ASWB Complete Practice
Exam with multiple
choices
Questions with 100% Correct Answers
and Rationales | Latest Update | Grade
A+ | 2026/2027
,1. Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to D
change? Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which fluctuates from
A. Motivation fluctuates from one time to another. one time to another. The role of the social worker is to create an atmosphere that
B. Motivation can be increased by working to remove is conducive to change and to increase a client's intrinsic motivation, so that
barriers to change. change arises from within rather than being imposed from without. If a client is
C. Motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life can driven to change internally, it is much more likely that the change effort will be
be different. sustained. A technique to increase motivation is to work to remove barriers and
D. Motivation that is imposed by external forces is more instill hope or the belief that life can be different.
salient than that which is intrinsic.
2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be C
defined as: Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions with
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained training clinical experience and ethics, as well as client preferences and culture, to guide
and experience in delivering and inform the delivery of treatments and services. Social workers, clients, and
B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective others must work together in order to identify what works, for whom, and under
outcomes according to a cost-benefit analysis what conditions. This approach ensures that the treatments and services, when
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, used as intended, will have the most effective outcomes as demonstrated by the
and judicious use of research knowledge, clinical research.
expertise, social work values, and client wishes
D. Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles
3. What are the stages of change in sequential order? D
A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed by
maintenance, and relapse contemplation in which there is ambivalence about making change. Then comes
B. Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, preparation or experimenting with small changes. Action moves toward achieving
maintenance, and relapse a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior and avoids relapse, which
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, can lead to feelings of frustration and failure.
maintenance, and relapse
D. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action,
maintenance, and relapse
4. Which of the following is NOT an essential step in D
ethical problem solving? A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to identify
A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be whether new issues or dilemmas arise.
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
5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims D
that he is a member of the armed forces, though it is A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e., believing
obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy is MOST something that is not true). Comorbid means existing at the same time.
likely a: Dissociation is a change in memory, perception, or consciousness. Folie à deux
A. Comorbid thought is a shared delusion.
B. Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D. Delusion
6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a B
group home manager for a new program scheduled to Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial judgment. Hiring
open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating staff will a family member creates a dual relationship and should be avoided.
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
, 7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to D
which current clients are satisfied with a new relapse Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services, whereas
prevention program. The social worker distributes a summative evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative evaluations are
client satisfaction survey to those in the program. The ongoing processes that allow for feedback to be implemented during service
social worker then collects the surveys and analyzes the delivery. These types of evaluations allow social workers to make changes as
results that are presented to a management team in the needed to help achieve program goals. Summative evaluations occur at the end
agency. The social worker is conducting which type of of services and provide an overall description of their effectiveness. Summative
evaluation? evaluation examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
A. Summative
B. Experimental The design described is not experimental—which requires a control group and
C. Quasi-experimental randomization of assignment—or quasi-experimental, which does not require
D. Formative randomization, but has more support for causal inferences than does
preexperimental designs.
8. Which of the following is an example of social D
stratification? Stratification refers to structured inequality of entire categories of people in
A. A child is not included in group activities in school society who have unequal access to social rewards. Stratification applies to
because of his or her poor social skills. individuals based on ethnic and racial background, social status, and/or other
B. Children who are violent need to be segregated from factors.
their peers.
C. A child with social deficits is assumed to be delayed in
cognition without additional assessment.
D. Children from affluent households receive a better
public education than those from low-income
households.
9. During an intake interview, a client reports that she is C
extremely depressed and has self-destructive thoughts. Despite the client's report that she will not act on her thoughts, she is at risk
She has had prior suicide attempts, but tells the social because she has had these feelings and has acted on them in the past. The
worker not to worry as she won't "do it again." The social case vignette does not describe the social worker taking any action yet. A safety
worker should FIRST: assessment will determine the severity of the depression and whether the client
A. Tell the client that her decision not to harm herself is a is at risk for a suicide attempt. It must be done FIRST before any other action is
good one taken.
