint and weld | Butt, fillet, branch; plate or pipe. | Butt qualification assumed to cover every fillet case. | On the attached record. |
| Parent material group | ISO/TR 15608 group and subgroup qualified. | Group recorded without the subgroup. | Material, within the qualified ranges. |
| Parent material thickness | The thickness range qualified, plus weld-metal and throat thickness where applicable. | The test coupon thickness entered as the limit. | Thickness, within the qualified ranges. |
| Outside pipe diameter | The diameter range qualified for pipe. | Missing when a pipe coupon was used. | Diameter, within the qualified ranges. |
| Single-run or multi-run | Whether the qualification covers single-run, multi-run, or both. | Ignored until a single-run production weld is questioned. | On the attached record. |
| Filler material | Designation, and make and size where they are variables for the level or application. | A consumable change made without checking whether make is an essential variable. | On the attached record. |
| Shielding gas, flux and backing gas | Designations qualified. | A gas change treated as cosmetic. | On the attached record. |
| Current type, polarity and metal transfer | Including the mode of metal transfer for gas-shielded processes. | Pulsed or short-arc settings used outside what was qualified. | On the attached record. |
| Heat input | The upper and lower limits, where impact or hardness requirements apply. | Limits exceeded because travel speed was never recorded. | On the attached record. |
| Welding positions | Positions qualified. | Positions assumed rather than read from the range. | Position, within the qualified ranges. |
| Preheat, interpass, post-heating and PWHT | Minimum preheat, maximum interpass, and any post-heating or post-weld heat treatment qualified. | A PWHT WPQR used to support as-welded production, or the reverse. | On the attached record. |
The rules for deriving each range, and the exceptions to them, are in the standard. Record the range the examiner stated rather than calculating one yourself.
Test results
The evidence behind the range
Which tests apply depends on the joint, the material and the test level. Each result should carry its laboratory report number.
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual testing | Result and acceptance level. | Recorded as “OK” without the acceptance level applied. | On the attached test report. |
| Surface testing | Penetrant or magnetic particle testing results. | Report number missing. | On the attached test report. |
| Volumetric testing | Radiographic or ultrasonic testing results. | The NDT technician’s certification not traceable. | On the attached test report. |
| Tensile and bend tests | Transverse tensile results, and root, face or side bend results. | Specimen identities not matched to the coupon. | On the attached laboratory report. |
| Macroscopic examination | Macro section result. | Photograph kept, verdict not recorded. | On the attached laboratory report. |
| Impact and hardness tests | Where required: test temperature, location and values. | Test temperature missing, so the result cannot be compared with a job requirement. | On the attached laboratory report. |
Supporting records
What should be attached to the WPQR
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| Field | What it records | Where it commonly goes wrong | In a Soteriaa record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary WPS (pWPS) | The intended procedure for the test piece. | Discarded after testing, though it shows what the test was meant to prove. | Attach to the record as a supporting document. |
| Record of the test weld | Parameters as actually recorded while the test piece was welded. | Replaced by the pWPS values, which were intentions rather than measurements. | Attach to the record as a supporting document. |
| WPS supported | Each WPS that relies on this qualification. | Not tracked, so the effect of a problem with the WPQR is unknown. | Shown from the WPS side: each WPS links to its supporting WPQR. |
What a register needs structured
Structure the range; attach the evidence
The register’s job is to show what each WPQR supports, and to stop a WPS reaching outside it.
That is how Soteriaa holds a WPQR: identification and the main qualified ranges are structured, the signed record and reports are attached, and WPS records link back to it. For the procedure document itself, see the WPS field reference.
- Structure the reference, standard, test date, examining body and certificate number.
- Structure the ranges a WPS is checked against: process, material group, thickness, diameter and position.
- Attach the signed WPQR, pWPS, test-weld record and every laboratory report.
- Link each WPS to the WPQR it relies on, so the dependency is visible both ways.
The other field references
The four documents refer to each other: a WPQR supports a WPS, a welder is tested to a WPS, and inspection relies on certified NDT personnel. Welder qualification record fields · WPS fields · NDT personnel certificate fields. For how the WPS and WPQR differ in purpose, read WPS vs WPQR.
How to use this reference
This is a record-keeping reference to the fields that commonly appear on these documents, checked 26 September 2026 against the current published editions named on the page. It paraphrases field headings; it does not reproduce the standard, and it is not a substitute for it. Qualification ranges, validity rules and acceptance criteria are set by the standard, your code of construction and your certification arrangements, so read those before relying on any field here. Soteriaa organises records and produces document drafts; it does not certify welders or NDT personnel, qualify procedures, or decide whether a range, result or date is acceptable. Soteriaa provides document and workflow tools, not legal assistance or compliance advice. It helps organise records, evidence and deadlines; it does not determine compliance, certify records or submit official reports on your behalf. You review the information and remain responsible for required checks and submissions.