ASWB EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ 2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be defined as:
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained training and experience
in delivering
B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes according to a
cost-benefit analysis
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, and judicious
use of research knowledge, clinical expertise, social work values, and
client wishes
D. Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles. Answer: C
Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions
with clinical experience and ethics, as well as client preferences and
culture, to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services.
Social workers, clients, and others must work together in order to
identify what works, for whom, and under what conditions. This
approach ensures that the treatments and services, when used as
intended, will have the most effective outcomes as demonstrated by the
research.
◉ 3. What are the stages of change in sequential order?
,A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, maintenance,
and relapse
B. Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, maintenance,
and relapse
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance,
and relapse
D. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance,
and relapse. Answer: D
Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed by
contemplation in which there is ambivalence about making change. Then
comes preparation or experimenting with small changes. Action moves
toward achieving a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior
and avoids relapse, which can lead to feelings of frustration and failure.
◉ 4. Which of the following is NOT an essential step in ethical problem
solving?
A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be compromised
B. Determining whether there is an ethical dilemma
C. Weighing ethical issues in light of social work values and principles
D. Asking a supervisor to monitor practice to identify new ethical issues
or dilemmas. Answer: D
A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to
identify whether new issues or dilemmas arise.
,◉ 5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims that he is a
member of the armed forces, though it is obvious that he is not. This
assertion by the boy is MOST likely a:
A. Comorbid thought
B. Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D. Delusion. Answer: D
A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e.,
believing something that is not true). Comorbid means existing at the
same time. Dissociation is a change in memory, perception, or
consciousness. Folie à deux is a shared delusion.
◉ 6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a group home
manager for a new program scheduled to open in 2 weeks. Further
delays in locating staff will delay clients from moving into the program.
The administrator temporarily hires her niece, who just graduated with a
social work degree, for this position. This action is:
A. Ethical because the niece is clearly qualified for the position
B. Unethical because this is a conflict of interest
C. Ethical because the position is temporary and ensures clients get the
services needed
D. Unethical because clients will experience staff turnover when a new
manager is hired. Answer: B
, Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial
judgment. Hiring a family member creates a dual relationship and should
be avoided.
◉ 7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to which current
clients are satisfied with a new relapse prevention program. The social
worker distributes a client satisfaction survey to those in the program.
The social worker then collects the surveys and analyzes the results that
are presented to a management team in the agency. The social worker is
conducting which type of evaluation?
A. Summative
B. Experimental
C. Quasi-experimental
D. Formative. Answer: D
Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services,
whereas summative evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative
evaluations are ongoing processes that allow for feedback to be
implemented during service delivery. These types of evaluations allow
social workers to make changes as needed to help achieve program
goals. Summative evaluations occur at the end of services and provide
an overall description of their effectiveness. Summative evaluation
examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
The design described is not experimental—which requires a control
group and randomization of assignment—or quasi-experimental, which
does not require randomization, but has more support for causal
inferences than does preexperimental designs.
ANSWERS GRADED A+
◉ 2. Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be defined as:
A. Interventions that a social worker has gained training and experience
in delivering
B. Treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes according to a
cost-benefit analysis
C. Decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, and judicious
use of research knowledge, clinical expertise, social work values, and
client wishes
D. Practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles. Answer: C
Evidence-based practice (EBP) combines well-researched interventions
with clinical experience and ethics, as well as client preferences and
culture, to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services.
Social workers, clients, and others must work together in order to
identify what works, for whom, and under what conditions. This
approach ensures that the treatments and services, when used as
intended, will have the most effective outcomes as demonstrated by the
research.
◉ 3. What are the stages of change in sequential order?
,A. Precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, maintenance,
and relapse
B. Preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, maintenance,
and relapse
C. Preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance,
and relapse
D. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance,
and relapse. Answer: D
Precontemplation is denial or ignorance of the problem. It is followed by
contemplation in which there is ambivalence about making change. Then
comes preparation or experimenting with small changes. Action moves
toward achieving a goal, whereas maintenance sustains a new behavior
and avoids relapse, which can lead to feelings of frustration and failure.
◉ 4. Which of the following is NOT an essential step in ethical problem
solving?
A. Identifying the ethical standards that may be compromised
B. Determining whether there is an ethical dilemma
C. Weighing ethical issues in light of social work values and principles
D. Asking a supervisor to monitor practice to identify new ethical issues
or dilemmas. Answer: D
A social worker, not his or her supervisor, should monitor practice to
identify whether new issues or dilemmas arise.
,◉ 5. A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims that he is a
member of the armed forces, though it is obvious that he is not. This
assertion by the boy is MOST likely a:
A. Comorbid thought
B. Dissociation
C. Folie à deux
D. Delusion. Answer: D
A delusion is a false, fixed belief despite evidence to the contrary (i.e.,
believing something that is not true). Comorbid means existing at the
same time. Dissociation is a change in memory, perception, or
consciousness. Folie à deux is a shared delusion.
◉ 6. A social work administrator is having trouble finding a group home
manager for a new program scheduled to open in 2 weeks. Further
delays in locating staff will delay clients from moving into the program.
The administrator temporarily hires her niece, who just graduated with a
social work degree, for this position. This action is:
A. Ethical because the niece is clearly qualified for the position
B. Unethical because this is a conflict of interest
C. Ethical because the position is temporary and ensures clients get the
services needed
D. Unethical because clients will experience staff turnover when a new
manager is hired. Answer: B
, Social workers should avoid situations interfering with impartial
judgment. Hiring a family member creates a dual relationship and should
be avoided.
◉ 7. A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to which current
clients are satisfied with a new relapse prevention program. The social
worker distributes a client satisfaction survey to those in the program.
The social worker then collects the surveys and analyzes the results that
are presented to a management team in the agency. The social worker is
conducting which type of evaluation?
A. Summative
B. Experimental
C. Quasi-experimental
D. Formative. Answer: D
Formative evaluations examine the process of delivering services,
whereas summative evaluations examine the outcomes. Formative
evaluations are ongoing processes that allow for feedback to be
implemented during service delivery. These types of evaluations allow
social workers to make changes as needed to help achieve program
goals. Summative evaluations occur at the end of services and provide
an overall description of their effectiveness. Summative evaluation
examines outcomes to determine whether objectives were met.
The design described is not experimental—which requires a control
group and randomization of assignment—or quasi-experimental, which
does not require randomization, but has more support for causal
inferences than does preexperimental designs.
