How to study for the SolidWorks CSWP-MD Exam

Introduction

In order to pass this exam on your first try you will need to get the basics under your belt.

I didn't do the CSWA-MD exam before attempting the CSWP-MD and didn't have any issues with lack of understanding or skill, so you don't need to see the CSWA as a pre-requisite.

You can get the CSWP-MD on your first try if you put the work in.

The best way to get the basics right is through hands on experience. Unfortunately, a lot of us did not get formal or proper training on how to use SolidWorks when we were first introduced to it, we just learned by trial and error and as a result picked up some dirty habits along the way.

The following is a brain-dump of my experience with studying towards the CSWP-MD and some of my observations during the exam, I hope you may find this helpful if you're about to or are thinking about having a go at the exam.

The basics

The main interface

Its a good idea to familiarise yourself with the interface. It seems obvious, but the interface is where all the main functionality is within SolidWorks and knowing where everything is will save you a lot of time in the exam.

The exam is broken up into 3 separate segments, and all of them are timed. You have a good amount of time for each one but still fairly aggressive.

You can google search, or use SolidWorks Help library if you get lost on something during the exam. Keep in mind that if you're completely lost on something it might cost you dearly and you'll lose precious time.

At the part level focus more on the features and sketches, as well as what's inside the drop-down menus. Even if you don't end up using a lot of what you learn in the exam it will still make you a more efficient Design Engineer and serve you in the long run.

Same goes at the assembly level. You will be tested on your ability to work with assemblies and mates.

Sketches

Make sure you know how to fully define sketch elements, otherwise you will be in a world of hurt. There will be a lot of changes to models in Segment 1 and Segment 2 of the exam, wonky sketch relations will completely undo you in the exam! Some tips:

1. When defining sketch elements, aim to define them against the origin, or planes.
2. Don't attach dependencies and dimensions to edges etc, The shape of the parts in the exam will change and attaching a sketch relation to a face that changes shape or no longer exists after a change will have you chasing down unnecessary errors - wasting a lot of precious time!

Part & Features

As of right now, the exam configuration is designed in such a way that you will be tested in any of the following in the list below so it's a good idea to understand how each function works inside out. I hardly ever use hole-wizard, equations, and linked dimensions in my designs but it featured heavily in the version of the exam that I got.

• 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
• Multi-body parts
• Mass properties
• Materials

Assemblies & Mates

• 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

Other General tips & suggestions

1. Get into the habit of Selecting a material for every part you create.
2. Using equations
3. Assemblies
4. Move slow - check twice
5. There are 3 separate parts to the exam
6. You don't have to do them all at once
7. The exam does change but conceptually its the same so master the concepts
8. Here are the concepts.

Exam Preparation

Segment 1 - Part modification / 70mins & 11 questions

In the first segment of the CSWP-MD exam you will be tested on:

1. Part creation from a 2D Drawing
2. Updating the parameters of the part you create
3. Modifying the model
4. Recovering from an induced error in the model

The way you are tested here is the exam will ask you to select the material it specifies for the part within solidworks.

it will then check the accuracy of your model based on it's total mass.

The key thing here is to make sure your sketches are accurate and you don't have any fancy relations going on. try and stick to having all your segments referencing back to a reliable datum point such as the sketch origin. Don't have relations attached to surfaces or edges which may be likely to shift as you go through modifying the model and this may cause a lof of problems for you and you may lose a lot of time trying to figure out what went wrong!

You fill be given some questions where you have to fill in your complete answer and others where you pick from multi-choice. The other thing to consider here is that if you get the model slightly wrong in on question, that error will then carry into the next question of the segment, making that question wrong too and so forth. So it is critically important you get things right to minimise the possibility of this happening. Avoid this pitfall!

Segment 2 - Configurations / 50mins & 12 questions

The following will be covered in this segment:

1. Downloading a part
2. Modifying a sketch or a feature
3. Remove a feature
4. Adding a feature
5. Asked to check on number of configurations
6. Creating a new config
7. Modifying a feature using a design table
8. Modifying a configuration

This segment is very similar to the first . You will be tested in much the same way. The exam will be checking the overall mass, it must match the correct answer as closely as possible. You fill be given some questions where you have to fill in your complete answer and others where you pick from multi-choice. Be careful with sketch relations, when making sketch elements fully defined, this can trap you. Keep it very simple so its easy to make changes and keep track of things later on. Be very deliberate with everything you do.

If you have never used part configurations before, you need to practice them. They are not intuitive the first time you use them but once you've had a deliberate play around with them you'll never forget how to use them and they are a critical part of this segment.

The same goes here with design tables. You need to understand how configurations work, and from there put some deliberate practice into using design tables, there will be a few questions related to both of these that are relatively straightforward and easy marks if you understand them.

Segment 3 - Assemblies / 80mins & 14 questions

The following will be covered in this segment:

1. Creating the main assembly and coordinate systems
2. Inserting a component into the main assembly.
3. Inserting a sub-assembly into the main assembly
4. Inserting a sub-assembly into the main assembly
5. Moving/rotating sub-assembly
6. Collision detection
7. Creating a sub-assembly
8. Inserting a sub-assembly into the main assembly
9. Modifying components/sub-assembly mates properties
10. Creating a new coordinate system and measure
11. Re-orientation of component/sub-assembly
12. Interference detection
13. Replacing an existing part

This segment is very different to the first two, it focuses on assemblies, and how good you are at basic mates and part manipulation in these assemblies. The testing concept is similar though, the exam will have you establish a coordinate system for the assembly and that becomes the datum for the questions to follow. There will also be a point in this section where you will be swapping parts out, and inserting parts in, so get fluent in all of this.

Again, be careful and deliberate because incorrect placement of the coordinate system can cascade into a sequence of incorrect answers, making it painful to undo later on. This segment tests on a lot of interesting things. Personally, I had not done a lot with coordinate systems and used the collision detection functionality a little bit in the past more as experimentation, good things to use regularly.

You will know very quickly if you have set things up incorrectly, the coordinate system will either give you spot on answers for your center of gravity, meaning right answer, or it wont meaning you're off and try again. Use the multi-choice answers for guidance here.

Tips and things to remember:

1. Get a second monitor if you don't have one already. Use a TV if you have to. It saves you time and mental energy in the exam. The reason for this is you will be going back and forth between the exam platform and SolidWorks. Looking at the platform for instructions, then going back into SolidWorks to execute on those instructions. You can get by on one screen but it just means a lot of opening and closing back and forth between windows.
2. There are 3 segments, and you don't have to do them all at once. You can study for one segment, pass then study for the other for example.
3. You don't have to do the segments sequentially, you can start with any segment you like. You get certified once you pass all three.
4. The exam isn't testing how clever you are, it's looking for outcomes. So keep it simple, stick to the basics.
5. Look for the free mock test for segment 1 in the exam platform once you have installed it. Do it for practice, its pretty close to the real thing.
6. if you fail SW gives you two weeks before you can apply again for that segment.
7. Have a fresh mind, sleep well before your attempt.

Some of the resources I used to study:

• This guide by Ryan Lee PhD is excellent - Link this is a fairly modern print and the exercises are quite challenging, preparing you well for the exam. It worked a charm for me.
• YouTube Tutorials, this one is pretty good. There's many others on YT too.

Good Luck!