ASWB Practice Exam
A 13-year-old client is staying home alone after school and is responsible for organizing her
time. She is looking forward to high school next year and is selecting her classes so she can be
a good candidate for college acceptance. This client is MOST likely in which of the following
stages of cognitive development? - ANS-A
A client comes to a social worker with concerns about food and housing insecurity, her inability
to pursue her passion for writing, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her self-esteem. The
social worker should FIRST assist the client with:
A. Relationship issues that are affecting her day-to-day life
B. Pursuing her passion for writing
C. Concerns related to hunger and homelessness
D. Problems concerning self-image and self-esteem - ANS-C
A client complains that her 4-year-old son is not "potty trained" and would like a referral for a
psychological evaluation because she is concerned about his development. A social worker
should FIRST:
A. Explain that many children are not "potty trained" by age 4
B. Refer the child to a psychologist as soon as possible to alleviate the mother's concerns
C. Ask the mother about his "potty training" and other developmental issues that are worrying
her
D. Work with the mother to develop a behavioral program to assist with "potty training". - ANS-C
A client firmly believes something despite evidence to the contrary. This is known as a:
A. Defense mechanism
B. Disoriented thought
C. Hallucination
D. Delusion - ANS-D
A client gets into a fight with his wife and buys her flowers and a ring several days later. These
gifts are an example of:
A. Symbolization
B. Undoing
C. Reaction formation
D. Projective identification - ANS-B
,A client in her mid-20s tells a social worker that she feels like a failure. She does not have a
boyfriend, has been unable to find a full-time job after graduating from college, and is living at
home. During the assessment process, the social worker praises the client for facing her
problems and asks about her accomplishments and positive skills, rather than her deficits. The
social worker's actions are rooted in a(n):
A. Functionalist approach
B. Ecological approach
C. Resiliency model of treatment
D. Strengths-based approach - ANS-D
A client is having trouble at her job as her boss is asking her to do tasks that she does not feel
qualified to do. The client has been afraid to say anything to her boss as she is worried about
being fired. The BEST way for a social worker to help this client is to:
A. Assist her with conducting a job search to locate other employment that is better suited to her
qualifications
B. Help her identify resources to enhance her skills in areas in which she does not feel qualified
C. Explore with her why she feels inadequate to perform the requested tasks
D. Engage in role playing to enhance her assertive skills - ANS-D
A client is reporting feeling very tired and having trouble getting out of bed. He has recently
experienced a lot of stress at work. In order to best serve the client, a social worker should
FIRST:
A. Refer the client to a health care professional to rule out any medical causes for the lethargy
B. Determine if the source of the stress could be coming from other changes in the client's life
C. Begin teaching him techniques to deal with stress
D. Explore with the client what issues at work may be causing the stress - ANS-A
A client is shown sketches of situations and asked to create or construct a story for each card
given. Based on this description, the client is most likely being administered which of the
following psychological tests?
A. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
B. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
C. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
D. Beck Depression Inventory - ANS-C
A client is telling a social worker about her childhood. When asked about her relationship with
her siblings, the client does not say anything for a long period of time. In this situation, the social
worker should:
A. Remain silent to allow the client time to reflect on the question
,B. Ask a question on another topic because it is obvious that the client does not want to discuss
her sibling relationships
C. Probe the client about the reason for the silence
D. State that many children have problems with their siblings and urge the client to express any
issues that existed - ANS-C
A client is very distressed by how often she worries about her children throughout the day. A
social worker tells her to keep track of the frequency that these thoughts occur. The social
worker is most likely using this technique because:
A. It is less costly than other methods to track behavior frequency
B. It will help her better understand the problem, including its magnitude and scope
C. It can be done easily, making it more likely that the frequency will be accurate
D. It will help reduce exaggeration as the client will know how often the thoughts occur - ANS-B
A client receiving case management has been linked to all needed services and is in the
process of terminating with a social worker. Suddenly, she learns that her father has been
hospitalized. The social worker should:
A. Assess whether termination is still appropriate at this time given this change in the client's life
B. Terminate with the client because this is a different issue that may or may not require
services
C. Develop new goals for the client aimed at providing support related to this family crisis
D. Make a referral to the hospital social worker - ANS-A
A client reports stopping the use of cannabis 2 days ago, after heavy and prolonged use over
several years. The client is MOST likely to experience:
A. Both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms
B. Physical withdrawal symptoms only
C. Psychological withdrawal symptoms only
D. No physical or psychological withdrawal symptoms - ANS-A
A client reports that he is having problems with neurological functioning and is being seen by his
physician for additional testing. Which of the following is NOT a physical neurological symptom?
