Tag: CSWP

SOLIDWORKS Certification – CSWP to CSWE

This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series SOLIDWORKS Certification

I first earned my SolidWorks Professional certificate (CSWP) at SolidWorks World 2011.  Attendees of SolidWorks World are able take the CSWP exam if they specify such when they register for the conference.

Between SolidWorks World 2011 and 2012, I joined the DS SolidWorks Corp on the Product Definition team.  This is a busy job.  There was quite a stretch before I attempted any of the advanced certification exams.  There are several advanced exams, covering various areas of SolidWorks functionality.  You need to pass any four of the five CSWP advanced certificates in order to qualify to take the Certified SolidWorks Expert exam.

Chart of my certifications leading up to the CSWE

My path to earning my CSWE

As shown in the above chart, I took most of my advanced exams this year: Mold Tools, Surfacing and Weldment, after having the Drawings Tool certification for awhile.  I’m excited that I just earned my CSWE this week; a Christmas present to myself.  Just in time for SOLIDWORKS World 2015 and its secret CSWE event.  Jeff Mirisola wrote about his first CSWE event a couple years ago.  This year will be my first, having missing out for two years.

Here’s my badges of honor:

CSWE_MD_smallCSWP_MDsmall CSWP_Drawing_smallCSWP_Mold_small CSWP_Surfacing_small CSWP_Weldmentssmall

 

 

 

Even though I’ve earned my CSWE, I may still attempt the final advanced exam for Sheet Metal at some point, plus any new exams that may come out eventually.

The number of CSWE’s worldwide is still less than 1950 as of today (December 22, 2014), according to the Certificate Virtual Tester database.  Being a CSWE makes you stand out.  As an employee of SOLIDWORKS, it shows that I have a thorough understanding of how to use the software that I help design.  For users, it is a clear demonstration that you have excellent understanding of SOLIDWORKS and its various tools.

Preparing for the SolidWorks Certification exams (version 2)

This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series SOLIDWORKS Certification

Certificate on the shelfThere continues to be a lot of interest in getting certified as SolidWorks Expert (CSWE).  Through there are no official accolades that go long with passing the CSWE, the certificate can garner employer and industry recognition of your established skills.  Even as the number of Certified SolidWorks Professional grows (CSWP), the number of those with the higher CSWE certification is still small by comparison.  Right now, there’s just over 1500 CSWEs.  To earn your opportunity to take the CSWE exam, you have to pass the CSWP and also pass four advanced exam modules from a selection including topics like Weldments, Surfacing, FEA, etc.

Applian Way Technologies has a blog with several articles that are brief preparation guides for various exam modules. A Very Swell Idea, Inc has some good advice for taking the modules in their discussion of CSWP Weldment exam. 3D Dimensional Engineer also has a great series on CSWP Preparation.

SolidWorks website itself has great information for each exam, including the core, advanced and the expert exams.

  • CSWA – Certified SolidWorks Associate
  • CSWA – Acedemic – Certified SolidWorks Academic Associate
  • CSWP – Certified SolidWorks Professional
  • CEPA – Certified Enterprise PDM Administrator
  • CSDA – Certified Sustainable Design Associate
  • CSWSA-FEA – Certified SolidWorks Simulation Associate – Finite Element Analysis Advanced Exam
  • CSWSP-FEA – Certified SolidWorks Simulation Professional – Finite Element Analysis Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-Sheet Metal – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Sheet Metal Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-Weldments – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Weldments Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-Surfacing – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Surfacing Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-Mold Tools – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Mold Tools Advanced Exam
  • CSWP-DRWT – Certified SolidWorks Professional – Drawing Tools Advanced Exam
  • CSWE – Certified SolidWorks Expert

Once you’ve earned your certificate, you can exhibit it in a number of ways.  The certificate with a unique code is provided to you in the form of a PDF file, which can be printed out or shown on your mobile device.  You can use your unique code number to allow others to verify your acheivement.  Banner images are also provided so that you can add a certificate badge to your emails or website.  You can also add your certification information to your Linkedin account.  Don’t forget to notify your employer and colleagues.

How to show off your CSWP on Linkedin

This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series SOLIDWORKS Certification

CSWA, CSWP, CSWP advanced modules, and CSWE are all important certifications that demonstrate a person’s skill level with SolidWorks.  One of the easiest ways to let others know that you’ve successfully passed a SolidWorks certification exam is to list the certificate on Linkedin.com.  There are several ways to do this.

A very common method right now is to simply add “, CSWP” to your last name, as in “Smith, CSWP”.  This will show your certification to anyone searching people on Linkedin.  However, this method is very limited since it’s impractical to show multiple certifications, such as  “Smith, CSWA, CSWP, CSWP-WELDMENTS, CSWP-FEA”.  My recommendation for this method is to simply show the highest tier of certification you’ve earned (CSWA, CSWP or CSWE).

In addition to that method, you can list all of your certifications on Linkedin.  Linkedin gives you the ability to add Certifications as a heading on your profile.  To do this:

  1. Logon to Linkedin.com with your account.
  2. Goto Profile>Edit Profile.
  3. Linkedin HeadingsIf you haven’t already added Certifications to your profile, Certifications should appear in a list of unused headings to the right of your profile. (Please note that Linkedin has been changing its interface a lot recently, so current location of this area may change at some point.)
  4. Click on the plus symbol in the Certifications box.  This will take you to a new heading area under your profile.
  5. In Certification Name field, type in the name of the SolidWorks Certification.  For example, “Certified SolidWorks Professional”
  6. In Certification Authority field, type in “Dassault Systèmes”. As you type “Dass”, Linkedin will likely provide an autofill option Dassault Systèmes that includes the “è” so that you don’t have to work out how to create that character if you do not have a European keyboard.
  7. Under License Number, type in the validation code associated with your certification.  This code is used to verify that your cerification exists and that it belongs to you.
  8. In Dates, enter the month and year in which you earned your certification.
  9. Choose Save.
  10. Repeat for each certification you earn.
  11. You can use the reposition icon under the heading (upper right corner) to move your Certifications higher up on your profile to call attention to them quicker for visitors.
  12. Save and Exit the edit profile mode and view your profile to ensure your information is correct.
  13. You can use Linkedin to spammishly notify your contacts that you’ve updated your profile to include your certificates.  It might be a good idea for someone looking for employment, but otherwise, I would shy away from this functionality.

Example

Preparing for the SolidWorks Profession Specialty Exams CSWP CSWE

This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series SOLIDWORKS Certification

{Updated: 01/17/2015}

There is a lot of interest in getting certified as SolidWorks Expert (CSWE).  Through there are no official accolades that go long with passing the CSWE, the certificate can garner industry recognition of your established skills.  Even as the number of Certified SolidWorks Professional grows (CSWP) due to the online accessibility, the number of those with the higher CSWE certification is still small by comparison.  Right now, there’s just over 1000 CSWEs {update: still under 2000, as of Jan 2015}.  Please see this Certified SolidWorks Professional infographic for additional details.

To earn the opportunity to take the CSWE exam, you have to pass the CSWP and also pass three four advanced exam modules from the selection of topics: Weldments,  FEA, etc. Surfacing, Sheet Metal, Drawing Tools and Mold Tools.  {FEA is no longer included as a option to fulfill the CSWE prerequisites.}

Applian Way Technologies has a blog with several articles that are brief preparation guides for various exam modules.  A Very Swell Idea, Inc has some good advice for taking the modules in their discussion of CSWP Weldment exam.   3D Dimensional Engineer also has a great series on CSWP Preparation.

SolidWorks website itself has great information for each exam, including the core and the expert exams.