LICSW EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2025-2026
Social Exchange Theory - Answers the idea of totaling potential benefits and losses to
determine behavior. People make decisions about relationships based on the amount of
rewards they receive from them
Ethnocentrism - Answers an orientation that holds one's own culture, ethnic or racial group as
superior to others
Stratification - Answers structured inequality of entire categories of people who have unequal
access to social rewards
Pluralism - Answers a society in which diverse members maintain traditions while cooperatively
working together and see other's traits as valuable
Institutionalized Discrimination - Answers discrimination which has long been accepted as
governmental or organizational operating procedures, laws or objectives (example: achievement
gaps in education)
Avoidance of direct eye contact - Answers in some cultures, a sign of respect
Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 - Answers gave American Indian nations or organizations
jurisdiction in cases where Native American children are in need of child welfare services and
foster home placement
Assimilation - Answers identify only with the majority culture
Integration - Answers identify with and involved with both cultures
Separation - Answers identify with only one ethnic or racial group
Marginality - Answers do not identify with either cultural group
Axis I - Answers clinical syndromes
Axis II - Answers Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation
Axis III - Answers General Medical Conditions
Axis IV - Answers psychosocial and environmental problems
Axis V - Answers Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), respect to psychological, social and
occupational functioning
Brief Psychotic Disorder - Answers symptoms present for less than 1mo
Schizophreniform Disorder - Answers symptoms present for less than 6mo
, Schizophrenia - Answers symptoms present for 6mo or more
Factitious Disorder - Answers client intentionally produces symptoms due to a psychological
need to adopt the "sick role", when client presents with physical symptoms --> Munchausen
Syndrome
Malingering - Answers client intentionally fakes or produces symptoms to obtain an external
reward or achieve a goal
Dysthymic Disorder - Answers depressed mood for most of the day for at least two years in
adults; in children/adolescents symptoms only need to be present for one year and can
manifest as irritability
in both, symptoms are never absent for longer than two consecutive months
Manic symptoms - Answers inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep while feeling full of
energy, loud and rapid speech that is difficult to interrupt, continuous flow of speech with abrupt
changes of topic, distractibility, restlessness, increased sociability, disorganized, flamboyant or
bizarre activities
Personality Disorder - Answers an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that
deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture, pattern manifests in two (or
more) of the following areas: cognitive, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, impulse control
Cluster A - Answers odd and eccentric: Schizoid PD, Paranoid PD, Schizotypal PD
Cluster B - Answers dramatic, emotional and erratic: Antisocial PD, Borderline PD, Narcissistic
PD, Histrionic PD
Cluster C - Answers anxious and fearful: Avoidant PD, Dependent PD, Obsessive Compulsive PD
Dissociative Identity Disorder - Answers what used to be known as Multiple Personality Disorder
Delusion - Answers false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary
Hypomanic - Answers elevated, expansive or irritable mood that is less severe than full-blown
manic symptoms, not severe enough to interfere with functioning and are not accompanied by
psychotic symptoms
Prodromal - Answers period of time before the onset of a serious illness during which there may
be subtle symptoms
Overanxious Disorder - Answers children with this disorder have diffuse fears and worries that
cannot be traced to specific problems or stresses. Worry excessively about exams, potential
injuries, friendships or group acceptance. Anxiety may manifest in physiological symptoms
Social Exchange Theory - Answers the idea of totaling potential benefits and losses to
determine behavior. People make decisions about relationships based on the amount of
rewards they receive from them
Ethnocentrism - Answers an orientation that holds one's own culture, ethnic or racial group as
superior to others
Stratification - Answers structured inequality of entire categories of people who have unequal
access to social rewards
Pluralism - Answers a society in which diverse members maintain traditions while cooperatively
working together and see other's traits as valuable
Institutionalized Discrimination - Answers discrimination which has long been accepted as
governmental or organizational operating procedures, laws or objectives (example: achievement
gaps in education)
Avoidance of direct eye contact - Answers in some cultures, a sign of respect
Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 - Answers gave American Indian nations or organizations
jurisdiction in cases where Native American children are in need of child welfare services and
foster home placement
Assimilation - Answers identify only with the majority culture
Integration - Answers identify with and involved with both cultures
Separation - Answers identify with only one ethnic or racial group
Marginality - Answers do not identify with either cultural group
Axis I - Answers clinical syndromes
Axis II - Answers Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation
Axis III - Answers General Medical Conditions
Axis IV - Answers psychosocial and environmental problems
Axis V - Answers Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), respect to psychological, social and
occupational functioning
Brief Psychotic Disorder - Answers symptoms present for less than 1mo
Schizophreniform Disorder - Answers symptoms present for less than 6mo
, Schizophrenia - Answers symptoms present for 6mo or more
Factitious Disorder - Answers client intentionally produces symptoms due to a psychological
need to adopt the "sick role", when client presents with physical symptoms --> Munchausen
Syndrome
Malingering - Answers client intentionally fakes or produces symptoms to obtain an external
reward or achieve a goal
Dysthymic Disorder - Answers depressed mood for most of the day for at least two years in
adults; in children/adolescents symptoms only need to be present for one year and can
manifest as irritability
in both, symptoms are never absent for longer than two consecutive months
Manic symptoms - Answers inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep while feeling full of
energy, loud and rapid speech that is difficult to interrupt, continuous flow of speech with abrupt
changes of topic, distractibility, restlessness, increased sociability, disorganized, flamboyant or
bizarre activities
Personality Disorder - Answers an enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that
deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture, pattern manifests in two (or
more) of the following areas: cognitive, affectivity, interpersonal functioning, impulse control
Cluster A - Answers odd and eccentric: Schizoid PD, Paranoid PD, Schizotypal PD
Cluster B - Answers dramatic, emotional and erratic: Antisocial PD, Borderline PD, Narcissistic
PD, Histrionic PD
Cluster C - Answers anxious and fearful: Avoidant PD, Dependent PD, Obsessive Compulsive PD
Dissociative Identity Disorder - Answers what used to be known as Multiple Personality Disorder
Delusion - Answers false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary
Hypomanic - Answers elevated, expansive or irritable mood that is less severe than full-blown
manic symptoms, not severe enough to interfere with functioning and are not accompanied by
psychotic symptoms
Prodromal - Answers period of time before the onset of a serious illness during which there may
be subtle symptoms
Overanxious Disorder - Answers children with this disorder have diffuse fears and worries that
cannot be traced to specific problems or stresses. Worry excessively about exams, potential
injuries, friendships or group acceptance. Anxiety may manifest in physiological symptoms
