CSWP test
Nikkolai
Looking for tips from anyone who has taken the CSWP exam. What skills
should one perfect before taking the test? What specific features should one
concentrate on?
I've been a SolidWorks user for 5 years, working mainly in mechanical
design. I've spent the bulk of my time in modeling parts, building
assemblies and creating drawings. I have not done much surfacing or complex
sweeps or lofting although I have used the features and understand how they
work. I have used sheet metal and have created and used design tables many
times.
Thanks for your feedback in advance.
matt
don't know if they've changed the format since I took it, but they had you
choose one of those three categories to do some modeling. Read the
question, and answer the question literally, whether you think there is a
better way of doing it or not. It is graded by a computer, but created by
humans, so if the question is stupid, you'd better make sure your answer is
also stupid.
In general, you'll want to know the interface, icons, menus, cursor
feedback, etc. Be careful about versions. They sometimes don't update the
test for software version changes, so some questions may be out of date.
There has been one question on the test which has been just plain wrong for
several years due to a bug which is finally getting fixed in sw05. You
don't get extra points for being right, you only get credit for giving the
answers they are looking for.
Good luck
matt
"Nikkolai" <nikk...@charter.net> wrote in
news:10b2ki0...@corp.supernews.com:
Sean-Michael Adams
> don't get extra points for being right, you only get credit for giving the
> answers they are looking for.
He he he - That sounds alot like the real world. Maybe there is something to it.
SMA
Deb Dowding
A while back Marie Planchard had some really good advice on this subject.
Here's the link: <news:9a53baa6.04013...@posting.google.com...>.
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
matt
news:7ff76910.04052...@posting.google.com:
> He he he - That sounds alot like the real world. Maybe there is
> something to it.
>
> SMA
Could be, not that I'd know much about that though... ;o)
Edward T Eaton
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" <m_lombard@frontier_net.net> wrote in message
news:Xns94F2E92A092F3ml...@66.133.130.30...
JDMATHER
I noticed a large number of people from RPI.edu listed. Is there a
different cost for students?
matt
@posting.google.com:
> 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?
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
Wayne Tiffany
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.
WT
"Nikkolai" <nikk...@charter.net> wrote in message
news:10b2ki0...@corp.supernews.com...
Mr. Pickles
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
10 folks that paid the $500 for the opportunity. He said "All of you look
around the room and figure out who is going to pass this test, because 8 or
9 of you are NOT".
I still remember the collective gasp. I remember the others that had
frightened looks on their faces at lunch the first day. There were many a
long face the morning of the 2nd day. You had to know something about
everything. If you didn't, you were behind the ole eight ball, and better
suck it up on the other tests to meet the passing percentage. You did get
points for milestones in each test, whcih you had to use to your favor. Them
dirty Pro/E bums wanted people to flunk. They loved telling you you flunked.
They celebrated your inabilities. They liked losers, I guess. They didn't
like me after the test :-)
What the heck does this have to do with the CSWP? Nothing, but it is easier
than the Pro/E one was. Read all you can, but much more important, remember
what you read. And have the ability to "see" the real question and answer
it. Wayne passed, so can you :-)
Mr. Pickles
Wayne Tiffany
anyway - just to be nice. Just watch out.... :-)
WT
"Mr. Pickles" <detroitpic...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:LOctc.15212$Sx2.8965@okepread01...
mplan...@massbay.edu
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