ASWB PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
A teenager begins high school and is having behavioral problems in school. He has
trouble following directions and keeping up with the academic demands placed upon
him. A referral is made to a school social worker to assist. When identifying the
problem, it is BEST for the social worker to:
A. Compare it with symptoms of disorders with childhood onset
B. Complete a drug and alcohol evaluation because the boy is at an age when
substance use commonly begins
C. Determine whether the boy's behavior is a result of an undiagnosed learning
disability
D. View the boy's behavior within an ecological framework--being caused by the
"degree of fit" between the boy and his environment - ANSWER-D
Which of the following accurately defines "people first language"?
A. Ensuring that all public documents are appropriately translated into the first
languages of citizens
B. Using proper names when speaking to others as a way of personalizing
communication
C. Naming the person before a diagnosis, disability, or condition so as not to define
him or her by this trait
D. Referring to the verbal and nonverbal communication of American Indians/Native
Americans/Indigenous nations - ANSWER-C
A social worker is required by the court to provide summaries detailing compliance
with mandated services. In order to appropriately release this information, the social
worker should:
A. Show the client the summaries prior to sending them to the court
B. Get the client to provide written consent prior to sending
C. Submit the summaries directly to the court without showing them to the client
because the court should decide if they are to be shared
D. Ask the court if this requirement can be waived in order to protect the client's
confidentiality - ANSWER-A
Which of the following is NOT true about family functioning?
A. Families struggle against homeostasis in order to be healthy
B. Each family is unique, with variations in communication styles, cultural practices,
and values
C. Families must fulfill a variety of functions in order for their members to grow and
develop
D. Families can accomplish the same goals through different paths, which is known
as equifinality - ANSWER-A
,Negative entropy within a system is BEST described as:
A. A steady state in which balance is achieved
B. An exchange of energy and resources that promotes growth and transformation
C. A closed system that is using up its energy and deteriorating
D. A product of a system that can subsequently be used as an input - ANSWER-B
Which of the following is NOT an indicator that a client may be resistant or not ready
to participate in services?
A. False promising
B. Discussing current, as opposed to past, problems
C. Engaging in casual conversation
D. Not keeping appointments for or showing up late to services - ANSWER-B
A school social worker has been informed that a student has been involved in an
accident which has caused permanent physical disability. In order to BEST meet this
student's needs, the social worker should be sure to assess the:
A. Impacts on the student's psychological and/or social functioning
B. Special physical accommodations required in school to facilitate maximum
independence
C. Need for physical therapy, given that the accident occurred early in the life course
D. Mobility of both the arms and legs, given that physical limitations exist -
ANSWER-A
Which of the following is TRUE about stereotypes?
A. Negative stereotypes are harmful when perpetuated, but good stereotypes should
be used to highlight strengths about groups of people
B. Stereotypes preserve social hierarchies and the interests of dominant groups
C. Stereotypes are based on data or factual information
D. Stereotypes do not change with the shifting interests and concerns of society -
ANSWER-B
A school social worker learns that a 10-year-old student has just been placed into
foster care because physical abuse by her parents has been substantiated. The
social worker has had many referrals for this student in recent weeks concerning
incidents of bullying other children. This student's behavior is MOST likely a result of:
A. Displacement
B. Reaction formation
C. Projection
D. Incorporation - ANSWER-A
A social worker and her supervisor are meeting when a teenager comes into the
office and wants "to talk". The teenager reports that she is "being tortured" at home
and is the victim of emotional and physical abuse. The supervisor tells the social
worker that this child made similar allegations several years ago and they were not
substantiated by the child protection agency. The supervisor tells the social worker to
,"monitor" the situation and keep the teenager informed if any subsequent allegations
are made by the teenager. The social worker should:
A. Follow the supervisor's direction and meet with the teenager regularly to see if
subsequent allegations are made
B. Report the allegations to the child protection agency immediately, informing both
the teenager and the supervisor of the need to do so
C. Anonymously report the allegations to the child protection agency after hours so
that they are aware of the teenager - ANSWER-B
Which perspective of bonding is based on the belief that humans come into the world
preprogrammed to form attachments because they help them survive by providing
security and safety?
A. Systems
B. Learned behavioral
C. Evolutionary
D. Cognitive dissonance - ANSWER-C
Needle exchange programs for intravenous drug users are based on which of the
following models of treatment?
