1
LMSW Practice Test Questions and
Correct Answers
Question: 1. According to Beck, a depressed person does not see the
positive aspects of his/her situation because of:
a. Precipitating factors
b. Lack of support
c. A dysfunctional schema
d. Lack of adaptive coping strategies
Answer: c. A dysfunctional schema
Question: 2. It is necessary to obtain informed consent prior to giving
out data about a patient. Which of the following statements is MOST
correct regarding this issue?
a. You must obtain informed consent from your patient in most situations,
but not in all situations.
b. If a significant other requests information about your patient, you may
release it without informed consent.
c. If you are going to consult with a colleague, you must have informed
consent from your patient.
d. You must always have informed consent from your patient.
Answer: a. You must obtain informed consent from your patient in most
situations, but not in all situations.
Question: 3. A soldier with combat-related Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder desires to return to combat. What is the first thing you should
do?
a. Allow the soldier full self-determination, returning when he deems
appropriate.
Pretest - Stuvia US
,2
b. Inform the client that return will likely cause an increase in symptoms
and is not advised.
c. Contact the commanding officer to determine if this is an option for the
soldier.
d. Assess progress in treatment and current level of functioning.
Answer: d. Assess progress in treatment and current level of functioning.
Question: 4. A man is referred by his primary care provider and
presents with a diagnosis of Hypochondriasis. What is the FIRST crucial
step in treatment?
a. History taking
b. Establishment of trust and appreciation for the patient's problems
c. Education about the link between stress, emotions and lifestyle and
physical health
d. Treatment planning
Answer: b. Establishment of trust and appreciation for the patient's
problems
Question: 5. Client: "I'm depressed. I've lost my hair at a much quicker
rate than I thought possible. I'm terribly embarrassed to go out in public.
I'm feeling extremely anxious and uneasy about my baldness." Social
Worker: "You're anxious and uneasy about the transformations that are a
natural process of aging." The social worker's response is:
a. Encouragement
b. Summarization
c. Paraphrase
d. Reflection of feeling
Answer: d. Reflection of feeling
Question: 6. How do you find the median of a set with an even number
of items?
Pretest - Stuvia US
,3
a. The larger of the two middle numbers is the median.
b. The two middle numbers are both medians.
c. Find the average of the two middle numbers.
d. A set with an even number of items does not have a median.
Answer: c. Find the average of the two middle numbers.
Question: 7. A young, beginning social worker has some intrapersonal
and interpersonal struggles with women in authority positions that stem
from her poor relationship with her mother. The social worker's client is a
female 50-ish successful CEO of an Internet start-up. The social worker is
likely to struggle in therapy due to:
a. Counter-resistance
b. Counter-transference
c. Transference
d. Resistance
Answer: b. Counter-transference
Question: 8. When treating elder adults with depression, the BEST
approach to treatment is:
a. Cognitive behavioral therapy coupled with family interventions.
b. Significant reliance on psychiatry because medication management is
most important.
c. Treatment of elder adults is similar to other adults, so no significant
alterations are needed.
d. Coordination between medical and mental health due to the influence
of medical conditions on psychiatric symptomatology.
Answer: d. Coordination between medical and mental health due to the
influence of medical conditions on psychiatric symptomatology.
Question: 9. Professional ethics and professional values differ in which
of the following:
Pretest - Stuvia US
, 4
a. Values are a subset of ethics.
b. Values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, and ethics deals
with the principles of practice.
c. Values and ethics are basically the same and are evaluated based on
the specific situation.
d. When a social worker makes a judgment that is ethical, you can
assume it is a judgment that also upholds professional values.
Answer: b. Values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, and ethics
deals with the principles of practice.
Question: 10. What is the first thing to assess in on-site basic crisis
intervention, such as in the aftermath of a natural disaster?
a. Immediate needs for physical safety, food and clothing
b. Trauma response
c. Future mental health risk
d. Needs for various concrete services (e.g., transportation, alternate
housing)
Answer: a. Immediate needs for physical safety, food and clothing
Question: 7-year-old child is refusing to sleep in his own bed at night.
When the parents sit with him in his room, he is fine. When they leave
the room, he begins to cry. When they come back in, he stops crying.
