- The Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate - Electrical exam requires 35 of 50 points, which equals 70%.
- Each multiple-choice or true/false question is worth exactly one point, with no partial credit.
- You get 60 minutes, so budget roughly a minute per question with time left to review.
- The exam is a knowledge test, not a hands-on CAD build.
The Number: 35 Out of 50
If you are preparing for the Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate - Electrical credential, the single most important figure to internalize is 35 out of 50 points, or 70%. That threshold appears on printed page 5 of SOLIDWORKS' official exam guide and sample test, and SOLIDWORKS' September 2025 "Lesson 13" academic-certification post confirms the same total, the same timing, and the same passing score. Two issuer documents, same answer.
That makes the target refreshingly concrete. You do not need a perfect score, and you do not need to be strong in every corner of SOLIDWORKS Electrical. You need 35 correct answers out of 50. This article breaks down what that means for how you study, how you pace the 60 minutes, and how you decide you are ready. If you are still orienting yourself to the credential, start with What Is CSWA-E? and then come back.
What 70% Actually Means in Practice
Seventy percent sounds comfortable until you convert it to questions. You can miss 15 items and still pass. Miss 16 and you have 34 points, which is a fail. There is no rounding up and no partial credit, because every item is worth one point.
| Scoring Detail | What the Official Material States |
|---|---|
| Total questions | 50 |
| Points per question | 1 |
| Passing score | 35 points (70%) |
| Maximum questions you can miss | 15 |
| Time allowed | 60 minutes |
| Question types | Multiple-choice and true/false |
Format Behind the Score
The passing score only makes sense once you understand what the 50 questions look like. SOLIDWORKS describes this as a knowledge test built from multiple-choice and true/false items. It is not a hands-on modeling session where you build a schematic from scratch against a clock. That is an important correction, because some candidates confuse this credential with the practical, build-a-part style exams in the broader SOLIDWORKS family and arrive expecting a two-hour CAD marathon. It is 60 minutes and 50 items.
There is a quirk worth knowing. SOLIDWORKS' general exam page contains a generic sentence about "hands-on challenges," yet the same page, the exam guide, and Lesson 13 treat this particular exam as question-based. The exam-specific statements govern. You are answering questions, not drafting a project file.
Interactive use of SOLIDWORKS Electrical is not required to take the exam, though the guide and Lesson 13 allow you to run the software to help answer questions. Candidates should be familiar with SOLIDWORKS Electrical principles from version 2015 or later. That is a knowledge baseline, not a requirement to buy or install a 2015 license. For the full picture of prerequisites, see CSWA-E Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Passing Score vs. Pass Rate
These two phrases get mixed up constantly, and the confusion matters. The passing score is the cutoff you must hit: 35 of 50. The pass rate is the percentage of all candidates who succeed. They are completely different quantities.
Because there is no published pass rate, the honest way to gauge difficulty is to measure yourself against the cutoff directly: take realistic practice tests and see whether you consistently clear 35. For a qualitative view of difficulty, read How Hard Is the CSWA-E Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Reading the Official Sample Like a Scorer
SOLIDWORKS publishes an exam guide with a sample test. It contains only eight questions, so it is a taste of the style rather than the full exam, and it should not be treated as a representative score predictor. The guide also contains some unrelated boilerplate about Drawing Tools and MBD that does not apply to this credential. Ignore it.
What the sample is genuinely good for is showing you how items are framed. Here is how to approach that kind of material with a scorer's mindset:
- Identify what the question is actually testing. Is it asking about a definition, a software behavior, or a design decision? The wording usually signals which of the five exam topics it belongs to.
- Eliminate on principle, not on feel. In an electrical-theory item, a wrong option often violates a basic rule (for example, a misunderstanding of how components connect in a circuit). Strike options that break fundamentals first.
- Watch absolutes in true/false items. Statements containing "always" or "never" are frequently the false ones, though verify against the concept rather than assuming.
- Never leave an answer blank. With one point per item and no negative marking described in the official materials, an educated guess is always better than a skip.
For a deeper walk through question styles, our CSWA-E practice test mirrors the multiple-choice and true/false format so you can rehearse the pacing as well as the content.
Where Your 35 Points Come From
SOLIDWORKS publishes five exam topics for this credential. Importantly, these are the issuer's exact headings, not an exhaustive weighted blueprint. No official percentage is assigned to each, and you should not assume the topics are equally weighted or that any one dominates. Treat all five as live.
Domain 1: Electrical Theory
The foundation under every other topic. Expect questions that test whether you understand how circuits behave, not just where to click.
- Core circuit concepts and how components relate
- Symbols and the logic of how a control circuit is read
- Concepts that later reappear in schematics and design questions
Domain 2: SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematics
The 2D drawing side of the product, where schematic logic is captured and managed.
