LMSW Exam Practice Questions – Licensed Master Social Worker Study Guide (Comprehensive
Exam Preparation Material)
When is the decision not to undergo life-preserving tx considered suicide?
A. When decision is taken against med advice (AMA)
B. When local law indicates it as suicide
C. It is never considered suicide
D. When federal law indicates it as suicide - correct answer ✔✔C. It is never considered suicide
For which of the following would a program cost-effectiveness analysis be used?
A. Determining the cost-benefit ratio
B. Deciding whether a program is fiscally viable
C. Deciding whether a program has achieved intended goals
D. Studying available efficiencies in a program - correct answer ✔✔D. Studying available
efficiencies in a program
What does HIPAA stand for? - correct answer ✔✔Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act
Which of the following best describes what a social worker should do when receiving a
subpoena?
A. Refuse to comply
B. Respond and claim privilege
C. Provide requested information
D. Respond and turn over records - correct answer ✔✔B. Respond and claim privilege
Dan is the sole caretaker for his father. Recently, Dan has begun abusing his father. Which of the
following is the best possible warning sign that abuse is occurring?
,A. Dan is expressing more emotion lately
B. Dan is using drugs and alcohol
C. Dan is showing signs of poor self-care - correct answer ✔✔B. Dan is using drugs and alcohol
Linda is meeting with Joe for her regular session in their session. Linda asks "if you could fix the
biggest thing that's wrong with your life, what would your life look like?" This is an example of
A. Miracle question
B. Deficit question
C. Staging question
D. Motivational interviewing - correct answer ✔✔A. Miracle question
Which of the following types of validity/reliability in social work research measures to which
degree all of the desired data domains are covered?
A. Face validity
B. Content validity
C. Internal consistency reliability
D. Discriminant validity - correct answer ✔✔B. Content validity
Joe prefers to use the problem-solving approach with his clients to help them work through
their issues. Which scenario is an example of a step in the problem-solving process?
A. Joe asks his client to brainstorm solutions and then try one as homework
B. Joe and his client focus on finding as many solutions as possible
C. Joe and his client brainstorm solutions to try one at a time - correct answer ✔✔C. Joe and his
client brainstorm solutions to try one at a time
Which of the following are types of research conducted by social workers as part of their ethical
responsibilities to the profession?
A. Client observation and participant observation
,B. Clinical research and ethics evaluation
C. Group and family therapy
D. Needs assessment and program evaluation - correct answer ✔✔D. Needs assessment and
program evaluation
Steve works with families that have come to the attention of Adult Protective Services. He uses
structural family therapy with his clients. One of the types of techniques used with this type of
therapy is enactment. What is enactment?
A. Acting out positive patterns of behavior so the therapist can see how the family interacts
when it is functional, so he can encourage this behavior
B. Acting out dysfunctional patterns of behavior so the therapist can intervene and suggest
more positive interactions to use outside of therapy
C. Acting out scenarios from their normal daily life and describing their feelings afterward
D. Each family member individually acts out an event within the family that is especially
meaningful and explains why - correct answer ✔✔B. Acting out dysfunctional patterns of
behavior so the therapist can intervene and suggest more positive interactions to use outside of
therapy
A social worker is providing a client w stress inoculation therapy. Which of the following options
best identifies what stress inoculation therapy involves?
A. Prescribing anxiety medications
B. Helping clients acquire coping skills
C. Teaching social skills
D. Using breathing techniques - correct answer ✔✔B. Helping clients acquire coping skills
If a patient is hypomanic, which of the following is being described?
A. Mania that is less severe than the normal level
B. Mania that is worse than the normal level
C. Manic behavior short of mania
, D. Manic behaviors, some of which are worse than normal mania - correct answer ✔✔C. Manic
behavior short of mania
Brian has OCD. His social worker recommends that he joins a treatment group with others that
have OCD. In the group, he learns more about the disorder, completes assignments, and
exchanges ideas with others in the group. What type of group is this?
A. Support group
B. Growth group
C. Educational group
D. Therapy group - correct answer ✔✔C. Educational group
Matthew is treating his client Gertrude in a treatment center. Gertrude's way of speaking is
somewhat tangential, and she draws in items from different times in her life to help her
illustrate what she feels is her current problem. She eventually states that she feels "helpless,
hopeless, and sad." Matthew breaks in and attempts to use Gertrude's words to restate the
problem back to her to see if she understands. Which of the following techniques is Matthew
using?
A. Relabeling
B. Reframing
C. Interpretation
D. Clarification - correct answer ✔✔D. Clarification
John is Matthew's supervisor. Matthew is struggling with workplace issues very similar to those
which John experienced at the same stage in his career. This similarity affects John's supervision
of Matthew. Which of the following is the most likely phenomenon at play?
