- What "CSWP-FS Training" Actually Means
- The Official Training Pathway: Course, Learning Path, Exam
- Train for the Format: 13 Hands-On Questions in 90 Minutes
- Training Each of the 11 Exam Topics
- Mesh Size, Solver Time and Result Interpretation
- Finite Volume Method: The Conceptual Layer
- Flow Simulation Is Not Structural Simulation
- Budgeting Training, Software and Exam Credits Separately
- A Domain-Ordered Training Schedule
- Training for Career Value, Not Just a Badge
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CSWP-FS here means SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation Professional, which SOLIDWORKS lists publicly as CSWP-Flow.
- The exam is 13 hands-on questions in 90 minutes, with a 70% minimum passing grade.
- The recommended preparation is the SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation course and Learning Path; no prerequisite certification is imposed.
- The exam costs US$49 per attempt in the North American catalog, excluding software and training.
What "CSWP-FS Training" Actually Means
Training for the Certified SOLIDWORKS Professional - Flow Simulation credential is not the same as studying for a multiple-choice test. SOLIDWORKS publicly designates this exam as SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation Professional (CSWP-Flow), and the two names refer to the same credential on this site. If you are still orienting yourself, start with What Is CSWP-FS? and What Does CSWP-FS Stand For? to lock down the terminology before you commit study hours.
The credential is administered by SOLIDWORKS, a Dassault Systemes brand, and delivered through Tangix/VirtualTester. Because candidates set up and run fluid-flow studies inside licensed software, "training" really means building muscle memory in the Flow Simulation interface: defining a computational domain, applying boundary conditions, controlling the mesh, solving, and pulling numbers out of the results. Reading about those steps helps, but only repetition inside the software prepares you for a timed practical exam.
The Official Training Pathway: Course, Learning Path, Exam
SOLIDWORKS recommends two preparation resources: the SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation course and the corresponding Learning Path. The publicly posted course contents (document PMT2643-ENG, copyright 2025) outline the curriculum headings only, not the full paid course, and those headings are preparation topics rather than an official exam blueprint. The instructor-led version is typically a two-day course, but that duration is a training format, not a required number of study hours and not related to the 90-minute exam timer.
Per the general SOLIDWORKS certification FAQ, Professional-level exams do not require you to hold another certification first. That means you can sit CSWP-Flow without passing the Associate or core CSWP exams, though practical familiarity with SOLIDWORKS part modeling and assemblies will make the geometry-handling portions of the exam far less stressful. For the full eligibility picture, see CSWP-FS Requirements: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
| Training Resource | What It Gives You | What It Does Not Give You |
|---|---|---|
| SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation course | Guided exposure to setup, meshing, solving and results workflows | Timed exam pressure or a guarantee of exam coverage |
| Flow Simulation Learning Path | Self-paced practice inside the product ecosystem | An official weighted exam blueprint |
| Your own repeated studies | Speed, troubleshooting instincts, unit and configuration fluency | Structure, unless you plan it deliberately |
| Practice test site | Self-assessment of concepts and exam-style thinking | A substitute for running real studies in licensed software |
Train for the Format: 13 Hands-On Questions in 90 Minutes
The exam consists of 13 hands-on questions in 90 minutes, with a minimum passing grade of 70%. That works out to under seven minutes per question on average, and Flow Simulation studies are not instant: meshing and solving consume wall-clock time. Your training should therefore include timed drills, not only untimed exploration. The online exam timer cannot be paused, so any time you spend waiting on a solver or hunting for a menu is time you cannot recover.
Current delivery instructions use the VirtualTester Web Client; legacy TesterPRO setup references are superseded by the current browser-client instructions on the SOLIDWORKS exam procedure page. You supply compatible licensed software (SOLIDWORKS Standard with Flow Simulation 2018, or SOLIDWORKS Student Edition 2018, or later, as specified on the exact exam page) and your own Internet access. Practice on a machine configured like your exam machine, and rehearse the full workflow so setup friction does not eat into your 90 minutes. For how demanding this format is in practice, read How Hard Is the CSWP-FS Exam? and for the scoring threshold itself, CSWP-FS Passing Score: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Training Each of the 11 Exam Topics
SOLIDWORKS lists 11 included exam topics. They are unweighted, so do not assume that earlier topics matter more or that any topic carries a fixed percentage. Treat all 11 as fair game and train each one by performing it, not just reading about it. For deeper per-topic coverage, see CSWP-FS Exam Domains: Complete Guide to All 11 Content Areas. Below is a training-oriented view of each.
Fluid Definition and Study Setup
Liquids and Gas
You must be comfortable selecting appropriate fluids from the engineering database and understanding how the fluid type shapes the physics of the study.
- Practice assigning liquids versus gases to the same geometry and note how results differ
- Know where to modify fluid properties when a problem specifies non-default values
- Recognize when a problem implies compressible versus incompressible behavior from the stated conditions
Internal and External Flow Simulations
These are two different setups, and exam problems expect you to choose and configure the correct one.
