ASWB Exam Study Guide –
Practice Questions with
Verified Answers. GRADED A+.
Latest 2026/2027 Update.
1. Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to change?
A. Motivation fluctuates from one time to another.
B. Motivation can be increased by working to remove barriers to change.
C. Motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life can be different.
D. Motivation that is imposed by external forces is more salient than that which
is intrinsic. - Answer✔✔-D
Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which fluctuates
from one time to another. The role of the social worker is to create an
atmosphere that is conducive to change and to increase a client's intrinsic
motivation, so that change arises from within rather than being imposed from
without. If a client is driven to change internally, it is much more likely that the
change effort will be sustained. A technique to increase motivation is to work
to remove barriers and instill hope or the belief that life can be different.
2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be defined as:
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained training and experience in
delivering
,B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes according to a cost-
benefit analysis
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of
research knowledge, clinical expertise, social work values, and client wishes
D. Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles - Answer✔✔-C
Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions with
clinical experience and ethics, as well as client preferences and culture, to
guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services. Social workers,
clients, and others must work together in order to identify what works, for
whom, and under what conditions. This approach ensures that the treatments
and services, when used as intended, will have the most effective outcomes as
demonstrated by the research.
3. What are the stages of change in sequential order?
A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and
relapse
B. Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, maintenance, and
relapse
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and
relapse
D. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and
relapse - Answer✔✔-D
Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed by
contemplation in which there is ambivalence about making change. Then
comes preparation or experimenting with small changes. Action moves toward
achieving a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior and avoids
relapse, which can lead to feelings of frustration and failure.
4. Which of the following is NOT an essential step in ethical problem solving?
,A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be compromised
B. Determining whether there is an ethical dilemma
C. Weighing ethical issues in light of social work values and principles
D. Asking a supervisor to monitor practice to identify new ethical issues or
dilemmas - Answer✔✔-D
A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to identify
whether new issues or dilemmas arise.
5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims that he is a member of
the armed forces, though it is obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy
is MOST likely a:
A. Comorbid thought
B. Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D. Delusion - Answer✔✔-D
A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e., believing
something that is not true). Comorbid means existing at the same time.
Dissociation is a change in memory, perception, or consciousness. Folie à deux
is a shared delusion.
6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a group home manager
for a new program scheduled to open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating
staff will delay clients from moving into the program. The administrator
temporarily hires her niece, who just graduated with a social work degree, for
this position. This action is:
A. Ethical because the niece is clearly qualified for the position
B. Unethical because this is a conflict of interest
, C. Ethical because the position is temporary and ensures clients get the
services needed
D. Unethical because clients will experience staff turnover when a new
manager is hired - Answer✔✔-B
Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial judgment.
Hiring a family member creates a dual relationship and should be avoided.
7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to which current clients are
satisfied with a new relapse prevention program. The social worker distributes
a client satisfaction survey to those in the program. The social worker then
collects the surveys and analyzes the results that are presented to a
management team in the agency. The social worker is conducting which type of
evaluation?
A. Summative
B. Experimental
C. Quasi-experimental
D. Formative - Answer✔✔-D
Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services, whereas
summative evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative evaluations are
ongoing processes that allow for feedback to be implemented during service
delivery. These types of evaluations allow social workers to make changes as
needed to help achieve program goals. Summative evaluations occur at the end
of services and provide an overall description of their effectiveness. Summative
evaluation examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
The design described is not experimental—which requires a control group and
randomization of assignment—or quasi-experimental, which does not require
randomization, but has more support for causal inferences than does
preexperimental designs.
Practice Questions with
Verified Answers. GRADED A+.
Latest 2026/2027 Update.
1. Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to change?
A. Motivation fluctuates from one time to another.
B. Motivation can be increased by working to remove barriers to change.
C. Motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life can be different.
D. Motivation that is imposed by external forces is more salient than that which
is intrinsic. - Answer✔✔-D
Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which fluctuates
from one time to another. The role of the social worker is to create an
atmosphere that is conducive to change and to increase a client's intrinsic
motivation, so that change arises from within rather than being imposed from
without. If a client is driven to change internally, it is much more likely that the
change effort will be sustained. A technique to increase motivation is to work
to remove barriers and instill hope or the belief that life can be different.
2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be defined as:
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained training and experience in
delivering
,B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes according to a cost-
benefit analysis
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of
research knowledge, clinical expertise, social work values, and client wishes
D. Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles - Answer✔✔-C
Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions with
clinical experience and ethics, as well as client preferences and culture, to
guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services. Social workers,
clients, and others must work together in order to identify what works, for
whom, and under what conditions. This approach ensures that the treatments
and services, when used as intended, will have the most effective outcomes as
demonstrated by the research.
3. What are the stages of change in sequential order?
A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and
relapse
B. Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, maintenance, and
relapse
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and
relapse
D. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and
relapse - Answer✔✔-D
Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed by
contemplation in which there is ambivalence about making change. Then
comes preparation or experimenting with small changes. Action moves toward
achieving a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior and avoids
relapse, which can lead to feelings of frustration and failure.
4. Which of the following is NOT an essential step in ethical problem solving?
,A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be compromised
B. Determining whether there is an ethical dilemma
C. Weighing ethical issues in light of social work values and principles
D. Asking a supervisor to monitor practice to identify new ethical issues or
dilemmas - Answer✔✔-D
A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to identify
whether new issues or dilemmas arise.
5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims that he is a member of
the armed forces, though it is obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy
is MOST likely a:
A. Comorbid thought
B. Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D. Delusion - Answer✔✔-D
A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e., believing
something that is not true). Comorbid means existing at the same time.
Dissociation is a change in memory, perception, or consciousness. Folie à deux
is a shared delusion.
6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a group home manager
for a new program scheduled to open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating
staff will delay clients from moving into the program. The administrator
temporarily hires her niece, who just graduated with a social work degree, for
this position. This action is:
A. Ethical because the niece is clearly qualified for the position
B. Unethical because this is a conflict of interest
, C. Ethical because the position is temporary and ensures clients get the
services needed
D. Unethical because clients will experience staff turnover when a new
manager is hired - Answer✔✔-B
Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial judgment.
Hiring a family member creates a dual relationship and should be avoided.
7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to which current clients are
satisfied with a new relapse prevention program. The social worker distributes
a client satisfaction survey to those in the program. The social worker then
collects the surveys and analyzes the results that are presented to a
management team in the agency. The social worker is conducting which type of
evaluation?
A. Summative
B. Experimental
C. Quasi-experimental
D. Formative - Answer✔✔-D
Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services, whereas
summative evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative evaluations are
ongoing processes that allow for feedback to be implemented during service
delivery. These types of evaluations allow social workers to make changes as
needed to help achieve program goals. Summative evaluations occur at the end
of services and provide an overall description of their effectiveness. Summative
evaluation examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
The design described is not experimental—which requires a control group and
randomization of assignment—or quasi-experimental, which does not require
randomization, but has more support for causal inferences than does
preexperimental designs.