A. Harm reduction
B. Social exchange
C. Operant conditioning
D. Aversion therapy - ANSWER-A
A social worker has been asked by the court to supply a family history and overview
of current functional relationships in a client's life. In preparation of this document,
the social worker will likely rely on which document contained in the client's file?
A. Histogram
B. Flowchart
C. Venn diagram
D. Genogram - ANSWER-D
Which of the following is NOT typically part of the sensorimotor stage of cognitive
development?
A. Actions are imitative in nature.
B. Intentional actions begin to emerge.
C. Difference between past, present, and future is learned.
D. Primitive ability to manipulate objects is seen. - ANSWER-C
What is the MOST significant difference between a formative and summative
evaluation?
A. A summative evaluation is more scientifically rigorous than a formative evaluation.
, B. A formative evaluation examines processes while a summative evaluation is
focused on outcomes.
C. A summative evaluation examines processes while a formative evaluation is
focused on outcomes.
D. A formative evaluation is more scientifically rigorous than a summative evaluation.
- ANSWER-B
When a social worker receives a subpoena, he or she must:
A. Send the client his or her records so the client can respond to the subpoena
B. Claim privilege and not release any information until court-ordered to do so.
C. Send the records immediately to the court in order to avoid being sanctioned.
D. Submit a written summary of services rendered to the court in lieu of sending the
records. - ANSWER-B
A client tells a social worker that he feels "alone" and does not think that anyone else
is having the same problems that he is experiencing. In order to assist the client, it is
BEST that the social worker:
A. Ask the client to explain further what he means by feeling "alone"
B. Determine whether the client is at risk for suicide and in need of hospitalization.
C. Refer the client to counseling for depression
D. State that many people have encountered similar difficulties and that the social
worker is there to help. - ANSWER-D
A client who is going through a bitter divorce tells a social worker that she "does not
know how this will ever turn out well." The social worker, who is divorced,
remembers when she also felt that way. To appropriately assist the client, the social
worker should:
A. Discuss with the client how she envisions the client's life after the divorce without
disclosing her own past.
B. Speak candidly to the client about her own marital struggles so the client does not
feel alone.
C. Tell the client that she also felt that way when she was getting divorced in an
effort to normalize the client's emotions.
D. Make a referral to another social worker in the agency because the client's
experiences are eliciting an emotional reaction in the social worker. - ANSWER-A
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
A teenager begins high school and is having behavioral problems in school. He has
trouble following directions and keeping up with the academic demands placed upon
him. A referral is made to a school social worker to assist. When identifying the
problem, it is BEST for the social worker to:
A. Compare it with symptoms of disorders with childhood onset
B. Complete a drug and alcohol evaluation because the boy is at an age when
substance use commonly begins
C. Determine whether the boy's behavior is a result of an undiagnosed learning
disability
D. View the boy's behavior within an ecological framework--being caused by the
"degree of fit" between the boy and his environment - ANSWER-D
Which of the following accurately defines "people first language"?
A. Ensuring that all public documents are appropriately translated into the first
languages of citizens
B. Using proper names when speaking to others as a way of personalizing
communication
C. Naming the person before a diagnosis, disability, or condition so as not to define
him or her by this trait
D. Referring to the verbal and nonverbal communication of American Indians/Native
Americans/Indigenous nations - ANSWER-C
A social worker is required by the court to provide summaries detailing compliance
with mandated services. In order to appropriately release this information, the social
worker should:
A. Show the client the summaries prior to sending them to the court
B. Get the client to provide written consent prior to sending
C. Submit the summaries directly to the court without showing them to the client
because the court should decide if they are to be shared
D. Ask the court if this requirement can be waived in order to protect the client's
confidentiality - ANSWER-A
Which of the following is NOT true about family functioning?
A. Families struggle against homeostasis in order to be healthy
B. Each family is unique, with variations in communication styles, cultural practices,
and values
C. Families must fulfill a variety of functions in order for their members to grow and
develop
D. Families can accomplish the same goals through different paths, which is known
as equifinality - ANSWER-A
,Negative entropy within a system is BEST described as:
A. A steady state in which balance is achieved
B. An exchange of energy and resources that promotes growth and transformation
C. A closed system that is using up its energy and deteriorating
D. A product of a system that can subsequently be used as an input - ANSWER-B
Which of the following is NOT an indicator that a client may be resistant or not ready
to participate in services?
