The best way to get ready for the Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate (CSWA) exam is to practice the kinds of questions it asks, under time pressure, before exam day. This free set of CSWA-style practice questions covers the three areas you’ll see on the test: drafting competencies, part modeling, and assembly knowledge. Every question includes a worked solution so you can check your process, not just your answer.
These are original practice questions written in the style of the exam. They are not actual CSWA exam questions.
Quick Refresher: What the CSWA Exam Looks Like
The CSWA is the entry-level SOLIDWORKS certification. The exam is taken online and is commonly described as 14 questions worth 240 points, with a three-hour time limit and a passing score of 165 points. Questions are a mix of multiple choice and model-based problems, where you build a part or assembly and enter a measured value such as mass or center of mass. Drafting theory questions are worth fewer points than modeling questions, so most of your score comes from building parts accurately. Check the official SOLIDWORKS certification page for the current format before you register. For a full walkthrough, see our CSWA exam guide.
Before You Start: Set Up Like the Real Exam
- Units: Use MMGS (millimeter, gram, second) unless a question says otherwise.
- Decimal places: Report mass to two decimal places.
- Materials: Use the SOLIDWORKS material library. 6061 Alloy has a density of 2700 kg/m³, and AISI 1020 steel is 7900 kg/m³.
- Timer: Give yourself about 45 minutes for the whole set to build speed.
Part 1: Drafting Competencies
Question 1
You need a drawing view that magnifies a small region of an existing view, such as a groove on a shaft. Which view should you create?
A) Auxiliary view B) Detail view C) Broken-out section D) Crop view
Answer: B, Detail view. A detail view shows a portion of another view, usually at a larger scale, and is labeled with a letter that matches a circle on the parent view.
Question 2
A part has a face angled at 30 degrees, and you need to show that face in its true size and shape. Which view do you create?
A) Projected view B) Section view C) Auxiliary view D) Alternate position view
Answer: C, Auxiliary view. An auxiliary view is projected perpendicular to a selected inclined edge, so the angled face appears at true size instead of foreshortened.
Question 3
You want to remove a small, local area of material from an existing view to reveal internal features, without creating a separate view. Which tool do you use?
A) Broken-out section B) Aligned section C) Break view D) Detail view
Answer: A, Broken-out section. A broken-out section is part of the existing view. You sketch a closed profile and set a depth, and SOLIDWORKS cuts away that region. A break view (C) shortens long parts and doesn’t show interior features.
Question 4
A circular flange has holes at different angles around its center. You want one section view that cuts through two holes that aren’t in a straight line and shows them as if they were in one plane. Which view is this?
A) Half section B) Aligned section C) Offset section D) Removed section
Answer: B, Aligned section. An aligned section uses a bent cutting line through the center and rotates one segment into the plane of the other, which is ideal for radial features.
Part 2: Part Modeling
Question 5: Base block
Build a rectangular block 100 mm long (X), 20 mm tall (Y), and 60 mm deep (Z). Place one corner at the origin so the block extends in the positive X, Y, and Z directions. Material: 6061 Alloy. Units: MMGS. What is the mass of the part in grams?
Answer: 324.00 g.
Worked solution: Sketch a 100 mm by 60 mm rectangle on the Top Plane with a corner at the origin and extrude it 20 mm. Volume = 100 × 60 × 20 = 120,000 mm³. The density of 6061 Alloy is 2700 kg/m³, or 0.0027 g/mm³. Mass = 120,000 × 0.0027 = 324.00 g. Confirm with Evaluate > Mass Properties. If you see 324 kg or 0.32 g, your units or material are wrong.
Question 6: Add a hole
Modify the block from Question 5. Add a Ø20 mm hole through all, running vertically (along Y), with its center 25 mm from the left end (X = 25) and centered in depth (Z = 30). What is the new mass?
Answer: 307.04 g.
Worked solution: Sketch a Ø20 circle on the top face at X = 25, Z = 30 and cut through all. Hole volume = π × 10² × 20 = 6,283.19 mm³. New volume = 120,000 − 6,283.19 = 113,716.81 mm³. Mass = 113,716.81 × 0.0027 = 307.04 g.