- Internal: sealed or lidded geometry, flow through pipes, manifolds and enclosures; practice creating lids on openings
- External: flow around an object, such as air over a body; practice sizing the computational domain and understanding its boundaries
- Know how the wizard's analysis-type choice changes which boundary conditions you will need
Internal Systems Involving Multiple Inlets or Outlets
Real components rarely have one inlet and one outlet, and this topic tests whether you can build balanced boundary conditions without over-constraining the model.
- Practice combining inlet velocity or volume flow with outlet static pressure
- Understand why you cannot arbitrarily specify flow at every opening
- Check mass balance across openings as a result sanity check
Physics-Driven Topics
Mixing of Various Fluids
This topic involves studies where more than one fluid is present and you must interpret how they combine.
- Practice setting up a study with multiple fluid inputs entering one volume
- Learn where concentration or mixture results are reported and how to read them
- Verify inlet conditions for each stream before solving
Conjugated Heat Transfer
Conjugated heat transfer couples heat conduction in solids with convection in fluids. This is where Flow Simulation distinguishes itself from a pure fluid solver.
- Practice assigning solid materials and heat sources (such as volume or surface heat sources)
- Know how to enable heat conduction in solids at the wizard stage
- Extract component temperatures and compare against expected ranges
Natural and Forced Convection
Forced convection is driven by fans or imposed flow; natural convection is driven by buoyancy. Their setups differ materially.
- Practice a forced-convection case with a specified fan or flow condition
- Practice a natural-convection case, remembering that gravity must be enabled for buoyancy-driven flow
- Compare the temperature fields you get from each approach on the same geometry
Results, Units and Study Management
Extracting Results Such as Force, Velocity or Pressure
Getting a converged solution is only half the job; the exam asks for specific numbers.
- Practice goals, surface parameters and point parameters to pull values
- Know how to report force on a face or body and pressure at a location
- Learn to read cut plots and flow trajectories for qualitative checks
Working with Various Units
Exam questions can state values in one unit system and ask for answers in another. Unit slips are a quiet way to lose points.
- Practice changing the project unit system and result units
- Always confirm the unit label next to a displayed value before transcribing it
- Re-read the question to see which unit the requested answer must use
Working with Configurations
Flow Simulation projects are tied to SOLIDWORKS configurations, so changing a model's configuration affects what you are simulating.
- Practice creating a project for one configuration, then switching and cloning to another
- Understand how geometry changes between configurations alter the computational domain
- Keep track of which configuration your current results belong to
Duplicating and Editing Studies
Efficiency matters in a 90-minute exam. Cloning an existing project and editing it is faster than rebuilding from scratch.
- Practice cloning a project, then changing one boundary condition and re-solving
- Know which settings carry over and which you must revisit
- Use duplication to compare "before and after" scenarios cleanly
Controlling Mesh Size
Mesh control is covered in depth in the next section because it intersects with nearly every other topic.
- Practice adjusting global mesh settings and adding local mesh controls
- Understand the trade-off between resolution and solve time
Mesh Size, Solver Time and Result Interpretation
Mesh control deserves its own training block because it links setup decisions to result quality and to your clock. A coarser mesh solves faster but can smear gradients and misreport local values; a finer mesh resolves small features but can eat many minutes of a 90-minute exam. Your goal in training is to develop judgment: when does a problem demand local refinement around a small gap, a thin wall or a heat source, and when is the default global mesh adequate?
- Solve at a baseline mesh first. Record the key answer value (a pressure drop, a force, a maximum temperature).
- Refine and re-solve. Note how much the answer moves and how much longer the solver runs.
- Check convergence behavior. A solution that is still drifting is not ready to report, regardless of how the plots look.
- Decide where local control pays off. Narrow channels and small solid features are the usual candidates.
Key Takeaway
Mesh size is not a standalone topic; it is a lever that trades accuracy against time. In training, always record both the answer and the solve time at each mesh level so you build an intuition for how much refinement a typical exam problem needs.
Finite Volume Method: The Conceptual Layer
The exam also asks candidates to demonstrate basic understanding of the finite-volume method. You do not need to derive numerical schemes, but you should be able to explain at a practical level that the fluid domain is divided into cells, that conservation of mass, momentum and energy is enforced across those cells, and that the solver iterates toward a converged solution. Connect this to what you see on screen: cell counts, refinement levels, convergence goals and iteration progress all become more meaningful once you understand what the solver is doing behind the interface.
A useful training habit is to explain, in your own words, why a finer mesh changes an answer or why a goal that has not stabilized means the result is not yet trustworthy. If you can narrate that logic, you are well prepared for conceptual questions that sit alongside the hands-on tasks.
