SOCIAL WORK COMPETENCY EXAM
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
LGBTQ - ANSWER-Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. Q stands for queer or
questioning.
Advocate - ANSWER-represents, champions, or defends the rights of others. One
who steps forward and speaks out on the behalf of clients in order to promote fair
and equitable treatment or gain needed resources. (example: a worker might meet
with an administrator to change an agency policy on that client's behalf).
Negotiator - ANSWER-one who represents an organization or group trying to wrestle
something from another group.
Social Justice - ANSWER-the idea that in a perfect world all citizens would have
identical "rights, protection, opportunities, obligations, and social benefits"
Human rights - ANSWER-the premise that all people, regardless of race, culture, or
national origin, are entitled to basic rights and treatment
Economic Justice - ANSWER-concerns the distribution of resources in a fair and
equitable manner
Populations at risk - ANSWER-groups that experience prejudice, discrimination, and
oppression from the dominant group
written consent - ANSWER-A person knowingly, without duress or coercion, clearly
and explicitly consents to the proposed therapy in writing.
informed consent - ANSWER-an ethical principle that research participants be told
enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate
civil rights - ANSWER-the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and
equality.
Critical thinking - ANSWER-the careful scrutiny of what is stated as true or what
appears to be true and the resulting expression of an opinion or conclusion based on
that scrutiny and the creative formulation of an opinion or conclusion when presented
with a question, problem, or issue. (Critical thinking stressed how individuals think
about the truth in a situation or statement or how they analyze an issue to formulate
their own conclusions).
Problem Solving - ANSWER-1. Identify and define the needs of each opposing side
2. Generate possible alternative solutions
3. Evaluate the merits and shortcomings of the alternative solutions.
4. Decide on the best acceptable solution
,5. Work out ways of implementing the solution
6. At a later date, evaluate how well the solution is working
Generalizing - ANSWER-Draw or state a general conclusion from a number or items
or instances, making a statement about what several people or things have in
common, finding and extending patterns.
Post Traumatic Stress - ANSWER-an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting
memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers
for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience
biased - ANSWER-favoring one side unduly; prejudiced
unbiased - ANSWER-Showing no prejudice for or against something; impartial.
Qualitative Research - ANSWER-informal research methods, including observation,
following social media sites, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and projective
techniques
Quantitative Research - ANSWER-research that collects and reports data primarily
in numerical form
independent variable - ANSWER-The experimental factor that is manipulated; the
variable whose effect is being studied.
dependent variable - ANSWER-The outcome factor; the variable that may change in
response to manipulations of the independent variable.
ethics in research - ANSWER-informed consent, freedom from coercion, protection
from harm, risk-benefit analysis, deception, debriefing, confidentiality
Levels of Measurement - ANSWER-nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio
closed-ended questions - ANSWER-These do not encourage or even allow for an
explanation of why the answer was chosen for an elaboration of thoughts or feelings
about the answer. For example: "What is your birthdate?"
open-ended questions - ANSWER-question seeks out the client's thoughts, ideas,
and explanations for answers. It encourages elaboration and specifics about
answers unique to particular clients and situations. Example: "What are your reasons
for wanting to leave home?"
Literature review - ANSWER-a scholarly research step that entails identifying and
studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research
Prejudice - ANSWER-an opinion or prejudgement about an individual, group, or
issue that is not based on fact and is usually negative
Refugees - ANSWER-individuals forced out of their countries because of human
rights violations against them.
, Discrimination - ANSWER-unequal treatment of people based on prejudgment
because they belong to some category, such as one involving race, ethnicity,
gender, or religion.
Unprejudiced nondiscriminator - ANSWER-not prejudiced against other groups and,
on principle, will not discriminate against them
Unprejudiced discriminator - ANSWER-is not personally prejudiced but may
sometimes, reluctantly, discriminate against other groups because it seems socially
or financially convenient to do so.
Prejudiced nondiscriminatory - ANSWER-feels hostile to other groups but recognizes
that law and social pressures are opposed to overt discrimination. Reluctantly, this
person does not translate prejudice into action.
Prejudiced discriminator - ANSWER-does not believe in the values of freedom and
equality and consistently discriminates against other groups in both word and deed.
White Privilege - ANSWER-an underexposed part of racism in the US that white
people have privileges that other Americans do not have.
Racism - ANSWER-the belief that race is the primary determinant of human
capacities and traits and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a
particular race.
Ageism - ANSWER-having negative images of and attitudes toward people simply
because they are old
Sexism - ANSWER-prejudice or discrimination based on sex, especially
discrimination against women that involved behavior, conditions, or attitudes that
foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex.
Sexual assault - ANSWER-a wide range of victimizations, separate from rape or
attempted rape. These include attacks for unwanted sexual contact between victim
and offender.
Ethnocentrism - ANSWER-the belief that one's own group is superior. This leads
members of ethnic groups to view their culture as the best, as superior, as the one
that other cultures should adopt. It also leads to prejudice against foreigners, who
may be viewed as barbarians, uncultured people, or savages.
Poverty - ANSWER-the condition of "not having enough money to buy things that are
considered necessary and desirable"
Empowerment - ANSWER-the process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or
political power so that individuals can take action to improve their life situations
Validity - ANSWER-The ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure
QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
LGBTQ - ANSWER-Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. Q stands for queer or
questioning.
