2025/2026 ASWB LSW High-Yield Practice Questions:
Social Work Roles, Ethics, Mental Status Exam,
Assessments & Interventions
Which of the following is NOT true about early childhood development?
A.Receptive communication skills usually develop at an earlier age than
expressive language.
B.Play is important to cognitive, social, and physical development.
C.Behavioral outbursts can be signs of psychological disturbance.
D.Personality or temperament results from both biological and environmental
factors. - correct answer C
Young children often throw temper tantrums in an attempt to communicate
frustration. Toddlers and preschoolers do not have the self-regulation to deal
with aggravation, so they may throw objects, cry, strike out, and/or scream.
These are typical reactions and are not signs of greater psychological
disturbance. The other response choices (A, B, and D) are correct. Young
children will understand what is said to them before they are able to articulate
their feelings and desires. Play is an important activity for children because
they learn socialization skills, are active physically, and learn to make
connections between objects (how the world works). While there is a debate
about the extent to which "nature versus nurture" impacts on development,
there is agreement that both impact growth and functioning in life domains.
Which of the following is TRUE about Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders?
A.They provide legal permission for euthanasia.
,B.They must be done in conjunction with a durable power of attorney.
C.They do not allow any medications to be given.
D.They permit clients to refuse mechanical ventilation or artificial hydration. -
correct answer D
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders give clients the right to refuse any medical
treatment, even life-sustaining treatments such as mechanical ventilation or
even artificial hydration and nutrition (D). DNR orders do not mean that
medical care cannot be given (C)—everything is done up to the point that a
client is found to be in the active process of dying. They do not have to be
done in conjunction with the appointment of a durable power of attorney (B).
DNR orders concern the withdrawal or withholding of treatments that allow a
disease or condition to progress on its natural course, whereas euthanasia
actively seeks to end a client's life.
An elderly client is being discharged from the hospital. She has memory loss
and trouble performing activities of daily living, and therefore needs significant
support. She would like to return home. In this situation, what should the
social worker do FIRST?
A.Identify natural and other community supports that can assist her at home
B.Help to develop a long-term plan to meet her increasing care needs
C.Evaluate why she is failing to recognize the need for out-of-home care
,D.Recommend that she visit an assisted living program to see if she might like
it - correct answer A
The client has expressed a desire to return to her home. Placement options
should always be based on level of care in conjunction with client wishes. In
order to respect her self-determination, the social worker should FIRST see if
there are natural and other community supports available to assist (A) her to
return home safely. If there are not, discharge may have to be delayed until
they are available or can be created. Only when the client cannot return to her
home safely should alternatives, such as assisted living, be explored.
A social worker receives a lot of background and collateral data on a client's
presenting problem. However, in the assessment interview, the social worker
asks the client extensively about the current situation. This questioning is
MOST likely being done to:
A.Learn about the client's perception of the problem and impetus for seeking
help
B.Determine if the client is aware of all the information that is contained in the
records received
C.See if the client feels comfortable enough with the social worker to reveal all
relevant information
D.Gather information that is missing from the files in order to generate a
complete record of the situation - correct answer A
Even if the social worker knows a lot about the client's current situation,
assessment is critical as it provides an opportunity for the social worker to
determine the client's perception of his or her life circumstances. Assessment
, also allows the social worker to hear in the client's own words what help he or
she believes is needed.
A teenager begins high school and is having behavioral problems in school.
He has trouble following directions and keeping up with the academic
demands placed upon him. A referral is made to a school social worker to
assist. When identifying the problem, it is BEST for the social worker to:
A.Compare it with symptoms of disorders with childhood onset
B.Complete a drug and alcohol evaluation because the boy is at an age when
substance use commonly begins
C.Determine whether the boy's behavior is a result of an undiagnosed
learning disability
D.View the boy's behavior within an ecological framework—being caused by
the "degree of fit" between the boy and his environment - correct answer D
The problem should always be considered within the person-in-environment
or ecological perspective and using a strengths approach. It should not blame
a client and/or client system for its existence. There is nothing specified in the
case vignette that indicates the onset of a psychiatric disorder or substance
use issue. There is also no mention that these behaviors existed prior to the
start of high school or that they are caused by a learning disability. The social
worker must initially view these problems as resulting from a new environment
that involves demands and expectations. This teenager may be having
difficulty with the autonomy and reduced structure that accompanies such a
transition.
