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Free course · CAD

AutoCAD 2D and 3D Fundamentals

This free course teaches AutoCAD from scratch: the interface, drawing and modifying commands, layers, blocks, text, dimensions, plotting from layouts, floor plans, elevations, mechanical parts and basic 3D modelling. It suits UK beginners, career changers, apprentices and students who need drawing skills for construction, engineering or manufacturing, and helps with CAD technician and draughtsperson roles. Follow it at your own pace with a computer that runs AutoCAD.

See the modules

Free to learn. Verifiable certificate £19 when you pass the final exam (optional, VAT included).

Level
Beginner
Modules
11
Video
22 hours
Price
Free

Outcome

What you will be able to do

Navigate AutoCAD, draw with lines, arcs, polylines, circles and hatches, use snaps and drawing aids, modify with trim, extend, offset, fillet and arrays, build blocks, layers and properties, add text, dimensions, leaders and tables, plot from layouts, complete floor plans, elevations and mechanical drawings, model basic 3D and apply intermediate workflow techniques.

  • Navigate the interface, files, units and selection
  • Draw with lines, arcs, polylines, circles and hatch using snaps
  • Modify with trim, extend, offset, fillet and arrays
  • Use blocks, attributes, xrefs, layers and properties
  • Add text, dimensions, tables and plot from layouts
  • Draw floor plans, elevations, mechanical parts and basic 3D

Software

AutoCAD (free education licence for students and educators, or Autodesk's free trial)

Hardware

None required.

Syllabus

11 modules

Each module has video lessons, notes and a short quiz. The final exam closes the course.

  1. 1Interface, Files, Units, Selection and Navigation6 lessons
  2. 2Drawing Commands12 lessons
  3. 3Drawing Aids: Snaps, Ortho, Reference Lines and Dynamic Input5 lessons
  4. 4Modify Commands15 lessons
  5. 5Blocks, Layers and Properties9 lessons
  6. 6Text, Dimensions, Leaders, Tables and Plotting12 lessons
  7. 7The Complete Beginner Course8 lessons
  8. 8Exercises: Floor Plan, Elevation, Mechanical and Title Block11 lessons
  9. 93D Basics10 lessons
  10. 10Intermediate Techniques: Not Staying a Beginner6 lessons
  11. 11Final Assessment1 lesson

How it works

How this course works

  1. Watch the video lessonsOne module at a time, at your own pace.
  2. Take the module quizA short quiz at the end of each module shows what stuck.
  3. Keep your notesWrite in My notes beside each module and ask the trainer if you are stuck.
  4. Sit the final examPass it once you have been through the modules.
  5. Certificate, if you want oneOptionalPaid, and only after you pass. Anyone can check it online.

Certificate

An optional certificate when you pass

Learning is free. Pass the final exam and you can have a certificate for £19, including VAT, with a number employers can check online. It records that you completed a free online course; it is not a regulated qualification or a CPD certificate.

  • Your name, the course, its study time and your final exam score
  • A unique certificate number and a QR code to its verification page
  • Issued by Wartens Ltd; add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
  • Pay now or after you pass: it is issued the moment you pass the final

How the certificate works

Sample certificate for AutoCAD 2D and 3D Fundamentals

Credits

Who made the lessons

The video lessons belong to their creators. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, quizzes and the final exam.

Jobs

Jobs this course can lead to

The skills in this course are used in mechanical design and CAD work, for example as a CAD technician, an engineering draughtsperson and a design technician. No course can promise a job, and employers also look for experience, so read what live adverts ask for.

Pay: Mechanical engineers (SOC 2122) had a median of £52,527 a year, full-time, in April 2026. Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 (provisional). Checked 28 Oct 2026.

Questions

About this course

Last reviewed 28 October 2026.

Do I need AutoCAD installed to follow the course?
The exercises are drawn in AutoCAD, so installing it lets you practise along. Autodesk offers a free trial, and the course needs no other hardware. You can also watch the lessons first to see the commands before you start.
Does it cover UK drawing standards?
The course teaches AutoCAD commands and good drawing practice. It does not replace your employer's own drawing standards, such as those based on BS 8888 for technical drawings, which you learn on the job. Ask your employer which standard and template they use.
Is the certificate an Autodesk certification?
No. It is a certificate of completion from EDWartens costing £19 inc VAT, not an Autodesk credential, not a regulated qualification and not CPD accredited. For CAD jobs, a portfolio of drawings usually says more than any certificate.
What jobs use AutoCAD?
AutoCAD is used mainly by drafters, designers and engineers who produce technical drawings for buildings, machines and electrical systems. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says drafters use CAD systems to create and store technical drawings digitally. This course practises the drawing types those roles produce: floor plans, elevations, mechanical drawings and title blocks.
Do I need a degree or a certification to work as a CAD drafter?
Not always, but most employers look for formal drafting training, and certification is optional. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, drafters typically need an associate degree in drafting or a related field, and certification is not mandatory but shows competence in nationally recognised practices. The BLS also notes that drafting programmes include instruction in CAD software, which is the skill this course builds from the first command to plotting.
AutoCAD or AutoCAD Electrical?
This is plain AutoCAD, the foundation; the AutoCAD Electrical course builds control schematics on top of it.
Is AutoCAD free?
For students and educators, yes: Autodesk's education licence is free. Otherwise Autodesk offers a free trial; its length is stated on Autodesk's page for your country and can change, so check it and plan the drawing modules into that window.
Is 3D covered?
One module of basics: extrude, revolve, sweep and loft. Enough to model simple parts.
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a vendor qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the course take?
Plan on about 22 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the eleven modules at your own speed.

Mechanical and product CAD

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Want a live class and career support?

The Professional Module is five live days of Siemens PLC, HMI and SCADA with an instructor, then a resume session and a CPD certificate.

See the Professional Module
Engineers talking beside an automation test rig, one looking up and smiling