A. False promising
B. Discussing current, as opposed to past, problems
C. Engaging in casual conversation
D. Not keeping appointments for or showing up late to services - ANSWER-B
A school social worker has been informed that a student has been involved in an
accident which has caused permanent physical disability. In order to BEST meet this
student's needs, the social worker should be sure to assess the:
A. Impacts on the student's psychological and/or social functioning
B. Special physical accommodations required in school to facilitate maximum
independence
C. Need for physical therapy, given that the accident occurred early in the life course
D. Mobility of both the arms and legs, given that physical limitations exist -
ANSWER-A
Which of the following is TRUE about stereotypes?
A. Negative stereotypes are harmful when perpetuated, but good stereotypes should
be used to highlight strengths about groups of people
B. Stereotypes preserve social hierarchies and the interests of dominant groups
C. Stereotypes are based on data or factual information
D. Stereotypes do not change with the shifting interests and concerns of society -
ANSWER-B
A school social worker learns that a 10-year-old student has just been placed into
foster care because physical abuse by her parents has been substantiated. The
social worker has had many referrals for this student in recent weeks concerning
incidents of bullying other children. This student's behavior is MOST likely a result of:
A. Displacement
B. Reaction formation
C. Projection
D. Incorporation - ANSWER-A
A social worker and her supervisor are meeting when a teenager comes into the
office and wants "to talk". The teenager reports that she is "being tortured" at home
and is the victim of emotional and physical abuse. The supervisor tells the social
worker that this child made similar allegations several years ago and they were not
substantiated by the child protection agency. The supervisor tells the social worker to
,"monitor" the situation and keep the teenager informed if any subsequent allegations
are made by the teenager. The social worker should:
A. Follow the supervisor's direction and meet with the teenager regularly to see if
subsequent allegations are made
B. Report the allegations to the child protection agency immediately, informing both
the teenager and the supervisor of the need to do so
C. Anonymously report the allegations to the child protection agency after hours so
that they are aware of the teenager - ANSWER-B
Which perspective of bonding is based on the belief that humans come into the world
preprogrammed to form attachments because they help them survive by providing
security and safety?
A. Systems
B. Learned behavioral
C. Evolutionary
D. Cognitive dissonance - ANSWER-C
Needle exchange programs for intravenous drug users are based on which of the
following models of treatment?
A. Harm reduction
B. Social exchange
C. Operant conditioning
D. Aversion therapy - ANSWER-A
A social worker has been asked by the court to supply a family history and overview
of current functional relationships in a client's life. In preparation of this document,
the social worker will likely rely on which document contained in the client's file?
A. Histogram
B. Flowchart
C. Venn diagram
D. Genogram - ANSWER-D
Which of the following is NOT typically part of the sensorimotor stage of cognitive
development?
A. Actions are imitative in nature.
B. Intentional actions begin to emerge.
C. Difference between past, present, and future is learned.
D. Primitive ability to manipulate objects is seen. - ANSWER-C
What is the MOST significant difference between a formative and summative
evaluation?
A. A summative evaluation is more scientifically rigorous than a formative evaluation.
, B. A formative evaluation examines processes while a summative evaluation is
focused on outcomes.
C. A summative evaluation examines processes while a formative evaluation is
focused on outcomes.
D. A formative evaluation is more scientifically rigorous than a summative evaluation.
- ANSWER-B
When a social worker receives a subpoena, he or she must:
A. Send the client his or her records so the client can respond to the subpoena
B. Claim privilege and not release any information until court-ordered to do so.
C. Send the records immediately to the court in order to avoid being sanctioned.
D. Submit a written summary of services rendered to the court in lieu of sending the
records. - ANSWER-B
A client tells a social worker that he feels "alone" and does not think that anyone else
is having the same problems that he is experiencing. In order to assist the client, it is
BEST that the social worker:
A. Ask the client to explain further what he means by feeling "alone"
B. Determine whether the client is at risk for suicide and in need of hospitalization.
C. Refer the client to counseling for depression
D. State that many people have encountered similar difficulties and that the social
worker is there to help. - ANSWER-D
A client who is going through a bitter divorce tells a social worker that she "does not
know how this will ever turn out well." The social worker, who is divorced,
remembers when she also felt that way. To appropriately assist the client, the social
worker should:
A. Discuss with the client how she envisions the client's life after the divorce without
disclosing her own past.
B. Speak candidly to the client about her own marital struggles so the client does not
feel alone.
C. Tell the client that she also felt that way when she was getting divorced in an
effort to normalize the client's emotions.
D. Make a referral to another social worker in the agency because the client's
experiences are eliciting an emotional reaction in the social worker. - ANSWER-A
