LMSW Practice Test Questions and answers solved solution 2023
1. According to Beck, a depressed person does not see the positive aspects of
his/her situation because of:
a. Precipitating factors
b. Lack of support
c. A dysfunctional schema
d. Lack of adaptive coping strategies - ANS IS c. A dysfunctional schema
2. It is necessary to obtain informed consent prior to giving out data about a
patient. Which of the following statements is MOST correct regarding this issue?
a. You must obtain informed consent from your patient in most situations, but not in
all situations.
b. If a significant other requests information about your patient, you may release it
without informed consent.
c. If you are going to consult with a colleague, you must have informed consent from
your patient.
d. You must always have informed consent from your patient. - ANS IS a. You must
obtain informed consent from your patient in most situations, but not in all situations.
3. A soldier with combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder desires to return
to combat. What is the first thing you should do?
a. Allow the soldier full self-determination, returning when he deems appropriate.
b. Inform the client that return will likely cause an increase in symptoms and is
not advised.
c. Contact the commanding officer to determine if this is an option for the soldier.
d. Assess progress in treatment and current level of functioning. - ANS IS d.
Assess progress in treatment and current level of functioning.
4. A man is referred by his primary care provider and presents with a diagnosis of
Hypochondriasis. What is the FIRST crucial step in treatment?
a. History taking
b. Establishment of trust and appreciation for the patient's problems
c. Education about the link between stress, emotions and lifestyle and physical health
d. Treatment planning - ANS IS b. Establishment of trust and appreciation for the
patient's problems
5. Client: "I'm depressed. I've lost my hair at a much quicker rate than I thought
possible. I'm terribly embarrassed to go out in public. I'm feeling extremely anxious and
uneasy about my baldness." Social Worker: "You're anxious and uneasy about the
transformations that are a natural process of aging." The social worker's response is:
,a. Encouragement
b. Summarization
c. Paraphrase
d. Reflection of feeling - ANS IS d. Reflection of feeling
6. How do you find the median of a set with an even number of items?
a. The larger of the two middle numbers is the median.
b. The two middle numbers are both medians.
c. Find the average of the two middle numbers.
d. A set with an even number of items does not have a median. - ANS IS c. Find the
average of the two middle numbers.
7. A young, beginning social worker has some intrapersonal and interpersonal struggles
with women in authority positions that stem from her poor relationship with her mother.
The social worker's client is a female 50-ish successful CEO of an Internet start-up. The
social worker is likely to struggle in therapy due to:
a. Counter-resistance
b. Counter-transference
c. Transference
d. Resistance - ANS IS b. Counter-transference
8. When treating elder adults with depression, the BEST approach to treatment is:
a. Cognitive behavioral therapy coupled with family interventions.
b. Significant reliance on psychiatry because medication management is most
important.
c. Treatment of elder adults is similar to other adults, so no significant alterations
are needed.
d. Coordination between medical and mental health due to the influence of medical
conditions on psychiatric symptomatology. - ANS IS d. Coordination between medical
and mental health due to the influence of medical conditions on psychiatric
symptomatology.
9. Professional ethics and professional values differ in which of the following:
a. Values are a subset of ethics.
b. Values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, and ethics deals with
the principles of practice.
c. Values and ethics are basically the same and are evaluated based on the
specific situation.
d. When a social worker makes a judgment that is ethical, you can assume it is a
judgment that also upholds professional values. - ANS IS b. Values deal with what is
right or wrong in practice, and ethics deals with the principles of practice.
,10. What is the first thing to assess in on-site basic crisis intervention, such as in
the aftermath of a natural disaster?
a. Immediate needs for physical safety, food and clothing
b. Trauma response
c. Future mental health risk
d. Needs for various concrete services (e.g., transportation, alternate housing) - ANS IS
a. Immediate needs for physical safety, food and clothing
7-year-old child is refusing to sleep in his own bed at night. When the parents sit
with him in his room, he is fine. When they leave the room, he begins to cry. When
they come back in, he stops crying. This is an example of Operant conditioning
Classical conditioning
Punishment cycles
Higher order conditioning - ANS IS operant conditioning
Older individuals are often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's when, in fact, the
more accurate diagnosis is
Anxiety
Depression
Thyroid Disorder
Delirium - ANS IS Depression. Approximately 55% of the elderly suffer from
depression and are often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's or Dementia. Anxiety (answer
#1) is not correct, although anxiety can be a problem in older adults; anxiety is not a
characteristic that would be a symptom of Alzheimer's. Thyroid disorder (answer #3) is
not correct because this condition is a malfunction of the thyroid gland, resulting in a
variety of medical symptoms, usually not similar to symptoms of Alzheimer's. Delirium
(answer #4) is not correct, as Delirium is characterized by a disturbance of
consciousness and a change in cognition that develop over a short period of time.
A social worker is seeing a new client, who is a college student, for therapy. After
speaking with the client about her current enrollment at the university, the social worker
spent a significant amount of time urging the client to work less so she could focus on
school. The social worker wants the client to get all "A" grades this semester because
she reminds him of his daughter at that same stage in life, as well as the anxieties that
he experienced during that time in his life. The client really wants to please the social
worker because he reminds her of her dad. Which of the following is reflected in the
client?
