In 2024, the demand for skilled CAD professionals continues to rise. This makes free online CAD courses with certification a valuable resource for learners worldwide. Thus, whether you are a young designer or an experienced engineer, there is a sheer need to master CAD software, especially 2D CAD software such as ZWCAD and AutoCAD.
This article discloses the top six free online CAD courses with certification and discusses their peculiar features and benefits. Such courses will impart to you not just the basics but they’ll also lead you to the advanced aspects of CAD. While all the courses are based on the use of AutoCAD, once you acquire these knowledge and skills, they can be applied in many other professional CAD software like ZWCAD. Keep reading!
Table of Contents
Top 1. LinkedIn Learning: Cert Prep: AutoCAD Certified Professional
The “Cert Prep: AutoCAD Certified Professional” course from LinkedIn Learning is a great option for those who want to get Autodesk certification. The course is perfect as created by professionals for beginners and advanced users who want to become certified in Autodesk.
- Instructor Profile: This course is instructed by Shaun Bryantan who is an experienced CAD professional having several years of teaching practice and using it practically.
- Course Duration: 2h 38m. Learners can learn at their own pace without compromising depth for duration.
- Target Audience: It is best suited for those who are looking forward to getting Autodesk certified in Auto CAD, students, or professionals belonging to the technology of engineering.
- Learning Content: It mainly contains knowledge about the two paths available to become certified with Autodesk. Helps you study for Autodesk certification exams while enhancing your CAD skills.
- Certification: Upon taking the course, all learners will receive a sharable certificate to showcase on LinkedIn or download.
It is important to point out that LinkedIn Learning will be offering new users free learning for a period of 30 days which encompasses this course and any other course on the site.
Top 2. Udemy: The Complete AutoCAD 2018-21 Course
Anyone looking for a complete AutoCAD course with a certificate should consider “The Complete AutoCAD 2018-21 Course” from Udemy. It’s apt for anyone, beginner or someone looking to freshen up their AutoCAD skills given how thorough the different topics are.
- Instructor Profile: The course is being delivered by Jaiprakash Pandey. He is a highly professional expert in AutoCAD, having rich experience along with practical exposure.
- Course Duration: The course consists of 21 sections, encompassing 186 lectures, with a total duration of 18 hours and 14 minutes. The learners may complete at any desired pace of their own.
- Target Audience: Especially meant for beginners who want to learn AutoCAD from scratch, and experienced AutoCAD users.
- Learning Content: Complete and comprehensive AutoCAD 2018-2021 course. As well as self-assessment quizzes and practice drawings at the end of each section.
- Certification: On completing the course, students will be provided a certificate of completion.
Udemy offers free access to this course for new users, making it an attractive choice for beginners in the domain of digital design.
Top 3. Alison: AutoCAD: Beginner to Professional Training
For those looking for free online CAD courses with certificates, “AutoCAD: Beginner to Professional Training” might be a suitable option. This course ensures that AutoCAD beginners use the AutoCAD software as if they had been in it for a while.
- Instructor Profile: A team of CAD experts teaches this course. They usually have a sound teaching background and also extensive experience in the industries.
- Course duration: 5-6 hours. This is an online course, meaning that you can study whenever it fits your schedule.
- Target Audience: It is perfectly good for beginners who would like to know the basis of CAD software and 2D designs first.
- Learning content: The course provides the fundamentals of working with AutoCAD. For example, the Block command usage for creating or editing blocks and so on is given.
- Certification: There are three certificate options. Digital certificates, certificates, and framed certificates. The participants need to get an 80% or higher on every course evaluation.
Top 4. AutoDesk: 60 AutoCAD Tips in 60 Minutes
AutoDesk’s “60 AutoCAD Tips in 60 Minutes” course is the official AutoCAD tutorial provided by AutoDesk. Besides the video materials, the learners can also practice these techniques given in the handouts.
- Instructor Profile: AutoCAD official
- Course duration: As the name reveals, this is a condensed one-hour course full of many useful tips.
- Target Audience: People who are interested in increasing productivity using AutoCAD.
- Learning content: This course is all about the tips and tricks that make using AutoCAD much easier, faster, and also more effective. It encompasses a wide variety of methods from simple shortcuts to advanced tools.
- Certification: Participants will receive course transcripts as a convenient reference for future use.
Top 5. SkillShare: The Ultimate Guide to AutoCAD
One more must-watch free online CAD course with certification is “The Ultimate Guide to AutoCAD,” which has been published by SkillShare. In this course, you will have a complete knowledge of AutoCAD which starts from the basic functionality to the advanced applications.
- Instructor Profile: This course is offered by Ozgur Gorgun, a very renowned CAD professional. His background and teaching methods provide the complicated subjects to students in a clear, entertaining way.
- Course duration: 91 lessons with a total duration of twelve hours and ninety-four minutes. The course has a very well-balanced structure that enables the learners to proceed at an appropriate speed.
- Target Audience: Suitable for all skill levels.
- Learning Content: Take you from knowing nothing about AutoCAD to a level where you will begin creating your drawings and work with the existing ones. Learn how to draw simple and also advanced shapes, apply various properties and layers as well as so on.
- Certification: Enter the course to get an automatic 50% discount on a valid AutoCAD test.
It is noted that despite the AutoCAD Ultimate Guide being a free online course, it has only a seven-day trial.
Top 6. Udemy: Advanced 2D to 3D Course
The “Advanced 2D to 3D Course” offered by Udemy is a good choice of free online CAD courses with certificates, in particular for learners who are eager to raise their 2D skills to the level of working in 3D.
- Instructor Profile: This course is taught by Mike Freeman who is having an experience of 23 years in both 2D and 3D design.
- Course duration: 9 parts, 34 lectures, 5 hours 3 minutes.
- Target Audience: For learners who have the basic knowledge of how to work on 2D CAD software and want to upgrade their skills on how to model and design in 3D.
- Learning Content: The course includes advanced topics like moving from 2D drawing to 3D modeling using tools and features of the latest version of AutoCAD software. It has rendering exercises that are based on reality.
- Certification: On successful completion, students will be awarded a certificate that they have acquired advanced skills.
The course is available free for new Udemy users too, making it another cost-effective option for those willing to learn CAD.
Final Words
In conclusion, these free online CAD courses with certificates provide an easy way to learn and master the art of using CAD. They not only educate, but they also pave the way for new vistas in an array of graphic design and related disciplines. From architectural drafting, and engineering design to the more specialized niches such as kitchen designing, mastery of CAD software skills gives you all the necessary means for your creative ideas to turn into reality. After completing the course, whether you’re in the field of civil engineering or studying interior design and need to master specialized software like road or kitchen design tools, it will be a piece of cake.
