Im taking the CSWP exam @ SW World 2007, any tips/suggestions?

Ive been a SolidWorks user since Nov 2001. Taking the CSWP exam is
something ive been putting off for awhile. The last time I researched
it, I was told the best way to study for it is to go thru all of the
training books. The training books I have are from SW 2001+. Will
these books be adequate, or is there something else I can use to better
prepare for the exam?

Please post your tips/suggestions on taking the CSWP exam.

Anyone know the ratio to pass/fail for the exam?

How long do they give you to take the exam?

How much of the exam is multiple choice questions? (any fill-in-blanks
?)

 

SW Monkey, at start I have to warn you that I can't give you very specific
tips/details on the test, because this would be a breach of the agreement
which I electronically signed at the beginning of the exam. after saying
this continue reading my answers after your quoted post paragraphs....

I barely passed the exam with the grade of 81 % (paasing grade is 80 % and
over). I never had any formal training (VAR courses etc.), besides the help
files and online tutorials which are supplied with the software, and my
personal expiriance which was made in my previous workplaces.
if you have official training material, then i think it is a good idea to go
over it once more, although it is quite out dated, the basic principels are
the same.

Time management is critical. Don't get stucked on little points which don't
work as they should! Continue to what you do good, and at the end, when you
still have time left, return to the points which you felt uncofident with.

Got no clue about that. the only guys who can answer this are the SolidWorks
guys themselvs.

8 hours. 2 hours for the litteral part, but if you finish it quicker then
that, then the left over time is added to the hands-on part.

2 hours maximum, 50 Questions.

 

Gil, thanks for the info.

Another question regarding the multiple choice, do they allow you to
use SolidWorks? I would guess No, but I just want to make sure. I
took the sample test on SolidWorks website. One of the questions was
"You cannot use the hole wizard on a cylindrical part. True/False".
The answer is False, but I had to open up SolidWorks, since I havent
tried this in a long time.

 

My main comment is that you have to know things about the latest
version - in this case SW2007. I was surprised to find that out at the
beginning of the test and since I hadn't even been using the newest
version yet, I was at a disadvantage. So, study the What's New, the
new tutorials, etc. Be comfortable and familiar with areas that you
don't often use. Look at lofts, look at sweeps, look at "up to
surface", etc. You get to choose a special category (I chose sheet
metal) but there are also general modeling areas that you have to pass.

As far as taking the test, my advice is always that the first thing you
do is take the time to do a general read through the whole booklet.
That way you have a general idea of what all is in there. Then read it
again and look at the details of everything. Then start taking the
test. I don't know how many times I have heard someone say that they
didn't realize "THAT" was going to be a factor. Hmm, reading the
instructions would have solved that.

The test also does a good job of telling you what is important and what
will be checked for grading, so pay attention. If it says that "this"
has to update when "that" is changed, make sure you try it, and that it
does.

The time I took it we had something like 50% pass.

WT

 

As I remember, the true/false section is off the cuff - no help
allowed. During the modeling portion, you can use the Help, but if you
have to look up very much, you will run out of time.

WT

 

The 2001+ books will not be adequate for studying for a 2007 test. 2005
is the oldest I would go. There are probably not a lot of new 2007
specific questions, I would guess.

The ratio of pass/fail is lower than you might think. Its not an easy
test. I heard of one session where the pass rate was 80% which everyone
thought was astonishingly high. It generally hovers closer to the 50-60%
pass range, from what I hear.

If I had to re-take the exam, I would study the Help file, and any new
training books. Know your terminology. Make sure the terms you are
familiar with aren't some vernacular SolidWorks slang. Make sure you
know the symbols also. Assembly symbols were probably the toughest part
for me.

You can't pass without knowing a broad range of stuff in the software,
such as assemblies, sheet metal, loft/sweep, incontext, sketch
relations, equations, etc. There may be some niche questions such as
mold design, weldments, etc.

Take the sample exam. Be aware that some parts of the test are more
about your ability to understand the test writers quirky use of English
language than about your knowledge of the software. I took the reseller
tech support test in 2005, which is like the CSWP but 100 questions
instead of 50, I think, although my memory is foggy. There were at least
a couple questions that I know were incorrect as worded. I don't know if
that is because the test writer wasn't very good with English or if
there were things he hadn't considered about the software. There will be
multiple choice questions where there are multiple correct answers, or
all the choices are wrong. For this reason the multiple choice is the
hardest part of the test. You won't get all the questions right
regardless of how well you know the software (unless you're the sadistic
b______d that wrote it). I think its driven by a computer, so everyone
gets randomized questions.

If you keep your wits about you, the modeling part of the test is easy.
It is graded by a computer, so your parts have to follow the
instructions exactly. They give you the criteria for how the part has to
react to change, and you can test it before turning it in.

 

FYI,

The sample test is dated 2004. Seems like SolidWorks would have
updated this...

 

You might also want to get involved with a local user group and have
them get a SolidWorks rep - VAR or other - to come in and give a CSWP
prep seminar. I did this for our local chapter and basically asked
questions straight from the training manuals and got the entire group
involved in answering. A good presenter who has already taken the exam
will know how to pull out those questions that may show up on the exam,
yet stump many users.

Good luck,

Steve O

 

I think the igetit website has cswp training available? BTW when I
wrote mine I meant to study but was too busy and never did - I came in
second with a 95/100 so I think if you really know the program you can
just wing it.

Zander

 

I gave myself an hour a day to read through the help files, starting at the
top of the index tree and working down everypage. It was pretty boring, BUT
I passed with 95% and learned quite a bit a long the way - stuff that having
pretty much taught myself I had overlooked or simply didn't know about;
tricks that now I use all the time!

I took notes too, just on the stuff that was new to me, so I could jog my
memory if needed. And when you see something you didn't know about have a
play with it on a part, just to get familiar. Some of the questions need you
to properly KNOW some stuff, not just know of it's existance!

 

Wondering how many days that equates to?



The answer may help motivate me to actually do the exam : )



John Layne

www.solidengineering.co.nz

 

well, it takes a little while. My motivation was that I would only get one
shot at the exam since it's expensive, so I thought I'd better make sure I
passed it!

The trouble is that it's hard not to skim read when you think you know a lot
of the stuff already, but that's when you miss some little detail that could
actually make the difference. That's why I only did an hour each day, so as
not to die of boredom!

 

I know one guy who took the test sometime ago and always tells new
people that you should to read the Tip of Day in the Task Pane. There's
actually a few good tips in there, but a lot of general stuff as well.
Unfortunately, I can't seem to find where all the tips are stored, so
I've scrolled through most of them just to see what's in there.

Steve O