Write it down, put it on your mirror, say it to yourself over and over--because it's true! You will pass the social work exam. Now go do it! Congratulations in advance!
Most states use the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) exam which candidates must pass to gain licensure as a social worker. Some states require licensure at the Bachelors level, Masters level, and Clinical level, while other states only require Clinical licensure. (For a state-by-state listing of licensing requirements, visit this informative website.) My students want to know how to prepare for the exam, and I have some suggestions. 1. Plan ahead. Most states allow graduating students to test up to a month before graduation, which allows you to graduate with licensure. Some jobs may require a license in hand prior to applying or interviewing. You may have to register for the exam as much as a month early, and you may have to travel hours to a test site. Therefore, start planning for a test date several months ahead of time. 2. Know your state's hurdles. Some states require finger printing ahead of time and an application to the state before you can be approved to take the test. Other states require you to test before applying to the state's licensure board. If you are graduating in one state and moving to another after graduation, know the rules in the state where you plan to move. You can transfer test scores but will have to apply to the board in the state where you plan to practice. 3. Develop test-taking skills. Multiple-choice tests are similar in many ways. They require carefully reading options and eliminating bad ones. If you have a methodological approach to analyzing your answers, you will do better. This document lists some strategies to use when you have to guess. The questions often ask for the "best" answer and offer several potentially correct answers- but only one answer can be "best." Look for context and rule-out clues, like "always" and "never." If you have to guess, answers with more detail are often better, and answers related to client safety or confidentiality are often answers to the "what should you do first" questions. 4. Use multiple learning tools. Lots of people like study guides. They have varying quality- you can read reviews on sites like Amazon. Many of the questions relate to developmental theory, and podcasts can help with that sort of information. Here are some podcasts to listen to, either directly at these sites or search for them on youtube. 1. The Social Work Podcast. You can find a list of all the podcasts and direct links here. 2. Social Work Exam Prep. These brief audio clips are direct and to the point. 5. Make it mobile. There are a few exam prep apps you can download on your smartphone. I like the free app called "Social Work Lite" which allows you to choose how many questions you want to practice at one setting. You can turn waiting rooms in to study time. Similarly, if you do have paper-based study materials, scan them and save as a pdf document so that you can open them on your smartphone and read on the go. 6. Look at the free sample questions and the content areas listed at the ASWB website. This will help prepare you for the style of questions and the areas that you are expected to know. ASWB offers a paid online exam and a small booklet with more sample questions. The online exam is a good way to prepare for what it's like to answer questions on a computer, but your mileage may vary- you may not need these paid resources if you are good at using the other free resources I've talked about on this page. 7. Use a buddy system. Plan study dates with another test-taker so that you can hold each other accountable to study time. Use what works together- flashcards, quizzes, reading out loud, or just quiet time together. 8. Consider a local or online test prep workshop. Often your local social work department or chapter of NASW will know who is offering classes locally. Online classes are available- look around the web for reviews before signing up. These can be costly, at about $300 for the class offered by the Extension office at University of Michigan. However, if this is going to grab your attention it may be worth it- it's cheaper than retaking the exam in most cases. 9. If you plan to take the clinical license exam after your supervision hours are complete, enlist your clinical supervisor in test prep. Let your supervisor know your anticipated test date, and about six months early make a concentrated effort to fit some exam study practice in to each of your supervision visits. This may be via discussing theory, clinical scenarios, pharmacology, etc. 10. Do the things that will ease your anxiety. Your first step to a calm test experience is adequate study preparation, so make a plan that is SMART. The week before you drive to your test site, make sure you know the route, have plenty of time, have adequate rest and a good snack, and know the requirements for the test center regarding proof of identity and what you can take with you. Consider some mindfulness or breathing techniques to help you relax. Remember: The test is difficult, but not impossible. Most people pass the first time, and you only need a score of about 75%. Study, think good thoughts, think about the kind of supports that work for you, and relax. Best test-taking wishes to you!
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!
Social Workers always need to be familiar with mental health-related medications especially when preparing for the exam. Below you'll find illustrations and a game to help you keep these meds in your memory bank:) Match the 5 categories to the boxes below: 1 3 5 2 4 The answers: 1) Psychostimulants 2) Antipsychotics 3)Antidepressants 4)Anti-Anxiety 5)Mood Stabilizers Did you get them all right? Click here to learn more
Some questions on the social work licensing exam are simple to get right or wrong. You either know the answer or you don't. This Eriksonian ...
Prepare with our ASWB Clinical Test Review and ASWB Clinical Exam Questions. Learn more.
These two acronyms help social workers succeed in their social work licensing exam by prioritizing their interventions and/or work with clients.
My exam was this morning, and I am pleased to report that I passed! It was 170 questions long and took me a little over 2 hours. A passing s...
A friend and I were having this discussion about the differences between Bipolar I and II, and I had to revert to my trusty pocket version of the DSM to remind myself. Bipolar I is the most extreme of the disorders. In order to receive a diagnosis of Bipolar I the individual must have at least one manic episode. MANIC is the key term here- HYPOMANIC is not the same. Hypomania can have symptoms of rapid speaking, racing ideas, not sleeping, and surges of energy. Individuals who are hypomanic are usually able to keep up with their social and occupational obligations. Mania is intense and often frightening. Individuals may lose touch with reality, believing they are a deity, on a mission from a deity (delusions of grandeur), or experience a psychotic break. They may fly into rages. They may engage in dangerous and destructive behaviors such as abusing stimulants (cocaine, speed) or reckless driving. They may spend money with abandon and may ruin their financial lives in a matter of days. A mixed episode is when mania and the depressive state are happening at the same time. Just thinking about this occurring is a nightmare for me. Visualize a person in a very foul, depressed, hopeless mood and combine it with racing thoughts and raging energy. Mixed episodes have symptoms such as panic, paranoid delusions, suicidal ideation, and rage. Ok, so back to Bipolar I and II. Bipolar I must have had at least one manic episode. A depressive episode is not needed for the diagnosis, but will usually be present at least once. Bipolar II must have had at least one hypomanic episode and one depressive episode. Cyclothymia could be seen as Bipolar II Lite. There must be hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes, but the depressive episodes do not need to be as severe as they are for Bipolar II.