Transference
Counter-transference
Projection
A dual relationship - ANS IS Tranference. In a therapeutic context, transference refers
to redirection of a client's feelings from a significant person to the social worker.
Counter-transference (answer #2) is incorrect because this is the redirection of a social
, worker's feelings toward a client, or more generally speaking a social worker's
emotional entanglement with a client, which was reflected in the first part of the
question; however, this does not describe what is being reflected in this client.
Projection (answer #3) is demonstrated when a person's own unacceptable or
threatening feelings are repressed and then attributed to someone else, which is not
occurring in this case example. A dual relationship (answer #4) is incorrect, as this
refers to a situation where multiple roles exist (not just perceived) between a social
worker and a client, such as an actual father and daughter relationship between a
social worker and client.
A client was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She immediately began to learn
everything she could about the illness: reading books, journal articles, and the latest
experimental research. The client's response to her diagnosis is representative of which
defense mechanism?
Intellectualization
Regression
Sublimation
Repression - ANS IS Intellectualization
A social worker has been working with a 35-year-old divorced woman who has joint
custody of her son, but is the custodial parent. Her ex-husband, whom the social worker
has never met, is taking the client to court in an attempt to gain full custody of the son.
The social worker receives a subpoena from the husband's attorney requesting records
regarding the wife's therapy sessions with the social worker. The social worker is
required to do which of the following?
The social worker must release the entire record of the therapy sessions to the attorney
The social worker is allowed to release only those records that make direct reference to
the wife's relationship with the son, not her treatment issues
The social worker is required to respond to the subpoena, but is not required to
release records since the subpoena was issued by the attorney and not a judge
The social worker does not have to respond to the subpoena because the client's
records are confidential - ANS IS The social worker is required to respond to the
subpoena, but is not required to release records since the subpoena was issued by
the attorney and not a judge
A 22-year-old female client is considering having an abortion. Her social worker is pro-
choice and feels passionately about the issue. Which of the following is the FIRST
thing that the social worker should do in this situation?
She should talk with the client about abortion alternatives
She should refer the client to another social worker
She should help the client obtain the services she needs to get an abortion
She should ask the client to share her rationale for choosing abortion - ANS IS The correct
answer is #4 - She should ask the client to share her rationale for choosing abortion. Keep
in mind that a social worker should always seek to understand. Talking with the client about
abortion alternatives (answer #1) and referring the client to another social worker (answer
#2) are both not correct because once the client has provided
1. According to Beck, a depressed person does not see the positive aspects of
his/her situation because of:
a. Precipitating factors
b. Lack of support
c. A dysfunctional schema
d. Lack of adaptive coping strategies - ANS IS c. A dysfunctional schema
2. It is necessary to obtain informed consent prior to giving out data about a
patient. Which of the following statements is MOST correct regarding this issue?
a. You must obtain informed consent from your patient in most situations, but not in
all situations.
b. If a significant other requests information about your patient, you may release it
without informed consent.
c. If you are going to consult with a colleague, you must have informed consent from
your patient.
d. You must always have informed consent from your patient. - ANS IS a. You must
obtain informed consent from your patient in most situations, but not in all situations.
3. A soldier with combat-related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder desires to return
to combat. What is the first thing you should do?
a. Allow the soldier full self-determination, returning when he deems appropriate.
b. Inform the client that return will likely cause an increase in symptoms and is
not advised.
c. Contact the commanding officer to determine if this is an option for the soldier.
d. Assess progress in treatment and current level of functioning. - ANS IS d.
Assess progress in treatment and current level of functioning.
4. A man is referred by his primary care provider and presents with a diagnosis of
Hypochondriasis. What is the FIRST crucial step in treatment?
a. History taking
b. Establishment of trust and appreciation for the patient's problems
c. Education about the link between stress, emotions and lifestyle and physical health
d. Treatment planning - ANS IS b. Establishment of trust and appreciation for the
patient's problems
5. Client: "I'm depressed. I've lost my hair at a much quicker rate than I thought
possible. I'm terribly embarrassed to go out in public. I'm feeling extremely anxious and
uneasy about my baldness." Social Worker: "You're anxious and uneasy about the
transformations that are a natural process of aging." The social worker's response is:
,a. Encouragement
b. Summarization
c. Paraphrase
d. Reflection of feeling - ANS IS d. Reflection of feeling
6. How do you find the median of a set with an even number of items?
a. The larger of the two middle numbers is the median.
b. The two middle numbers are both medians.
c. Find the average of the two middle numbers.
d. A set with an even number of items does not have a median. - ANS IS c. Find the
average of the two middle numbers.
7. A young, beginning social worker has some intrapersonal and interpersonal struggles
with women in authority positions that stem from her poor relationship with her mother.
