Certified Solidworks Porfessional and Advanced Exam Tutorials

The CSWP (Certified Solidworks Professional) exam is designed to show a users "ability to design and analyze parametric parts and movable assemblies using a variety of complex features". The context of the exam is limited to Solidworks software and a users ability to navigate the program for drafting and design tasks. Certification can be used to leverage a promotion or raise, boost a resume, or measure the results of ongoing training.

3dEngr.com has taken an intensive look at all of the exams and provides a list of study guides and tutorials for each exam. These guide cover tips and tricks for passing the exam, an overview of the material and walk through tutorials of content covered on each exam.

CSWP Sheet Metal

Exam Length: 2 hours

Minimum Passing grade: 75%
All candidates receive electronic certificates and a personal listing on the CSWP directory* when they pass.

Exam features hands-on challenges in many of these areas of SolidWorks Sheet Metal functionality:

• Linear Edge Flange
• Curved Edge Flange
• Miter Flange
• Closed Corner
• Gauge Tables
• Bending calculation options:
• Bend Allowance
• Bend Deduction
• K-Factor
• Hem
• Jog
• Sketched Bend
• Forming Tool
• Unfold and Fold
• Flatten

CSWP Mold Tools

Exam Length: 90 minutes
Minimum Passing grade: 80%
All candidates receive electronic certificates and personal listing on the CSWP directory* when they pass.
Note:  You must use at least SolidWorks 2008 for this exam.  Any use of a previous version will result in the inability to open some of the testing files.

Exam features hands-on challenges in many of these areas of the SolidWorks Mold Tools functionality:

• Parting Line Creation
• Parting Line Surface Creation
• Draft Analysis
• Shut-off Surface Creation
• Imported Part Repair
• Cavity Tool
• Parting Line Split Face

CSWP Weldments

Exam Length: 2 hours

Minimum Passing grade: 75%
All candidates receive electronic certificates and a personal listing on the CSWP directory* when they pass.

Note: You must use at least SolidWorks 2009 sp4 for this exam. Any use of a previous version will result in the inability to open some of the testing files.

Exam features hands-on challenges in many of these areas of SolidWorks Weldment functionality:

• Weldment profile creation
• Placing the Weldment profile in the Weldment profile library
• Basic and Advanced Weldment Part creation
• Weldment corner modification
• Placing gaps at corners and segment intersections
• End Caps
• Gussets
• Weldment Part modification
• Trim/Extend Command
• 3D Sketch Creation
• Cut List Folder management in the Weldment Part
• Cut List creation in the Weldment Drawing

Solidworks Certification Training: Table of Contents

Below is a table of content for CSWP Core Exam review. Some sections have been posted here, the full compilation will be available as an ebook shortly.


B. Section 1 of the CSWP

    B-1. Interpreting the Drawing
    B-2. Sketching
    B-3. Boss and Cuts and End Conditions
    B-4. Draft, Fillet, Chamfer
    B-5. Pattern and Mirror
    B-6. Hole Wizard
    B-7. Dimensioning and Linked Dimensions
    B-8. Equation
    B-9. Updating Values and Equations
    B-10. Setting Materials
    B-11. Measuring a Mass
    B-12. Check answers AS YOU GO.

C. Section II of the CSWP

    C-1. Accessing Configurations, Create, Copy
    C-2. Suppressing Features
    C-3. Changing Configuration Values

D. Section III of the CSWP
   
    D-1. Creating an assembly
    D-2. Adding Components to an assembly
    D-3. Sub Assemblies - Flexible
    D-4. Adding mates to an assembly component
        D-4i. Basic Mates
        D-4ii. Advanced Mates
        D-4iii. Float/Fix
    D-5. Creating a custom Coordinate System for Center of mass

CSWP Sample Exam Intrepretation

B. Section 1 of the CSWP

The first section of the CSWP covers sketching and feature creation. It is typically 5 questions requiring the creation of two unique models. The first model created will be used to answer questions 1-3. Each question asks for the mass, or sometimes the center of mass, of the model. Slight variations and features are added between each question and major dimensions are also changed. The second model is associated with the final 2 questions, again the mass is required and answers are in multiple choice and free form. On the second set of questions there are few functional changes to the model required, instead dimensional changes will be required and can be handled by Equations. There is a 90 minute time limit and a passing grade is 75%.

B-1. Interpreting the Drawing

Drawings and figures for the CSWP are not created in any standard format (ASME) instead they are given as a generic isometric view with dimensions noted. All available views will appear in the filmstrip below the display area. Dimensions that appear in Ballons are subject to change in future models, this is in contrast to the dimensions that are designated by variables (A,B,C,D,Y,X etc). Detail view areas are noted as they would be in engineering drawings, with a circle and label (AA, BB, CC) and the detail view will generally be broken out as a separate view in the film strip.

In the description for the question the values of each variable will are provided. These values are generated from a master configuration table controlled by the certification specialists at Solidworks Corp. There are literally hundreds of variations of each model that can be randomly generated. Even if the question looks similar or identical to that of other exams the values of the answers can vary widely. For multiple choice questions though the available answer options should be exactly or very near to exact (single digit rounding error).