Re: CSWP test

He he he - That sounds alot like the real world. Maybe there is something to it.

SMA

A while back Marie Planchard had some really good advice on this subject. Here's the link: . Try searching the newsgroups on Google for other advice. This subject comes up every once in a while and there has been some useful threads in the past.

The hardest part of the exam for me was trying to figure out exactly how they wanted me to do something. In real life there is often more than one way to create a model. Not so on the CSWP exam. Read the questions very carefully. You can use the help for the hands-on portion of the test, so it you have a brain cramp that can get you going again. There's not enough time to use the help to totally get you through much, so don't plan on relying on it too much.

I took the test in November '03 and there were five choices for the specialty part of the exam. Mold design, two different sheet metal , lofting/sweeps, and an assembly. As far as the written exam... Study everything. Some of the questions were obscure, but the written is only 20% of your grade. Theoretically you could totally bomb it and still pass. The training manuals were helpful. I didn't have it at the time, but the SolidWorks Reference Guide would be a good study aid.

My final piece of advice, for what it's worth, is to just do it. Set a realistic goal date and then whether you think you're ready or not take the test. The worst thing that could happen would be failure and you'd have to re-take it. If I had waited until I was absolutely sure I would know every little detail about the software I would probably retire before I took it. I still learn something new about SolidWorks almost every day. Like you, I mostly work in assemblies and parts. Once in a while I do a little sheet metal, and lofting is rare for me. I hadn't done a mold or any surfacing since my training (late '97). My opportunity to take the exam came up rather quickly and I only had a week or two notice. I brushed up on the parts I thought I was weak in and went over the training manuals again. It was a tough test, but not as tough as I had imagined it might be.

Good Luck, Deb Dowding, CSWP

snipped-for-privacy@frontiernet.net (Sean-Michael Adams) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

Could be, not that I'd know much about that though... ;o)

Matt might sound cynical, but it is so true. You have to be prepared to give them what they want. If you can, get your hands on the training manuals, run through the exercises and remember the 'rhythm' that is used to make those parts. The best way to get through the 'written' portion is to study one of the sample exams (I do not have the link handy, but I posted it in a thread a couple of years back). First, they were still using the sample questions verbatim, so its an easy 5-10 correct in your pocket when you walk into take the exam. Second, you will get a sense of the psychology of the writer, which always helps. Remember, the CSWP is a test of competency and time-management, not mastery. After the written, which is sort of out-of-hand with how nit-picky it gets with the terms it uses (seriously, who CARES that an assembly feature is called 'time-dependent', while regular part features are for some reason not), the rest is just basic modeling and drawing creation. I don't think the test covers a single thing outside of the training manuals, unless you try to do the freeform part (you have to do some really questionable things to model that part the way they want it, but, to their credit, you sort of have to know your s*** in order to pull it off). if you can breeze through all of the training tutorials when you go back and try to do them again, you will breeze through the test

We aren't allowed to go into extreme detail or they will strip us of our certification, but there is some stuff that we can mention. The modeling portion will require at least one simple loft or sweep, so be prepared (just know how they work - it isn't anything fancy. Do the samples in the help and you will have all the skills you need). Also be prepared to use diameter dims off of a centerline, and min/max dims on arcs and circles. Practice ways to make things equal in sketches (relations, linked values, etc). Know how to use the filters in display-delete relations, and how to make a plane when its original reference is missing (and know how to tell that its reference is missing!). Other standouts were parametric notes to bring a dim or something into a drawing, and adding geometric tolerancing stuff to dims in the drawing. Surpassingly, you will NOT need to know top-down assembly practices unless you choose that as your 'specialty' (or unless things have changed a lot). I also don't think you need to know design tables (besides the arcane bits about syntax that are required for the written), though you can certainly use one to make configurations if you want to do things the hard way. oh yeah, you need to know how to make configurations. Save time for the end of the test to check your work. They give you the step by step process by which your models and drawing will be evaluated, and if you have time, you can run through it! I was able to catch a couple of problems (and even make a bug report!) because I had plenty of time to calmly grade my own parts.

Good luck. Ed

"matt" wrote in message news:Xns94F2E92A092F3mlombardfrontiernetn@66.133.130.30...

What is the cost of the test? I noticed a large number of people from RPI.edu listed. Is there a different cost for students?

snipped-for-privacy@pct.edu (JDMATHER) wrote in news:ed36ec88.0405240853.2b3aaaa5 @posting.google.com:

Nominally, I think the cost is $495 or thereabouts. There are a number of ways of getting discounts or even a fee waiver. You should really talk to your local reseller. If you're at RPI, you should probably contact John Picinich from Cadimensions in Albany, he posts here from time to time, and is a good guy to work with. Looks like you're from PA, though. Talk to your school's CAD admin type.

good luck,

matt

I took the test (and passed!) at SWW2004 and my best suggestion is to carefully read through everything first. Yes, it takes some time, but if you go down a wrong path because of some assumption, that takes more time.

Here's the link to the discussion shortly after that.

Not to start a fight or anything, but reading all this again makes me remember the ole Pro/E days of mine. The certification test was a short TWO day test. I still vividly remember the "tester" standing there amongst the

I still remember the collective gasp. I remember the others that had frightened looks on their faces at lunch the first day. There were many a long face the morning of the 2nd day. You had to know something about everything. If you didn't, you were behind the ole eight ball, and better suck it up on the other tests to meet the passing percentage. You did get points for milestones in each test, whcih you had to use to your favor. Them dirty Pro/E bums wanted people to flunk. They loved telling you you flunked. They celebrated your inabilities. They liked losers, I guess. They didn't like me after the test :-)

What the heck does this have to do with the CSWP? Nothing, but it is easier than the Pro/E one was. Read all you can, but much more important, remember what you read. And have the ability to "see" the real question and answer it. Wayne passed, so can you :-)

Mr. Pickles

I considered not replying just to spoil your fun, but decided to do it anyway - just to be nice. Just watch out.... :-)

WT

Nikkolai,

I will add to my previous list to also utilize the SolidWorks Reference Guide - if you are on subscription service. This pdf file is helpful to go through the SW commands - but you have to have a study plan. This is not a test you can cram for. If you do not have access, go through the online users guide.

Good luck - Marie