Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
A 10-year-old boy is placed with a foster family that has different religious beliefs than the
child. The foster parents want the foster child to follow their religious practices. What is the
social worker's BEST course of action in this situation?
A. Tell the family to follow the child's religion.
B. Instruct the child to follow the family's religion.
C. Tell the child not to practice any religion to avoid conflict.
D. Identify alternate placement for the child. -
The best option here is D. All the other options go against honoring the diversity of
the people. Some people may not pick this because they think that another option would not
be available, but if it is an option on the exam then it is available.
A family comes in with high expectations of their 10-year-old child. The child excels in
school and the teacher states that he has never had an infraction although he appears to be
unhappy and has a hard time socially. The parents are likely using what kind of parenting
style?
A. Authoritarian
B. Authoritative
C. Permissive
D. Uninvolved -
A. The clues in the stem are the child excels and hasn't had an infraction but seem
unhappy and has a hard time socially. This is the description of a child raised in an
Authoritarian home. Children raised with Authoritative parenting styles are the best adjusted.
Both Permissive and Uninvolved children display behavioral problems and generally have
lower school performance.
A woman has been going to therapy for the past two months. Whenever the therapist brings
up emotional material the woman dismisses it and says she isn't interested in talking about
those subjects. She talks a lot about her day to day life and says she thinks she is ready to
terminate. What should the therapist do next:
A. The client seems like she is doing fine and feels she is ready to terminate so the therapist
should start the termination process.
B. The therapist should address the client's resistance in discussing the emotional material.
C. The therapist should give the client two more sessions to see if she still feels ready for
termination.
D. The therapist should inform the client that she needs to talk about this material or else the
therapy sessions will be over. -
B. A client expressing disinterest in discussing emotional material is likely a sign of
resistance.
An unlicensed social worker is meeting with an older woman for their first therapy session.
The older woman reminds the social worker a lot of her mother who she does not have a good
relationship with. The social worker finds herself becoming easily frustrated with the older
woman and is having a hard time remaining calm. What should the social worker do first:
1|Page
,A. She should bring up the situation with the client and explain why she is becoming agitated.
B. Since it is only the first session, she should transfer her to another therapist.
C. She should talk to a supervisor about her countertransference issues.
D. She should journal about her feelings after the sessions. -
C. The experience the social worker is having is a countertransference reaction.
When you put the answers in order, the first thing to do would be to talk to a supervisor; this
could lead to her doing D or B. A would not be appropriate in the initial phase of treatment,
as it makes the social workers issues the focus.
A clinical social worker is evaluating a friendly, 5-year-old child who has difficulty making
friends in school. He is very verbal, but has a hard time answering questions about his
feelings. He is eager to talk about all the different types of reptiles and knows all about them.
What should be the social worker's next step:
A. Diagnose him with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
B. Use play therapy to try to connect with him on different topics.
C. Refer him to a social skills group.
D. Suggest that he is transferred to a different school. -
C. While there are signs of Austism Spectrum Disorder, there is not enough to
make a formal diagnosis. B suggests the social worker direct the play, which you wouldn't do
in the initial phase of treatment. The main issue is his inability to make friends and talk about
his feelings, so a social skills group is clearly indicated. There is no reason to have him
transfer to another school.
A social worker is conducting a study on the effectiveness of group therapy in decreasing
depression in teenagers recently diagnosed with diabetes. Which of the follow refers to the
extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations and people?
A. External Validity
B. Internal Validity
C. Reliability
D. Statistical Significance -
A. This is a factual recall question; B, C, and D would all be described differently.
An agency has chosen to use a single subject research protocol to assess their postpartum
depression support groups. Which of the following BEST describes why an agency would
choose this research model?
A. It has strong external validity
B. More than one variable can be measured
C. Avoid ethical issues related to creating a control group
D. Baseline measures are not required -
C. Having a control group means that some individuals are not receiving the
treatment. Withholding treatment from some individuals has ethical implications, making (C)
the best answer.
A social worker is part of an evaluation team assessing the effectiveness of a neighborhood
outreach program targeting families with children ages 0-5. The social worker is in charge of
2|Page
,collecting qualitative data. Which of the following is the BEST example of a qualitative
measure?
A. Looking at the way variables such as age and income level impact the utilization of client
services.
