CSWP Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CSWP facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What does the $DESCRIPTION@ column header in a Design Table control? → The Description custom property for each configuration
2. Balloons in a SolidWorks assembly drawing are used for what purpose? → Tagging each component by linking it to its BOM item number
3. What is the most effective way to prepare for the CSWP exam? → Practicing with SOLIDWORKS tutorials and sample exams.
4. In SolidWorks, what is the primary purpose of the 'Profile Center' mate? → Centers the cross-section centroid of one component's face with another face's centroid
5. Why is it recommended that candidates have real-world SolidWorks experience before attempting the CSWP? → Practical modeling speed and accuracy under timed conditions require hands-on practice
6. When creating a linear sketch pattern in SolidWorks, which parameter controls the spacing between instances? → Spacing
7. The Ordinate dimensioning scheme in SolidWorks drawings measures all dimensions relative to what? → A common baseline or datum origin
8. In the SolidWorks equation editor, the 'sgn()' function returns which values? → −1, 0, or 1 depending on whether the argument is negative, zero, or positive
9. In a SolidWorks Sweep feature, what is the required minimum input? → A profile sketch and a path sketch
10. What does the 'Ixx', 'Iyy', and 'Izz' values represent in a SolidWorks Mass Properties report? → Moment of inertia about the X, Y, and Z axes respectively
11. What is the primary advantage of using derived configurations over creating independent configurations? → Changes to the parent automatically propagate to children unless overridden
12. In SolidWorks, what happens to the mass properties of an assembly when you create an exploded view? → Mass properties remain unchanged because no geometry or material is altered
13. What does CSWP Segment 3 primarily evaluate? → Assembly creation, mating, and mass property evaluation
14. In SolidWorks, what color indicates a fully defined sketch entity? → Black
15. When setting up a mechanical Gear Mate between two spur gears, how does SOLIDWORKS typically determine the default gear ratio? → Based on the relative sizes of the selected cylindrical faces or circular edges.
16. Which SolidWorks tool allows you to check whether mechanical mates in an assembly are causing over-definition or conflicting constraints? → MateXpert
17. What is the approximate cost of the CSWP exam per segment as of recent years? → Around $99 USD per segment
18. In Motion Analysis, if you want to apply a motor that drives a component at a constant angular velocity, which motor type should you select? → Rotary motor with constant velocity profile
19. What is the main purpose of the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional (CSWP) certification? → To assess advanced proficiency in SOLIDWORKS design tools.
20. What happens if you fail a segment of the CSWP exam? → You can retake only the failed segment.
21. What is a 'dangling' sketch relation in SolidWorks? → A relation whose referenced entity has been deleted or modified
22. A Deform feature using the 'Surface Push' method needs its push distance doubled. Where is this parameter modified? → In the Deform feature's PropertyManager under the 'Deform Distance' field
23. Which of the following Design Table header tokens controls whether an entire body in a multibody part is suppressed? → $BODYSTATE@BodyName
24. Which CSWP specialty segment focuses on modeling thin-walled enclosures and brackets? → CSWP-SHEET METAL
25. Which segment of the CSWP exam focuses on advanced part modeling and design changes? → Segment 1
26. In a SOLIDWORKS Design Table, what is the correct syntax for a column header to control the suppression state of a feature named 'Pocket-Cut'? → $STATE@Pocket-Cut
27. In SolidWorks, what does the 'Thin Feature' option in an Extrude dialog do? → Creates a solid from an open sketch contour by adding thickness to it
28. During a CSWP exam scenario, you are told to use a plane to split a body and keep only the upper portion. Which feature accomplishes this? → Split, selecting the plane as the trim tool and deselecting the lower body
29. In SolidWorks, what is the effect of applying a 'Draft' feature to a face after extrusion? → Tilts the face by a specified angle relative to a neutral plane or pull direction
30. A Chamfer applied with the 'Distance-Distance' method requires which two inputs? → Two separate distances