ILLINOIS PEL STUDY MATERIAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. VERIFIED
2026.
According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, in which of the following situations would a new
student most likely be at the level of safety and security?
a. Jackson knows only his next-door neighbor, who attends school with him. He plays basketball,
but practice does not start for another two months.
b. Jenny is living temporarily with relatives as a result of her parents; recent divorce and her
family's long-term history of domestic violence.
c. Juan moved to the area as a result of his father's job transfer. He is nervous about school and
concerned about his appearance.
d. Jamie's former school closed as a result of budget cuts. She knows most classmates but is
concerned about losing touch with her old school friends. - ANS b. Jenny is living temporarily
with relatives as a result of her parents; recent divorce and her family's long-term history of
domestic violence.
What is Maslow's hierarchy of needs? - ANS 1. Physiological needs
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,2. Safety and Security needs
3. Relationship / Love and Belonging Needs
4. Self esteem
5. self-actualization
The mother of an intact family with four children seeks treatment for depression. The mother
begins to function more effectively in the home and in the community. According to family
systems theory, which of the following outcomes can be most clearly predicted for the family?
a. Each member of the family will experience a significant improvement in his or her general
affect.
b. The mother's experiences will influence the roles or functions of each family member.
c. The children in the family will look for new ways to ensure that their safety and security needs
are met.
d. The mother's experiences will prompt the father to seek greater personal and social power. -
ANS b. The mother's experiences will influence the roles or functions of each family member.
What is the family systems theory? - ANS A perspective on family functioning that
emphasizes interconnections among different family relationships (such as marital, parent-child,
sibling). It views the family as a functioning unit that solves problems, makes decisions, and
achieves collective goals.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
,A teacher who is planning a long-term assignment could most effectively accommodate the
diverse learning styles of third grade students by:
a. Having students work independently when planning and working on their assignments.
b. Providing students with clear guidelines regarding grading of the assignment.
c. Allowing students to work cooperatively when planning and working on topics.
d. Having students draw topics from a hat to determine the assignments and pairing the
students as working partners. - ANS c. Allowing students to work cooperatively when
planning and working on topics.
Which of the following describes the first step a school social worker should take before
initiating referrals to community agencies for a student's family?
a. Identifying the appropriate agency to meet the family's needs.
b. Assist the student's parents/guardians as they complete an agency's forms.
c. Ensure that the family if financially able to pay an agency's fees for service.
d. Assess the effectiveness of the programs provided by an agency. - ANS a. Identifying the
appropriate agency to meet the family's needs.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
, A school social worker is starting a group for middle school students at risk for using drugs and
alcohol. The social worker has obtained several referrals from teachers and interviewed the
students individually. Which of the following would be the most appropriate goal for the group's
first session?
a. Making sure that students honestly disclose their experiments with drugs and alcohol.
b. Establishing a sense of safety by creating clear rules and expectations.
c. Describing the possible emotional and social costs of substance abuse.
d. Discovering the students' misconceptions about drugs and alcohol. - ANS b. Establishing a
sense of safety by creating clear rules and expectations.
The school social worker is meeting with each of the teachers of a seventh grade student who
has recently been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Of the
following interventions the school social worker could suggest to a teacher, which would best
help the student remain on-task during class?
a. Designing instruction that includes frequent breaks
b. Implementing firm rules for all students' classroom behavior
c. Providing direct instruction for basic academic skills.
d. Permitting all students to move about freely in the classroom. - ANS a. Designing
instruction that includes frequent breaks
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
4
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. VERIFIED
2026.
According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, in which of the following situations would a new
student most likely be at the level of safety and security?
a. Jackson knows only his next-door neighbor, who attends school with him. He plays basketball,
but practice does not start for another two months.
b. Jenny is living temporarily with relatives as a result of her parents; recent divorce and her
family's long-term history of domestic violence.
c. Juan moved to the area as a result of his father's job transfer. He is nervous about school and
concerned about his appearance.
d. Jamie's former school closed as a result of budget cuts. She knows most classmates but is
concerned about losing touch with her old school friends. - ANS b. Jenny is living temporarily
with relatives as a result of her parents; recent divorce and her family's long-term history of
domestic violence.
What is Maslow's hierarchy of needs? - ANS 1. Physiological needs
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
1
,2. Safety and Security needs
3. Relationship / Love and Belonging Needs
4. Self esteem
5. self-actualization
The mother of an intact family with four children seeks treatment for depression. The mother
begins to function more effectively in the home and in the community. According to family
systems theory, which of the following outcomes can be most clearly predicted for the family?
a. Each member of the family will experience a significant improvement in his or her general
affect.
b. The mother's experiences will influence the roles or functions of each family member.
c. The children in the family will look for new ways to ensure that their safety and security needs
are met.
d. The mother's experiences will prompt the father to seek greater personal and social power. -
ANS b. The mother's experiences will influence the roles or functions of each family member.
What is the family systems theory? - ANS A perspective on family functioning that
emphasizes interconnections among different family relationships (such as marital, parent-child,
sibling). It views the family as a functioning unit that solves problems, makes decisions, and
achieves collective goals.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
2
,A teacher who is planning a long-term assignment could most effectively accommodate the
diverse learning styles of third grade students by:
a. Having students work independently when planning and working on their assignments.
b. Providing students with clear guidelines regarding grading of the assignment.
c. Allowing students to work cooperatively when planning and working on topics.
d. Having students draw topics from a hat to determine the assignments and pairing the
students as working partners. - ANS c. Allowing students to work cooperatively when
planning and working on topics.
Which of the following describes the first step a school social worker should take before
initiating referrals to community agencies for a student's family?
a. Identifying the appropriate agency to meet the family's needs.
b. Assist the student's parents/guardians as they complete an agency's forms.
c. Ensure that the family if financially able to pay an agency's fees for service.
d. Assess the effectiveness of the programs provided by an agency. - ANS a. Identifying the
appropriate agency to meet the family's needs.
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
3
, A school social worker is starting a group for middle school students at risk for using drugs and
alcohol. The social worker has obtained several referrals from teachers and interviewed the
students individually. Which of the following would be the most appropriate goal for the group's
first session?
a. Making sure that students honestly disclose their experiments with drugs and alcohol.
b. Establishing a sense of safety by creating clear rules and expectations.
c. Describing the possible emotional and social costs of substance abuse.
d. Discovering the students' misconceptions about drugs and alcohol. - ANS b. Establishing a
sense of safety by creating clear rules and expectations.
The school social worker is meeting with each of the teachers of a seventh grade student who
has recently been diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Of the
following interventions the school social worker could suggest to a teacher, which would best
help the student remain on-task during class?
a. Designing instruction that includes frequent breaks
b. Implementing firm rules for all students' classroom behavior
c. Providing direct instruction for basic academic skills.
d. Permitting all students to move about freely in the classroom. - ANS a. Designing
instruction that includes frequent breaks
@COPYRIGHT 2026/2027 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
4