B. Explore with the client what is causing her depression
C. Conduct a safety assessment
D. Refer the client to a psychiatrist for a medication
evaluation
10. A client with a Social Anxiety Disorder will MOST A The primary medications used to treat social anxiety disorder are selective
likely be prescribed which of the following medications to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which were first developed to treat
take on an ongoing basis? depression. They have been found to be effective in the treatment of a wider
A. Zoloft (sertraline) range of disorders. Zoloft (sertraline) is an SSRI.
B. Mellaril (thioridazine)
C. Thorazine (chlorpromazine) Benzodiazepines, such as Valium (diazepam), reduce levels of anxiety. However,
D. Valium (diazepam) they are habit-forming and sedating, so they are typically prescribed for only
short-term use.
Mellaril (thioridazine) and Thorazine (chlorpromazine) are antipsychotic
medications for the treatment of psychosis.
11. A social worker is appointed by the court to conduct a D
child custody evaluation for a couple that is divorcing. Collateral information is often used when the credibility and validity of information
The mother reports that her husband is verbally abusive, obtained from a client or others is questionable. For example, child custody
controlling, and neglects the children when they are in cases are inherently characterized by biased data within an adversarial process.
his care. She reports that the children have missed a lot Social workers should use data from neutral parties, such as the school, because
of school when staying with their father because he does this information has higher integrity.
not assist with getting them ready for school or doing
their homework. The father states that his wife is lazy,
irresponsible, and cannot meet the children's basic
needs. He reports that the school frequently has to
provide lunch for the children because the mother does
not supply it when they are in her care. In order to BEST
evaluate the legitimacy of the information, the social
worker should:
A. Ask the husband and wife to put their allegations in
writing and sign them, attesting to their accuracy
B. Determine whether the husband or wife have had any
past instances with being untruthful
C. Always speak to the husband and wife together so
that they are more likely to be honest
D. Obtain information from school personnel and records
after obtaining parental consent
Exam with multiple
choices
Questions with 100% Correct Answers
and Rationales | Latest Update | Grade
A+ | 2026/2027
,1. Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to D
change? Motivation is a state of readiness or eagerness to change, which fluctuates from
A. Motivation fluctuates from one time to another. one time to another. The role of the social worker is to create an atmosphere that
B. Motivation can be increased by working to remove is conducive to change and to increase a client's intrinsic motivation, so that
barriers to change. change arises from within rather than being imposed from without. If a client is
C. Motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life can driven to change internally, it is much more likely that the change effort will be
be different. sustained. A technique to increase motivation is to work to remove barriers and
D. Motivation that is imposed by external forces is more instill hope or the belief that life can be different.
salient than that which is intrinsic.
2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be C
defined as: Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions with
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained training clinical experience and ethics, as well as client preferences and culture, to guide
and experience in delivering and inform the delivery of treatments and services. Social workers, clients, and
B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective others must work together in order to identify what works, for whom, and under
outcomes according to a cost-benefit analysis what conditions. This approach ensures that the treatments and services, when
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, used as intended, will have the most effective outcomes as demonstrated by the
and judicious use of research knowledge, clinical research.
expertise, social work values, and client wishes
D. Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles
3. What are the stages of change in sequential order? D
A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed by
maintenance, and relapse contemplation in which there is ambivalence about making change. Then comes
B. Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, preparation or experimenting with small changes. Action moves toward achieving
maintenance, and relapse a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior and avoids relapse, which
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, can lead to feelings of frustration and failure.
maintenance, and relapse
D. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action,
maintenance, and relapse
4. Which of the following is NOT an essential step in D
ethical problem solving? A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to identify
A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be whether new issues or dilemmas arise.
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
5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims D
that he is a member of the armed forces, though it is A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e., believing
obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy is MOST something that is not true). Comorbid means existing at the same time.
likely a: Dissociation is a change in memory, perception, or consciousness. Folie à deux
A. Comorbid thought is a shared delusion.
B. Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D. Delusion
6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a B
group home manager for a new program scheduled to Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial judgment. Hiring
open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating staff will a family member creates a dual relationship and should be avoided.
