Welders in the state of Texas must be certified in order to work on construction projects. Certification is available through the American Welding Society, and requires training through a worksite or vocational program and testing through an accredited testing service.

Research programs. Research vocational welding technology programs in your area. Typical welding technology programs include coursework focused on certification requirements, such as pipe and metal welding. Texas vocational programs, like the Lone Star College System's Welding Technology program, usually require a high school diploma or GED for admission. You may also be required to take a placement test as well.

Contact professional associations. If you already have on-the-job training or welding experience, you can opt to bypass classroom instruction and begin the process of contacting professional associations that offer an accredited welding certification test.

Apply for welding certification. Certification for Texas welders can be initiated through the American Welding Society website (www.aws.org). The website contains all required application forms, as well as a list of accredited testing facilities in Texas.

Schedule your test. Schedule your certification test at an accredited test facility. For example, W.H. Laboratories in Houston offers accredited testing services to welders seeking certification. To learn more about this service, visit www.whlabs.com.

Prepare for test day. Contact your local test facility representative and register for the certified welders test. On your test date, bring the QC7 Standard for AWS Certified Welders, available on the www.aws.org website. Upon passing the certification exam, your test facility representative will send your application materials, proof of test payment and test results to the American Welding Society. Your certification card will be mailed to you after processing.