This is an example of
Operant conditioning
Classical conditioning
Punishment cycles
Higher order conditioning
Answer: operant conditioning
Question: Older individuals are often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's
when, in fact, the more accurate diagnosis is
Anxiety
Pretest - Stuvia US
LMSW Practice Test Questions and
Correct Answers
Question: 1. According to Beck, a depressed person does not see the
positive aspects of his/her situation because of:
a. Precipitating factors
b. Lack of support
c. A dysfunctional schema
d. Lack of adaptive coping strategies
Answer: c. A dysfunctional schema
Question: 2. It is necessary to obtain informed consent prior to giving
out data about a patient. Which of the following statements is MOST
correct regarding this issue?
a. You must obtain informed consent from your patient in most situations,
but not in all situations.
b. If a significant other requests information about your patient, you may
release it without informed consent.
c. If you are going to consult with a colleague, you must have informed
consent from your patient.
d. You must always have informed consent from your patient.
Answer: a. You must obtain informed consent from your patient in most
situations, but not in all situations.
Question: 3. A soldier with combat-related Posttraumatic Stress
Disorder desires to return to combat. What is the first thing you should
do?
a. Allow the soldier full self-determination, returning when he deems
appropriate.
Pretest - Stuvia US
,2
b. Inform the client that return will likely cause an increase in symptoms
and is not advised.
c. Contact the commanding officer to determine if this is an option for the
soldier.
d. Assess progress in treatment and current level of functioning.
Answer: d. Assess progress in treatment and current level of functioning.
Question: 4. A man is referred by his primary care provider and
presents with a diagnosis of Hypochondriasis. What is the FIRST crucial
step in treatment?
a. History taking
b. Establishment of trust and appreciation for the patient's problems
c. Education about the link between stress, emotions and lifestyle and
physical health
d. Treatment planning
Answer: b. Establishment of trust and appreciation for the patient's
problems
Question: 5. Client: "I'm depressed. I've lost my hair at a much quicker
rate than I thought possible. I'm terribly embarrassed to go out in public.
I'm feeling extremely anxious and uneasy about my baldness." Social
Worker: "You're anxious and uneasy about the transformations that are a
natural process of aging." The social worker's response is:
a. Encouragement
b. Summarization
c. Paraphrase
d. Reflection of feeling
Answer: d. Reflection of feeling
Question: 6. How do you find the median of a set with an even number
of items?
Pretest - Stuvia US
,3
a. The larger of the two middle numbers is the median.
b. The two middle numbers are both medians.
c. Find the average of the two middle numbers.
d. A set with an even number of items does not have a median.
Answer: c. Find the average of the two middle numbers.
Question: 7. A young, beginning social worker has some intrapersonal
and interpersonal struggles with women in authority positions that stem
from her poor relationship with her mother. The social worker's client is a
female 50-ish successful CEO of an Internet start-up. The social worker is
likely to struggle in therapy due to:
a. Counter-resistance
b. Counter-transference
c. Transference
d. Resistance
Answer: b. Counter-transference
Question: 8. When treating elder adults with depression, the BEST
approach to treatment is:
a. Cognitive behavioral therapy coupled with family interventions.
b. Significant reliance on psychiatry because medication management is
most important.
c. Treatment of elder adults is similar to other adults, so no significant
alterations are needed.
d. Coordination between medical and mental health due to the influence
of medical conditions on psychiatric symptomatology.
Answer: d. Coordination between medical and mental health due to the
influence of medical conditions on psychiatric symptomatology.
Question: 9. Professional ethics and professional values differ in which
of the following:
Pretest - Stuvia US
, 4
a. Values are a subset of ethics.
b. Values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, and ethics deals
with the principles of practice.
c. Values and ethics are basically the same and are evaluated based on
the specific situation.
d. When a social worker makes a judgment that is ethical, you can
assume it is a judgment that also upholds professional values.
Answer: b. Values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, and ethics
deals with the principles of practice.
Question: 10. What is the first thing to assess in on-site basic crisis
intervention, such as in the aftermath of a natural disaster?
a. Immediate needs for physical safety, food and clothing
b. Trauma response
c. Future mental health risk
d. Needs for various concrete services (e.g., transportation, alternate
housing)
Answer: a. Immediate needs for physical safety, food and clothing
Question: 7-year-old child is refusing to sleep in his own bed at night.
When the parents sit with him in his room, he is fine. When they leave
the room, he begins to cry. When they come back in, he stops crying.
This is an example of
Operant conditioning
Classical conditioning
Punishment cycles
Higher order conditioning
Answer: operant conditioning
Question: Older individuals are often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's
when, in fact, the more accurate diagnosis is
Anxiety
Pretest - Stuvia US
