Exam Highlights

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) holds ownership of the national social work exams.

There are several levels of licensure exams:

Bachelors ($230)
Masters ($230)
Advanced Generalist ($260)
Clinical ($260)

There are 170 questions on these exams, and test-takers have four hours to complete the exam. The ASWB pilots 20 questions, and these questions are not scored. Test-takers do not know which questions are piloted. According to the ASWB website, test-takers need to answer approximately 90-107 correct answers to pass the exam. The number of correct answers required to pass varies depending on the difficulty of the generated exam. For example, you may end up with an exam with easier questions than another test taker. In this scenario, the ASWB expects more correct answers than in an exam with harder questions. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers.

Completion of the exam: There is a brief exit survey when you finish the exam, and then you will receive the results of your exam on the computer screen.

Effective January 2, 2024, PSI will administer the ASWB exams instead of Pearson. To search for PSI test centers, click on the Continue tab on this PSI website page: Masters Examination.

Resources

ASWB Resource: Exam Appointments.

ASWB Application for Disability & Language Accommodations 

[New] Examination Guidebook (includes information about PSI)

Masters Exam

The ASWB Content Outlines and KSAs (knowledge, skills, abilities) are available for free on the ASWB website. I recommend printing the content outlines and KSAs as a resource.

MSW Content Areas (KSAs)

Content Outline

The bold information below is referred to as the content outline, and the subsections are considered competencies—the content outline and KSA document list KSAs under each competency group. The questions on the exam do not identify the content outline, competencies, or KSAs in the questions.

I. Human development, diversity, and behavior in the environment
I.A. Human Growth and Development
I.B. Concepts of Abuse and Neglect
I.C. Diversity, Social/economic justice, and oppression

II. Assessment and intervention planning
II.A. Biopsychosocial history and collateral data
II.B. Assessment methods and techniques
II.C. Intervention planning

III. Interventions with clients/client systems
III.A. Intervention processes and techniques for use across systems
III.B. Intervention processes and techniques for use with larger systems

IV. Professional relationships, values, and ethics
IV.A. Professional values and ethical issues
IV.B. Confidentiality
IV.C. Professional development and use of self

Source: ASWB Masters Course Outline and KSAs

You will notice there are many KSAs listed in the content outlines. Unfortunately, the exams can present like a game of chance because test-takers do not know which KSAs will be on the exam. For instance, some ASWB Masters exams have questions about medications, while other exams might not have any medication questions. The ASWB exams are not structured based on a baseline of the core information that every social worker should be tested on, which is another problem with the exam. For instance, if all MSW-level social workers should be familiar with psychotropic medications, all exams should have medication questions. These issues are important to consider when studying for the exam.

Exam Structure Basics

The ASWB refers to the questions as “items” since all questions are not written using a traditional question format.

The item structure includes the following:

• Stem: Content (description).
• Distractors: Incorrect Item choices.
• Key: Correct answer.

Example:

What term is used to refer to the extent to which the scores from a measure represent the variable they are intended to? [Stem]

A. Validity [Key]

B. Reliability [Distractor]

C. Construct [Distractor]

D. Systematic error [Distractor]

All the exam items are multiple-choice, with three or four choices. There are no item choices such as none of the above, all the above, or a combination of two item choices (A & C). Effective January 2023, the ASWB started using some three-answer choice questions (A, B, C).

Stems are presented as:

• Direct questions
• Statements
• Vignettes

Some items include the following words (referred to as qualifiers):

• Next
• First
• Most
• Best

Stems are written in active voice, present tense, and do not use negative words such as Not and Except. Qualifiers on the exam will be in bold and in all caps.

Example

The social work case manager finishes conducting a biopsychosocial assessment of a client. What should the social worker do NEXT:

A. Establish rapport

B. Implement an intervention

C. Terminate services

D. Work with the client to set goals

Answer: D.

Rationale: The context of this item is the generalist social work practice model (engagement, assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation, and termination). Distractors can read as good responses, so it is essential to analyze the question through the lens of the qualifying word (e.g., next, first, best).

There are three types of questions/items, and the ASWB also refers to these as cognitive levels:

1. Recall
2. Application
3. Reasoning

Recall

Recall items draw upon remembering definitions, theories, perspectives, and concepts. These questions typically do not include lengthy scenarios but can include descriptions. The ASWB refers to these items as level one; these questions can present as statements or direct questions.

Examples

1. During an assessment with a client recently diagnosed with a substance use disorder, the client tells the social worker, “I do not really have a problem, and I don’t see the need for change.” The client is in what transtheoretical model stages of change?

A. Contemplation

B. Determination

C. Precontemplation

D. Maintenance

Answer: C

2. Which medication is an anti-anxiety agent?

A. Benzodiazepines

B. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

C. Depakote

D. Lithium

Answer: A

Application

The ASWB refers to application questions as level two. Application questions build on recall in that these questions require the ability to use one’s knowledge applied to a vignette or description of certain circumstances.

Example

1. A hospital social worker receives a physician’s order to discharge an 85-year-old patient who is alert and oriented to a nursing home for physical therapy. What should the social worker do FIRST?

A. Talk to the patient’s adult children about the discharge plan.

B. Talk to the patient about the patient’s goals.

C. Ask the physician which nursing home the patient should be sent to upon discharge.

D. Call the nursing home to set up the patient’s transfer.

Answer: B.

Rationale: A few answer choices are steps a social worker would take during the discharge process (B, D). The answer choice that sticks out as problematic is “C” because patients and families have the right to choose their providers. Social workers should always speak to the client about their goals, regardless of the client’s age. Before sharing information with the family, the social worker needs to obtain consent from the patient since the patient is alert and oriented. Notice the qualifier is “first.” Some of the knowledge used for answering this item includes the right to self-determination, autonomy, starting where the client is, and seeing the client as an expert. When responding to questions about older adults, pay close attention to any item choices that present as paternalistic.

2. A hospital social worker meets a 90-year-old patient scheduled to be discharged in two days. The patient hospital team recommends the patient be discharged to a nursing home. The patient mentions they want to be discharged home with home health services. What should the social worker do NEXT?

A. Conduct a mental status exam.

B. Talk to the patient about the patient’s goals.

C. Assess the safety of the patient.

D. Determine which home health agencies the patient prefers.

Answer: D

Rationale: Similar to the previous rationale, use caution in making assumptions about an older adult’s mental and/or cognitive status solely based on age (A). The patient has told the social worker their goals for going home with home health, so (B) would not be a suitable answer choice. Since the patient has expressed goals, the social worker should next determine which home health agencies the patient prefers (D).

Reasoning

The ASWB categories reasoning items as level three. Scenarios require test-takers to interpret and analyze information in the scenario to determine the correct answer. Remember to read and analyze this information through the lens of a standardized national exam.

Example

1. A social worker meets with a 70-year-old patient who is an emergency department for an injury because of a fall at home. The patient recently had surgery for a broken hip at the hospital. During a mental status exam, the patient feels confused and cannot remember the calendar day. The patient also shares his daughter pushed him and hurt him. What should the social worker do FIRST?

A. Evaluate the patient for dementia.

B. Report the allegations of elder abuse to the appropriate regulatory authority.

C. Consult with medical staff to evaluate the patient for delirium.

Answer: C

Rationale: This item requires some knowledge of delirium and dementia. Since delirium is dangerous and would need to be evaluated first, the social worker should consult first with the medical staff to evaluate the patient for delirium.

Mechanics of qualifiers

In the following video, I highlight approaches to consider when answering first and next questions.

Note: There is an error on the KSAs slide! Assessment should be “Abilities.”

Most and Best