Passing the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional test is not easy. This should help.
So, you’re good at SOLIDWORKS? You can model parts, assemblies and drawings quickly. I believe you, but the rest of the world may need some convincing. For them, there is the official certification that tells the world that you’re good at SOLIDWORKS. It’s called the CSWP, short for the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional. It’s what you want to make your SOLIDWORKS skills official. Is it necessary? No. Is it great to have it if you want to bring credibility to your work or stand out and differentiate yourself in the job market? Absolutely.
Understand the CSWP Certification
The CSWP is just one of three user certifications offered by SOLIDWORKS. It is in the middle of the three levels that are Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA), Professional (CSWP) and Expert (CSWE). You should be able to pass the CSWA exam with just a little SOLIDWORKS training and experience. Most students coming out of high school have a reasonable shot at obtaining this level of certification. The CSWP requires a level of skill and efficiency that could take years to develop. The CSWE is considered a career achievement and requires expert knowledge in all the SOLIDWORKS tools, including surfacing, direct editing, sheet metal, weldments and many more advanced tools.
SOLIDWORKS Users and Certifications—By the Numbers
Out of the 8 million* active SOLIDWORKS users worldwide, there are nearly 207,000** CSWPs and nearly 7,000** CSWEs. To put that into perspective, not even 1 percent of SOLIDWORKS users are CSWEs, while a much more reasonable 2.5 percent are CSWPs. In other words, if you want to stand out in a meaningful way, start with a CSWP and work your way up to the CSWE level.
Breaking Down the Exam and Costs
The CSWP exam is broken down into three segments that are roughly an hour in length each. You need to pass each of the three segments to be awarded the CSWP. Each segment costs $33, so the total cost for the CSWP is $99. Think of each segment as a stand-alone exam. In other words, you can take each segment at a separate time and not all in one sitting. If you don’t pass a particular segment, you’ll only be required to retake that segment. There’s a 14-day waiting period between each attempt of the same segment.
Keep in mind that although there is a level below CSWP, there are no prerequisites for attempting the CSWP. I’m not sure how to interpret this. The more cynical interpretation is that SOLIDWORKS is a great business and of course the company is willing to accept your money in exchange for an attempt to pass the exam regardless of your preparedness. The other—and more reasonable interpretation—is that the CSWP is the certification that really matters. My recommendation is: go for the CSWP!
Understand the Exam
Segment 1 is basic part modeling. You have 70 minutes to complete this segment and must get a minimum passing score of 75 out of a possible 105 points.
Officially, this segment tests your ability to create and modify a parametric model in SOLIDWORKS. They give you a 2D drawing and you will need to create a parametric model from this. The question is “What is the part’s mass?” That’s how they know if you got the design right.
Pro tip—use variables and equations to help you.
You must use variables and equations to pass the exam because the model you create for question 1 is reused for other questions with few changes. There’s no way you can remodel the part entirely within the time allotted. For the assembly questions, they will typically ask questions like “What is the mass or center of gravity of the assembly?” It’s how they distill the modeling exercises into a question with a verifiable correct answer.
Here’s the official breakdown of the material covered:
- Creating a part from a drawing
- Using linked dimensions and equations to aid in modeling
- Using equations to relate dimensions
- Updating parameters and dimension sizes
- Performing mass property analysis
- Modifying geometry on the initial part to create a more complex part
- Modifying parameters on the part at different stages while maintaining all other dimensions and design intent
Segment 2 is advanced part modeling. You have 50 minutes to complete this segment and must get a minimum passing score of 77 out of a possible 104 points.
Here’s the official breakdown of the material covered:
- Creating configurations from other configurations
- Changing configurations
- Creation of configurations using a Design Table
- Working with mass properties
- Changing and/or rearranging features of an existing SOLIDWORKS part
Segment 3 is assembly modeling. You have 80 minutes to complete this segment and must get a minimum passing score of 77 out of a possible 109 possible.
Here’s a breakdown of the material covered:
- Creating an assembly
- Adding parts to an assembly
- Doing collision detection when moving a part in an assembly
- Performing interference detection
- Working with basic and advanced mates
- Inserting subassemblies
- Replacing a part with another part in an assembly
- Creating a coordinate system
- Using a coordinate system to perform mass property analysis
Preparing for the Exam—My 3 Recommendations
Officially, there are 21 concepts covered over the three segments of the exam. How do you prepare for this exam? There’s a lot you can do. There are, of course, some paid resources, but don’t underestimate how effective the free resources you have can be.
My top recommendations for free resources:
Recommendation 1
I would first recommend taking the official sample exam. It’s a 32-page PDF with 5 questions and lots of helpful hints and tips.
Recommendation 2
Leverage the resources available to you within SOLIDWORKS. Go through all the tutorials within SOLIDWORKS. Once you go through all of these, go through them again. Then do it again! These are powerful tools to use.
Insider secret. The SOLIDWORKS Application Experts who work in the Reseller Channel use these pretty often as a way to learn something new or get a refresher. It’s a great place to start if you want to really round out your skills, which is a necessity if you want to pass the CSWP.
There are over 50 tutorials that you can practice with. About half of them train you in skills directly related to the CSWP exam. Then there’s the CSWA/CSWP Preparation section. You can use it, but I must say the other tutorials are more robust.
Recommendation 3—Free Online Videos
Leverage content on the web for free! There are plenty of great YouTube videos (of course), but I think the best content is hosted on the reseller websites. I’d recommend taking a look at their websites and finding the recorded webinars about advanced part modeling or working with assemblies. Most importantly, you’ll need to work quickly when taking the exam, so look for videos to help you learn the tips and tricks to model as fast as possible.
Shameless plug: Check out EngineersRule.com, our website for SOLIDWORKS users that is chock full of tutorials.
So, there you have it. That’s all you need to know about the CSWP exam and a set of three recommendations to help you prepare for passing the exam. The best time to start was yesterday. The second-best time to start is today. Go for it and good luck. Now when anyone asks, “Are you good at SOLIDWORKS?” You can say, “Yeah, I’m a CSWP.”