ASWB LMSW PRACTICE EXAM BANK 2026/2027 | ACCURATE
REAL EXAM 390 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES EACH | CURRENTLY TESTING AND
FREQUENTLY TESTED VERSIONS | EXPERT VERIFIED FOR
GUARANTEED PASS | LATEST UPDATE
At what age is separation anxiety MOST likely to occur?
A. 24 months
B. 12 months
C. 3 months - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- B. 12 months
This item requires basic recall that separation anxiety is most typical around the
age of 12 months (key B).
A nine-month-old child is neglected and lacks a secure attachment to a caretaker.
What long-term effect should the social worker be MOST concerned about as the
child gets older?
A. Posttraumatic stress disorder
B. Social anxiety in middle age
C. High bleed pressure
D. Negative social interactions with peers - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- D. Negative
social interactions with peers
1|Page
,The MOST strongly linked long-term effect of insecure attachment is future
negative social interactions with peers (key D). Posttraumatic stress disorder (B)
is a short-term effect, while high blood pressure (C) and later social anxiety (D)
are not directly linked to attachment difficulties.
A 13-year-old adolescent meets with a social worker because of poor hygiene,
sleeping in class, and stealing food from the cafeteria. What should the social
worker assess for FIRST?
A. A conduct disorder
B. Child neglect
C. Substance abuse
D. Adolescent rebellion - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- B. Child Neglect
The social worker should understand that the behaviors are indicators of
neglect. The social worker should assess if the adolescent's basic needs are
being met FIRST.
A social worker is contacted by a client whose initial complaint is depression. The
client reports symptoms of insomnia, headaches, inability to eat, vomiting, and
neck aches. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Obtain a detailed social history on the client
B. Probe for a substance abuse problem
C. Ask the client to obtain medical consultation - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- C. Ask
the client to obtain medical consultation
2|Page
,The described physical symptoms suggest a potential medical issue, which
indicates the FIRST action is to obtain medical consultation (key C). Obtaining a
social history (A) and
assessing for a substance abuse problem (B) may also be done later. It is
important to FIRST rule out medical issues
A client who is depressed mentions plans for suicide to a social worker. Privacy
and confidentiality had been discussed early in the treatment process. The social
worker believes that the threat is serious. What should the social worker do
NEXT?
A. Respect the client's right to confidentiality
B. Consult with an agency supervisor
C. Develop a safety contract with the client
D. Discuss the need for hospitalization with the client - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- D.
Discuss the need for hospitalization with the client
Discussing the need for hospitalization (key D) is the NEXT step after the social
worker has determined the existence of a serious threat. Consulting with a
supervisor (B) would be
appropriate but only after first discussing the plan for hospitalization with the
client (key D). Rights to confidentiality (A) are superseded by the seriousness of
the threat. A safety contract (C) is not known to be an effective intervention for
suicide prevention when a client has developed a plan.
During a therapy session, a client reveals to the social worker that she has
difficulty managing her three-year-old child. The client reports that her child ran
into traffic and was nearly hit by a car.
What should the social worker do FIRST?
3|Page
, A. Report the possible neglect to child protective services
B. Work with the client to develop a safety plan
C. Consult with the social work supervisor
D. Refer the client to a parenting class - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- B. Work with the
client to develop a safety plan
Developing a safety plan (key B) is the FIRST action that a social worker would
take upon learning of the client's concerns. While the social worker might
consult with a supervisor (C)
and refer the client to a parenting class (D), these would occur only after
attending to the client's immediate issues. There is no evidence of child abuse
or neglect (A).
Parents of a 24-month-old child report their only concern is that their child plays
alongside of, but not with, other children. What should the social worker do?
A. Assess for symptoms of developmental delays
B. Observe the child's play in a group setting
C. Reassure the parents that parallel play is typical at this age - CORRECT ANSWER
✔✔- C. Reassure the parents that parallel play is typical at this age
The role of the social worker is to educate the child's parents about typical
developmental behavior (key C). This question requires a basic knowledge of
parallel play.