B. Tracking the number of clients served in a year through a specific program
C. Comparing the number of clients using a new service compared to an old service
D. Interviewing clients about their level of satisfaction with the changes in program delivery -
D is the best answer because it involves gathering information directly from
program participants. A, B, and C are all examples of quantitative data.
A social worker in a community agency receives a referral for her friend's preschool-age son.
The social worker should:
A. Involve the friend in a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan
B. Conduct an initial assessment and make treatment recommendations
C. Refer the son to a different therapist
D. Treat the son after getting consultation regarding confidentiality and boundaries -
C. Social workers should avoid dual relationships with clients. The son would be at
risk of not receiving the best treatment, as the social worker may have preconceived notions
about the son or may treat him differently due to the social worker's relationship with the
mother. Avoiding dual relationships ensures the client's safety and ability to receive
appropriate treatment.
A 55 year-old Native American woman seeks treatment following the death of her son. When
working with Native American clients, in order to be culturally sensitive and develop a good
therapeutic relationship it is important to observe all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Be directive
B. Use active listening and reflective responses.
C. Avoid interrupting
D. Allow for periods of silence -
A. Answers B, C, and D are all advised approaches with Native Americans. A is
the only one that should be avoided.
A client with a history of severe depression reports hypersomnolence and decreased appetite.
The client reports having discontinued his prescribed medication because he didn't think he
needed it anymore. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Question the client as to the other reasons for discontinuing the medication
B. Instruct the client to resume the medication
C. Encourage to the client to speak to his psychiatrist
D. Discuss alternative treatment options -
C. Because the increase in symptoms is likely to be directly related to the
discontinuation of medication, the client should be encouraged to go back to his psychiatrist.
It would be outside of the social worker's scope of practice to instruct the client to resume
medication. While questioning the client about the reasons for discontinuing medication and
discussing alternative treatment options may be appropriate interventions at some point, the
social worker should FIRST encourage the client to speak to his doctor regarding his increase
in neurovegetative symptoms.
3|Page
, A gay couple who say they are both in long-term recovery for cocaine addictions request
couples' therapy. The couple reports frequent arguments and an increased sense of distance in
their relationship. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Teach the couple communication skills.
B. Assess for a drug relapse in either partner.
C. Assign the couple intimacy exercises as homework.
D. Teach the couple anger management skills. -
B is the best answer, because a decrease in intimacy and an increase in arguments
may be signs that one partner has relapsed, putting stress on the relationship. This needs to be
assessed first. A, C, and D can be done later.
A married couple meet with a social worker in private practice for an initial session.
Afterwards, the wife calls the social worker and states, "I have something I want to talk to
you about, but my husband can't find out." The social worker's MOST appropriate response
would be to:
A. Reassure the wife that what she says will be kept confidential.
B. Recommend that both husband and wife meet individually before the next couple's
session.
C. Advise the wife of the therapist's "no secrets" policy and suggest disclosure at a future
couple's session.
D. Refer the husband and wife to separate individual therapists. -
C. Redirecting the wife to reserve the disclosure for the marital session is the best
answer, because it will preserve the therapist's ability to treat the couple effectively. A would
potentially jeopardize the couple's treatment by creating a situation in which the social
worker and wife are keeping secrets from the husband. B does not make sense since couple's
treatment has already been initiated. Recommending that the couple see individual therapists
may be missing the point, as the couple has presented for marital therapy, not individual
therapy, and keeping secrets may be part of the couple's problem.
A social worker receives a referral from parents regarding their 9 year-old daughter. A social
history reveals symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder. What
should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Determine if the child has had a recent physical examination to rule out possible physical
causes for her symptoms
B. Under the diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, refer the child to a psychiatrist for
medication.
C. Have the parents fill out a questionnaire to confirm the diagnosis of Major Depressive
Disorder.
D. Begin cognitive behavioral therapy with the child to decrease symptoms. -
A. While B, C and D may all be appropriate at some time in the near future, option
A is the best choice as medical conditions should always be ruled out before giving a
diagnosis.
A couple starts seeing a social worker after the death of their two children in a car accident.
