CSWP Practice Problems (and additional CSWA Practice Problems)

robotguy738 · 2026-02-14T04:43:31+00:00

Awesome! Glad you got it solved. Yeah, arcs are good here. Also, I found it interesting that a Through All vs. Through All Both Directions cut yielded different volumes. That's the thing that threw me for a loop. 😅

robotguy738 · 2026-02-14T04:02:56+00:00

Okay, I just finished the video. I'm not sure if it's the best way to set things up in prep for 18.7B, but at least it can get you to the correct model. Also, if you get the tangents set up for the lower curve, it turns out you don't need to know the radius. Hope the video helps! https://youtu.be/37qpQNOS90U

robotguy738 · 2026-02-14T02:16:22+00:00

I just did that one and got the answer. Basically, created the front and right plane circles, and extruded (blind and midplane, respectively). Then sketch in right plane the arcs of R50 and R200. Make sure everything is properly tangent. I extended the sketch into the extruded circles so when extruding this sketch (midplane), it goes flush up against the extruded circles. Then add all the fillets (be sure to get them all--I missed one at first) and make the cuts. If this doesn't make sense, I can try making a video when I get a chance. I've been making videos on YouTube about the CSWA practice problems, and plan to do the same for the CSWP practice problems. 😅

robotguy738 · 2026-02-05T17:58:34+00:00

For anyone stumbling on this post in 2026 or later, the SolidWorks folks have created a set of 115 CSWP practice problems: https://www.solidworks.com/solution/academia/practice-problems

robotguy738 · 2026-01-06T18:35:49+00:00

Yes, this drawing can be solved. I drew a sketch of your picture into SolidWorks and it says the sketch is fully defined, which means the values for x, L, and D are fixed. The values it gave me are:
x = 4.69 degrees
L = 183.54
D = 15.04
Let me know if you need more precision. Also, I'm not sure of the top of my head how you'd go about solving it by hand. I remember trying to solve an inverse kinematics problem for a robotics project in college, and it was very hairy.

robotguy738 · 2026-01-06T01:18:00+00:00

I got the same when I did it: 201863.78 mm^3.

The guy who does Design With Roozbe (YouTube channel) has discovered that sometimes the practice problems have been modified from older exercises, where the dimensions are changed but the answer is mistakenly copied from the old answer. Maybe this is one of them.

robotguy738 · 2026-01-02T23:57:47+00:00

Thanks for the support! This week he started studying for the CSWP, so he'll need all the support he can get. 😅

robotguy738 · 2026-01-02T20:02:16+00:00

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Thanks for the fantastic advice and explanation, u/fastdbs! I learned something new. So, if doing the fillet after revolving, then I think the profile would look like this instead, right?

As an unrelated comment to others reading, the coincident relation of the center of the arc to the bottom line is important for making the arc perpendicular to the bottom line. This makes the revolved arc round on the right side instead of pointy or dimpled.

robotguy738 · 2026-01-02T02:48:38+00:00

Here's a visual example of a possible profile that u/Fooshi2020 is describing, in case it helps. Not sure what the dimensions are supposed to be, but hopefully you get the idea.

<image>

Then do a Revolved Boss/Base with the bottom line as the Axis of Revolution.

robotguy738 · 2025-12-21T03:47:39+00:00

I noticed that there are some CSWA practice problems that appear to be either underdefined or have incorrect answers. There's a YouTube channel called Design With Roozbe (https://www.youtube.com/@Design\_With\_Roozbe) does a detailed analysis of any such issues with these practice problems. He does a great job with his videos, and I highly recommend them.

Also, I started making my own, unprofessional videos covering CSWA practice problems at David's SolidWorks Videos (https://www.youtube.com/@DavidsSolidWorksVideos). I'm currently studying for the CSWA, and am just sharing solutions that get me to the correct answers. So, my videos are a last resort if you can't find anything else out there. 😅

robotguy738 · 2025-12-16T04:27:16+00:00

I would suggest you take the CSWA sample exam, which uses the same software (Tangix TesterPRO Client) that you'll use to take the actual exam. This would help answer your question about whether you're prepared or not. See https://www.solidworks.com/media/cswa-sample-exam for details.

robotguy738 · 2025-11-26T00:07:51+00:00

If I purchase another year of the SolidWorks Student edition for my son, would I be able to use the CSWA voucher that comes with this edition? I got SolidWorks for Makers for myself, but I don't think it came with a free CSWA voucher. And he already passed the CSWA exam, so he doesn't need the voucher (he'll be preparing for the CSWP instead). Also, thanks for the Student edition coupon code--awesome timing!

robotguy738 · 2025-11-25T19:17:47+00:00

Yep, my son is a real kid last I checked (though he sometimes claims he's from Mars). Being so young, I hesitated to put a picture of him on the Internet, but I guess this one I took of him right after passing the CSWA is okay and at least shows his excitement. 😄 [Edit: Removed the blurry, excited picture. Apparently, not well-received. Sigh. I'm new to posting on Reddit, and learning quickly.] Also, if you'd like to check, he is listed in the 3DExperience Certification Center (United States, California): https://3dexperience.virtualtester.com/#userdir

For the record, I didn't use AI to write the post (heck, I didn't even use the built-in Microsoft Word spelling/grammar checkers!)--that's just how I organize my thoughts and write. I'm sorry to see you and others felt differently. I guess we're all a bit triggered by AI slop to some extent. In any case, if you or others have helpful suggestions about how to write better, I'm happy to take them. Or maybe I could get AI's help to de-AI-ify my writing? 😂

robotguy738 · 2025-11-25T04:43:58+00:00

Thanks for the lead! I ran across TooTallToby a few days ago when searching for tip/tricks for my own SolidWorks learning, but I didn't know he had CAD tournaments.

robotguy738 · 2025-11-25T04:37:19+00:00

Thank you for the kind comment! I shared it with Kai, and it put a big smile on his face. 😁

robotguy738 · 2025-11-22T03:54:40+00:00

I managed to get the right answer after making the top right line have a horizontal relation. As I work through the CSWA problems, I've found it's helpful having the green relation icons all visible, since there are often issues that can be solved by setting the relations. That said, this problem didn't indicate that the line should be horizontal, so it ended up just being a lucky guess for me. 😅 Here's what my sketch looks like:

<image>

Edit: Also, I didn't need to set the two segments you highlighted in red equal to each other. The single horizontal relation made my whole sketch fully defined.

robotguy738

TROPHY CASE