- The listed fee for the CSWA-E exam is USD 20 in North America, covering one attempt.
- The exam is 50 questions in 60 minutes with a 35/50 (70%) passing score.
- Eligible Academic Certification Providers can offer free attempts; retail candidates should not assume the exam is free.
- A retake requires waiting at least 14 days and purchasing a fresh exam credit.
What You Are Actually Paying For
The CSWA-E is the SOLIDWORKS Electrical Design Associate exam, published by SOLIDWORKS (Dassault Systèmes). It is a software-vendor credential built around SOLIDWORKS Electrical, not an electrician licensing examination. That distinction matters for cost: you are not paying for a trade license, a state board fee, or a supervised apprenticeship record. You are paying for one sitting of a 50-question knowledge test delivered online. If you want a fuller orientation before budgeting, the What Is CSWA-E? overview covers the credential itself.
The exam covers five published topic areas: Electrical theory, SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematics, SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D, Electrical design, and Installation. Each question is worth one point, and you need 35 of 50 to pass. Because the format is multiple-choice and true/false rather than a timed CAD build, the cost structure is simple: there is no lab fee, no equipment rental, and no requirement to purchase a software license just to sit the test.
The USD 20 Exam Fee Explained
According to the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program page, the fee is USD 20 in North America for one attempt. That is the headline number for most retail candidates, and it is low compared with many professional certifications. A few practical notes on how that fee behaves:
- It buys one attempt. If you do not reach 35/50, a second sitting needs a new exam credit.
- It is a North America figure. Pricing outside North America may differ, so check the program page for your region rather than assuming parity.
- It is a vendor fee, not a proctoring-service surcharge. Testing runs online through SOLIDWORKS and VirtualTester. The sample guide references Tangix TesterPRO, while current program instructions direct candidates to the VirtualTester Web Client.
When the Exam Costs Nothing
The SOLIDWORKS lesson on the Electrical Design Associate exam (Lesson 13 of the academic certification series, published September 23, 2025) confirms that free opportunities exist through eligible Academic Certification Providers. In practice, that usually means a school, college, or training organization that holds exam credits and distributes them to students.
Two cautions keep expectations realistic:
- Free access depends on your institution participating and having credits available. It does not mean every retail attempt is free.
- If you are an independent learner or working professional, plan on the standard fee unless an employer or reseller supplies credits.
If you are a student, ask your instructor or department whether they are an Academic Certification Provider before paying out of pocket. Eligibility details also appear in CSWA-E Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Retake Rules and What a Second Attempt Costs
The exam page and program policy require at least 14 days between attempts and a fresh exam credit for each retake. The older sample guide mentions a 30-day wait; the current exam page and program policy supersede that wording, so plan around 14 days.
The financial logic is straightforward:
- Pass on the first try: you spend one exam credit.
- Miss the 35/50 line: you wait at least 14 days and buy another credit before sitting again.
Since each attempt carries its own cost, the cheapest strategy is to arrive prepared enough that you do not need a second one. The 70% threshold leaves room for 15 missed questions, but a knowledge test spread across five topic areas can punish a single weak area. For a realistic read on difficulty before you book, see How Hard Is the CSWA-E Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026, and for the scoring mechanics see CSWA-E Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Costs That Are Not on the Price Tag
The exam fee is small, but a few indirect costs are worth naming so your total budget is honest.
Software Access
You do not need to buy or install a SOLIDWORKS Electrical license to take the exam. The exam page asks for familiarity with SOLIDWORKS Electrical principles from version 2015 or later, which is a knowledge baseline, not a purchase requirement. The official guide and Lesson 13 do permit running the software while answering questions, so having access can help, but it is optional. If you already have access through work or school, it can make preparation easier. If you do not, you can still prepare from documentation, learning-path material, and practice questions.
Preparation Materials
SOLIDWORKS publishes an official sample guide containing an eight-question sample, which is free. Beyond that, costs depend on how you study. Reseller courses, instructor-led classes, and paid practice banks all add expense. Competitor sites in this space, such as GoEngineer, Hawk Ridge Systems, Examzify, Quizlet, and Scribd, are research leads for study resources, not verified sources of official exam facts, and some content behind them may be paywalled. Treat any third-party question set as practice rather than authoritative.
Your Time
Recommended study around the Electrical Schematic, Electrical 3D, and Electrical Learning Path is preparation guidance, not a mandatory training-hour requirement. There is no required course to buy before you register. See CSWA-E Training for the options available.
