Free Social Work Exam Practice

From the SWTP blog, here's a new series of questions. Click through for answer--and ton of valuable information on each question's topic. 

A social worker meets with a client who reports hearing voices and occasionally seeing shadows for ever since he turned 22, a few months ago. What is the most likely diagnosis for this client?

A) Schizophrenia

B) Major Depressive Disorder

C) Brief Psychotic Disorder

D) Schizophreniform Disorder

What's your answer? 

Check it here. 

A client reports taking a “mystery drug” at weekend-long party which resulted in a combination of euphoria, increased energy, and heightened alertness. Coming down, they experienced fatigue, some depression, and difficulty sleeping. Which of the following substances did the client most likely use?

A) Alcohol

B) Cocaine

C) Marijuana

D) Heroin

How do you answer? 

Check here.

A social worker has a client who recently moved to a new city for a job opportunity. The client has been struggling to make friends and establish meaningful connections in the new environment. The client expresses feelings of loneliness and isolation, which have started to impact their self-esteem. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which level of need is most relevant to the client's situation?

A) Physiological Needs

B) Esteem Needs 

C) Love and Belonging 

D) Safety Needs

Do you know? 

Answer and details here.

A teenager who is struggling with intense feelings of attraction toward their best friend starts openly expressing strong disgust and disapproval whenever the topic of dating comes up. This behavior is an example of which defense mechanism?

A) Repression 

B) Reaction Formation 

C) Projection 

D) Rationalization

Got it? 

Answer and a Freud primer here.

Stick around once you get to SWTP for full-length practice tests, timed and weighted just like the real thing. 

Keeping Calm While Preparing to Pass the ASWB Exam

Preparing for the ASWB exam can be a demanding and stressful experience. Maintaining a sense of calm and managing your stress levels as best you can is ideal for effective studying and passing the test. To that end, here are some strategies to help you stay calm during your ASWB exam preparation:

Establish a Study Routine: Create a study schedule that allows for regular breaks and balances your study time with other activities. Having a structured routine will help you feel more in control and reduce the feeling of overwhelm.

Practice Self-Care: Prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating. Engaging in activities that promote relaxation, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises, can also help manage stress and keep you calm.

Break It Down: Break your study material into manageable chunks. Trying to tackle everything at once can be overwhelming. Focus on one topic or section at a time, and celebrate small victories along the way. This approach will help you maintain a sense of progress and reduce anxiety.

Utilize Effective Study Strategies: Find study techniques that work best for you. This could include creating flashcards, summarizing key concepts in your own words, or teaching the material to someone else. Engaging with the content actively can enhance understanding and retention, leading to increased confidence.

Seek Support: Connect with peers or join study groups to share experiences, exchange study materials, and provide mutual support. Talking about your concerns and sharing strategies can alleviate stress and provide helpful insights.

Take Breaks and Rest: Give yourself regular breaks during study sessions to rest and recharge. Overworking can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. Taking short breaks to engage in enjoyable activities will help you relax and maintain a clear mind.

Remember, everyone prepares differently, so find what works best for you. It's normal to feel some level of stress, but by incorporating these strategies into your study routine, you can maintain a sense of calmness and perform at your best during your ASWB exam. Trust in your preparation and believe in your abilities. Good luck! 

Free ASWB Exam Practice

Some more free practice from the SWTP blog to get your ready to pass the ASWB exam. 

1. A social worker is conducting a home visit with an elderly client who lives alone. The social worker notices that the client has bruises on her arms and legs that look like fingerprints. The client says that she fell down the stairs a few days ago. The social worker suspects that the client may be a victim of elder abuse by her son who visits her regularly. What is the most appropriate next step for the social worker to take?

A) Report the suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services (APS).

B) Confront the son about his abusive behavior and warn him of legal consequences.

C) Ask the client if she wants to move to a safer place such as a shelter or a nursing home.

D) Educate the client about her rights and options regarding elder abuse.

What's your answer? Check for answer and explanation here. 

2. A social worker is conducting an intake assessment with a new client who is recently unemployed and reports feeling depressed and anxious for the past few months, with decreased sleep and difficulty enjoying every day activities. The client says that he sometimes thinks about ending his life, but says that he would never act on his thoughts because he does not want to hurt his family. What is the most appropriate NEXT step for the social worker to take?

A) Refer the client to a psychiatrist for medication evaluation.

B) Develop a safety plan with the client and schedule a follow-up session.

C) Call 911 and request an involuntary psychiatric hospitalization for the client.

D) Explore the client’s reasons for living and coping skills.

Check your answer here. 

3. A social worker is working with a group of adolescents who have experienced trauma. The social worker wants to use a trauma-informed approach to facilitate the group sessions. Which of the following principles should guide the social worker's practice?

A) Safety, trustworthiness, collaboration, empowerment, and choice.

B) Empathy, validation, confrontation, feedback, and termination.

C) Assessment, diagnosis, intervention, evaluation, and follow-up.

D) Engagement, rapport-building, goal-setting, problem-solving, and homework.

Think you got it? Check.

How'd it go? With each practice question you take, you're gaining more content knowledge and more ASWB exam-taking how-to. Keep doing practice questions (complete, 170-question exams recommended--SWTP has several). Take enough, build on areas of weakness, review them all, and you'll find yourself ready to pass the ASWB exam come test day. Good luck!

