LSW EXAM ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
A client reports that he has been having difficulties with concentration and decision
making, feels worthless, and has frequent crying spells. He also reports feeling
depressed on some days. The social worker asks the client a few questions to find out
whether he has been experiencing any vegetative symptoms associated with
depression. Asking the client about vegetative symptoms allows the social worker to
explore for the presence of which of the following indicators of depression?
Select one:
A. Fatigue, social withdrawal, loss of interest in sex.
B. Mental dullness or confusion, psychomotor retardation or agitation, hypersomnia or
insomnia.
C. Anhedonia, hypersomnia or insomnia, appetite changes.
D. Hypersomnia or insomnia, appetite changes, psychomotor retardation. - Answers -D
A 36-year-old client was referred by his physician because of alcohol abuse. The social
worker observes that the client acts very tough but seems insecure. He becomes hostile
when asked about his childhood; and, although he briefly mentions that he saw violence
at home as a child, he refuses to elaborate. He denies that he has a drinking problem
and blames his repeated failures at work on his bosses. The client is married but
refuses to let the social worker speak to his wife. Based on this information, what should
the social worker MOST suspect is true about this client?
Select one:
A. He abuses amphetamines rather than alcohol.
B. He has antisocial personality disorder.
C. He has major depression, as well as alcoholism.
D. He abuses his wife. - Answers -D
The client is a 6-year-old child who has become withdrawn at home and school, and as
part of the assessment, the social worker interviews the child and observes her while
she plays with toys. Which of the following would be MOST effective for facilitating the
interview with this child?
Select one:
A. Asking broad open-ended questions to encourage the child to express herself freely.
B. Asking the child questions that begin with why to demonstrate interest in her
perception of things.
C. Asking if-then questions to provide the child with a structure for formulating her
answers.
D. Offering the child a concrete set of answers to choose from to elicit a greater amount
of information. - Answers -D
A high-school senior is brought in for evaluation by his mother who is concerned
because the boy is hearing voices and has withdrawn from his friends and family. He
has no other symptoms. What is the MOST likely diagnosis for this boy?
, Select one:
A. Schizoaffective disorder.
B. Schizophreniform disorder.
C. Schizophrenia.
D. Delusional disorder. - Answers -B
A blood alcohol level of .05 is associated with which of the following?
Select one:
A. Slight mood changes, mellow feeling, mild loss of inhibitions.
B. Lowered inhibitions, impaired judgment, some incoordination.
C. Obvious intoxication, difficultly standing, walking, and talking.
D. Diminished reflexes, semiconsciousness. - Answers -B
The client is a 25-year-old man with severe schizophrenia who has not been responding
to the traditional antipsychotic medication he has been taking. Under the circumstances,
his psychiatrist is MOST likely to recommend which of the following medications?
Select one:
A. Haldol.
B. Clozaril.
C. Parnate.
D. Tegretol. - Answers -B
A social worker diagnoses a client with bulimia nervosa and refers her to a medical
doctor for physical evaluations. When the social worker later confers with the doctor, the
doctor tells him that the client has developed a serious complication as a result of binge
eating and purging. Medical tests found that the client is suffering from a severe
potassium deficiency and is at risk for kidney failure and cardiac arrest. The client
appears to have developed which of the following medical complications as a result of
her eating disorder?
Select one:
A. Hypercapnia.
B. Hypoglycemia.
C. Hypokalemia.
D. Hyponatremia. - Answers -C
During an interview, a client who has HIV disease experiences a referential delusion
and displays flat affect. The client has a history of moderate to heavy substance use
and has been using alcohol on a regular basis for several weeks. He is estranged from
his family due to his HIV diagnosis. What should the social worker do FIRST?
