Why take the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional Exam?

What is the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional Exam (CSWP)? 

The de facto standard in SOLIDWORKS certification is the CSWP, the SOLIDWORKS Certified Professional. Achieving this certification is a milestone for any designer, marking them as true professionals and setting them apart in the industry. 

The Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional (CSWP) is one of the most useful SOLIDWORKS certifications. This exam assesses intermediate-level skills and is a great way to prove your technical skills as a SOLIDWORKS user. Completing this industry-standard certification shows a user’s dedication and understanding of SOLIDWORKS, making it a valuable achievement for all committed users to strive for. 

The road to achieving this can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. While the knowledge gained from your experience using the software is crucial, the CSWP exam is meant to test the breadth and depth of knowledge that not everyone may have from their daily usage in their current role. 

Key Topics Covered in the CSWP Exam 

Many people take SOLIDWORKS Essentials training when they begin their journey with SOLIDWORKS, and the knowledge gained in that class will certainly be tested on the CSWP exam. The exam goes well beyond that, however: Drawings, Assembly Modeling, and Advanced Part classes contain information the CSWP exam could test. 

SOLIDWORKS tools that may be covered in the exam include: 

• Sketch entities – lines, rectangles, circles, arcs, ellipses, centerlines 
• Sketch tools – offset, convert, trim 
• Sketch relations 
• Boss and cut features – extrudes, revolves, sweeps, lofts 
• Fillets and chamfers 
• Draft 
• Shell 
• Hole Wizard 
• Linear, circular, and fill patterns 
• Linked dimensions 
• Equations 
• Mirror 
• Dimensions 
• Feature conditions – start and end 
• Multi-body parts 
• Rib 
• Feature scope 
• Mass properties 
• Move/Delete face 
• Materials 
• Restraints 
• Inserting components – new and existing 
• Standard mates and advanced mates 
• Reference geometry – planes, axis, mate references 
• In-context features 
• Interference detection 
• Suppression states 
• Move/Rotate component 
• Assembly features 
• Collision detection in an assembly 
• External references 
• Design tables 
• Dimensions and model items 

About the Exam 

The CSWP exam consists of three parts that you can take in any order and at your convenience. If you don’t pass a specific segment, you only need to retake that particular segment. Once you have passed all three segments, you’ll receive the CSWP certification. For more detailed information about the certification and each segment, visit the SOLIDWORKS website.

How to Prepare for the CWSP Exam? 

You may have taken some or all those classes years ago and don’t remember everything in them. Maybe you didn’t take all of them, but you’d like to be trained in subjects from those classes that are likely to be on the exam. Or maybe you want the guidance of a professional instructor with years of experience who can not only teach the material but coach you through the process, including a sample exam and learning the testing software up front so you are as prepared as you can be.  

For any of these reasons, the SOLIDWORKS CSWP Prep Class might be for you. Three formal sessions examine the three segments of the CSWP exam and show how the testing software operates and how to take a practice test. The instructor will go over exercises and practice test results, give pointers, reinforce concepts, and prepare you for the exam for the best chance at success. Best of all, we’ll be there for you every step of the way as you move along your journey to achieving your CSWP!  

Check out class dates and sign up today! View upcoming classes here.