The social worker's client is a female 50-ish successful CEO of an Internet start-up. The
social worker is likely to struggle in therapy due to:
a. Counter-resistance
b. Counter-transference
c. Transference
d. Resistance - ANS IS b. Counter-transference
8. When treating elder adults with depression, the BEST approach to treatment is:
a. Cognitive behavioral therapy coupled with family interventions.
b. Significant reliance on psychiatry because medication management is most
important.
c. Treatment of elder adults is similar to other adults, so no significant alterations
are needed.
d. Coordination between medical and mental health due to the influence of medical
conditions on psychiatric symptomatology. - ANS IS d. Coordination between medical
and mental health due to the influence of medical conditions on psychiatric
symptomatology.
9. Professional ethics and professional values differ in which of the following:
a. Values are a subset of ethics.
b. Values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, and ethics deals with
the principles of practice.
c. Values and ethics are basically the same and are evaluated based on the
specific situation.
d. When a social worker makes a judgment that is ethical, you can assume it is a
judgment that also upholds professional values. - ANS IS b. Values deal with what is
right or wrong in practice, and ethics deals with the principles of practice.
,10. What is the first thing to assess in on-site basic crisis intervention, such as in
the aftermath of a natural disaster?
a. Immediate needs for physical safety, food and clothing
b. Trauma response
c. Future mental health risk
d. Needs for various concrete services (e.g., transportation, alternate housing) - ANS IS
a. Immediate needs for physical safety, food and clothing
7-year-old child is refusing to sleep in his own bed at night. When the parents sit
with him in his room, he is fine. When they leave the room, he begins to cry. When
they come back in, he stops crying. This is an example of Operant conditioning
Classical conditioning
Punishment cycles
Higher order conditioning - ANS IS operant conditioning
Older individuals are often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's when, in fact, the
more accurate diagnosis is
Anxiety
Depression
Thyroid Disorder
Delirium - ANS IS Depression. Approximately 55% of the elderly suffer from
depression and are often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer's or Dementia. Anxiety (answer
#1) is not correct, although anxiety can be a problem in older adults; anxiety is not a
characteristic that would be a symptom of Alzheimer's. Thyroid disorder (answer #3) is
not correct because this condition is a malfunction of the thyroid gland, resulting in a
variety of medical symptoms, usually not similar to symptoms of Alzheimer's. Delirium
(answer #4) is not correct, as Delirium is characterized by a disturbance of
consciousness and a change in cognition that develop over a short period of time.
A social worker is seeing a new client, who is a college student, for therapy. After
speaking with the client about her current enrollment at the university, the social worker
spent a significant amount of time urging the client to work less so she could focus on
school. The social worker wants the client to get all "A" grades this semester because
she reminds him of his daughter at that same stage in life, as well as the anxieties that
he experienced during that time in his life. The client really wants to please the social
worker because he reminds her of her dad. Which of the following is reflected in the
client?
Transference
Counter-transference
Projection
A dual relationship - ANS IS Tranference. In a therapeutic context, transference refers
to redirection of a client's feelings from a significant person to the social worker.
Counter-transference (answer #2) is incorrect because this is the redirection of a social
, worker's feelings toward a client, or more generally speaking a social worker's
emotional entanglement with a client, which was reflected in the first part of the
question; however, this does not describe what is being reflected in this client.
Projection (answer #3) is demonstrated when a person's own unacceptable or
threatening feelings are repressed and then attributed to someone else, which is not
occurring in this case example. A dual relationship (answer #4) is incorrect, as this
refers to a situation where multiple roles exist (not just perceived) between a social
worker and a client, such as an actual father and daughter relationship between a
social worker and client.
A client was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She immediately began to learn
everything she could about the illness: reading books, journal articles, and the latest
experimental research. The client's response to her diagnosis is representative of which
defense mechanism?
Intellectualization
Regression
Sublimation
Repression - ANS IS Intellectualization
A social worker has been working with a 35-year-old divorced woman who has joint
custody of her son, but is the custodial parent. Her ex-husband, whom the social worker
has never met, is taking the client to court in an attempt to gain full custody of the son.
The social worker receives a subpoena from the husband's attorney requesting records
regarding the wife's therapy sessions with the social worker. The social worker is
required to do which of the following?
The social worker must release the entire record of the therapy sessions to the attorney
The social worker is allowed to release only those records that make direct reference to
the wife's relationship with the son, not her treatment issues
The social worker is required to respond to the subpoena, but is not required to
release records since the subpoena was issued by the attorney and not a judge
The social worker does not have to respond to the subpoena because the client's
records are confidential - ANS IS The social worker is required to respond to the
subpoena, but is not required to release records since the subpoena was issued by
the attorney and not a judge
A 22-year-old female client is considering having an abortion. Her social worker is pro-
choice and feels passionately about the issue. Which of the following is the FIRST
thing that the social worker should do in this situation?
She should talk with the client about abortion alternatives
She should refer the client to another social worker
She should help the client obtain the services she needs to get an abortion
She should ask the client to share her rationale for choosing abortion - ANS IS The correct
answer is #4 - She should ask the client to share her rationale for choosing abortion. Keep
in mind that a social worker should always seek to understand. Talking with the client about
abortion alternatives (answer #1) and referring the client to another social worker (answer
#2) are both not correct because once the client has provided
