ASWB LMSW Practice Exam Spring 2025 / Study Guide
Complete Questions and Correct Detailed Answers &
Rationales / 2025
A social worker employed by a retirement home is approached by a client for
help in establishing a recycling program in the facility. The social worker
decides to cohost a meeting with the client to discuss the idea with other
residents. What is the MOST likely reason for this approach?
A. Antagonizing administration could be dangerous.
B. Legitimizing the residents' concerns may be helpful.
C. Helping residents start new relationships is important.
D. Sharing leadership is very effective with groups. - answer-D. Legitimizing the
residents' concerns may be helpful.
By sharing leadership with the resident (key D), the social worker is supporting
the resident's skill development as well as promoting positive group dynamics.
Options (A) and (B)
draw conclusions without substantiated information. While the potential for
beginning new relationships (C) exists, it is not the MOST likely reason for the
co-facilitation.
At what age is separation anxiety MOST likely to occur?
,A. 24 months
B. 12 months
C. 3 months - answer-B. 12 months
A social worker receives a call from an angry client who yells at the social
worker about perceived mistakes in a case. What should the social worker do
NEXT?
A. Suggest that the client discuss the concerns at the next session
B. Refer the client to the agency supervisor
C. Respond empathically to the client's concerns - answer-C. Respond
empathically to the client's concerns
To attend to the importance of the relationship between the social worker and
the client, the social worker should demonstrate empathy NEXT (key C) before
moving to action such
as suggesting concerns be discussed at the next session (A) and referring to the
agency supervisor (C).
A social worker working in a shelter for people experiencing homelessness is
reviewing policies and procedures. The social worker wants to focus on what
can be done to enhance client trust and mitigate power imbalances. What
should the social worker do FIRST?
,A. Implement a staff training program on principles of confidentiality and
exceptions
B. Create a client-managed review board that investigates critical incidents
C. Interview clients to learn ways of implementing policy to be sensitive to
client needs
D. Recruit former shelter clients to perform in policy advocacy roles - answer-C.
Interview clients to learn ways of implementing policy to be sensitive to client
needs
Since the focus is on developing client trust, the only option that accomplishes
this is interviewing clients to learn ways of implementing policy sensitive to
their needs (key C). Options
(A), (B), and (D) are action steps that should be taken only after client input is
obtained.
A social worker provides opportunities to community members to increase
political participation. The goal is to affect policy and improve socioeconomic
conditions. What approach is the social worker MOST likely using?
A. Networking
B. Program development
C. Coalition building
D. Empowerment - answer-D. Empowerment
This item requires knowledge of the function of empowerment (key D), which
is MOST strongly associated with policy and socioeconomic change.
, Networking (A) and coalition building (C) are specific actions and not
approaches. Program development (B) is more closely associated with
organizational growth and change, not community-level actions
In a small community hospital, the newly hired social worker learns that some
nurses document that they perform a psychosocial family assessment as part
of the patient's admission history. The social worker proposes making this a
social work function. What is the BEST approach to advocate for this proposal?
A. Document how much time the change will save the staff
B. Compare length of stay data for each approach
C. Ask the nurses why they are doing the family assessments
D. Identify the unique skills and abilities of social workers - answer-D. Identify
the unique skills and abilities of social workers
To BEST advocate for this proposal with the nursing staff, the social worker will
need to educate them on social work skills and abilities (key D). Comparing
length of stay data (B) and
asking why nurses are completing family assessments (C) both have the
potential of putting the nursing staff on the defensive and are not the BEST
approach to successfully advocate for this proposal. Documenting how much
time the change will save staff (A) is not an approach to advocacy.
A social worker completes an initial assessment of a client diagnosed with
anorexia nervosa. The client's weight has dropped significantly resulting in
negative affects to physical health. To BEST meet the client's immediate needs,
what should the social worker do?
Complete Questions and Correct Detailed Answers &
Rationales / 2025
A social worker employed by a retirement home is approached by a client for
help in establishing a recycling program in the facility. The social worker
decides to cohost a meeting with the client to discuss the idea with other
residents. What is the MOST likely reason for this approach?
A. Antagonizing administration could be dangerous.
B. Legitimizing the residents' concerns may be helpful.
C. Helping residents start new relationships is important.
D. Sharing leadership is very effective with groups. - answer-D. Legitimizing the
residents' concerns may be helpful.
By sharing leadership with the resident (key D), the social worker is supporting
the resident's skill development as well as promoting positive group dynamics.
Options (A) and (B)
draw conclusions without substantiated information. While the potential for
beginning new relationships (C) exists, it is not the MOST likely reason for the
co-facilitation.
At what age is separation anxiety MOST likely to occur?
,A. 24 months
B. 12 months
C. 3 months - answer-B. 12 months
A social worker receives a call from an angry client who yells at the social
worker about perceived mistakes in a case. What should the social worker do
NEXT?
A. Suggest that the client discuss the concerns at the next session
B. Refer the client to the agency supervisor
C. Respond empathically to the client's concerns - answer-C. Respond
empathically to the client's concerns
To attend to the importance of the relationship between the social worker and
the client, the social worker should demonstrate empathy NEXT (key C) before
moving to action such
as suggesting concerns be discussed at the next session (A) and referring to the
agency supervisor (C).
A social worker working in a shelter for people experiencing homelessness is
reviewing policies and procedures. The social worker wants to focus on what
can be done to enhance client trust and mitigate power imbalances. What
should the social worker do FIRST?
,A. Implement a staff training program on principles of confidentiality and
exceptions
B. Create a client-managed review board that investigates critical incidents
C. Interview clients to learn ways of implementing policy to be sensitive to
client needs
D. Recruit former shelter clients to perform in policy advocacy roles - answer-C.
Interview clients to learn ways of implementing policy to be sensitive to client
needs
Since the focus is on developing client trust, the only option that accomplishes
this is interviewing clients to learn ways of implementing policy sensitive to
their needs (key C). Options
(A), (B), and (D) are action steps that should be taken only after client input is
obtained.
A social worker provides opportunities to community members to increase
political participation. The goal is to affect policy and improve socioeconomic
conditions. What approach is the social worker MOST likely using?
A. Networking
B. Program development
C. Coalition building
D. Empowerment - answer-D. Empowerment
This item requires knowledge of the function of empowerment (key D), which
is MOST strongly associated with policy and socioeconomic change.
, Networking (A) and coalition building (C) are specific actions and not
approaches. Program development (B) is more closely associated with
organizational growth and change, not community-level actions
In a small community hospital, the newly hired social worker learns that some
nurses document that they perform a psychosocial family assessment as part
of the patient's admission history. The social worker proposes making this a
social work function. What is the BEST approach to advocate for this proposal?
A. Document how much time the change will save the staff
B. Compare length of stay data for each approach
C. Ask the nurses why they are doing the family assessments
D. Identify the unique skills and abilities of social workers - answer-D. Identify
the unique skills and abilities of social workers
To BEST advocate for this proposal with the nursing staff, the social worker will
need to educate them on social work skills and abilities (key D). Comparing
length of stay data (B) and
asking why nurses are completing family assessments (C) both have the
potential of putting the nursing staff on the defensive and are not the BEST
approach to successfully advocate for this proposal. Documenting how much
time the change will save staff (A) is not an approach to advocacy.
A social worker completes an initial assessment of a client diagnosed with
anorexia nervosa. The client's weight has dropped significantly resulting in
negative affects to physical health. To BEST meet the client's immediate needs,
what should the social worker do?
