AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) Practice Exam

In fabrication quality control, a hold point is a preplanned stage where work is intentionally stopped to allow an interim inspection. This ensures that critical steps—such as fit-up, weld preparation, material verification, or process parameters—meet the required criteria before proceeding, catching defects early and preventing propagation through later operations. After the inspection is completed and requirements are confirmed, work can resume. This concept is distinct from final points, which occur at the end for final acceptance; inspection points are general checkpoints, and stop points are not a standard term in welding QC.