Parts, assemblies, drawings, sheet metal, surfaces, simulation, PDM.
Before starting, we run a 1-minute tech check — microphone, ambient noise, connection. If your setup isn't good enough, the test is fully refunded.
Prove your SolidWorks depth in 15 minutes — top-down assemblies, class-A surfaces, sheet metal K-factor, PDM vault — with an AI-graded oral badge that hiring managers and clients can verify in one click.
The Plume SolidWorks badge is a 15-minute spoken exam conducted by an AI examiner (OpenAI Realtime) that probes your real-world practice with the software: top-down design with skeleton sketches, feature tree repair in large assemblies, class-A surface modeling with Boundary Surface and Knit, multi-body sheet metal with K-factor calibration, and integration into a PDM Professional vault or 3DEXPERIENCE workflow. At the end, Claude Opus reads the full transcript and assigns a score from 0 to 100, along with a certified level: Novice, Proficient, Advanced, or Expert.
What sets this apart from a LinkedIn self-endorsement? The AI doesn't just check whether you know the names of features. It asks you to walk through real projects, explain your design decisions — why surfaces over solids, why PDM over 3DEXPERIENCE, why SolidWorks over Inventor for this specific job — and troubleshoot real failures like mate cascades, circular in-context references, and flat pattern discrepancies. That depth can't be faked. Your detailed report and private oral recording stay on file as proof of authenticity.
This badge is built for mechanical designers, CAD engineers, R&D project leads, and CAD freelancers who need to stand out in a market where everyone ticks the SolidWorks box. It's particularly valuable before a job interview, a new contract negotiation, or when you need to reassure an industrial client about your actual skill level before kicking off a project.
Here are the concrete dimensions the AI examines during the 15-minute oral.
Layout-based design with master sketches, in-context reference management, circular dependency avoidance, and global dimension control driven from a single skeleton sketch across multiple components.
Identifying and fixing mate failure cascades in large assemblies, selective rebuild strategies, FeatureXpert usage, and feature reordering to stabilize a corrupted model without rebuilding from scratch.
Using Boundary Surface, Filled Surface, and Knit for class-A or hybrid solid/surface workflows, with G2 curvature continuity, zebra stripe checks, and strategic decisions on when surfaces outperform solids.
Designing complex sheet metal parts with multi-body bends, gussets and corner reliefs, K-factor and bend table calibration, and verifying flat pattern accuracy before sending DXF files to laser or punch cutting.
Managing the PDM Professional vault: check-in/check-out, version control, approval workflows, eDrawings reviews, and data exchange with ECAD tools or downstream CAM/CNC teams using STEP, IGES, or Parasolid.
Running static and thermal studies in SolidWorks Simulation, setting up boundary conditions, interpreting von Mises stress maps, and closing the loop back to parametric design changes based on simulation results.
Creating standards-compliant drawings (ISO/ASME), applying geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T/GPS), managing configurations for part variants, and automating BOMs with design tables.
Critical assessment of SolidWorks' limits — when to switch to direct modeling, large-scale parametric MBD, or generative design — and informed comparison with Inventor, Creo, Onshape, and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Final scoring is performed by Claude (Anthropic), which reads back the full transcript and applies this weighted criteria grid.
Depth of knowledge on advanced features: top-down assemblies, surfacing, sheet metal, simulation, PDM. The AI assesses the precision of technical vocabulary, the consistency of described workflows, and the candidate's ability to explain the reasoning behind modeling decisions.
Ability to identify, analyze, and fix real failures: corrupted feature trees, mate failure cascades, incorrect flat patterns, circular in-context references. The evaluator looks for a structured diagnostic approach backed by concrete examples from real projects.
Ability to justify engineering trade-offs: solid vs. surface, top-down vs. bottom-up, PDM vs. 3DEXPERIENCE, SolidWorks vs. an alternative tool. Strong candidates contextualize their choices against real project constraints, not abstract best practices.
Understanding of data exchange upstream (ECAD, industrial design) and downstream (CAM, CNC, suppliers), PDM revision management, export for manufacturing, and collaboration through eDrawings or neutral formats (STEP, IGES, Parasolid).
Quality of spoken communication: structured answers, precise SolidWorks vocabulary, ability to explain technical decisions to a non-CAD audience without losing accuracy. Experts can make complex modeling choices sound obvious in plain language.
A Plume session takes about 20 minutes, from tech check to badge delivery.
The AI verifies your microphone and connection are working. No special software required — just a browser, a stable internet connection, and a quiet space for 15 minutes.
The AI examiner asks you to briefly introduce yourself and describe your most recent or most complex SolidWorks project: part types, assembly scope, your specific role, and the main engineering constraints you had to work with.
