Free Social Work Licensing Exam Practice

Here's a new set of practice questions from the SWTP blog. Each follows an explainer about the covered topic--all drawn from the ASWB content outline. 

A social worker is working with a family affected by domestic violence. The youngest child in the family is exhibiting aggressive behavior at school, withdrawing from peers, and struggling academically. Which of the following is the MOST likely explanation for the child’s behavior?

A. The child has developed a personality disorder as a result of the domestic violence.

B. The child has been spoiled and is acting out to get attention.

C. The child is mirroring behaviors observed at home and responding to trauma.

D. The child’s behavior is likely unrelated to the domestic violence.

Read up and get the answer here. 

A social worker meets with a middle-aged client who is dependent on their partner for housing and financial support. The client reports being forced to perform unpaid labor and being isolated from friends and family. The social worker suspects labor exploitation. What should the social worker do FIRST?

A. Encourage the client to leave the relationship immediately.

B. Refer the client to vocational training programs to gain independence.

C. Work with the client to develop a safety plan and explore support options.

D. Report the partner to law enforcement for labor trafficking.

Read up and get the answer here. 

A client expresses guilt for feeling relief after their parent’s death, as the parent had suffered from a long-term illness. What should the social worker explore first?

A. The client’s relationship with their parent before the illness.

B. The cultural beliefs and values influencing the client’s grief.

C. Whether the client has resolved their grief.

D. The presence of depressive symptoms due to unresolved grief.

Read up and get the answer here. 

A social worker is assisting a client who has recently been diagnosed with a chronic illness and needs help accessing medical care, housing assistance, and transportation services. Which service delivery method is MOST appropriate in this situation?

A. Individual Therapy

B. Therapeutic Group

C. Social Action

D. Case Management

Read up and get the answer here. 

During a session, a client becomes increasingly angry and begins shouting. What is the most appropriate action for the social worker to take?

A. Allow the client to vent their anger fully before intervening.

B. Calmly redirect the client to focus on the goals of the session.

C. End the session immediately to de-escalate the situation.

D. Match the client’s tone to show empathy and understanding.

Read up and get the answer here. 

One you're at SWTP, consider staying for the full-length practice tests. Sitting for full-length practice really gets you ready to pass the ASWB exam. : )

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. 

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!

More Free Social Work Exam Practice Questions

The best way to prepare for to pass the ASWB exam is practice, practice, practice. Here, from SWTP (with permission), are three free social work exam practice questions. See how you do!

1. A 15-year-old boy is court-ordered into therapy after several brushes with the law, including charges for breaking and entering, assaulting a classmate, and driving a stolen vehicle. Although the boy witnessed all these incidents, he appears unconcerned and denies he was involved in any of them. The MOST appropriate diagnosis is:

A. Conduct disorder

B. Schizophrenia

C. Antisocial personality disorder

D. Substance abuse

Answer and explanation are here.

2. During a meeting with a social worker, a client suddenly becomes enraged. She stands up, slams her fist on the desk, and throws a book across the room, breaking a picture frame. How should the clinician FIRST respond?

A. Shout for help.

B. Order the client out of the office.

C. Speak in a calm, soothing manner.

D. Tell the client to sit back down in order to discuss whatever is upsetting her.

Check your answer here.

3. A man brings his 16-year-old son to a therapy appointment to have him assessed for depression. His son has started wearing black and has dyed his blond hair black. The boy denies he's depressed and says that all his friends dress the way he does. According to Erik Erikson's stages of psychosocial development, which crisis is the client experiencing?

A. Industry vs. inferiority.

B. Autonomy vs. shame and doubt.

C. Identity vs. role confusion.

D. Intimacy vs. isolation.

Correct answer--and how to arrive at it--here.

The DSM, best/first, Erikson. Just the type of stuff you can expect to see on the ASWB exam. Knowing the material and knowing how to apply that knowledge to correctly answering vignette questions are going to get you to that PASS sheet. It's doable. People pass every day. You're next!

Video Test Prep

Some variety in your ASWB exam prep can't hurt. SWTP's growing a collection of question walk-through videos. Each takes a social work licensing exam practice question and takes getting to the correct answer step by step.

Also browse the entire channel. It contains lots of prep-helping material including old time footage from people like Carl Rogers, plus new exam tip videos from various sources.

The more practice, advice, and knowledge you can fit before exam day, the better. Enjoy.

Free ASWB Exam Practice Questions

The more practice, the better. Full-length practice best. Free practice, really, really nice.

Here are three questions recently posted on the SWTP blog. See you how you. Reposted by permission:

1. A social worker sees a client who reports a lifetime of "seeing things all the time, shadows." He also reports hearing voices, "probably the NSA," which tell him he's "useless and stupid." The voices leave him feeling "pretty sad and really annoyed." Given the symptoms the client describes, what is the MOST likely of the following DSM diagnoses?

A. Major depression with psychotic features

B. Schizophrenia

C. Schizophreniform disorder

D. Schizoaffective disorder

Stumped? An information-rich explanation is here. 

2.  A 17-year-old client who appears noticeably underweight reports frequently forcing herself to vomit after meals in order to "stay skinny for cheerleading." The MOST likely DSM diagnosis for this client is a type of:

A. Bulimia nervosa

B. Body dysmorphic disorder

C. Rumination disorder

D. Anorexia nervosa

Not sure?  Here's the answer and how you get to it.