Which of the following accurately defines "people first language"?
Social Work Roles, Ethics, Mental Status Exam,
Assessments & Interventions
Which of the following is NOT true about early childhood development?
A.Receptive communication skills usually develop at an earlier age than
expressive language.
B.Play is important to cognitive, social, and physical development.
C.Behavioral outbursts can be signs of psychological disturbance.
D.Personality or temperament results from both biological and environmental
factors. - correct answer C
Young children often throw temper tantrums in an attempt to communicate
frustration. Toddlers and preschoolers do not have the self-regulation to deal
with aggravation, so they may throw objects, cry, strike out, and/or scream.
These are typical reactions and are not signs of greater psychological
disturbance. The other response choices (A, B, and D) are correct. Young
children will understand what is said to them before they are able to articulate
their feelings and desires. Play is an important activity for children because
they learn socialization skills, are active physically, and learn to make
connections between objects (how the world works). While there is a debate
about the extent to which "nature versus nurture" impacts on development,
there is agreement that both impact growth and functioning in life domains.
Which of the following is TRUE about Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders?
A.They provide legal permission for euthanasia.
,B.They must be done in conjunction with a durable power of attorney.
C.They do not allow any medications to be given.
D.They permit clients to refuse mechanical ventilation or artificial hydration. -
correct answer D
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders give clients the right to refuse any medical
treatment, even life-sustaining treatments such as mechanical ventilation or
even artificial hydration and nutrition (D). DNR orders do not mean that
medical care cannot be given (C)—everything is done up to the point that a
client is found to be in the active process of dying. They do not have to be
done in conjunction with the appointment of a durable power of attorney (B).
DNR orders concern the withdrawal or withholding of treatments that allow a
disease or condition to progress on its natural course, whereas euthanasia
actively seeks to end a client's life.
An elderly client is being discharged from the hospital. She has memory loss
and trouble performing activities of daily living, and therefore needs significant
support. She would like to return home. In this situation, what should the
social worker do FIRST?
A.Identify natural and other community supports that can assist her at home
B.Help to develop a long-term plan to meet her increasing care needs
C.Evaluate why she is failing to recognize the need for out-of-home care
,D.Recommend that she visit an assisted living program to see if she might like
it - correct answer A
The client has expressed a desire to return to her home. Placement options
should always be based on level of care in conjunction with client wishes. In
order to respect her self-determination, the social worker should FIRST see if
there are natural and other community supports available to assist (A) her to
return home safely. If there are not, discharge may have to be delayed until
they are available or can be created. Only when the client cannot return to her
home safely should alternatives, such as assisted living, be explored.
A social worker receives a lot of background and collateral data on a client's
presenting problem. However, in the assessment interview, the social worker
asks the client extensively about the current situation. This questioning is
MOST likely being done to:
A.Learn about the client's perception of the problem and impetus for seeking
help
B.Determine if the client is aware of all the information that is contained in the
records received
C.See if the client feels comfortable enough with the social worker to reveal all
relevant information
D.Gather information that is missing from the files in order to generate a
complete record of the situation - correct answer A
Even if the social worker knows a lot about the client's current situation,
assessment is critical as it provides an opportunity for the social worker to
determine the client's perception of his or her life circumstances. Assessment
, also allows the social worker to hear in the client's own words what help he or
she believes is needed.
A teenager begins high school and is having behavioral problems in school.
He has trouble following directions and keeping up with the academic
demands placed upon him. A referral is made to a school social worker to
assist. When identifying the problem, it is BEST for the social worker to:
A.Compare it with symptoms of disorders with childhood onset
B.Complete a drug and alcohol evaluation because the boy is at an age when
substance use commonly begins
C.Determine whether the boy's behavior is a result of an undiagnosed
learning disability
D.View the boy's behavior within an ecological framework—being caused by
the "degree of fit" between the boy and his environment - correct answer D
The problem should always be considered within the person-in-environment
or ecological perspective and using a strengths approach. It should not blame
a client and/or client system for its existence. There is nothing specified in the
case vignette that indicates the onset of a psychiatric disorder or substance
use issue. There is also no mention that these behaviors existed prior to the
start of high school or that they are caused by a learning disability. The social
worker must initially view these problems as resulting from a new environment
that involves demands and expectations. This teenager may be having
difficulty with the autonomy and reduced structure that accompanies such a
transition.
Which of the following accurately defines "people first language"?
