ASWB Complete Practice Exam | Questions and answers |
2025/2026 | Latest Update
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1. Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to D
change? Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which fluctuates from
A. Motivation fluctuates from one time to another. one time to another. The role of the social worker is to create an atmosphere that is
B.Motivation can be increased by working to remove conducive to change and to increase a client's intrinsic motivation, so that
change barriers to change. arises from within rather than being imposed from without. If a client is driven to
C. Motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life canchange internally, it is much more likely that the change effort will be sustained.
A be different. technique to increase motivation is to work to remove barriers and instill hope
or
D.Motivation that is imposed by external forces is more the belief that life can be
different. salient than that which is intrinsic.
2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be C
defined as: Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions with
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained trainingclinical experience and ethics, as well as client preferences and culture, to
guide and experience in delivering and inform the delivery of treatments and services. Social workers, clients, and
B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes others must
work together in order to identify what works, for whom, and under according to a cost-benefit analysis what conditions. This
approach ensures that the treatments and services, when
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit,used as intended, will have the most effective outcomes as demonstrated by
the and judicious use of research knowledge, clinical research.
expertise, social work values, and client wishes
D.Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles
3. What are the stages of change in sequential order? D
A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed
by maintenance, and relapse contemplation in which there is ambivalence about making change. Then
comes
B.Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, preparation or experimenting with small changes. Action moves toward
achieving maintenance, and relapse a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior and avoids relapse, which
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, can lead to feelings of frustration and
failure. maintenance, and relapse
D.Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation,
action, maintenance, and relapse
,4.Which of the following is NOT an essential step in D
ethical problem solving? A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to identify
A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be whether new issues or dilemmas
arise. compromised
B.Determining whether there is an ethical dilemma
C.Weighing ethical issues in light of social work
values and principles
D. Asking a supervisor to monitor practice to
identify new ethical issues or dilemmas
5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims D
that he is a member of the armed forces, though it is A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e.,
believing obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy is MOST something that is not true). Comorbid means existing at the same
time. Dissociation likely a: is a change in memory, perception, or consciousness. Folie à deux is a shared
A. Comorbid thought delusion.
B.Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D.Delusion
6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a B
group home manager for a new program scheduled to Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial judgment. Hiring a
open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating staff will delay family member creates a dual relationship and should be avoided.
clients from moving into the program. The administrator
temporarily hires her niece, who just graduated with a
social work degree, for this position. This action is:
A. Ethical because the niece is clearly qualified for
the position
B.Unethical because this is a conflict of interest
C. Ethical because the position is temporary and
ensures clients get the services needed
D.Unethical because clients will experience staff turnover
when a new manager is hired
7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to D
which current clients are satisfied with a new relapse Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services, whereas
prevention program. The social worker distributes a client summative evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative evaluations are
ongoing satisfaction survey to those in the program. The social processes that allow for feedback to be implemented during
service delivery. worker then collects the surveys and analyzes the results These types of evaluations allow social workers to
make changes as needed to that are presented to a management team in the agency. help achieve program goals. Summative
evaluations occur at the end of services The social worker is conducting which type of evaluation? and provide an overall description
of their effectiveness. Summative evaluation
A. Summative examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
B.Experimental
C. Quasi-experimental The design described is not experimental—which requires a control group and
D.Formative randomization of assignment—or quasi-experimental, which does not require
randomization, but has more support for causal inferences than does
preexperimental designs.
, 8. Which of the following is an example of
D
social stratification?
Stratification refers to structured inequality of entire categories of people in
A. A child is not included in group activities in
society who have unequal access to social rewards. Stratification applies to
school because of his or her poor social skills.
individuals based on ethnic and racial background, social status, and/or other
B.Children who are violent need to be segregated from
factors.
their peers.
C.A child with social deficits is assumed to be delayed
in cognition without additional assessment.
D.Children from affluent households receive a better
public education than those from low-income
households.
9.During an intake interview, a client reports that she
C
is extremely depressed and has self-destructive
Despite the client's report that she will not act on her thoughts, she is at risk
thoughts. She has had prior suicide attempts, but
because she has had these feelings and has acted on them in the past. The case
tells the social worker not to worry as she won't "do it
vignette does not describe the social worker taking any action yet. A safety
again." The social worker should FIRST:
assessment will determine the severity of the depression and whether the client
A. Tell the client that her decision not to harm herself is
is at risk for a suicide attempt. It must be done FIRST before any other action is
a good one
taken.
B.Explore with the client what is causing her depression
C. Conduct a safety assessment
D.Refer the client to a psychiatrist for a
medication evaluation
10. A client with a Social Anxiety Disorder will
A The primary medications used to treat social anxiety disorder are selective
MOST likely be prescribed which of the following
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which were first developed to treat
medications to take on an ongoing basis?
depression. They have been found to be effective in the treatment of a wider
A. Zoloft (sertraline)
range of disorders. Zoloft (sertraline) is an SSRI.
B.Mellaril (thioridazine)
C.Thorazine (chlorpromazine)
Benzodiazepines, such as Valium (diazepam), reduce levels of anxiety.
D.Valium (diazepam)
However, they are habit-forming and sedating, so they are typically
prescribed for only short-term use.
Mellaril (thioridazine) and Thorazine (chlorpromazine) are
antipsychotic medications for the treatment of psychosis.