3. A man in his 40s comes to a mental health clinic complaining of gradual memory loss and occasional confusion, such as getting lost on the way to a job he has held for years. The man is a retired boxer who suffered multiple concussions during his career. The MOST likely diagnosis for this client is:

A. Post-traumatic stress disorder

B. Alzheimer's disease

C. Delirium

D. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Uncertain? Answer and explanation here. 

There's more where these came from. Check out the "practice" tag on the blog for additional free questions. Then stick around at SWTP--as they intend--for full-length, 170-question, covering-all-topic-areas ASWB exam practice tests. 

Happy studying!

Building Your Own Social Work Exam Practice Questions

One inexpensive way to prepare for the ASWB exam is to read through the Eye on Ethics columns in Social Work Today. Most contain just the kind of tricky social work rock-and-a-hard-place situation that you'll see on the licensing exam. No, they're not practice questions. But they could be practice questions. It wouldn't be a huge surprise to learn that exam writers were turning to the column for ideas about what to put on the test.

Take, for example, this recent column, Treating Colleagues with Respect in the Digital Age. The opening paragraphs are like a social work exam vignette without the question mark:

Last week I received an unusual telephone call from an administrator of a state social work licensing board. She explained that the board had received a complaint filed by one social worker against another. "This certainly is a novel complaint," the caller said. "We've never seen one like this before. I'm calling you to find out if you've heard of similar cases and know of any guidelines that might be relevant.

"Here's what apparently happened," the caller continued. "The complainant and respondent work at the same mental health center. The complainant is the respondent's supervisor. The respondent became quite angry with her supervisor after the supervisor included some negative comments in the respondent's annual review. According to the complaint filed with us by the supervisor, the respondent 'posted a handful of horribly nasty comments about me on her Facebook site. She accused me publicly of being incompetent and unethical. I don't think she realized that I had access to her Facebook postings.'"

I learned that the complaint the supervisor filed with the social work licensing board included verbatim excerpts from the Facebook postings. They are not pretty.

It doesn't take much imagination to flip things around into question form. An administrator receives a complaint... and so on about a social worker's bad-mouthing a supervisor on social media. What is the BEST course for the administrator to take?

Coming up with distractors is the trickier part of this exercise. Maybe something like...

A) Demand that the social worker remove the social media posts.

B) Refer the defamation to the state licensing board.

C) Reassign the social worker to a different supervisor.

D) Set a meeting for the social worker and supervisor to discuss the incident.

What answer do you like best? A probably doesn't take things far enough. B takes them too far--or jumps ahead in the process. C avoids the conflict altogether and doesn't address the issues at hand. That leaves D as the best of the offered choices. Maybe it's not the actual BEST course, but it's what you've got to work with here. If this were on the exam, that'd be a good pick. Then move on to the next...

Want more reading on the topic? Here's everything you need: the NASW Code of Ethics. 

Free ASWB Exam Practice Question

Missed us? We're back. Here's a quick practice question based upon new material in the 2018 NASW Code of Ethics. With enough practice, you'll be ready to pass the ASWB exam faster than you may think! So answer this:

A client tells a social worker that she's being stalked online by an ex-boyfriend and asks the social worker to add her on Facebook so the social worker can see for herself. How should the social worker proceed?

A. Temporarily add the client on Facebook for the time it takes to witness the harassment.

B. Explain to the client that it's not ethical for social workers to collect collateral information on clients via social media. 

C. Refuse the Facebook request, and instead ask the client to print out evidence of harassment.

D. Politely refuse the Facebook friend request and ask the client to describe the harassment in detail. 

What do you think?

Scroll down for our answer.





















The updated code has some guidance here. This is from the Conflicts of Interest section:

(h) Social workers should avoid accepting requests from or engaging in personal relationships with clients on social networking sites or other electronic media to prevent boundary confusion, inappropriate dual relationships, or harm to clients.

Given that, let's take the answers one at a time:

A. Temporarily add the client on Facebook for the time it takes to witness the harassment.

Adding the client on Facebook, even temporarily and for clinically defensible reasons, risks changing the nature of the social worker-client relationship--it's also unnecessary here.

B. Explain to the client that it's not ethical for social workers to collect collateral information on clients via social media. 

The Code of Ethics states:

Social workers should avoid searching or gathering client information electronically unless there are compelling professional reasons, and when appropriate, with the client’s informed consent.

Avoid mean avoid; it doesn't mean never, ever do it. It is ethical in some cases to collect collateral information about clients on the net.

C. Refuse the Facebook request, and instead ask the client to print out evidence of harassment.

This is an old-fashioned solution. Why not just ask the client to show the social worker on her phone (assuming she has one)? But old-fashioned or not, it's the best of the offered answers here. C is correct.

D. Politely refuse the Facebook friend request and ask the client to describe the harassment in detail. 

For whatever reason, it is important to the client for the social worker to see the harassment, not just hear about it. Refusing the Facebook request and refusing to look at the harassment altogether is unnecessary and risks rupturing the client-social worker relationship.

How'd you do? We'll have more practice here in the future. And, of course, there's lots and lots (and lots) of practice available elsewhere (check out SWTP).

Good luck with the exam!