1|Page Doc 67
ASWB MSW EXAM PREP 2026 | 600+ VERIFIED Q&A |
MASTERS LEVEL SOCIAL WORK MASTERY |
DETAILED RATIONALES
1. Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to change?
A. Motivation fluctuates from one time to another.
B. Motivation can be increased by working to remove barriers to change.
C. Motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life can be different.
D. Motivation that is imposed by external forces is more salient than that which is intrinsic.
D
Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which fluctuates from one time to
another. The role of the social worker is to create an atmosphere that is conducive to change and
to increase a client's intrinsic motivation, so that change arises from within rather than being
imposed from without. If a client is driven to change internally, it is much more likely that the
change effort will be sustained. A technique to increase motivation is to work to remove barriers
and instill hope or the belief that life can be different.
2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be defined as:
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained training and experience in delivering
B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes according to a cost-benefit
analysis
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of research
knowledge, clinical expertise, social work values, and client wishes
D. Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles
C
Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions with clinical experience
and ethics, as well as client preferences and culture, to guide and inform the delivery of
treatments and services. Social workers, clients, and others must work together in order to
identify what works, for whom, and under what conditions. This approach ensures that the
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treatments and services, when used as intended, will have the most effective outcomes as
demonstrated by the research.
3. What are the stages of change in sequential order?
A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and relapse
B. Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, maintenance, and relapse
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and relapse
D. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse
D
Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed by contemplation in which
there is ambivalence about making change. Then comes preparation or experimenting with small
changes. Action moves toward achieving a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior
and avoids relapse, which can lead to feelings of frustration and failure.
4. Which of the following is NOT an essential step in ethical problem solving?
A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be 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
D
A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to identify whether new issues
or dilemmas arise.
5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims that he is a member of the armed
forces, though it is obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy is MOST likely a:
A. Comorbid thought
B. Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D. Delusion
D
A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e., believing something that
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is not true). Comorbid means existing at the same time. Dissociation is a change in memory,
perception, or consciousness. Folie à deux is a shared delusion.
6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a group home manager for a new
program scheduled to open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating staff will delay 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
B
Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial judgment. Hiring a family
member creates a dual relationship and should be avoided.
7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to which current clients are satisfied
with a new relapse prevention program. The social worker distributes a client satisfaction
survey to those in the program. The social worker then collects the surveys and analyzes
the results that are presented to a management team in the agency. The social worker is
conducting which type of evaluation?
A. Summative
B. Experimental
C. Quasi-experimental
D. Formative
D
Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services, whereas summative
evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative evaluations are ongoing processes that allow for
feedback to be implemented during service delivery. These types of evaluations allow social
workers to make changes as needed to help achieve program goals. Summative evaluations occur
at the end of services and provide an overall description of their effectiveness. Summative
evaluation examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
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The design described is not experimental—which requires a control group and 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 social stratification?
A. A child is not included in group activities in school because of his or her poor social
skills.
B. Children who are violent need to be segregated from 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.
D
Stratification refers to structured inequality of entire categories of people in society who have
unequal access to social rewards. Stratification applies to individuals based on ethnic and racial
background, social status, and/or other factors.
9. During an intake interview, a client reports that she is extremely depressed and has self-
destructive thoughts. She has had prior suicide attempts, but tells the social worker not to
worry as she won't "do it again." The social worker should FIRST:
A. Tell the client that her decision not to harm herself is a good one
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
C
Despite the client's report that she will not act on her thoughts, she is at risk because she has had
these feelings and has acted on them in the past. The case vignette does not describe the social
worker taking any action yet. A safety assessment will determine the severity of the depression
and whether the client is at risk for a suicide attempt. It must be done FIRST before any other
action is taken.
ASWB MSW EXAM PREP 2026 | 600+ VERIFIED Q&A |
MASTERS LEVEL SOCIAL WORK MASTERY |
DETAILED RATIONALES
1. Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to change?
A. Motivation fluctuates from one time to another.
B. Motivation can be increased by working to remove barriers to change.
C. Motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life can be different.
D. Motivation that is imposed by external forces is more salient than that which is intrinsic.
D
Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which fluctuates from one time to
another. The role of the social worker is to create an atmosphere that is conducive to change and
to increase a client's intrinsic motivation, so that change arises from within rather than being
imposed from without. If a client is driven to change internally, it is much more likely that the
change effort will be sustained. A technique to increase motivation is to work to remove barriers
and instill hope or the belief that life can be different.
2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be defined as:
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained training and experience in delivering
B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes according to a cost-benefit
analysis
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of research
knowledge, clinical expertise, social work values, and client wishes
D. Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles
C
Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions with clinical experience
and ethics, as well as client preferences and culture, to guide and inform the delivery of
treatments and services. Social workers, clients, and others must work together in order to
identify what works, for whom, and under what conditions. This approach ensures that the
,2|Page Doc 67
treatments and services, when used as intended, will have the most effective outcomes as
demonstrated by the research.
3. What are the stages of change in sequential order?
A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and relapse
B. Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, maintenance, and relapse
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and relapse
D. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse
D
Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed by contemplation in which
there is ambivalence about making change. Then comes preparation or experimenting with small
changes. Action moves toward achieving a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior
and avoids relapse, which can lead to feelings of frustration and failure.
4. Which of the following is NOT an essential step in ethical problem solving?
A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be 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
D
A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to identify whether new issues
or dilemmas arise.
5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims that he is a member of the armed
forces, though it is obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy is MOST likely a:
A. Comorbid thought
B. Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D. Delusion
D
A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e., believing something that
,3|Page Doc 67
is not true). Comorbid means existing at the same time. Dissociation is a change in memory,
perception, or consciousness. Folie à deux is a shared delusion.
6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a group home manager for a new
program scheduled to open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating staff will delay 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
B
Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial judgment. Hiring a family
member creates a dual relationship and should be avoided.
7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to which current clients are satisfied
with a new relapse prevention program. The social worker distributes a client satisfaction
survey to those in the program. The social worker then collects the surveys and analyzes
the results that are presented to a management team in the agency. The social worker is
conducting which type of evaluation?
A. Summative
B. Experimental
C. Quasi-experimental
D. Formative
D
Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services, whereas summative
evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative evaluations are ongoing processes that allow for
feedback to be implemented during service delivery. These types of evaluations allow social
workers to make changes as needed to help achieve program goals. Summative evaluations occur
at the end of services and provide an overall description of their effectiveness. Summative
evaluation examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
, 4|Page Doc 67
The design described is not experimental—which requires a control group and 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 social stratification?
A. A child is not included in group activities in school because of his or her poor social
skills.
B. Children who are violent need to be segregated from 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.
D
Stratification refers to structured inequality of entire categories of people in society who have
unequal access to social rewards. Stratification applies to individuals based on ethnic and racial
background, social status, and/or other factors.
9. During an intake interview, a client reports that she is extremely depressed and has self-
destructive thoughts. She has had prior suicide attempts, but tells the social worker not to
worry as she won't "do it again." The social worker should FIRST:
A. Tell the client that her decision not to harm herself is a good one
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
C
Despite the client's report that she will not act on her thoughts, she is at risk because she has had
these feelings and has acted on them in the past. The case vignette does not describe the social
worker taking any action yet. A safety assessment will determine the severity of the depression
and whether the client is at risk for a suicide attempt. It must be done FIRST before any other
action is taken.