Advocate - ANSWER-represents, champions, or defends the rights of others. One
who steps forward and speaks out on the behalf of clients in order to promote fair
and equitable treatment or gain needed resources. (example: a worker might meet
with an administrator to change an agency policy on that client's behalf).
Negotiator - ANSWER-one who represents an organization or group trying to wrestle
something from another group.
Social Justice - ANSWER-the idea that in a perfect world all citizens would have
identical "rights, protection, opportunities, obligations, and social benefits"
Human rights - ANSWER-the premise that all people, regardless of race, culture, or
national origin, are entitled to basic rights and treatment
Economic Justice - ANSWER-concerns the distribution of resources in a fair and
equitable manner
Populations at risk - ANSWER-groups that experience prejudice, discrimination, and
oppression from the dominant group
written consent - ANSWER-A person knowingly, without duress or coercion, clearly
and explicitly consents to the proposed therapy in writing.
informed consent - ANSWER-an ethical principle that research participants be told
enough to enable them to choose whether they wish to participate
civil rights - ANSWER-the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and
equality.
Critical thinking - ANSWER-the careful scrutiny of what is stated as true or what
appears to be true and the resulting expression of an opinion or conclusion based on
that scrutiny and the creative formulation of an opinion or conclusion when presented
with a question, problem, or issue. (Critical thinking stressed how individuals think
about the truth in a situation or statement or how they analyze an issue to formulate
their own conclusions).
Problem Solving - ANSWER-1. Identify and define the needs of each opposing side
2. Generate possible alternative solutions
3. Evaluate the merits and shortcomings of the alternative solutions.
4. Decide on the best acceptable solution
,5. Work out ways of implementing the solution
6. At a later date, evaluate how well the solution is working
Generalizing - ANSWER-Draw or state a general conclusion from a number or items
or instances, making a statement about what several people or things have in
common, finding and extending patterns.
Post Traumatic Stress - ANSWER-an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting
memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers
for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience
biased - ANSWER-favoring one side unduly; prejudiced
unbiased - ANSWER-Showing no prejudice for or against something; impartial.
Qualitative Research - ANSWER-informal research methods, including observation,
following social media sites, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and projective
techniques
Quantitative Research - ANSWER-research that collects and reports data primarily
in numerical form
independent variable - ANSWER-The experimental factor that is manipulated; the
variable whose effect is being studied.
dependent variable - ANSWER-The outcome factor; the variable that may change in
response to manipulations of the independent variable.
ethics in research - ANSWER-informed consent, freedom from coercion, protection
from harm, risk-benefit analysis, deception, debriefing, confidentiality
Levels of Measurement - ANSWER-nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio
closed-ended questions - ANSWER-These do not encourage or even allow for an
explanation of why the answer was chosen for an elaboration of thoughts or feelings
about the answer. For example: "What is your birthdate?"
open-ended questions - ANSWER-question seeks out the client's thoughts, ideas,
and explanations for answers. It encourages elaboration and specifics about
answers unique to particular clients and situations. Example: "What are your reasons
for wanting to leave home?"
Literature review - ANSWER-a scholarly research step that entails identifying and
studying all existing studies on a topic to create a basis for new research
Prejudice - ANSWER-an opinion or prejudgement about an individual, group, or
issue that is not based on fact and is usually negative
Refugees - ANSWER-individuals forced out of their countries because of human
rights violations against them.
, Discrimination - ANSWER-unequal treatment of people based on prejudgment
because they belong to some category, such as one involving race, ethnicity,
gender, or religion.
Unprejudiced nondiscriminator - ANSWER-not prejudiced against other groups and,
on principle, will not discriminate against them
Unprejudiced discriminator - ANSWER-is not personally prejudiced but may
sometimes, reluctantly, discriminate against other groups because it seems socially
or financially convenient to do so.
Prejudiced nondiscriminatory - ANSWER-feels hostile to other groups but recognizes
that law and social pressures are opposed to overt discrimination. Reluctantly, this
person does not translate prejudice into action.
Prejudiced discriminator - ANSWER-does not believe in the values of freedom and
equality and consistently discriminates against other groups in both word and deed.
White Privilege - ANSWER-an underexposed part of racism in the US that white
people have privileges that other Americans do not have.
Racism - ANSWER-the belief that race is the primary determinant of human
capacities and traits and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a
particular race.
Ageism - ANSWER-having negative images of and attitudes toward people simply
because they are old
Sexism - ANSWER-prejudice or discrimination based on sex, especially
discrimination against women that involved behavior, conditions, or attitudes that
foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex.
Sexual assault - ANSWER-a wide range of victimizations, separate from rape or
attempted rape. These include attacks for unwanted sexual contact between victim
and offender.
Ethnocentrism - ANSWER-the belief that one's own group is superior. This leads
members of ethnic groups to view their culture as the best, as superior, as the one
that other cultures should adopt. It also leads to prejudice against foreigners, who
may be viewed as barbarians, uncultured people, or savages.
Poverty - ANSWER-the condition of "not having enough money to buy things that are
considered necessary and desirable"
Empowerment - ANSWER-the process of increasing personal, interpersonal, or
political power so that individuals can take action to improve their life situations
Validity - ANSWER-The ability of a test to measure what it is intended to measure