Flow Simulation Is Not Structural Simulation
A common misstep for candidates coming from stress analysis is to carry structural habits into a CFD environment. Flow Simulation is a computational fluid dynamics tool; it does not set up fixtures, loads and displacement outputs in the way structural simulation does. Instead, you define fluid domains, boundary conditions, heat sources and goals. If you are weighing which SOLIDWORKS certification path fits your work, remember that the CSWP-Flow credential is a distinct exam from the simulation (structural) credential, and your preparation should reflect fluid and thermal physics, not finite-element stress workflows.
| Concern | Flow Simulation (CSWP-Flow) | Structural Simulation Mindset |
|---|---|---|
| Primary physics | Fluid flow and heat transfer | Stress, strain, displacement |
| Typical inputs | Inlets, outlets, pressures, heat sources, fluids | Fixtures, loads, contacts |
| Typical outputs | Velocity, pressure, temperature, force on faces | Von Mises stress, deformation, factor of safety |
| Domain concept | Computational domain, lids, internal vs external | Part or assembly geometry as the analysis body |
Budgeting Training, Software and Exam Credits Separately
Planning your spend is simpler when you split it into three buckets. The exam fee is US$49 for one attempt in the North American catalog. That figure excludes both software and training. You must supply compatible licensed software, and any instructor-led or paid learning content is a separate line item. If you need to retake, you must wait at least 14 days and purchase another CSWP-Flow exam credit, so a disciplined first attempt is the cheapest path. The full breakdown is in CSWP-FS Certification Cost: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
- Exam credit: the per-attempt fee, plus another credit for any retake
- Software access: a licensed SOLIDWORKS installation with Flow Simulation, or a Student Edition, at the supported version or later
- Training: the course, Learning Path content and any self-directed practice resources you choose
Also note that, per the SOLIDWORKS certification Q&A from 2020, customer and student certifications do not expire, so your training investment is not tied to a renewal cycle.
A Domain-Ordered Training Schedule
Rather than a generic plan, sequence your weeks around how the topics build on each other. Early weeks establish setup fluency; later weeks layer in physics and management skills; the final week simulates exam conditions. Adjust the length to your starting point, and see the CSWP-FS Study Guide for a broader preparation framework.
Setup Fundamentals
- Liquids and gas: run the same geometry with different fluids
- Internal and external flow: build one of each from scratch
- Learn the wizard flow until it is automatic
Boundary Conditions and Mixing
- Multiple inlets and outlets with mass-balance checks
- Mixing of various fluids in a shared volume
- Practice extracting force, velocity and pressure as goals
Thermal Physics
- Conjugated heat transfer with solid heat sources
- Natural versus forced convection on the same model
- Record temperatures and compare against your expectations
Management, Mesh and Timed Runs
- Units, configurations, and cloning studies
- Mesh refinement experiments, logging answer change versus solve time
- Full timed runs of 13 problems in 90 minutes, then review misses
If you are comfortable with fluid concepts already, compress the early weeks. If you are new to CFD, spend longer on Weeks 1 to 3 before attempting timed runs. Use the CSWP-FS practice test to check conceptual understanding between hands-on sessions, and keep the CSWP-FS Cheat Sheet nearby for fast reviews of must-know facts.
Training for Career Value, Not Just a Badge
The strongest return on CSWP-Flow training comes when you tie it to real project evidence. Roles that touch thermal management, fluid handling, enclosures, HVAC-style airflow, or product validation are natural fits, and hiring managers tend to care about whether you can demonstrate working simulations alongside the credential. Treat each training study as a portfolio candidate: save clean examples, document assumptions, and be ready to explain your boundary conditions and mesh choices in an interview. For more on how employers view the credential, see CSWP-FS Jobs, and for realistic expectations on compensation, read the CSWP-FS Salary Guide and Is the CSWP-FS Certification Worth It?. No certification guarantees a salary premium; the value comes from what you can demonstrably do with the software.
Frequently Asked Questions
The course and Learning Path are recommended preparation, not a stated prerequisite. The general SOLIDWORKS certification FAQ imposes no prerequisite certification for Professional exams. The two-day course length is a training format and is separate from the 90-minute exam.
It contains 13 hands-on questions to be completed in 90 minutes, with a minimum passing grade of 70%. Candidates set up and run fluid-flow studies, interpret results and demonstrate basic finite-volume-method understanding. The timer cannot be paused.
You need SOLIDWORKS Standard with SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation 2018, or SOLIDWORKS Student Edition 2018, or later, as specified on the exact exam page. You supply the licensed software and Internet access, and delivery uses the current VirtualTester Web Client instructions.
The North American catalog lists US$49 for one attempt, excluding software and training. A retake requires waiting at least 14 days and purchasing another CSWP-Flow exam credit.
According to the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program Q&A from 2020, customer and student certifications do not expire. Check the current SOLIDWORKS certification pages for any updates to program policy.
For a broader overview of the credential, revisit CSWP-FS Certification, and when you are ready to benchmark your readiness, take a timed attempt on the CSWP-FS Exam Prep practice site.