The social worker's supervisor notices that the social worker is spending many hours on the
phone with the couple and is seeing them more often than her other clients. The supervisor
should:
4|Page
A 10-year-old boy is placed with a foster family that has different religious beliefs than the
child. The foster parents want the foster child to follow their religious practices. What is the
social worker's BEST course of action in this situation?
A. Tell the family to follow the child's religion.
B. Instruct the child to follow the family's religion.
C. Tell the child not to practice any religion to avoid conflict.
D. Identify alternate placement for the child. -
The best option here is D. All the other options go against honoring the diversity of
the people. Some people may not pick this because they think that another option would not
be available, but if it is an option on the exam then it is available.
A family comes in with high expectations of their 10-year-old child. The child excels in
school and the teacher states that he has never had an infraction although he appears to be
unhappy and has a hard time socially. The parents are likely using what kind of parenting
style?
A. Authoritarian
B. Authoritative
C. Permissive
D. Uninvolved -
A. The clues in the stem are the child excels and hasn't had an infraction but seem
unhappy and has a hard time socially. This is the description of a child raised in an
Authoritarian home. Children raised with Authoritative parenting styles are the best adjusted.
Both Permissive and Uninvolved children display behavioral problems and generally have
lower school performance.
A woman has been going to therapy for the past two months. Whenever the therapist brings
up emotional material the woman dismisses it and says she isn't interested in talking about
those subjects. She talks a lot about her day to day life and says she thinks she is ready to
terminate. What should the therapist do next:
A. The client seems like she is doing fine and feels she is ready to terminate so the therapist
should start the termination process.
B. The therapist should address the client's resistance in discussing the emotional material.
C. The therapist should give the client two more sessions to see if she still feels ready for
termination.
D. The therapist should inform the client that she needs to talk about this material or else the
therapy sessions will be over. -
B. A client expressing disinterest in discussing emotional material is likely a sign of
resistance.
An unlicensed social worker is meeting with an older woman for their first therapy session.
The older woman reminds the social worker a lot of her mother who she does not have a good
relationship with. The social worker finds herself becoming easily frustrated with the older
woman and is having a hard time remaining calm. What should the social worker do first:
1|Page
,A. She should bring up the situation with the client and explain why she is becoming agitated.
B. Since it is only the first session, she should transfer her to another therapist.
C. She should talk to a supervisor about her countertransference issues.
D. She should journal about her feelings after the sessions. -
C. The experience the social worker is having is a countertransference reaction.
When you put the answers in order, the first thing to do would be to talk to a supervisor; this
could lead to her doing D or B. A would not be appropriate in the initial phase of treatment,
as it makes the social workers issues the focus.
A clinical social worker is evaluating a friendly, 5-year-old child who has difficulty making
friends in school. He is very verbal, but has a hard time answering questions about his
feelings. He is eager to talk about all the different types of reptiles and knows all about them.
What should be the social worker's next step:
A. Diagnose him with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
B. Use play therapy to try to connect with him on different topics.
C. Refer him to a social skills group.
D. Suggest that he is transferred to a different school. -
C. While there are signs of Austism Spectrum Disorder, there is not enough to
make a formal diagnosis. B suggests the social worker direct the play, which you wouldn't do
in the initial phase of treatment. The main issue is his inability to make friends and talk about
his feelings, so a social skills group is clearly indicated. There is no reason to have him
transfer to another school.
A social worker is conducting a study on the effectiveness of group therapy in decreasing
depression in teenagers recently diagnosed with diabetes. Which of the follow refers to the
extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations and people?
A. External Validity
B. Internal Validity
C. Reliability
D. Statistical Significance -
A. This is a factual recall question; B, C, and D would all be described differently.
An agency has chosen to use a single subject research protocol to assess their postpartum
depression support groups. Which of the following BEST describes why an agency would
choose this research model?
A. It has strong external validity
B. More than one variable can be measured
C. Avoid ethical issues related to creating a control group
D. Baseline measures are not required -
C. Having a control group means that some individuals are not receiving the
treatment. Withholding treatment from some individuals has ethical implications, making (C)
the best answer.
A social worker is part of an evaluation team assessing the effectiveness of a neighborhood
outreach program targeting families with children ages 0-5. The social worker is in charge of
2|Page
,collecting qualitative data. Which of the following is the BEST example of a qualitative
measure?
A. Looking at the way variables such as age and income level impact the utilization of client
services.
