- Identity Check: Which CSWA-E This Is
- Exam Format at a Glance
- Fee, Delivery, Retakes and Validity
- The Five Published Exam Topics
- Schematic Essentials: Wire Numbers and Equipotentials
- Reading the Official Sample Exam
- Myths to Retire Before Test Day
- Where This Credential Fits Professionally
- A Domain-by-Domain Prep Order
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The exam is 50 questions, 60 minutes, one point each, with a passing score of 35/50 (70%).
- It is a knowledge test with multiple-choice and true/false items, not a hands-on CAD assessment.
- The fee is USD 20 in North America for one attempt; retakes need 14 days and a new exam credit.
- The five published topics are Electrical theory, Schematics, Electrical 3D, Electrical design, and Installation.
Identity Check: Which CSWA-E This Is
Before memorizing anything, confirm you are studying the right credential. On this site, CSWA-E means Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate - Electrical, issued by SOLIDWORKS (Dassault Systèmes). The issuer's current page titles it "SOLIDWORKS Electrical Design Associate (CSWA-E)." It tests your understanding of SOLIDWORKS Electrical, the software used to draw electrical schematics, lay out components in 3D, and manage electrical design data.
It is not an electrician license, a journeyman or master electrician exam, or a state or national code-compliance test. Nothing here qualifies you to perform electrical installation work on a job site. If you want the background on naming, the explainers What Is CSWA-E? and What Does CSWA-E Stand For? cover it in detail. This page is the quick-reference version: the facts you should be able to recite without notes.
Exam Format at a Glance
The official exam guide's printed page 5 and SOLIDWORKS's September 23, 2025 "Lesson 13" academic certification post agree on the core numbers. Keep this table in your head.
| Item | What to Know |
|---|---|
| Number of questions | 50 |
| Question types | Multiple-choice and true/false |
| Points per question | 1 point each |
| Time limit | 60 minutes |
| Passing score | 35 of 50 points (70%) |
| Style | Knowledge test, not a hands-on CAD build |
| Software familiarity | SOLIDWORKS Electrical principles from version 2015 or later |
Do the arithmetic once: 60 minutes across 50 questions is roughly 72 seconds per item. That is generous for recall questions and tight if you stall on a single scenario. Because every question is worth the same single point, there is no reason to burn three minutes on one stubborn item. For a deeper look at the threshold itself, see CSWA-E Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Fee, Delivery, Retakes and Validity
The administrative details are easy points of confusion, so here they are in one place.
- Fee: USD 20 in North America for one attempt, per the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program page. Pricing outside North America may differ, so verify at purchase.
- Free attempts: Lesson 13 confirms free opportunities exist through eligible Academic Certification Providers. That does not make every retail attempt free.
- Delivery: The exam is taken online through SOLIDWORKS and VirtualTester. The older guide names Tangix TesterPRO, while current program instructions direct candidates to the VirtualTester Web Client. Follow the current instructions.
- Prerequisites: None formally. Associate and Professional exams have no entry requirements. Recommended study paths (Electrical Schematic, Electrical 3D, and the Electrical Learning Path) are preparation, not eligibility gates.
- Retakes: At least 14 days between attempts and a fresh exam credit, per the current exam page and program policy. The older guide's 30-day wording is superseded.
- Validity: Customer and student certificates have no official expiration date, per the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program Q&A.
For the complete cost picture, read CSWA-E Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. For eligibility nuances, see CSWA-E Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify, and for scheduling, CSWA-E Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
The Five Published Exam Topics
The issuer publishes five exam headings. They are exact topic names, not a weighted blueprint, so do not assume each carries 20% of the questions, and do not assume any one topic dominates. Study all five. For a fuller walkthrough of each area, see CSWA-E Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.
Domain 1: Electrical theory
The foundation that makes every other question easier. Expect conceptual questions about how circuits behave rather than complex derivations.
- Voltage, current, resistance, and power relationships
- Series versus parallel behavior
- Control circuits versus power circuits
- Common devices such as contactors, relays, switches, fuses, and motors, and the roles they play
Domain 2: SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematics
The software-specific core: how schematic drawings are built and how the data behind the symbols is managed.
- Placing symbols and understanding their connection points
- Wire numbering and how numbers propagate through a circuit
- Equipotentials and how connected points share a potential
- Cross-references between related symbols, such as a coil and its contacts
- Reports generated from schematic data
Domain 3: SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D
How the schematic world connects to the physical enclosure and the mechanical model.
- Relating schematic components to physical parts
- Placing components in a cabinet or enclosure layout
- Routing wires and cables through a 3D arrangement
- Keeping 2D schematic data and 3D layout consistent
Domain 4: Electrical design
Applying the tool and the theory to make sensible design decisions across a project.
- Project structure and how drawings, folders, and data relate
- Selecting appropriate manufacturer parts and components
- Documentation outputs, such as lists and reports
- Design consistency across a project
Domain 5: Installation
"Installation" is a published heading, but no exhaustive subtopic list or weighting has been established by the issuer. Treat the items below as sensible preparation areas, not as newly invented exam objectives.
- Project and environment setup before design begins
- Awareness of how the application and its data are organized
- Basic familiarity with configuring a working project environment
Schematic Essentials: Wire Numbers and Equipotentials
Two terms deserve extra attention because they are distinctive to electrical CAD and trip up candidates who only know generic drawing software.