Something New on the ASWB Exam

 

The ASWB outline has changed. Some exam features (eg strikethrough and highlighting) have been added. But there hasn't been a change to how questions on social work licensing exam look for a long, long while. Until now.

The change is small, but could have meaningful impact on your exam experience and your exam result. The ASWB is introducing questions with three possible answers instead of four. That means less time to read through everything. And that means a greater chance of getting the answer right. It's as if test writers have come into the testing room at scratched one of the offered answers out for you. Where once you had ABCD to choose from, you'll now (sometimes, not usually, not always) have just ABC. 

Which of the following medications is used as an antipsychotic mood stabilizer?

A. Gabapentin (Neurontin)

B. Quetiapine (Seroquel)

C. Lamotrigine (Lamictal)

This is one of those you know it if you know it questions. But now, if you don't know it, your chances are boosted that you'll get the answer right (33% chance!).

So...what's your answer? If you said seroquel, you're right (the other two are anti-convulsant mood stabilizers). 

You didn't know that? Not a big deal. Medication questions--especially ones that require this type of specific knowledge--are increasingly rare on the ASWB exam, which is designed to test for beginning social work knowledge, skills, and abilities. (If you want to know more about these meds, here's a link.)

In any case, stay calm, carry on, get lots of practice questions under your belt, and go pass that exam!

Still More Free Exam Practice Questions

From the SWTP blog, here's another set of free questions to help get your ready to pass the ASWB exam. See how you do!

1. A school social worker contacts a parent to set up a meeting after a child is referred by the principal because of frequent absences. The parent asks the social worker how much information will be shared with the school principal. How should the social worker respond FIRST?   

A. Tell the parent that since the social worker is a school employee, all information can be shared with other school staff.  

B. Explain that no information will ever be shared unless there is a release of information or it involves abuse or neglect.  

C. Discuss specific guidelines that have been developed with the school regarding confidential information policies.

D. Request the mother sign a release of information that will allow information to be shared freely with the principal.   

What do you think? Check your answer here.

 

2. A social worker in a community clinic has a client who is worried he will get fired from his job because he refuses to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The client says he doesn't trust the vaccine because "it's too experimental." He also refuses to wear a mask and says that "people look at me funny" when he goes shopping maskless. How should the social worker FIRST respond?

A. Explore the client's possible projection regarding the vaccine and the funny looks he reports receiving.

B. Discuss the possibility of job loss due to vaccine hesitancy.

C. Discuss the health risks involved in foregoing the COVID-19 vaccine.

D. Explore the client's understanding of the science behind the COVID-19 vaccine.

Find the answer and explanation here. 

 

3. After many months of effort, a social worker finds a Section 8 apartment for a homeless client. After seeing the apartment, the client says he prefers to sleep on the street. "I like the open air," he says. The social work is worried that the client's judgment is impaired and that he is putting himself in unnecessary danger. How should the social worker intervene?

A. Convince the client to try the apartment out for a month before deciding.

B. Discuss the pros and cons of apartment versus street living with the client.

C. Bring up the client's decision in a group setting so he can hear from others in a similar situation.

D. Insist that the client try the apartment for his own safety.

How would you answer? The correct answer--and how to get to it--are here.

So...how'd you do? Feeling comfortable with ASWB exam-style questions? Great! The best way to get more and more comfortable, so that you can arrive at the test center on exam day, cool collected, is practice, practice, practice. The SWTP blog has lots more for free (just search the "practice"-tagged posts), plus complete exams to really give you a sense of what it's like to sit for the big, 170-question beast that is the ASWB exam. Good luck!

Five Things to Focus on to Pass the ASWB Exam

Blog pal, exam tutor, Ray Batista published Five Tips for Getting Your Social Work License This Year at the beginning of the year. Now that the year's winding down, it's either time to turbo-charge your efforts on your January resolutions and get the exam passed, or time to strategize passing soon after the calendar changes over. Either way, it's time!

Summarizing the post:

Get started early. While some states require internship hours before sitting for any ASWB exam, others allow you to take them much earlier. Find out how things work in your state and, if you can, get ready to pass the exam while your textbook learning is fresh.

Partialize. Partializing isn't just something  you can tell clients to help them achieve their goals. It's also a way to achieve yours. Take small bites. They're easier to digest. Study what you can, when you can, pacing yourself. Study smarter, not harder.

Practice. How else do you know what it'll feel like to sit down for the long, long test? How else do you know what you need to spend extra time learning? Practice tests are your friend.

Pass with others. Find study partners IRL or online. Coach and support each other. Sometimes having to help someone learn a difficult topic is the best way to get it fully understood.

Focus on the "why." It's easy to get frustrated with all the hoops you have to jump through to get licensed. Remember why you're getting licensed. Remember why you got into social work in the first place.

Ray doesn't just blog, he tutors. Contact him through his site. Tell him Pass the ASWB Exam sent you.

Happy studying and good luck on the exam!

Pass the ASWB Exam Together

Looking to pass the ASWB exam? You're not alone.

Join a new, growing community of social work licensure aspirants in the Facebook group, Pass the ASWB Exam Together. 

The group is just getting started. Post your struggles, your triumphs, and get daily help on crucial topics to help you pass the exam.

Click to join. See you there!