A. Confusion or delirium
B. Pain or weakness
C. Involuntary movements
D. Visual or auditory changes - ANS-A
A client reports that her boyfriend brutally beat her a year ago but is very remorseful and there
have been no signs of violence since that time. He has been attentive to her needs and
promised that "nothing like that will ever happen again". In this situation, the client is:
, A. Not at risk based on the boyfriend's current actions
B. In serious danger as it is likely that the boyfriend will engage in violence again in the future
C. Not at risk based on the boyfriend's remorse and commitment not to engage in violence
again
D. At some risk that requires monitoring over time - ANS-B
A client reports that her husband has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and she will
be the primary caregiver for him. What will be MOST helpful for the social worker to do in
assisting the client?
A. Identify others who are caregivers so the client can learn from their experiences
B. Educate the client about the medical etiology of the disease
C. Help the client to identify other family members who can assist her
D. Listen to the client's feelings about her husband's behavioral and personality changes -
ANS-D
A client reports that she has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Which of the following systems
in the body are MOST affected by this medical condition?
A. Muscular/skeletal
B. Circulatory
C. Reproductive
D. Immune - ANS-A
A client shows a social worker a list of reasons why she should and should not leave her
abusive husband. She says that she is preparing the list to see if the benefits are greater than
the risks. The client is basing her decision on which of the following theories?
A. Systems
B. Functionalist
C. Harm reduction
D. Social exchange - ANS-D
A client states that she feels like hurting herself, but will not act on her urges so the social
worker "should not worry." To most appropriately address the client's needs, the social worker
should FIRST:
A. Complete an assessment to determine the reason(s) for the depression
B. Refer the client to a psychiatrist for an evaluation for antidepressants
C. Assure the client of concern about her well-being in order to alleviate her anxieties
D. Determine the client's suicide risks and protective factors - ANS-D
A 13-year-old client is staying home alone after school and is responsible for organizing her
time. She is looking forward to high school next year and is selecting her classes so she can be
a good candidate for college acceptance. This client is MOST likely in which of the following
stages of cognitive development? - ANS-A
A client comes to a social worker with concerns about food and housing insecurity, her inability
to pursue her passion for writing, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her self-esteem. The
social worker should FIRST assist the client with:
A. Relationship issues that are affecting her day-to-day life
B. Pursuing her passion for writing
C. Concerns related to hunger and homelessness
D. Problems concerning self-image and self-esteem - ANS-C
A client complains that her 4-year-old son is not "potty trained" and would like a referral for a
psychological evaluation because she is concerned about his development. A social worker
should FIRST:
A. Explain that many children are not "potty trained" by age 4
B. Refer the child to a psychologist as soon as possible to alleviate the mother's concerns
C. Ask the mother about his "potty training" and other developmental issues that are worrying
her
D. Work with the mother to develop a behavioral program to assist with "potty training". - ANS-C
A client firmly believes something despite evidence to the contrary. This is known as a:
A. Defense mechanism
B. Disoriented thought
C. Hallucination
D. Delusion - ANS-D
A client gets into a fight with his wife and buys her flowers and a ring several days later. These
gifts are an example of:
A. Symbolization
B. Undoing
C. Reaction formation
D. Projective identification - ANS-B
,A client in her mid-20s tells a social worker that she feels like a failure. She does not have a
boyfriend, has been unable to find a full-time job after graduating from college, and is living at
home. During the assessment process, the social worker praises the client for facing her
problems and asks about her accomplishments and positive skills, rather than her deficits. The
social worker's actions are rooted in a(n):
A. Functionalist approach
B. Ecological approach
C. Resiliency model of treatment
D. Strengths-based approach - ANS-D
A client is having trouble at her job as her boss is asking her to do tasks that she does not feel
qualified to do. The client has been afraid to say anything to her boss as she is worried about
being fired. The BEST way for a social worker to help this client is to:
A. Assist her with conducting a job search to locate other employment that is better suited to her
qualifications
B. Help her identify resources to enhance her skills in areas in which she does not feel qualified
C. Explore with her why she feels inadequate to perform the requested tasks
D. Engage in role playing to enhance her assertive skills - ANS-D
A client is reporting feeling very tired and having trouble getting out of bed. He has recently
experienced a lot of stress at work. In order to best serve the client, a social worker should
FIRST:
A. Refer the client to a health care professional to rule out any medical causes for the lethargy
B. Determine if the source of the stress could be coming from other changes in the client's life
C. Begin teaching him techniques to deal with stress
D. Explore with the client what issues at work may be causing the stress - ANS-A
A client is shown sketches of situations and asked to create or construct a story for each card
given. Based on this description, the client is most likely being administered which of the
following psychological tests?
A. Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale
B. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
C. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
D. Beck Depression Inventory - ANS-C
A client is telling a social worker about her childhood. When asked about her relationship with
her siblings, the client does not say anything for a long period of time. In this situation, the social
worker should:
A. Remain silent to allow the client time to reflect on the question
,B. Ask a question on another topic because it is obvious that the client does not want to discuss
her sibling relationships
C. Probe the client about the reason for the silence
D. State that many children have problems with their siblings and urge the client to express any
issues that existed - ANS-C
A client is very distressed by how often she worries about her children throughout the day. A
social worker tells her to keep track of the frequency that these thoughts occur. The social
worker is most likely using this technique because:
A. It is less costly than other methods to track behavior frequency
B. It will help her better understand the problem, including its magnitude and scope
C. It can be done easily, making it more likely that the frequency will be accurate
D. It will help reduce exaggeration as the client will know how often the thoughts occur - ANS-B
A client receiving case management has been linked to all needed services and is in the
process of terminating with a social worker. Suddenly, she learns that her father has been
hospitalized. The social worker should:
A. Assess whether termination is still appropriate at this time given this change in the client's life
B. Terminate with the client because this is a different issue that may or may not require
services
C. Develop new goals for the client aimed at providing support related to this family crisis
D. Make a referral to the hospital social worker - ANS-A
A client reports stopping the use of cannabis 2 days ago, after heavy and prolonged use over
several years. The client is MOST likely to experience:
A. Both physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms
B. Physical withdrawal symptoms only
C. Psychological withdrawal symptoms only
D. No physical or psychological withdrawal symptoms - ANS-A
A client reports that he is having problems with neurological functioning and is being seen by his
physician for additional testing. Which of the following is NOT a physical neurological symptom?
A. Confusion or delirium
B. Pain or weakness
C. Involuntary movements
D. Visual or auditory changes - ANS-A
A client reports that her boyfriend brutally beat her a year ago but is very remorseful and there
have been no signs of violence since that time. He has been attentive to her needs and
promised that "nothing like that will ever happen again". In this situation, the client is:
, A. Not at risk based on the boyfriend's current actions
B. In serious danger as it is likely that the boyfriend will engage in violence again in the future
C. Not at risk based on the boyfriend's remorse and commitment not to engage in violence
again
D. At some risk that requires monitoring over time - ANS-B
A client reports that her husband has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and she will
be the primary caregiver for him. What will be MOST helpful for the social worker to do in
assisting the client?
A. Identify others who are caregivers so the client can learn from their experiences
B. Educate the client about the medical etiology of the disease
C. Help the client to identify other family members who can assist her
D. Listen to the client's feelings about her husband's behavioral and personality changes -
ANS-D
A client reports that she has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Which of the following systems
in the body are MOST affected by this medical condition?
A. Muscular/skeletal
B. Circulatory
C. Reproductive
D. Immune - ANS-A
A client shows a social worker a list of reasons why she should and should not leave her
abusive husband. She says that she is preparing the list to see if the benefits are greater than
the risks. The client is basing her decision on which of the following theories?
A. Systems
B. Functionalist
C. Harm reduction
D. Social exchange - ANS-D
A client states that she feels like hurting herself, but will not act on her urges so the social
worker "should not worry." To most appropriately address the client's needs, the social worker
should FIRST:
A. Complete an assessment to determine the reason(s) for the depression
B. Refer the client to a psychiatrist for an evaluation for antidepressants
C. Assure the client of concern about her well-being in order to alleviate her anxieties
D. Determine the client's suicide risks and protective factors - ANS-D
