Competitors receive competition drawings and a set of welding procedure specifications that conform to the latest edition of the American Welding Society standards. At a series of stations, competitors are tested on various aspects of welding: Measuring weld replicas, using weld measuring gauges, laying out a plate and using oxy-acetylene equipment to cut several holes that are checked for accuracy and quality, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) on steel making welds in various positions using short circuiting transfers, flux cored arc welding (FCAW) using a shielding gas, making welds in various positions, and using a combination machine capable of providing the correct welding current for shielded metal arc (SMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Competitors complete the steel project and weld an aluminum project in various positions using a variety of filler metals.