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
, 7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to D
which current clients are satisfied with a new relapse Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services, whereas
prevention program. The social worker distributes a summative evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative evaluations are
client satisfaction survey to those in the program. The ongoing processes that allow for feedback to be implemented during service
social worker then collects the surveys and analyzes the delivery. These types of evaluations allow social workers to make changes as
results that are presented to a management team in the needed to help achieve program goals. Summative evaluations occur at the end
agency. The social worker is conducting which type of of services and provide an overall description of their effectiveness. Summative
evaluation? evaluation examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
A. Summative
B. Experimental The design described is not experimental—which requires a control group and
C. Quasi-experimental randomization of assignment—or quasi-experimental, which does not require
D. Formative randomization, but has more support for causal inferences than does
preexperimental designs.
8. Which of the following is an example of social D
stratification? Stratification refers to structured inequality of entire categories of people in
A. A child is not included in group activities in school society who have unequal access to social rewards. Stratification applies to
because of his or her poor social skills. individuals based on ethnic and racial background, social status, and/or other
B. Children who are violent need to be segregated from factors.
their peers.
C. A child with social deficits is assumed to be delayed in
cognition without additional assessment.
D. Children from affluent households receive a better
public education than those from low-income
households.
9. During an intake interview, a client reports that she is C
extremely depressed and has self-destructive thoughts. Despite the client's report that she will not act on her thoughts, she is at risk
She has had prior suicide attempts, but tells the social because she has had these feelings and has acted on them in the past. The
worker not to worry as she won't "do it again." The social case vignette does not describe the social worker taking any action yet. A safety
worker should FIRST: assessment will determine the severity of the depression and whether the client
A. Tell the client that her decision not to harm herself is a is at risk for a suicide attempt. It must be done FIRST before any other action is
good one taken.
B. Explore with the client what is causing her depression
C. Conduct a safety assessment
D. Refer the client to a psychiatrist for a medication
evaluation
10. A client with a Social Anxiety Disorder will MOST A The primary medications used to treat social anxiety disorder are selective
likely be prescribed which of the following medications to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which were first developed to treat
take on an ongoing basis? depression. They have been found to be effective in the treatment of a wider
A. Zoloft (sertraline) range of disorders. Zoloft (sertraline) is an SSRI.
B. Mellaril (thioridazine)
C. Thorazine (chlorpromazine) Benzodiazepines, such as Valium (diazepam), reduce levels of anxiety. However,
D. Valium (diazepam) they are habit-forming and sedating, so they are typically prescribed for only
short-term use.
Mellaril (thioridazine) and Thorazine (chlorpromazine) are antipsychotic
medications for the treatment of psychosis.
11. A social worker is appointed by the court to conduct a D
child custody evaluation for a couple that is divorcing. Collateral information is often used when the credibility and validity of information
The mother reports that her husband is verbally abusive, obtained from a client or others is questionable. For example, child custody
controlling, and neglects the children when they are in cases are inherently characterized by biased data within an adversarial process.
his care. She reports that the children have missed a lot Social workers should use data from neutral parties, such as the school, because
of school when staying with their father because he does this information has higher integrity.
not assist with getting them ready for school or doing
their homework. The father states that his wife is lazy,
irresponsible, and cannot meet the children's basic
needs. He reports that the school frequently has to
provide lunch for the children because the mother does
not supply it when they are in her care. In order to BEST
evaluate the legitimacy of the information, the social
worker should:
A. Ask the husband and wife to put their allegations in
writing and sign them, attesting to their accuracy
B. Determine whether the husband or wife have had any
past instances with being untruthful
C. Always speak to the husband and wife together so
that they are more likely to be honest
D. Obtain information from school personnel and records
after obtaining parental consent
