MSW Comp Exam – Master of Social Work Comprehensive Exam Study Guide (Full Curriculum
Review and Exam Preparation Material)
________ is the ability of an individual, family, group, community or organization to recover
from adversity and resume functioning even when suffering serious trouble, confusion, or
hardship. - correct answer ✔✔Resilience
This perspective emphasizes the importance of relationships between systems within an
environment and considers how the environment affects human development, interaction, and
quality of life. - correct answer ✔✔Human Ecology Perspective
A primary goal within the area of Social Work is that of empowering people. The concept of
empowerment in social work is defined as _________. - correct answer ✔✔Increasing personal,
interpersonal, or political power so that individuals can take action to improve their situations
Which of the following approaches proposes that moral behavior is shaped by environmental
reinforcements and punishments? - correct answer ✔✔Social Learning Approach
This perspective focuses on how chronological age, relationships, common life transitions and
social change shape people's lives from birth to death. - correct answer ✔✔Life course
perspective
A __________________ is a set of persons who were born at the same historical time and who
experience particular social changes within a given culture in the same sequence and age. -
correct answer ✔✔Cohort
In this stage within Piaget's cognitive development, children begin to think logically on a
concrete level, begin to develop the capacity to think from other points of view, and the child
develops the ability to conceptualize in terms of reversibility. - correct answer ✔✔Concrete
Operational Stage
, Which of the following approaches proposes that the superego is the personality structure that
guides moral development? - correct answer ✔✔Psychodynamic approach
________ is the systematic denial of access to assets, economic opportunities, associations, and
organizations based on minority status. - correct answer ✔✔Institutional discrimination
A social worker is co-leading the group for individuals that are substance addicted and prior to
the start of the group she is approached by one of the members. A gay male group participant
complains openly that no one else in the group is gay and he is upset about this as he feels he
cannot relate. What should the social worker do? - correct answer ✔✔Encourage him to voice
his concerns to the group
One of the most important considerations for establishing membership in a therapy group is
_______. - correct answer ✔✔Goals of the group
In group therapy there are several stages of group development. The best indicator of the
group's stage of development is __________. - correct answer ✔✔The cohesion level within
group
A couple with two children is recently divorced. The mother is given custody of the children and
the father does not visit or pay child support. When the mother tries to discipline the child, he
constantly complains that his father was a better parent and would always know how to help
him when needed. He complains that the mother can never understand what he is experiencing
and he wishes his father was still there. This is an example of: - correct answer
✔✔Rationalization
In the beginning of treatment for divorce adjustment, which of the following worker statements
would be LEAST effective in regard to initial problem assessment and identification? - correct
answer ✔✔"How many times have you been divorced?"
Review and Exam Preparation Material)
________ is the ability of an individual, family, group, community or organization to recover
from adversity and resume functioning even when suffering serious trouble, confusion, or
hardship. - correct answer ✔✔Resilience
This perspective emphasizes the importance of relationships between systems within an
environment and considers how the environment affects human development, interaction, and
quality of life. - correct answer ✔✔Human Ecology Perspective
A primary goal within the area of Social Work is that of empowering people. The concept of
empowerment in social work is defined as _________. - correct answer ✔✔Increasing personal,
interpersonal, or political power so that individuals can take action to improve their situations
Which of the following approaches proposes that moral behavior is shaped by environmental
reinforcements and punishments? - correct answer ✔✔Social Learning Approach
This perspective focuses on how chronological age, relationships, common life transitions and
social change shape people's lives from birth to death. - correct answer ✔✔Life course
perspective
A __________________ is a set of persons who were born at the same historical time and who
experience particular social changes within a given culture in the same sequence and age. -
correct answer ✔✔Cohort
In this stage within Piaget's cognitive development, children begin to think logically on a
concrete level, begin to develop the capacity to think from other points of view, and the child
develops the ability to conceptualize in terms of reversibility. - correct answer ✔✔Concrete
Operational Stage
, Which of the following approaches proposes that the superego is the personality structure that
guides moral development? - correct answer ✔✔Psychodynamic approach
________ is the systematic denial of access to assets, economic opportunities, associations, and
organizations based on minority status. - correct answer ✔✔Institutional discrimination
A social worker is co-leading the group for individuals that are substance addicted and prior to
the start of the group she is approached by one of the members. A gay male group participant
complains openly that no one else in the group is gay and he is upset about this as he feels he
cannot relate. What should the social worker do? - correct answer ✔✔Encourage him to voice
his concerns to the group
One of the most important considerations for establishing membership in a therapy group is
_______. - correct answer ✔✔Goals of the group
In group therapy there are several stages of group development. The best indicator of the
group's stage of development is __________. - correct answer ✔✔The cohesion level within
group
A couple with two children is recently divorced. The mother is given custody of the children and
the father does not visit or pay child support. When the mother tries to discipline the child, he
constantly complains that his father was a better parent and would always know how to help
him when needed. He complains that the mother can never understand what he is experiencing
and he wishes his father was still there. This is an example of: - correct answer
✔✔Rationalization
In the beginning of treatment for divorce adjustment, which of the following worker statements
would be LEAST effective in regard to initial problem assessment and identification? - correct
answer ✔✔"How many times have you been divorced?"