A. Parallel process
B. Transference
C. Countertransference
D. Identification - correct answer ✔✔A. Parallel process
Exam Preparation Material)
When is the decision not to undergo life-preserving tx considered suicide?
A. When decision is taken against med advice (AMA)
B. When local law indicates it as suicide
C. It is never considered suicide
D. When federal law indicates it as suicide - correct answer ✔✔C. It is never considered suicide
For which of the following would a program cost-effectiveness analysis be used?
A. Determining the cost-benefit ratio
B. Deciding whether a program is fiscally viable
C. Deciding whether a program has achieved intended goals
D. Studying available efficiencies in a program - correct answer ✔✔D. Studying available
efficiencies in a program
What does HIPAA stand for? - correct answer ✔✔Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act
Which of the following best describes what a social worker should do when receiving a
subpoena?
A. Refuse to comply
B. Respond and claim privilege
C. Provide requested information
D. Respond and turn over records - correct answer ✔✔B. Respond and claim privilege
Dan is the sole caretaker for his father. Recently, Dan has begun abusing his father. Which of the
following is the best possible warning sign that abuse is occurring?
,A. Dan is expressing more emotion lately
B. Dan is using drugs and alcohol
C. Dan is showing signs of poor self-care - correct answer ✔✔B. Dan is using drugs and alcohol
Linda is meeting with Joe for her regular session in their session. Linda asks "if you could fix the
biggest thing that's wrong with your life, what would your life look like?" This is an example of
A. Miracle question
B. Deficit question
C. Staging question
D. Motivational interviewing - correct answer ✔✔A. Miracle question
Which of the following types of validity/reliability in social work research measures to which
degree all of the desired data domains are covered?
A. Face validity
B. Content validity
C. Internal consistency reliability
D. Discriminant validity - correct answer ✔✔B. Content validity
Joe prefers to use the problem-solving approach with his clients to help them work through
their issues. Which scenario is an example of a step in the problem-solving process?
A. Joe asks his client to brainstorm solutions and then try one as homework
B. Joe and his client focus on finding as many solutions as possible
C. Joe and his client brainstorm solutions to try one at a time - correct answer ✔✔C. Joe and his
client brainstorm solutions to try one at a time
Which of the following are types of research conducted by social workers as part of their ethical
responsibilities to the profession?
A. Client observation and participant observation
,B. Clinical research and ethics evaluation
C. Group and family therapy
D. Needs assessment and program evaluation - correct answer ✔✔D. Needs assessment and
program evaluation
Steve works with families that have come to the attention of Adult Protective Services. He uses
structural family therapy with his clients. One of the types of techniques used with this type of
therapy is enactment. What is enactment?
A. Acting out positive patterns of behavior so the therapist can see how the family interacts
when it is functional, so he can encourage this behavior
B. Acting out dysfunctional patterns of behavior so the therapist can intervene and suggest
more positive interactions to use outside of therapy
C. Acting out scenarios from their normal daily life and describing their feelings afterward
D. Each family member individually acts out an event within the family that is especially
meaningful and explains why - correct answer ✔✔B. Acting out dysfunctional patterns of
behavior so the therapist can intervene and suggest more positive interactions to use outside of
therapy
A social worker is providing a client w stress inoculation therapy. Which of the following options
best identifies what stress inoculation therapy involves?
A. Prescribing anxiety medications
B. Helping clients acquire coping skills
C. Teaching social skills
D. Using breathing techniques - correct answer ✔✔B. Helping clients acquire coping skills
If a patient is hypomanic, which of the following is being described?
A. Mania that is less severe than the normal level
B. Mania that is worse than the normal level
C. Manic behavior short of mania
, D. Manic behaviors, some of which are worse than normal mania - correct answer ✔✔C. Manic
behavior short of mania
Brian has OCD. His social worker recommends that he joins a treatment group with others that
have OCD. In the group, he learns more about the disorder, completes assignments, and
exchanges ideas with others in the group. What type of group is this?
A. Support group
B. Growth group
C. Educational group
D. Therapy group - correct answer ✔✔C. Educational group
Matthew is treating his client Gertrude in a treatment center. Gertrude's way of speaking is
somewhat tangential, and she draws in items from different times in her life to help her
illustrate what she feels is her current problem. She eventually states that she feels "helpless,
hopeless, and sad." Matthew breaks in and attempts to use Gertrude's words to restate the
problem back to her to see if she understands. Which of the following techniques is Matthew
using?
A. Relabeling
B. Reframing
C. Interpretation
D. Clarification - correct answer ✔✔D. Clarification
John is Matthew's supervisor. Matthew is struggling with workplace issues very similar to those
which John experienced at the same stage in his career. This similarity affects John's supervision
of Matthew. Which of the following is the most likely phenomenon at play?
A. Parallel process
B. Transference
C. Countertransference
D. Identification - correct answer ✔✔A. Parallel process