2025/2026 | Latest Update
Save
1. Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to D
change? Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which fluctuates from
A. Motivation fluctuates from one time to another. one time to another. The role of the social worker is to create an atmosphere that is
B.Motivation can be increased by working to remove conducive to change and to increase a client's intrinsic motivation, so that
change barriers to change. arises from within rather than being imposed from without. If a client is driven to
C. Motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life canchange internally, it is much more likely that the change effort will be sustained.
A be different. technique to increase motivation is to work to remove barriers and instill hope
or
D.Motivation that is imposed by external forces is more the belief that life can be
different. salient than that which is intrinsic.
2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be C
defined as: Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions with
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained trainingclinical experience and ethics, as well as client preferences and culture, to
guide and experience in delivering and inform the delivery of treatments and services. Social workers, clients, and
B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes others must
work together in order to identify what works, for whom, and under according to a cost-benefit analysis what conditions. This
approach ensures that the treatments and services, when
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit,used as intended, will have the most effective outcomes as demonstrated by
the and judicious use of research knowledge, clinical research.
expertise, social work values, and client wishes
D.Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles
3. What are the stages of change in sequential order? D
A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed
by maintenance, and relapse contemplation in which there is ambivalence about making change. Then
comes
B.Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, preparation or experimenting with small changes. Action moves toward
achieving maintenance, and relapse a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior and avoids relapse, which
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, can lead to feelings of frustration and
failure. maintenance, and relapse
D.Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation,
action, maintenance, and relapse
,4.Which of the following is NOT an essential step in D
ethical problem solving? A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to identify
A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be whether new issues or dilemmas
arise. compromised
B.Determining whether there is an ethical dilemma
C.Weighing ethical issues in light of social work
values and principles
D. Asking a supervisor to monitor practice to
identify new ethical issues or dilemmas
5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims D
that he is a member of the armed forces, though it is A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e.,
believing obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy is MOST something that is not true). Comorbid means existing at the same
time. Dissociation likely a: is a change in memory, perception, or consciousness. Folie à deux is a shared
A. Comorbid thought delusion.
B.Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D.Delusion
6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a B
group home manager for a new program scheduled to Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial judgment. Hiring a
open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating staff will delay family member creates a dual relationship and should be avoided.
clients from moving into the program. The administrator
temporarily hires her niece, who just graduated with a
social work degree, for this position. This action is:
A. Ethical because the niece is clearly qualified for
the position
B.Unethical because this is a conflict of interest
C. Ethical because the position is temporary and
ensures clients get the services needed
D.Unethical because clients will experience staff turnover
when a new manager is hired
7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to D
which current clients are satisfied with a new relapse Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services, whereas
prevention program. The social worker distributes a client summative evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative evaluations are
ongoing satisfaction survey to those in the program. The social processes that allow for feedback to be implemented during
service delivery. worker then collects the surveys and analyzes the results These types of evaluations allow social workers to
make changes as needed to that are presented to a management team in the agency. help achieve program goals. Summative
evaluations occur at the end of services The social worker is conducting which type of evaluation? and provide an overall description
of their effectiveness. Summative evaluation
A. Summative examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
B.Experimental
C. Quasi-experimental The design described is not experimental—which requires a control group and
D.Formative randomization of assignment—or quasi-experimental, which does not require
randomization, but has more support for causal inferences than does
preexperimental designs.
, 8. Which of the following is an example of
D
social stratification?
Stratification refers to structured inequality of entire categories of people in
A. A child is not included in group activities in
society who have unequal access to social rewards. Stratification applies to
school because of his or her poor social skills.
individuals based on ethnic and racial background, social status, and/or other
B.Children who are violent need to be segregated from
factors.
their peers.
C.A child with social deficits is assumed to be delayed
in cognition without additional assessment.
D.Children from affluent households receive a better
public education than those from low-income
households.
9.During an intake interview, a client reports that she
C
is extremely depressed and has self-destructive
Despite the client's report that she will not act on her thoughts, she is at risk
thoughts. She has had prior suicide attempts, but
because she has had these feelings and has acted on them in the past. The case
tells the social worker not to worry as she won't "do it
vignette does not describe the social worker taking any action yet. A safety
again." The social worker should FIRST:
assessment will determine the severity of the depression and whether the client
A. Tell the client that her decision not to harm herself is
is at risk for a suicide attempt. It must be done FIRST before any other action is
a good one
taken.
B.Explore with the client what is causing her depression
C. Conduct a safety assessment
D.Refer the client to a psychiatrist for a
medication evaluation
10. A client with a Social Anxiety Disorder will
A The primary medications used to treat social anxiety disorder are selective
MOST likely be prescribed which of the following
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which were first developed to treat
medications to take on an ongoing basis?
depression. They have been found to be effective in the treatment of a wider
A. Zoloft (sertraline)
range of disorders. Zoloft (sertraline) is an SSRI.
B.Mellaril (thioridazine)
C.Thorazine (chlorpromazine)
Benzodiazepines, such as Valium (diazepam), reduce levels of anxiety.
D.Valium (diazepam)
However, they are habit-forming and sedating, so they are typically
prescribed for only short-term use.
Mellaril (thioridazine) and Thorazine (chlorpromazine) are
antipsychotic medications for the treatment of psychosis.
