ASWB LATEST 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔A client is interviewed by a social worker, but has reservations about discussing
sensitive issues at the intake interview. In explaining confidentiality, the worker would:
a. provide information about the limits of confidentiality as the need arises
b. provide a thorough explanation of the limits of confidentiality
c. do nothing until specific questions are raised by the client
d. provide information initially regarding the limits of confidentiality only as it relates to
the worker-client relationship - ✔✔b. provide a thorough explanation of the limits of
confidentiality
✔✔A social worker who imposes his judgments on clients is most likely to elicit:
a. acquiescence
b. cooperation
c. appreciation
d. resistance - ✔✔d. resistance
✔✔A patient with dysthymic disorder is likely to benefit from:
a. environmental change
b. insight oriented therapy
c. a drug treatment group
d. a change of diet - ✔✔b. insight oriented therapy
✔✔A client diagnosed with schizophrenia has been released from an inpatient unit and
is being followed at a community mental health agency. The client is stable enough to
participate in a group. What type of group is the social worker likely to recommend?
a. short term crisis oriented group
b. activity group
c. behavioral group
d. supportive group - ✔✔d. supportive group
✔✔Mrs. W has a long history of alcohol abuse. Though she has made several failed
attempts to quite, she is now convinced that alcohol is affecting her heart and liver and
she decides to stop drinking. She refuses medical supervision. Several days after
deciding to quit, she arrives at the clinic without making an appointment and demands
to see her social worker. She is loud and demanding and seems disheveled and
uncoordinated. She then abruptly leaves the clinic. The social worker might conclude
that Mrs. W :
a. is going through alcohol withdrawal and needs medical attention
,b. wants the social worker's help in managing her discomfort
c. is intoxicated
d. may be experiencing delusions - ✔✔c. is intoxicated
✔✔A woman brings her husband to a busy emergency room because he is not feeling
well. He dies while there. What should the social worker do?
a. counsel the wife on grief and loss
b. tell the wife that dying is part of life
c. explain to the wife the stages of grief and loss
d. find a room so that the wife can have privacy to deal with her feelings - ✔✔d. find a
room so that the wife can have privacy to deal with her feelings
✔✔Empathy has been described as an attitude that engages a client in treatment.
Which of the following best describes empathy?
a. acknowledging what the client is saying
b. accepting what the client is saying
c. understanding what the client is saying
d. judging what the client is saying - ✔✔c. understanding what the client is saying
✔✔a man who lives in your neighborhood phones you expressing concerns about his
son's conduct at school. The boy has skipped classes and his grades have declined this
year. You and the man have several friends in common and you see him frequently at
parties. The man asks if you would see his son for therapy. Your best course of action is
to:
a. see the son for therapy after you clarify issues of confidentiality with his parents
b. see the son once to assess his needs and then refer him to another social worker
c. refer the son to another social worker
d. agree to see the son for therapy - ✔✔c. refer the son to another social worker
✔✔You are a social worker practicing in a rural town. One of the local agencies asks
you to test a child for ADHD. You would:
a. Tell them you will need to speak with the child's parents
b. Test the child
c. Tell them you would need to speak with the school
d. Refuse - ✔✔a. Tell them you will need to speak with the child's parents
✔✔You receive a phone call from clients who have a child who is refusing to shower.
They report the child cries when they attempt to get him to shower, and when they back
away and leave him alone, he stops crying. This is an example of:
a. positive reinforcement
, b. negative reinforcement
c. punishment
d. modeling - ✔✔a. positive reinforcement
✔✔Case management is used for the purpose of:
a. improving overall client functioning
b. providing client support
c. coordinating resources
d. gaining access to resources - ✔✔c. coordinating resources
✔✔There has been a traumatic event in your town. You have been instrumental in
providing services. You would like to publicize the work you did. You would:
a. write your congressman and ask him to issue a public statement about your work
b. call the newspaper and ask them to do a story
c. write your local social work board
d. nothing - this would be unethical - ✔✔d. nothing - this would be unethical
✔✔A client is in the hospital and an attorney calls requesting his records. What are your
ethical obligations?
a. To turn over the records
b. To claim privilege
c. To ask the client to sign a release form
d. To maintain confidentiality - ✔✔d. To maintain confidentiality
✔✔A single mother with 3 children is unemployed, has no support or family who live in
the area, no services for the children, and no resources for herself. The mother states
she would like a support network. What type of services would you provide for her?
a. respite services
b. referral to unemployment
c. referral to a support group
d. referral to parenting classes - ✔✔a. respite services
✔✔A client is told by her doctor that she has breast cancer. She is distraught and says
she doesn't know what to do. She has 6 children. Which of the following would you do?
a. Refer her to a support group
b. Refer her for further medical tests
c. Encourage her to make provisions for her children
d. Provide supportive therapy - ✔✔d. Provide supportive therapy
✔✔A 5 year old boy is watching his 18 month old sister have her diapers changed and
becomes aggressive. The mother is concerned. What would your intervention be?
SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔A client is interviewed by a social worker, but has reservations about discussing
sensitive issues at the intake interview. In explaining confidentiality, the worker would:
a. provide information about the limits of confidentiality as the need arises
b. provide a thorough explanation of the limits of confidentiality
c. do nothing until specific questions are raised by the client
d. provide information initially regarding the limits of confidentiality only as it relates to
the worker-client relationship - ✔✔b. provide a thorough explanation of the limits of
confidentiality
✔✔A social worker who imposes his judgments on clients is most likely to elicit:
a. acquiescence
b. cooperation
c. appreciation
d. resistance - ✔✔d. resistance
✔✔A patient with dysthymic disorder is likely to benefit from:
a. environmental change
b. insight oriented therapy
c. a drug treatment group
d. a change of diet - ✔✔b. insight oriented therapy
✔✔A client diagnosed with schizophrenia has been released from an inpatient unit and
is being followed at a community mental health agency. The client is stable enough to
participate in a group. What type of group is the social worker likely to recommend?
a. short term crisis oriented group
b. activity group
c. behavioral group
d. supportive group - ✔✔d. supportive group
✔✔Mrs. W has a long history of alcohol abuse. Though she has made several failed
attempts to quite, she is now convinced that alcohol is affecting her heart and liver and
she decides to stop drinking. She refuses medical supervision. Several days after
deciding to quit, she arrives at the clinic without making an appointment and demands
to see her social worker. She is loud and demanding and seems disheveled and
uncoordinated. She then abruptly leaves the clinic. The social worker might conclude
that Mrs. W :
a. is going through alcohol withdrawal and needs medical attention
,b. wants the social worker's help in managing her discomfort
c. is intoxicated
d. may be experiencing delusions - ✔✔c. is intoxicated
✔✔A woman brings her husband to a busy emergency room because he is not feeling
well. He dies while there. What should the social worker do?
a. counsel the wife on grief and loss
b. tell the wife that dying is part of life
c. explain to the wife the stages of grief and loss
d. find a room so that the wife can have privacy to deal with her feelings - ✔✔d. find a
room so that the wife can have privacy to deal with her feelings
✔✔Empathy has been described as an attitude that engages a client in treatment.
Which of the following best describes empathy?
a. acknowledging what the client is saying
b. accepting what the client is saying
c. understanding what the client is saying
d. judging what the client is saying - ✔✔c. understanding what the client is saying
✔✔a man who lives in your neighborhood phones you expressing concerns about his
son's conduct at school. The boy has skipped classes and his grades have declined this
year. You and the man have several friends in common and you see him frequently at
parties. The man asks if you would see his son for therapy. Your best course of action is
to:
a. see the son for therapy after you clarify issues of confidentiality with his parents
b. see the son once to assess his needs and then refer him to another social worker
c. refer the son to another social worker
d. agree to see the son for therapy - ✔✔c. refer the son to another social worker
✔✔You are a social worker practicing in a rural town. One of the local agencies asks
you to test a child for ADHD. You would:
a. Tell them you will need to speak with the child's parents
b. Test the child
c. Tell them you would need to speak with the school
d. Refuse - ✔✔a. Tell them you will need to speak with the child's parents
✔✔You receive a phone call from clients who have a child who is refusing to shower.
They report the child cries when they attempt to get him to shower, and when they back
away and leave him alone, he stops crying. This is an example of:
a. positive reinforcement
, b. negative reinforcement
c. punishment
d. modeling - ✔✔a. positive reinforcement
✔✔Case management is used for the purpose of:
a. improving overall client functioning
b. providing client support
c. coordinating resources
d. gaining access to resources - ✔✔c. coordinating resources
✔✔There has been a traumatic event in your town. You have been instrumental in
providing services. You would like to publicize the work you did. You would:
a. write your congressman and ask him to issue a public statement about your work
b. call the newspaper and ask them to do a story
c. write your local social work board
d. nothing - this would be unethical - ✔✔d. nothing - this would be unethical
✔✔A client is in the hospital and an attorney calls requesting his records. What are your
ethical obligations?
a. To turn over the records
b. To claim privilege
c. To ask the client to sign a release form
d. To maintain confidentiality - ✔✔d. To maintain confidentiality
✔✔A single mother with 3 children is unemployed, has no support or family who live in
the area, no services for the children, and no resources for herself. The mother states
she would like a support network. What type of services would you provide for her?
a. respite services
b. referral to unemployment
c. referral to a support group
d. referral to parenting classes - ✔✔a. respite services
✔✔A client is told by her doctor that she has breast cancer. She is distraught and says
she doesn't know what to do. She has 6 children. Which of the following would you do?
a. Refer her to a support group
b. Refer her for further medical tests
c. Encourage her to make provisions for her children
d. Provide supportive therapy - ✔✔d. Provide supportive therapy
✔✔A 5 year old boy is watching his 18 month old sister have her diapers changed and
becomes aggressive. The mother is concerned. What would your intervention be?