4|Page
REAL EXAM 390 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES EACH | CURRENTLY TESTING AND
FREQUENTLY TESTED VERSIONS | EXPERT VERIFIED FOR
GUARANTEED PASS | LATEST UPDATE
At what age is separation anxiety MOST likely to occur?
A. 24 months
B. 12 months
C. 3 months - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- B. 12 months
This item requires basic recall that separation anxiety is most typical around the
age of 12 months (key B).
A nine-month-old child is neglected and lacks a secure attachment to a caretaker.
What long-term effect should the social worker be MOST concerned about as the
child gets older?
A. Posttraumatic stress disorder
B. Social anxiety in middle age
C. High bleed pressure
D. Negative social interactions with peers - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- D. Negative
social interactions with peers
1|Page
,The MOST strongly linked long-term effect of insecure attachment is future
negative social interactions with peers (key D). Posttraumatic stress disorder (B)
is a short-term effect, while high blood pressure (C) and later social anxiety (D)
are not directly linked to attachment difficulties.
A 13-year-old adolescent meets with a social worker because of poor hygiene,
sleeping in class, and stealing food from the cafeteria. What should the social
worker assess for FIRST?
A. A conduct disorder
B. Child neglect
C. Substance abuse
D. Adolescent rebellion - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- B. Child Neglect
The social worker should understand that the behaviors are indicators of
neglect. The social worker should assess if the adolescent's basic needs are
being met FIRST.
A social worker is contacted by a client whose initial complaint is depression. The
client reports symptoms of insomnia, headaches, inability to eat, vomiting, and
neck aches. What should the social worker do FIRST?
A. Obtain a detailed social history on the client
B. Probe for a substance abuse problem
C. Ask the client to obtain medical consultation - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- C. Ask
the client to obtain medical consultation
2|Page
,The described physical symptoms suggest a potential medical issue, which
indicates the FIRST action is to obtain medical consultation (key C). Obtaining a
social history (A) and
assessing for a substance abuse problem (B) may also be done later. It is
important to FIRST rule out medical issues
A client who is depressed mentions plans for suicide to a social worker. Privacy
and confidentiality had been discussed early in the treatment process. The social
worker believes that the threat is serious. What should the social worker do
NEXT?
A. Respect the client's right to confidentiality
B. Consult with an agency supervisor
C. Develop a safety contract with the client
D. Discuss the need for hospitalization with the client - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- D.
Discuss the need for hospitalization with the client
Discussing the need for hospitalization (key D) is the NEXT step after the social
worker has determined the existence of a serious threat. Consulting with a
supervisor (B) would be
appropriate but only after first discussing the plan for hospitalization with the
client (key D). Rights to confidentiality (A) are superseded by the seriousness of
the threat. A safety contract (C) is not known to be an effective intervention for
suicide prevention when a client has developed a plan.
During a therapy session, a client reveals to the social worker that she has
difficulty managing her three-year-old child. The client reports that her child ran
into traffic and was nearly hit by a car.
What should the social worker do FIRST?
3|Page
, A. Report the possible neglect to child protective services
B. Work with the client to develop a safety plan
C. Consult with the social work supervisor
D. Refer the client to a parenting class - CORRECT ANSWER ✔✔- B. Work with the
client to develop a safety plan
Developing a safety plan (key B) is the FIRST action that a social worker would
take upon learning of the client's concerns. While the social worker might
consult with a supervisor (C)
and refer the client to a parenting class (D), these would occur only after
attending to the client's immediate issues. There is no evidence of child abuse
or neglect (A).
Parents of a 24-month-old child report their only concern is that their child plays
alongside of, but not with, other children. What should the social worker do?
A. Assess for symptoms of developmental delays
B. Observe the child's play in a group setting
C. Reassure the parents that parallel play is typical at this age - CORRECT ANSWER
✔✔- C. Reassure the parents that parallel play is typical at this age
The role of the social worker is to educate the child's parents about typical
developmental behavior (key C). This question requires a basic knowledge of
parallel play.
4|Page
