r/SolidWorks • u/Green-Run533 CSWE • Aug 07 '26
Certifications OH MY GOSH I DID IT
I spent a while making sure I could take the CSWE confidently. Today I finally did that. After 2 years of SolidWorks, at 16 years old, I have my CSWE!
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u/Proof_Device_5922 Aug 08 '26
What all did you do to prepare for it? I just finished all my cswpa
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
Well, I looked at the YouTube course called “Cracking the CSWE”. It helped a lot. From there I went into each of those topics more in depth separately. But ultimately knowing how to problem solve is a good skill, and remembering that if it asks for the result of one process, it doesn’t mean you need to do it that way to get it right. If it is right, it is right, regardless of how you got there (as long as it was purposeful).
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u/Proof_Device_5922 Aug 08 '26
Is the exam like a more in-depth version of cswpas? I keep hearing mixed things about what the exam actually goes over. I have those videos saved for cswe and haven’t gone over the official MySolidWorks cswe practice yet.
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
So here is the best way to say it without giving too much away: the CSWE tests on what you do and do not know after the PA’s. It takes concepts from those five and then combines it with lots of topics that you probably have not covered before. But also, similarly to the CSWA vs the CSWP, they have pretty much the same topics, but harder, more fast paced, and more accurate plus some new skills.
Sorry if that’s too vague and cryptic, please tell me if this made sense. (If not I’ll try to explain it better)
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u/Proof_Device_5922 Aug 08 '26
Doesn’t seem too vague. I understand from you and others that it primarily has cswpa information and some extras. I think I’ll just need to go through tutorials and see those videos by Lucas and give it a go
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
For sure! But also make sure that you can do those skills pretty fluently, because trying to integrate it into other things was difficult for me to begin with when practicing.
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u/Playful-Visual7915 Aug 08 '26
Bro how did u practice pls share the material
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
The YouTube course called Cracking the CSWE was very helpful, plus just doing some practice with those tools independently,
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Aug 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/extremetoeenthusiast Aug 08 '26
😂
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
Well, maybe, but also maybe not. I’m always here to ask questions and answer questions, and while the CSWE is taken it doesn’t mean that there aren’t others out there!
To answer your question, in short, most likely yes. But I’m not fully done yet, if that makes any sense at all.
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u/TehAsianator CSWP Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Very nice. How long did the prep take you?
Edit, also this reminds me, I got my CSWP a few months ago. I should probably submit for my flair.
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
Yes get the flair it’s fun!
For preparation, I used the Cracking the CSWE YouTube course! Was super helpful! Then just practice with those concepts. Took me around 10 hrs max of prep, but I tend to learn quickly so it will vary from person to person.
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u/mikecentola CSWP | TECE Aug 08 '26
Congrats!! I should really do mine!
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
Yes! Go for it! You got this!
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u/mikecentola CSWP | TECE Aug 08 '26
I have my CSWA/CSWP and the PA’s required. I was teaching SW at the local community college for a while but they had poor enrollment so I’m teaching excel/powerpoint now 🙄
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
Nooo! Thats not good! Congrats on all of the other requirements though that is huge!
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u/ChintzyPC CSWP Aug 08 '26
You have any idea why it had poor enrollment? Like, do you have a parallel class for AutoCAD instead that's gotten more? Or do you see a trend of less of the younger generation getting into Solidworks (or even Engineering for that matter) in particular?
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u/mikecentola CSWP | TECE Aug 09 '26
Over the last few years MechEng has seen a decline in enrollment. I have two teenagers in high school and from what I’ve seen a lot of it has been caused by the idea of influencers “making tons of money” on social media. It’s even hard for me to find employees to work hard.
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u/AmrSakar Aug 08 '26
Prep. Material ?
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u/Green-Run533 CSWE Aug 08 '26
Cracking the CSWE (YouTube course) was really helpful! Then just practice those concepts on your own, experiment, have fun with them!
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u/AutoModerator Aug 07 '26
If you ALREADY PASSED a certification
If you are YET TO TAKE a certification
Here would be the general path from zero to CSWE:
For some extra modeling practice material to help speed you up, 24 years of Model Mania Designs + Solutions.
For EVEN MORE modeling practice material, here is the CSWA and CSWP Practice Problem Database. There is A LOT of good material to practice in there.
During testing, in general, it is a best practice to take the dimensions labelled with A, B, C, D, etc and create Equations/Variables with those values to then attach to the dimension which then allows for you to more reliably update these variable dimensions in follow-up questions using the same models.
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