One is the baseline skill of every drafting office; the other is how modern consultancies design. Here's what each does and how they fit together.
Saurabh Soni — Industry TrainerProject Engineer · 15+ years in structural & 3D design · Pegasus International College, RTO 46222
Every week a student asks some version of the same question: "Should I learn AutoCAD or Revit?" It's the wrong question — like asking whether a carpenter should own a saw or a drill. Drafting offices expect both, because they do different jobs.
AutoCAD: the baseline of every drafting office
AutoCAD is precision 2D (and 3D) drafting. It's how the industry has produced construction drawings for four decades, and it remains the common language: the sections, details and general-arrangement drawings a contractor prices and builds from are still, overwhelmingly, CAD deliverables. If you can't draft cleanly in AutoCAD — layers, blocks, dimensioning to standard, title blocks — you can't yet work in a drafting office. It is the non-negotiable baseline skill.
Revit: how modern consultancies design
Revit is different in kind, not just in dimension. You don't draw lines — you build an intelligent model of the actual structure: beams, columns, slabs and footings that know what they are. Change a beam size once and every plan, section and schedule updates itself. This is BIM (Building Information Modelling), and it is the coordination language of modern design teams — clash detection, shared models, one source of truth across disciplines.
How they fit together on a real project
- Concept to model: the structure is built and coordinated in Revit.
- Model to drawings: documentation is generated from the model, then detailed — often finished in AutoCAD where fine 2D control is faster.
- Legacy and interfaces: councils, services authorities and older projects still live in CAD — you'll exchange DWGs your whole career.
Job ads reflect this: "AutoCAD essential, Revit highly regarded" for junior drafting roles, flipping to "Revit essential" for designer and modeller roles. Learning both is what keeps every door open — and Revit fluency is usually what moves you from the drafter pay band into the designer band.
BOTH INCLUDED — NO LICENCES TO BUY
Full AutoCAD & Revit access comes with enrolment in RII60520
You'll use both the way consultancies do — on project-based assessments that become your portfolio.
The Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design teaches these skills 100% online with live classes — AutoCAD and Revit included. See how to enrol in five easy steps, or call 1300 019 535.
Frequently asked questions
Is Revit hard to learn if I've never drafted?
It's easier in some ways — you build real objects rather than abstract lines. The challenge is learning drafting standards and structural logic alongside it, which is what a structured course provides.
What computer do I need?
A Windows laptop or PC capable of running AutoCAD and Revit (Revit is Windows-only), reliable internet, and a webcam for live classes.
Do the software subscriptions cost extra?
Not at Pegasus — full AutoCAD and Revit access is included with enrolment for your whole course.