B. Tracking the number of clients served in a year through a specific program
C. Comparing the number of clients using a new service compared to an old service
D. Interviewing clients about their level of satisfaction with the changes in program delivery -
D is the best answer because it involves gathering information directly from
program participants. A, B, and C are all examples of quantitative data.
A social worker in a community agency receives a referral for her friend's preschool-age son.
The social worker should:
A. Involve the friend in a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan
B. Conduct an initial assessment and make treatment recommendations
C. Refer the son to a different therapist
D. Treat the son after getting consultation regarding confidentiality and boundaries -
C. Social workers should avoid dual relationships with clients. The son would be at
risk of not receiving the best treatment, as the social worker may have preconceived notions
about the son or may treat him differently due to the social worker's relationship with the
mother. Avoiding dual relationships ensures the client's safety and ability to receive
appropriate treatment.
A 55 year-old Native American woman seeks treatment following the death of her son. When
working with Native American clients, in order to be culturally sensitive and develop a good
therapeutic relationship it is important to observe all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Be directive
B. Use active listening and reflective responses.
C. Avoid interrupting
D. Allow for periods of silence -
A. Answers B, C, and D are all advised approaches with Native Americans. A is
the only one that should be avoided.
A client with a history of severe depression reports hypersomnolence and decreased appetite.
The client reports having discontinued his prescribed medication because he didn't think he
needed it anymore. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Question the client as to the other reasons for discontinuing the medication
B. Instruct the client to resume the medication
C. Encourage to the client to speak to his psychiatrist
D. Discuss alternative treatment options -
C. Because the increase in symptoms is likely to be directly related to the
discontinuation of medication, the client should be encouraged to go back to his psychiatrist.
It would be outside of the social worker's scope of practice to instruct the client to resume
medication. While questioning the client about the reasons for discontinuing medication and
discussing alternative treatment options may be appropriate interventions at some point, the
social worker should FIRST encourage the client to speak to his doctor regarding his increase
in neurovegetative symptoms.
3|Page
, A gay couple who say they are both in long-term recovery for cocaine addictions request
couples' therapy. The couple reports frequent arguments and an increased sense of distance in
their relationship. The social worker should FIRST:
A. Teach the couple communication skills.
B. Assess for a drug relapse in either partner.
C. Assign the couple intimacy exercises as homework.
D. Teach the couple anger management skills. -
B is the best answer, because a decrease in intimacy and an increase in arguments
may be signs that one partner has relapsed, putting stress on the relationship. This needs to be
assessed first. A, C, and D can be done later.
A married couple meet with a social worker in private practice for an initial session.
Afterwards, the wife calls the social worker and states, "I have something I want to talk to
you about, but my husband can't find out." The social worker's MOST appropriate response
would be to:
A. Reassure the wife that what she says will be kept confidential.
B. Recommend that both husband and wife meet individually before the next couple's
session.
C. Advise the wife of the therapist's "no secrets" policy and suggest disclosure at a future
couple's session.
D. Refer the husband and wife to separate individual therapists. -
C. Redirecting the wife to reserve the disclosure for the marital session is the best
answer, because it will preserve the therapist's ability to treat the couple effectively. A would
potentially jeopardize the couple's treatment by creating a situation in which the social
worker and wife are keeping secrets from the husband. B does not make sense since couple's
treatment has already been initiated. Recommending that the couple see individual therapists
may be missing the point, as the couple has presented for marital therapy, not individual
therapy, and keeping secrets may be part of the couple's problem.
A social worker receives a referral from parents regarding their 9 year-old daughter. A social
history reveals symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder. What
should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Determine if the child has had a recent physical examination to rule out possible physical
causes for her symptoms
B. Under the diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder, refer the child to a psychiatrist for
medication.
C. Have the parents fill out a questionnaire to confirm the diagnosis of Major Depressive
Disorder.
D. Begin cognitive behavioral therapy with the child to decrease symptoms. -
A. While B, C and D may all be appropriate at some time in the near future, option
A is the best choice as medical conditions should always be ruled out before giving a
diagnosis.
A couple starts seeing a social worker after the death of their two children in a car accident.
The social worker's supervisor notices that the social worker is spending many hours on the
phone with the couple and is seeing them more often than her other clients. The supervisor
should:
4|Page