Question 7: Center of mass
Using the part from Question 6, what is the X coordinate of the center of mass relative to the part origin?
Answer: X = 51.38 mm (Y = 10.00 mm, Z = 30.00 mm).
Worked solution: Removing material near the left end shifts the center of mass to the right of the block’s midpoint (X = 50). Using the weighted average: X = (120,000 × 50 − 6,283.19 × 25) ÷ 113,716.81 = 51.38 mm. Y and Z stay at the middle of the block because the hole is centered in depth and passes all the way through. This is exactly the kind of question where modeling from the wrong origin costs points. If yours doesn’t match, see how to fix a wrong origin with a coordinate system.
Question 8: Update a dimension
Change the hole diameter from Question 6 to Ø30 mm. What is the new mass?
Answer: 285.83 g.
Worked solution: Edit the sketch dimension and rebuild. Hole volume = π × 15² × 20 = 14,137.17 mm³. New volume = 105,862.83 mm³. Mass = 105,862.83 × 0.0027 = 285.83 g. On the exam, modifying a dimension and re-reporting mass is common, so name or link your key dimensions to make edits fast. Global variables and equations help here.
Question 9: L-bracket in steel
Build an L-bracket from AISI 1020 steel. The base is 80 mm long (X), 10 mm thick (Y), and 40 mm deep (Z), with a corner at the origin. The upright sits on the left end of the base: 10 mm thick (X), rising 50 mm above the top of the base, and the full 40 mm deep. What is the mass, and what is the center of mass?
Answer: Mass = 410.80 g. Center of mass: X = 26.54 mm, Y = 16.54 mm, Z = 20.00 mm.
Worked solution: The fastest way to model this is one sketch of the L-shaped profile on the Front Plane, extruded 40 mm. Base volume = 80 × 10 × 40 = 32,000 mm³. Upright volume = 10 × 50 × 40 = 20,000 mm³. Total = 52,000 mm³. AISI 1020 density is 0.0079 g/mm³, so mass = 52,000 × 0.0079 = 410.80 g. Center of mass X = (32,000 × 40 + 20,000 × 5) ÷ 52,000 = 26.54 mm. Y = (32,000 × 5 + 20,000 × 35) ÷ 52,000 = 16.54 mm. Z is the middle of the depth, 20 mm.
Part 3: Assembly Knowledge
Question 10
A component inserted into an assembly with no mates and no fixed constraint has how many degrees of freedom?
A) 3 B) 4 C) 6 D) 12
Answer: C, 6. A free component can translate along X, Y, and Z and rotate about X, Y, and Z.
Question 11
You add a concentric mate between a cylindrical pin and a hole. Which motions are still free?
Answer: Rotation about the shared axis and translation along it. The concentric mate removes the other four degrees of freedom. Adding a coincident mate between the pin’s head and the face around the hole removes the translation, leaving only rotation. That’s the classic pin-in-hole setup you’ll use on assembly questions.
Question 12
An exam assembly question asks for the center of mass of the assembly relative to a coordinate system that isn’t at the assembly origin. What is the most reliable approach?
Answer: Create a coordinate system at the specified location in the assembly, then open Mass Properties and set the report coordinate system to that coordinate system. Also check that each part has the correct material applied, since assembly mass properties use each component’s material.
How Did You Do?
If you finished in under 45 minutes with every answer right, you’re in good shape for the modeling side of the exam. If mass values were off, check units and materials first. That’s the most common cause. If center of mass values were off, check your origin. For more focused review, see the SOLIDWORKS features and mates you need for the CSWA and how to pass the CSWA in 3 steps.
Want Full Practice Exams?
For timed practice in a simulated exam environment with video walkthroughs of every solution, SolidProfessor’s CSWA Prep course is the most complete option we’ve found. Completing SolidProfessor’s CSWA learning path also earns a free certification exam voucher. 3DEngr.com readers get 25% off a personal SolidProfessor membership with promo code 3DENGR25.
Studying for SOLIDWORKS certification? See the complete SOLIDWORKS Certification Guide for every CSWA, CSWP, and CSWE study guide, practice exam, and tutorial on 3D Engineer.