- Building and reading electrical schematics
- Wire numbering and how conductors are identified
- Equipotentials and how connected points share an electrical identity
Domain 3: SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D
The cabinet and panel layout side, where schematic content meets physical space.
- Relating schematic components to their 3D placement
- Understanding how the 3D environment connects to the schematic data
Domain 4: Electrical Design
Design-level reasoning about how a project comes together and how decisions are made.
- Project-level thinking and component selection logic
- How design choices flow through to documentation
Domain 5: Installation
"Installation" is a published heading, but no exhaustive installation subtopic list is established by the issuer.
- Prepare around general setup and environment concepts
- Treat project-setting and installation examples in study material as preparation, not as newly defined exam objectives
For a topic-by-topic explanation, see CSWA-E Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.
A Score-Driven Study Plan
Because the cutoff is a flat 35 points across five topics, the smartest plan is one that protects your floor in every topic while building depth where you are weakest. Here is a four-week sequence that follows the logic of the exam itself: theory first, because it underpins everything.
Electrical Theory and Terminology
- Lock down circuit fundamentals; they feed every later topic
- Build a glossary of terms you will see in answer options
Schematics: Wire Numbering and Equipotentials
- Drill how wire numbers and equipotentials are assigned and read
- Work through the official sample's eight questions and explain each answer aloud
Electrical 3D, Design and Installation
- Connect schematic data to 3D placement
- Review design-flow concepts and general installation preparation
Timed Mixed Practice
- Simulate the 60-minute, 50-question format
- Aim to clear 35 with a cushion before booking your attempt
Key Takeaway
Do not book the exam the first time you scrape 35. Wait until you clear it with a comfortable margin on several timed sets, because exam-day nerves and an unfamiliar interface will cost you a few points. The full preparation framework lives in CSWA-E Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt, and a quick-reference summary is in CSWA-E Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Fees, Retakes and Validity
Knowing the logistics removes pressure, which helps your score. Here is what the official materials establish:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Fee | USD 20 in North America for one attempt |
| Free routes | Possible through eligible Academic Certification Providers, but this does not make every attempt free |
| Delivery | Online through SOLIDWORKS / VirtualTester |
| Formal prerequisites | None for Associate-level exams |
| Retake wait | At least 14 days, plus a fresh exam credit |
| Validity | No official expiration date for customer/student certificates |
A few clarifications. The retake interval is 14 days under the current exam page and program policy, which supersedes the older 30-day wording that appears in the exam guide. Online delivery runs through the VirtualTester Web Client per current program instructions, even though the guide references Tangix TesterPRO. And academic proctoring language does not establish a universal webcam rule, so check the instructions that accompany your own booking.
The low fee means a failed attempt is a small financial setback rather than a major one, but it still costs time and a fresh credit. For pricing nuance, read CSWA-E Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown, and for scheduling, see CSWA-E Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Common Misreadings of the Passing Score
"It is a practical exam, so I need two hours."
No. The format is 50 questions in 60 minutes. Plan pacing around that, not around a long build task.
"70% means I need to master everything."
No. You need 35 correct answers. Strategic depth across all five topics beats perfectionism in one.
"This is an electrician license."
It is not. The Certified SOLIDWORKS Associate - Electrical credential validates familiarity with SOLIDWORKS Electrical, a software product. It is entirely separate from any trade licensing or electrician certification, and it does not authorize anyone to perform electrical work.
"Passing guarantees a salary bump."
No certification-specific salary uplift has been verified, so treat any such claim with caution. The credential is best understood as proof of software competence that can support a resume for design, drafting, and controls-documentation roles. For realistic expectations, see CSWA-E Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis, Is the CSWA-E Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026, and CSWA-E Jobs.
When you are ready to rehearse under realistic conditions, our CSWA-E practice exams let you measure yourself against the 35-point line before you spend a credit on the real thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need 35 out of 50 points, which is 70%. Each question is worth one point, and the same threshold appears in the official exam guide and in SOLIDWORKS' September 2025 Lesson 13 post.
You can miss up to 15 of the 50 questions. Missing 16 leaves you at 34 points, which falls one short of the passing score.
No. It is a knowledge test made up of multiple-choice and true/false questions, delivered in 60 minutes. Using SOLIDWORKS Electrical interactively is not required, though the official materials permit running it to help answer questions.
No. The passing score is the cutoff you must reach, while a pass rate is the share of candidates who succeed. No official pass-rate figure has been published or verified for this exam.
You can retake the exam after waiting at least 14 days, and you will need a fresh exam credit. The base fee is USD 20 in North America per attempt, though free routes may exist through eligible Academic Certification Providers.