Are you aware of the official SOLIDWORKS exams which you can sit to test your knowledge on a range of SOLIDWORKS features and multi-products, all of which are free for customers on subscription.

These exams can be great if you have ever attended one of our SOLIDWORKS Training courses or have been using SOLIDWORKS for several years. They will allow you to stand out from the crowd and show your level of expertise with SOLIDWORKS, which can help with looking for a promotion or new jobs.

Over the years, the number of exams available has continued to increase to over 36 different certifications now for users to further their skills and focus in on key areas of the software they use regularly. These range from the CSWA (Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate exams) to the CSWE (Certified SOLIDWORKS Expert) or individual areas of the software such as Simulation, 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, Electrical, etc.

Below is a list of all the exams which we have broken into categories:

SOLIDWORKS Mechanical Design

• CSWA (Associate)
• CSWP (Professional)
• CSWP – Advanced
  - Sheet Metal
  - Weldments
  - Surfacing
  - Mold Making
  - Drawing Tools
• CSWE (Expert)

SOLIDWORKS Add-in Associate exams

• Electrical
• Draftsight

SOLIDWORKS Professional Exams

• Simulation
• Flow Simulation
• MBD
• API
• PDM Administrator
• CAM
• Additive Manufacturing
• 3DEXPERIENCE NC Shop Floor Programmer for SOLIDWORKS

3DEXPERIENCE

• 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS (Associate)
• 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS (Professional)
• 3D Creator
• 3D Creator (Professional)
• 3D Sculptor
• 3D Sculptor (Professional)
• 3D Structure Creator
• 3D Sheet Metal Creator
• 3D Mold Creator

Data Management

• CPAP (PDM Administrator Professional)
• 3DSwymer
• Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS
• Lean Team Player for Team Animation
• Collaborative Industry Innovator

Simulation

• CSWA-Sim (Associate)
• CSWP-Sim (Professional
• Flow Simulation
• CSWE-Sim (Expert)

Academic Exams (for students only)

• Mechanical Design (associate)
• Mechanical Design (Professional)
• 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS (Associate)

Which exam should I take first?

For those looking to sit their first SOLIDWORKS Exam, the best place to start would be with the Associate exams. The  CSWA “Associate Mechanical Design” or “3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Associate” exam is recommended for anyone who has attended a SOLIDWORKS Essentials Training Course and has used SOLIDWORKS for a few months. This is a great starting point for any SOLIDWORKS user looking to put their training and skills to the test. The other Associate exams are also great starting points for users wishing to focus on Simulation, Electrical or other SOLIDWORKS areas without things getting too challenging.

The CSWP (Professional Mechanical Design) or “3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional”  exam is the first step up from the Associate Mechanical Design exams and is a unique exam due to being split into three different sections which can be taken separately, but all three must be complete for a certificate to be awarded, so this should help with those that find it difficult to find the time to sit down for a three-hour exam. This is recommended for those that have attended both the Advanced Part Modeling and Advanced Assembly Modeling courses.

The other SOLIDWORKS Professional exams do start to ramp up the difficulty a little for there respective areas.

The CSWP-Advanced exams are grouped into five exams where a user must sit and pass any four of these five advanced level exams (referred to as CSWPA-xx exams), before being allowed to sit the CSWE (Expert) exam. The coveted title of “SOLIDWORKS Expert” means that the users must have passed a minimum of 7 exams. Accumulating over 17 hours of exam time and at the time of writing this article there have only ever been 1800 ‘SOLIDWORKS Experts’ in the United Kingdom (according to the SOLIDWORKS Certification Centre) with only 283 of those making their achievement publicly visible, making this a unique and skilled group of users who have truly put their SOLIDWORKS skills to the test.

The Diagram below gives an example of the path from SOLIDWORKS Associate to a SOLIDWORKS Expert.

How much does it cost?

Should you decide you want to sit an exam, you don’t have to worry about how much this may cost you. Any customer on active Subscription is entitled to three (up from the previous two) free exam vouchers every 6 months (Jan-Jun and July-Dec) for each seat of SOLIDWORKS on subscription. This means if you have 5 seats of SOLIDWORKS (on subscription) at your organisation you can have 5 users sit any three exams (assuming they meet any pre-requisites) in the first half of the year and another 5 users in the second half of the year, or the same 5 users take another 3 exams.