SWTP recently posted about podcasts that are helpful for social work exam prep. The post suggests searching the Social Work Podcast archives to find episodes that cover exam material. We did; now you don't have to. Here's what we found (lots): DSM Diagnosis for Social Workers Bio-psychosocial-Spiritual (BPSS) Assessment and Mental Status Exam (MSE) Crisis Intervention and Suicide Assessment: Part 1 - History and Assessment Crisis Intervention and Suicide Assessment: Part 2 - Intervention and Crisis Assessment Freudian Psychoanalysis Adlerian Psychotherapy Existential Therapy Person-Centered Therapy Gestalt Therapy Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Developing Treatment Plans: The Basics Behavior Therapy Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Reality Therapy Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Interview with Sabrina Heller, LSW Supervision for Social Workers Psychopharmacotherapy and Social Work: Interview with Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D. Best Practices and Resources for Psychopharmacotherapy: Interview with Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D. Measurement in Clinical Practice and Research (Part I): Interview with Dr. Mary Rauktis Measurement in clinical practice and research (Part II): Interview with Dr. Mary Rauktis Schizophrenia and Social Work: Interview with Shaun Eack, Ph.D. Social workers and depression: Interview with Mark Meier, MSW, LICSW Theories for Clinical Social Work Practice: Interview with Joseph Walsh, Ph.D. Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages of Change Model for Social Workers How do you define Evidence-Based Practice? The Process of Evidence-Based Practice: Interview with Danielle E. Parrish, Ph.D. Cultural Considerations in Military Social Work: Interview with Dr. Anthony Hassan Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI): Interview with Jennifer Muehlenkamp, Ph.D. Social Work Ethics: Interview with Allan Barsky, JD, MSW, PhD Turned out to be a majority of episodes! This'll keep you occupied during your commute, jog, or other listening opportunity. Enjoy.
Mental Status Exam (MSE) Note: The MSE is a "snapshot" of a patient at a specific time. You can use the mnemonic "ASEPTIC" — Appearance/behavior, Speech, ...
Get prepared today with free ASWB Bachelor's practice test questions. Learn about the ASWB Bachelor's exam with study tips and sample practice questions.
Get our ASWB Masters Practice Test questions. Learn more about the ASWB exam. Visit today!
Social Work ASWB Bachelors Exam Guide: BSW Licensure Exam Study Guide and Practice Test Questions for LSW Test Prep [2nd Edition].
Free questions. What's better? SWTP's been running a series of free DSM-5 questions on their blog. The focus lately has been anxiety disorders. Once you've run through these questions, you'll be able to stare down anxiety questions on the ASWB exam without breaking a sweat. Still better than the questions alone are the explanations in each post, which walk you through the process of elimination. Sometimes you have to know the info to get to the right answer. Sometimes you have to know how to approach the test. Any good set of practice questions will give you exposure to both content and test-taking know-how. The idea on these is "come for the free practice questions, stay for the full-length practice tests." This week SWTP made practice test purchasing a little friendlier. You pick and choose which of their tests you want to study. The bundle savings (and the price) are tallied instantly as you select and deselect exams on the account page. Neat. Want more DSM questions? Try the Google Books preview of DSM-5 Self-Exam Questions, by Philip Muskin. "Come for the preview, stay for the whole book," in this case. Enjoy! And good luck on the exam!
The DSM is huge. There's way too much information in there for you to have completely memorized, or to come even close. Wiser thing to do as you're approaching the social work licensing exam, try imagining what you'd do if you were writing the exam. What diagnoses are crucial to know about for carrying out day-to-day social work? Is it really important that every social worker have a handle on every obscure diagnosis? Not really. If something unfamiliar presents itself, they can look it up. Better that they are familiar with the diagnoses that most commonly turn up in social work settings. You know the ones: mood disorders, substance abuse disorders, psychotic disorders, disorders particular to specific groups (e.g., children and the elderly). And, of course, the focus of the links below, personality disorders. You know these when you see them; here are some places to brush up on the details: PsychCentral Personality Disorders Wikipedia Personality Disorders Medline Personality Disorders Enjoy and good luck on the exam!
Back to freshman year of the BSW! A 'system' is a group of parts that together make up a whole of something. Like our organs and tissue are ...
Don't let the social work licensing exam scare you. Help is here.
Two helpful acronyms for social workers taking the LMSW (or LCSW) social work licensing exam.
Every time an ambitious PhD gets hold of a grant, it seems like a new approach to psychotherapy is born. Which is great, but can be overwhel...
Social Work Exam Essentials: How to Prepare
Explore our practice test questions and other counseling and social work resources. Get started on the path to your new counseling career.
Pass the LCSW Exam
Explore our practice test questions and other counseling and social work resources. Get started on the path to your new counseling career.
As social workers we are always putting out fires. Sometimes they are even literal fires, LOL. All jokes aside, it's important to realize th...
This is my study guide for the Licensed Social Worker (LSW) exam, or more specifically, the ASWB Master's Exam. I will be primarily focusing on human behavior and development theories and intervention models.