Select one:
A. Connect the client to a support group to reduce the effects of isolation.
B. Arrange for the client to be stabilized on psychiatric medication.
C. Deal with the alcohol use.
D. Improve poor coping by dealing with social losses stemming from having HIV
disease. - Answers -B
A client reports that he has been having difficulties with concentration and decision
making, feels worthless, and has frequent crying spells. He also reports feeling
depressed on some days. The social worker asks the client a few questions to find out
whether he has been experiencing any vegetative symptoms associated with
depression. Asking the client about vegetative symptoms allows the social worker to
explore for the presence of which of the following indicators of depression?
Select one:
A. Fatigue, social withdrawal, loss of interest in sex.
B. Mental dullness or confusion, psychomotor retardation or agitation, hypersomnia or
insomnia.
C. Anhedonia, hypersomnia or insomnia, appetite changes.
D. Hypersomnia or insomnia, appetite changes, psychomotor retardation. - Answers -D
A 36-year-old client was referred by his physician because of alcohol abuse. The social
worker observes that the client acts very tough but seems insecure. He becomes hostile
when asked about his childhood; and, although he briefly mentions that he saw violence
at home as a child, he refuses to elaborate. He denies that he has a drinking problem
and blames his repeated failures at work on his bosses. The client is married but
refuses to let the social worker speak to his wife. Based on this information, what should
the social worker MOST suspect is true about this client?
Select one:
A. He abuses amphetamines rather than alcohol.
B. He has antisocial personality disorder.
C. He has major depression, as well as alcoholism.
D. He abuses his wife. - Answers -D
The client is a 6-year-old child who has become withdrawn at home and school, and as
part of the assessment, the social worker interviews the child and observes her while
she plays with toys. Which of the following would be MOST effective for facilitating the
interview with this child?
Select one:
A. Asking broad open-ended questions to encourage the child to express herself freely.
B. Asking the child questions that begin with why to demonstrate interest in her
perception of things.
C. Asking if-then questions to provide the child with a structure for formulating her
answers.
D. Offering the child a concrete set of answers to choose from to elicit a greater amount
of information. - Answers -D
A high-school senior is brought in for evaluation by his mother who is concerned
because the boy is hearing voices and has withdrawn from his friends and family. He
has no other symptoms. What is the MOST likely diagnosis for this boy?
, Select one:
A. Schizoaffective disorder.
B. Schizophreniform disorder.
C. Schizophrenia.
D. Delusional disorder. - Answers -B
A blood alcohol level of .05 is associated with which of the following?
Select one:
A. Slight mood changes, mellow feeling, mild loss of inhibitions.
B. Lowered inhibitions, impaired judgment, some incoordination.
C. Obvious intoxication, difficultly standing, walking, and talking.
D. Diminished reflexes, semiconsciousness. - Answers -B
The client is a 25-year-old man with severe schizophrenia who has not been responding
to the traditional antipsychotic medication he has been taking. Under the circumstances,
his psychiatrist is MOST likely to recommend which of the following medications?
Select one:
A. Haldol.
B. Clozaril.
C. Parnate.
D. Tegretol. - Answers -B
A social worker diagnoses a client with bulimia nervosa and refers her to a medical
doctor for physical evaluations. When the social worker later confers with the doctor, the
doctor tells him that the client has developed a serious complication as a result of binge
eating and purging. Medical tests found that the client is suffering from a severe
potassium deficiency and is at risk for kidney failure and cardiac arrest. The client
appears to have developed which of the following medical complications as a result of
her eating disorder?
Select one:
A. Hypercapnia.
B. Hypoglycemia.
C. Hypokalemia.
D. Hyponatremia. - Answers -C
During an interview, a client who has HIV disease experiences a referential delusion
and displays flat affect. The client has a history of moderate to heavy substance use
and has been using alcohol on a regular basis for several weeks. He is estranged from
his family due to his HIV diagnosis. What should the social worker do FIRST?
Select one:
A. Connect the client to a support group to reduce the effects of isolation.
B. Arrange for the client to be stabilized on psychiatric medication.
C. Deal with the alcohol use.
D. Improve poor coping by dealing with social losses stemming from having HIV
disease. - Answers -B