Can I share the free vouchers/credits?

Yes - It is possible/allowed that a single user can sit more than 3 exams in the same 6-month period. Another user will need to redeem the 4th–6th voucher (batch of 3) but they can then pass on (share) that with any other user at the same company.

How do I get these free exam vouchers/credits?

As of 17th January 2024, a new process is available for customers on subscription to obtain their free exam vouchers.

To start the process, you will need to have the following ;

• a 3DEXPERIENCE Certification Account (please create one here if you don’t).
• a 3DEXPERIENCE ID (please create one following these instructions if you don’t).
  - Have your 3DEXPERIENCE ID linked to your company’s assets/account. Please contact your company administrator, or TMS for assistance on this.

First, you will want to log into the 3DEXPERIENCE certification Centre then click the options for: My Account > Your Credits > Subscription Offer > Lookup My Licenses

The system should detect your company licenses and assuming you have free vouchers remaining, you should be prompted to pick which exam you want to sit.

I have used all our free Vouchers, can I get more?

Without purchasing a new SOLIDWORKS license on subscription, or waiting till the next 6-month period, there is no way to get additional exams for free. There are options to purchase additional exam vouchers/credits if needed.

Who is entitled to these free exams?

In order to be eligible for the free exams you must have one of the following types of licenses:

• Commercial SOLIDWORKS Desktop License
• Any of the following 3DEXPERIENCE Licenses
  - 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS
  - 3D Creator
  - 3D Mold Creator
  - 3D Sculpture
  - 3D Sheet Metal Creator
  - 3D Structure Creator
• Research SOLIDWORKS Desktop License
• GSA SOLIDWORKS Desktop License
• Any DraftSight License

Note – The process for the academic/educational exam vouchers to take the academic exams is different so please contact us if you want more information on becoming an Academic Certification Provider.

Note 2 – For DraftSight Licenses, this will only entitle you to take 1 Draftsight Exam per 6-months for each license.

How do I actually take the exam?

All SOLIDWORKS Certification exams are taken using the “Tangix TestPRO Client” software which can be downloaded from the top-right corner of the SOLIDWORKS Certification Centre website.

Once installed, this is the application you will use to sit your exam. You will need to make sure you already have SOLIDWORKS installed on the same machine, and that you have set enough time aside to take the exam in one sitting as you will not be able to pause the timer once the exam starts.

Some exams and questions will provide you with files in .zip format, it is a good idea to check your IT department hasn’t blocked zipped files from being downloaded on your machine prior.

What if I fail an Exam?

If you fail an exam, you will be able to reattempt but remember that all exams do have a cooling-off period. For the CSWA, a user must wait at least 14 days (down from the previous 30) before making another attempt. At the end of the exam, you should be given areas in which you are both stronger and weaker, so it would be a good idea to practice those areas before trying again. Another attempt will require another exam voucher. You will not be told exactly which questions you answered correctly.

How can I practice for an exam?

The best way to prepare for an exam is to both attend its respective SOLIDWORKS training course and to generally use the software with focus on those areas, the more you use the software the more you will learn and the more you will find solutions to any problems that arise. If you want additional support, you can visit “MySolidWorks” and have a look at the training material available. If you have a subscription to MySolidWorks Professional, there are prep courses available for most exams where I have attached a link to the CSWP Exam Prep Course here.

Is there a practice exam?

Full details on each of the exams including a free sample exam can be found on the SOLIDWORKS website here where the sample exam also details how to download and install the software required to sit the exams.

Why take an exam?

If you wish to learn a little bit more about how the SOLIDWORKS Certified exams can benefit you in getting the job or promotion you want, or just to prove you’re the better SOLIDWORKS user compared to your colleague, then have a listen to the group of users in the video below and try sitting your own exam, to see how you get on.

 

If you have any question regarding SOLIDWORKS Certifications, please give us a call on 01324 550 760 or send an email to SOLIDWORKS.Support@TMS-Scotland.com and we would be happy to assist.