Pre MSW test Questions and Answers
100% Pass
A hospital social worker has been assigned to work with a 72-year-old man who wants
to go home. He also tells the social worker that his family wants him to stay in the
hospital. What is the FIRST thing that the social worker should do?
A. Talk with the family about their reasons for wanting him to stay in the hospital
B. Talk to the doctor about the man's condition
C. Explore the client's feelings
D. Arrange for the client to be transferred to an assisted living facility - ✔✔C.
Explore the client's feelings
An 18-year-old native American male from the Ute Tribe is seeking help from a social
worker to deal with his alcohol use issues. His mother and grandmother make an
appointment to talk with the social worker and express their concern about his seeing a
social worker. They indicate that this is an embarrassment to the family and the tribe
and they would like the social worker to stop seeing the man. What is the FIRST course
of action the social worker should take?
A. She should respect the family's culture and discontinue seeing the man.
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,B. She should tell the mother and grandmother that she will talk to the client and
encourage him to get help on the reservation.
C. She should acknowledge the family's concerns and explain that the client is an adult
and has the right to make his own decisions.
D. She should contact the Ute Tribal Council for direction. - ✔✔C.
She should acknowledge the family's concerns and explain that the client is an adult
and has the right to make his own decisions.
A school social worker is aware of several elementary school students whose parents
are divorced. She is considering forming a group with these students. In what way
would a group be beneficial?
A. It would let the students hear other students' similar stories of experiences that have
happened in their homes.
B. It would let them know that they are not alone.
C. It would give the students ideas about how to get their parents back together.
D. It would reduce the students' trauma. - ✔✔B.
It would let them know that they are not alone.
A social worker is seeing a client who complains constantly of smells that aggravate
him. Recently he has stated that he cannot sleep because of the smell of fungus in his
home. His work is being affected because the fungus smell at his office makes it
impossible for him to do his job. He has had his home inspected and no fungus has
been found. His employer refuses to have the workplace fumigated. He can no longer
date his girlfriend because she smells of fungus. What is this client likely experiencing?
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,A. Hyper Olfactory Senses Disorder
B. Serious breathing problems
C.Olfactory hallucinations
D. Somatization Disorder - ✔✔C.
Olfactory hallucinations
A client expresses her aggravation with her mother-in-law because of her interference
with the raising of the grandchildren. The client and her husband have rules that their
children must follow and one of the rules is no ice cream. One of the children is lactose
intolerant and suffers a severe reaction if he eats milk products. The other children are
not allowed to eat ice cream because it would be unfair. When the children's
grandmother takes them out for the day she lets them all eat ice cream and asks them to
not tell their parents. Which of the following defense mechanisms is the grandmother
using?
A. Reaction Formation
B. Passive-aggression
C. Compensation
D.Rationalization - ✔✔B.
Passive-aggression
A social worker has feelings of disgust and hatred toward pedophiles. She has chosen
to work with people who have a record for child molestation and are court-ordered into
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, therapy. Which of the following defense mechanisms might the social worker be
utilizing?
A. Denial
B. Displacement
C. Projection
D. Reaction Formation - ✔✔D. Reaction Formation
A male patient in a psychiatric hospital tells his social worker that a female patient
looked at his chart and discovered that he has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. The
male patient is very upset. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A.Explain to the client what Schizophrenia means.
B.Report the other patient for looking in this client's chart.
C.Ask the client why he is upset.
D.Let the client see his chart. - ✔✔C.
Ask the client why he is upset.
A school social worker in a public high school has been asked by her principal to set up
a group for students who have been arrested for using drugs. He asks her to include
some of the student leaders who have not used drugs as positive role models for the
other students. Which statement best describes this type of group?
A.This is a therapy group.
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
100% Pass
A hospital social worker has been assigned to work with a 72-year-old man who wants
to go home. He also tells the social worker that his family wants him to stay in the
hospital. What is the FIRST thing that the social worker should do?
A. Talk with the family about their reasons for wanting him to stay in the hospital
B. Talk to the doctor about the man's condition
C. Explore the client's feelings
D. Arrange for the client to be transferred to an assisted living facility - ✔✔C.
Explore the client's feelings
An 18-year-old native American male from the Ute Tribe is seeking help from a social
worker to deal with his alcohol use issues. His mother and grandmother make an
appointment to talk with the social worker and express their concern about his seeing a
social worker. They indicate that this is an embarrassment to the family and the tribe
and they would like the social worker to stop seeing the man. What is the FIRST course
of action the social worker should take?
A. She should respect the family's culture and discontinue seeing the man.
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,B. She should tell the mother and grandmother that she will talk to the client and
encourage him to get help on the reservation.
C. She should acknowledge the family's concerns and explain that the client is an adult
and has the right to make his own decisions.
D. She should contact the Ute Tribal Council for direction. - ✔✔C.
She should acknowledge the family's concerns and explain that the client is an adult
and has the right to make his own decisions.
A school social worker is aware of several elementary school students whose parents
are divorced. She is considering forming a group with these students. In what way
would a group be beneficial?
A. It would let the students hear other students' similar stories of experiences that have
happened in their homes.
B. It would let them know that they are not alone.
C. It would give the students ideas about how to get their parents back together.
D. It would reduce the students' trauma. - ✔✔B.
It would let them know that they are not alone.
A social worker is seeing a client who complains constantly of smells that aggravate
him. Recently he has stated that he cannot sleep because of the smell of fungus in his
home. His work is being affected because the fungus smell at his office makes it
impossible for him to do his job. He has had his home inspected and no fungus has
been found. His employer refuses to have the workplace fumigated. He can no longer
date his girlfriend because she smells of fungus. What is this client likely experiencing?
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,A. Hyper Olfactory Senses Disorder
B. Serious breathing problems
C.Olfactory hallucinations
D. Somatization Disorder - ✔✔C.
Olfactory hallucinations
A client expresses her aggravation with her mother-in-law because of her interference
with the raising of the grandchildren. The client and her husband have rules that their
children must follow and one of the rules is no ice cream. One of the children is lactose
intolerant and suffers a severe reaction if he eats milk products. The other children are
not allowed to eat ice cream because it would be unfair. When the children's
grandmother takes them out for the day she lets them all eat ice cream and asks them to
not tell their parents. Which of the following defense mechanisms is the grandmother
using?
A. Reaction Formation
B. Passive-aggression
C. Compensation
D.Rationalization - ✔✔B.
Passive-aggression
A social worker has feelings of disgust and hatred toward pedophiles. She has chosen
to work with people who have a record for child molestation and are court-ordered into
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, therapy. Which of the following defense mechanisms might the social worker be
utilizing?
A. Denial
B. Displacement
C. Projection
D. Reaction Formation - ✔✔D. Reaction Formation
A male patient in a psychiatric hospital tells his social worker that a female patient
looked at his chart and discovered that he has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. The
male patient is very upset. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A.Explain to the client what Schizophrenia means.
B.Report the other patient for looking in this client's chart.
C.Ask the client why he is upset.
D.Let the client see his chart. - ✔✔C.
Ask the client why he is upset.
A school social worker in a public high school has been asked by her principal to set up
a group for students who have been arrested for using drugs. He asks her to include
some of the student leaders who have not used drugs as positive role models for the
other students. Which statement best describes this type of group?
A.This is a therapy group.
© EMILY CHARLENE YEAR 2025-2026, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