Technology Readiness
Because testing is online, you need a reliable connection and a device that works with the VirtualTester Web Client. Academic proctoring language does not establish a universal webcam rule, so check the instructions shown for your own sitting rather than assuming a particular setup.
Cost Scenarios Side by Side
| Scenario | Exam Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Student at an eligible Academic Certification Provider | Potentially free | Depends on school participation and available credits |
| Retail candidate, North America, first attempt | USD 20 | One attempt per purchase |
| Retail candidate who needs one retake | USD 20 plus a fresh exam credit | Wait at least 14 days between attempts |
| Candidate outside North America | Check program page | The USD 20 figure is specific to North America |
| Candidate using only the official sample guide | Exam fee only | Sample guide is free but covers just eight questions |
Where to Spend a Preparation Budget
Since the exam fee is modest, the better question is where extra preparation money, if any, produces a return. The five domains are not equal in how easily they can be self-taught, so spend deliberately.
Electrical Theory
The most self-study-friendly area. Core electrical concepts can be reviewed from free references. Paid help here rarely changes outcomes.
- Review how circuits, loads, and control logic relate to what a schematic represents
- Focus on concepts that will reappear when you read symbols and connections
SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematics
Where hands-on time pays off most, even though the exam is not a hands-on CAD test. Topics that candidates commonly need to understand include how wires are numbered and how equipotentials group connected points. Treat these as preparation themes, not an official subtopic list.
- Wire numbering logic and how it follows the schematic
- Equipotentials and what they represent electrically
- Symbol and component placement conventions
SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D
Often underestimated by candidates who live in 2D schematics. Conceptual familiarity with how electrical content relates to a 3D layout is what counts.
- How 3D layout connects back to schematic data
- Cabling and routing concepts at a conceptual level
Electrical Design and Installation
Project-setting and installation examples are useful preparation, but the published heading "Installation" does not come with an exhaustive subtopic list or weighting, so avoid paying for any resource that claims to know exactly what will appear.
- General design workflow and project organization
- Installation as a topic area, studied from official learning material
The five headings are the issuer-published exam topics, not a weighted blueprint, so no domain should be assumed to carry a fixed share of the 50 questions. A walkthrough of each area appears in CSWA-E Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.
A Budget-Aware Study Order
Electrical theory plus sample guide
- Review core theory using free references
- Work through the official eight-question sample and explain each answer in your own words
Schematics focus
- Study wire numbering and equipotentials until you can reason through them without notes
- Use the software if you have access; it is permitted but not required
Electrical 3D, design, and installation
- Cover 3D concepts and design workflow
- Review installation as a topic area, then take practice questions across all five domains
For a fuller plan, see CSWA-E Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and keep the CSWA-E Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts handy for last-minute review. You can also test yourself with the CSWA-E practice test before paying for a live attempt.
Weighing the Cost Against the Credential
At USD 20 for a retail attempt, the direct financial risk is low. The real question is whether the credential supports your goals. Some honest limits apply:
- No certification-specific salary uplift has been verified, so any claim of a guaranteed pay bump should be treated skeptically. See CSWA-E Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis for what can responsibly be said.
- The credential shows familiarity with SOLIDWORKS Electrical, which is most relevant to people working in electrical design, controls, panel design, and engineering roles that use that software. Hiring context is covered in CSWA-E Jobs.
- Customer and student certificates have no official expiration date, per the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program Q&A, so you are not committing to a recurring renewal fee.
Key Takeaway
The recurring-cost picture is favorable: one modest exam fee, no formal prerequisites, and no official expiration date on customer or student certificates. The decision comes down to relevance to your work, which the Is the CSWA-E Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 article examines in more depth.
Scheduling also affects cost indirectly, since a rushed sitting increases retake risk. Timing details are in CSWA-E Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling. And if you want a deeper pricing reference, the dedicated CSWA-E Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown page is the companion to this guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
The SOLIDWORKS Certification Program lists USD 20 in North America for one attempt. Pricing outside North America may differ, so confirm on the official program page before purchasing.
Possibly, if you are studying through an eligible Academic Certification Provider that supplies exam credits. Free opportunities exist through such providers, but that does not make every retail attempt free.
A retake requires waiting at least 14 days and purchasing a fresh exam credit. The older sample guide's 30-day wording is superseded by the current exam page and program policy.
No. The exam is a knowledge test, not a hands-on CAD assessment, and interactive use of the software is not required. The guide and Lesson 13 do permit running SOLIDWORKS Electrical to help answer questions, and familiarity with principles from version 2015 or later is expected.
According to the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program Q&A, customer and student certificates have no official expiration date, so there is no published recurring renewal fee to budget for.