The core of the exam. The AI probes multiple dimensions based on your profile: top-down assemblies and skeleton sketches, feature tree repair, sheet metal and K-factor, class-A surfacing, PDM Professional vault management, simulation, and your critical take on SolidWorks' limits vs. alternatives like Inventor, Creo, or Onshape.
The examiner invites you to reflect on situations where SolidWorks isn't the right choice, and your view on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform push versus staying on the desktop version with a local PDM vault.
Claude Opus analyzes the full transcript and produces your 0-100 score, certified level (Novice / Proficient / Advanced / Expert), and a detailed breakdown report. Your badge is ready within minutes of finishing the oral.
Your score out of 100 translates into a level a recruiter can grasp at a glance.
You use SolidWorks for simple parts and basic assemblies. You're comfortable with constrained 2D sketches, core features (extrude, revolve, fillet), and simple drawings. Top-down assemblies, advanced sheet metal, and surface modeling are still largely unexplored territory.
You work regularly with multi-component assemblies, configurations, design tables, and standard mates. You've done basic sheet metal work and have some PDM experience. You can fix common mate errors, but complex failure cascades or advanced surfacing workflows take you significant time to sort out.
You design top-down assemblies with skeleton sketches, use surfacing tools (Boundary Surface, Filled Surface, Knit) for hybrid solid/surface workflows, handle K-factor and bend table calibration in sheet metal, and manage a PDM Professional vault as part of a team. You know where SolidWorks reaches its limits and how to work around them.
You run complex CAD projects end to end: multi-level top-down design, class-A surface modeling with G2 continuity, advanced simulation studies, PDM administration, and integration into full digital chains (ECAD, CAM, 3DEXPERIENCE). You coach other engineers, write CAD standards, and drive tool selection decisions at the company level.
No degree or years of experience required to take the badge. Here are the profiles it makes the most sense for.
You want to prove to a recruiter or industrial client that your SolidWorks skills go well beyond a LinkedIn checkbox. The badge gives you a verified score and level, checkable in 30 seconds via a shared URL.
When every candidate claims SolidWorks proficiency, an Advanced or Expert badge with a 80+ score cuts through the noise immediately and adds credibility before you even reach the technical interview.
You can include your badge URL in a proposal to reassure an industrial client about your real level before signing a contract, skipping long qualification processes that cost you time and deals.
You've used SolidWorks through your degree program and want to turn that into a verifiable credential before entering the job market. The badge proves you can use the software, not just that you attended a class.
You want an objective, repeatable measure of your engineers' or contractors' actual SolidWorks level, beyond self-reported skills. Plume badges give you a comparable score across your whole team.
Where and how your SolidWorks badge will help you day to day.
You're applying for a senior mechanical designer position at a tier-1 automotive supplier. You attach your Expert SolidWorks badge URL to your resume. The hiring manager sees your 88/100 score and skips the basic screening questions, moving straight to a real engineering discussion.
An industrial SME contacts you to design a complex sheet metal enclosure with tight bend tolerances. Before committing, they're unsure of your level. You share your Advanced badge. The transcript shows you spoke in depth about K-factor calibration, flat pattern verification, and DXF export. The contract is signed.
You've just completed an intensive 3-month SolidWorks training after a career change. The badge lets you prove what you learned with an objective score that's far more compelling to employers than a course attendance certificate.
A technical lead asks all five designers on the team to take the SolidWorks badge. Scores range from 44 to 83/100. She identifies surfacing and PDM as training gaps, and uses the detailed reports to build a targeted upskilling plan.
You're a CAD consultant looking to increase your day rate. Your Expert SolidWorks badge with a 91/100 score supports your case with your agency's account manager and justifies positioning you on advanced-tier contracts.
A major aerospace group requires validated SolidWorks credentials before onboarding contractors on a structural component design project. You pass the badge in 15 minutes and share the URL within the hour, without waiting weeks for a formal CSWA/CSWP process.
A few minutes to check you have everything you need.
At the end of your session you don't just get a score — here's everything that awaits you.
You get a precise score and an official level — Novice, Proficient, Advanced, or Expert — based on Claude Opus's full analysis of your SolidWorks oral. A concrete number, not a vague endorsement.
The report breaks down your score across the 5 evaluation criteria: technical mastery, problem-solving, design decision quality, workflow integration, and communication. You know exactly where to focus next in your SolidWorks practice.
Your 15-minute audio is securely stored and accessible only to you. You can voluntarily share it with a recruiter or client to prove the authenticity of your level — no doubts about whether someone else answered for you.
Your SolidWorks badge lives at a unique URL you can drop on LinkedIn, your portfolio, your Upwork profile, or in an email. Anyone who clicks sees your score, your level, and the date of your exam in one view.
Discover related skills you can validate with Plume.
A 15-min oral exam with an AI, a shareable badge for your recruiters.
Choose this badge · €19.99