Wire numbering
Wire numbers label the conductors in a circuit so that a drawing, a panel build, and a maintenance technician can all refer to the same wire. In SOLIDWORKS Electrical, numbering is tied to the connectivity of the circuit rather than to a manual text label you type in. Know that a number belongs to a connection, that it follows the circuit across components, and that numbering behavior can be configured at the project level.
Equipotentials
An equipotential is a set of connected points that share the same electrical potential. Conceptually, if two wire segments join without passing through a device that changes the potential, they belong to the same equipotential and carry the same identity. Questions in this area reward you for reasoning about where a device sits in the path. A closed switch is part of the continuous potential, while a load is where the potential changes.
Key Takeaway
When a question mentions wire numbers or equipotentials, trace the circuit physically first. Ask which points are joined directly and where a device interrupts the path. That one habit resolves a large share of schematic-reasoning items.
Reading the Official Sample Exam
The issuer-linked exam guide includes an eight-question sample. It is a taste of the style, not the full exam, so do not treat its content as a complete preview. Use it to learn how questions are phrased rather than to memorize answers.
The useful way to work through it is to sort each question into one of three buckets before you answer:
- Definition recall: Does the question simply ask what a term or feature is? Answer fast and move on.
- Circuit reasoning: Does it describe a small circuit and ask about behavior or connectivity? Sketch it quickly and trace it.
- Workflow knowledge: Does it ask how a task is done in the software? If you have used the tool, recall the steps. If not, eliminate options that contradict how schematic data logically flows.
Be aware that the guide also carries some unrelated boilerplate about Drawing Tools and MBD from other SOLIDWORKS credentials. Ignore it. It does not change what the electrical exam covers. When you are ready to test yourself on more varied wording, work through a CSWA-E practice test and compare your weak topics against the five headings above. If you want to calibrate how demanding the content feels, How Hard Is the CSWA-E Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 is a useful companion.
Myths to Retire Before Test Day
| Common Belief | What the Sources Support |
|---|---|
| "It is a two-hour practical exam." | It is 60 minutes, multiple-choice and true/false. |
| "You must own a 2015 license." | 2015 or later describes expected familiarity, not a purchase requirement. |
| "You need training hours to be eligible." | No formal prerequisites; study paths are recommended, not mandatory. |
| "Retakes wait 30 days." | Current policy says at least 14 days plus a new exam credit. |
| "The certificate expires after a few years." | No official expiration date for customer and student certificates. |
| "The 70% passing score is the pass rate." | It is the score you need, not the share of candidates who pass. |
| "Each domain is worth 20% of questions." | No weighted blueprint is published; do not assume equal weights. |
That last row about pass rates matters. No official pass-rate figure has been verified, so any site quoting a precise percentage should be treated with caution. For what can and cannot be said, see CSWA-E Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
Where This Credential Fits Professionally
The CSWA-E signals that you understand SOLIDWORKS Electrical fundamentals. It is most relevant to people working in or heading toward roles that touch electrical design documentation, panel and control system design, or the handoff between electrical and mechanical engineering teams. Students and early-career designers often use it to show baseline software literacy, and employers or training providers that deal in SOLIDWORKS tools will recognize the name.
Keep expectations grounded. No certification-specific salary uplift has been verified, so treat any precise earnings claim as unsupported. The credential is a low-cost, low-barrier way to document knowledge, and its value depends on your existing experience and the employers you target. If you are weighing the decision, Is the CSWA-E Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CSWA-E Jobs discuss the practical angle, and CSWA-E Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis explains why salary numbers should be handled carefully.
A Domain-by-Domain Prep Order
Because the exam is a 60-minute knowledge test, a short, ordered plan works better than an open-ended one. Sequence the topics so each builds on the last.
Electrical theory first
- Review circuit fundamentals and device roles, since the schematic questions assume them.
- Practice tracing simple control circuits on paper.
Schematics
- Drill wire numbering, equipotentials, and cross-references.
- If you have access to the software, build a small circuit to see the behavior directly.
Electrical 3D and Electrical design
- Connect schematic components to physical layout and project documentation.
- Review how reports and project structure relate to the drawings.
Installation, then full timed review
- Cover project and environment setup as preparation topics.
- Take timed practice sets at roughly 72 seconds per question and revisit weak headings.
Theory goes first because it supports every later topic, and Installation goes last because it has the least defined scope. For a broader plan that covers pacing and resources, use the CSWA-E Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and see CSWA-E Training for structured learning options. You can also run focused drills on the main practice test site.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam has 50 questions worth one point each, and you need 35 of 50 points (70%) to pass. You have 60 minutes to finish.
No. It is a knowledge test with multiple-choice and true/false items. You are allowed to run SOLIDWORKS Electrical to help answer questions, but interactive use of the software is not required.
The fee is USD 20 in North America for one attempt. A retake requires waiting at least 14 days and purchasing a fresh exam credit under current policy.
Customer and student certificates have no official expiration date, according to the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program Q&A.
No. It certifies knowledge of SOLIDWORKS Electrical software and related design concepts. It does not license you to perform electrical installation work. For the full breakdown of the credential, see CSWA-E Certification.