ASWB PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Social workers should refer clients to other professionals in all of the following instances
EXCEPT when:
A. Professionals' specialized knowledge or expertise is needed to meet the clients'
needs.
B. Social workers believe they are not being effective in addressing clients' concerns.
C. Professionals believe that other modalities of treatment may be more effective to
resolve clients' issues.
D. Social workers are not making reasonable progress in addressing clients' problems. -
Answer -C
A social worker is working with a second grade child who is having trouble staying in her
seat in the classroom. The social worker, in conjunction with the teacher, indicates that
the immediate objective is that the child "will remain seated after being reminded to do
so by the teacher while in the classroom." The social worker's supervisor, after
reviewing the objective, would judge it to be:
A. Adequate as it addresses the target problem
B. Inadequate as it puts too much responsibility on the teacher
C. Adequate since the teacher was involved in the process
D. Inadequate as it lacks some elements of a measurable objective - Answer -D
A social worker may limit a client's self-determination when the clients' actions:
A. Pose a serious and imminent risk to self or others according to the social worker's
judgment.
B. Cause significant family dysfunction which threatens to impact on the psychological
well-being of its members.
C. Result in legal action such as arrests, fines, and/or civil penalties.
D. Violate agency procedures and policies as established by the chief executive officer -
Answer -A
During assessment, partialization can be used by a social worker to assist a client with
all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Recognizing the next action to take when intervening in a situation
B. Helping to clarify the specific cause(s) of a problem
C. Identifying issues that need immediate attention
D. Distinguishing areas that require further inquiry - Answer -A
,According to Erikson, which of the following is seen as the last stage in psychosocial
development?
A. Ego integrity v. Despair
B. Trust v. Mistrust
C. Intimacy v. Isolation
D. Autonomy v. Shame and doubt - Answer -A
Psychological abuse is MOST often detected by:
A. Confessions of perpetrators
B. Information supplied by collateral contacts
C. Behavioral characteristics of victims
D. Bruises or marks left by comorbid physical mistreatment - Answer -C
A client shows a social worker a list of reasons why she should and should not leave
her abusive husband. She says that she is preparing the list to see if the benefits are
greater than the risks. The client is basing her decision on which of the following
theories?
A. Systems
B. Functionalist
C. Harm reduction
D. Social exchange - Answer -D
Which of the following is TRUE about human trafficking?
A. Human trafficking involves sexual exploitation.
B. Victims of human trafficking are poor females.
C. Human trafficking occurs in all countries except the United States.
D. Human trafficking is not the same as human smuggling. - Answer -D
Role complementarity occurs when:
A. An individual takes on a new role that is appreciated by another.
B. Two individuals act in an expected manner.
C. There is confusion in the role definition of an individual.
D. An individual successfully exits an existing role. - Answer -B
A social worker needs to contact a client who has not shown up for services in many
weeks. He calls the number provided, only to get a household answering machine. The
social worker leaves a simple message including his name, his agency name, and his
contact information. The social worker's actions were:
A. Unethical because members of the household are now aware of the client's affiliation
with the agency.
,B. Ethical since the client provided the phone number upon intake.
C. Ethical as no details about the nature of the call were included in the message.
D. Unethical because the reason for the call should have been fully disclosed. - Answer
-A
Which is NOT a primary purpose of social work licensure?
A. Create parity with other helping professions to ensure that social workers receive
comparable compensation.
B. Identify standards for the safe professional practice of social work.
C. Ensure social workers have the knowledge and skills to practice competently.
D. Provide an avenue for investigating complaints and taking action to ensure continued
safe and professional practice - Answer -A
Which of the following is NOT typically part of the sensorimotor stage of cognitive
development?
A. Actions are imitative in nature.
B. Intentional actions begin to emerge.
C. Difference between past, present, and future is learned.
D. Primitive ability to manipulate objects is seen. - Answer -C
What is the MOST significant difference between a formative and summative
evaluation?
A. A summative evaluation is more scientifically rigorous than a formative evaluation.
B. A formative evaluation examines processes while a summative evaluation is focused
on outcomes.
C. A summative evaluation examines processes while a formative evaluation is focused
on outcomes.
D. A formative evaluation is more scientifically rigorous than a summative evaluation. -
Answer -B
When a social worker receives a subpoena, he or she must:
A. Send the client his or her records so the client can respond to the subpoena
, B. Claim privilege and not release any information until court-ordered to do so.
C. Send the records immediately to the court in order to avoid being sanctioned.
D. Submit a written summary of services rendered to the court in lieu of sending the
records. - Answer -B
A client tells a social worker that he feels "alone" and does not think that anyone else is
having the same problems that he is experiencing. In order to assist the client, it is
BEST that the social worker:
A. Ask the client to explain further what he means by feeling "alone"
B. Determine whether the client is at risk for suicide and in need of hospitalization.
C. Refer the client to counseling for depression
D. State that many people have encountered similar difficulties and that the social
worker is there to help. - Answer -D
A client who is going through a bitter divorce tells a social worker that she "does not
know how this will ever turn out well." The social worker, who is divorced, remembers
when she also felt that way. To appropriately assist the client, the social worker should:
A. Discuss with the client how she envisions the client's life after the divorce without
disclosing her own past.
B. Speak candidly to the client about her own marital struggles so the client does not
feel alone.
C. Tell the client that she also felt that way when she was getting divorced in an effort to
normalize the client's emotions.
D. Make a referral to another social worker in the agency because the client's
experiences are eliciting an emotional reaction in the social worker. - Answer -A
Which of the following is NOT true about early childhood development?
A. Receptive communication skills usually develop at an earlier age than expressive
language.
B. Play is important to cognitive, social, and physical development.
C. Behavioral outbursts can be signs of psychological disturbance.
Social workers should refer clients to other professionals in all of the following instances
EXCEPT when:
A. Professionals' specialized knowledge or expertise is needed to meet the clients'
needs.
B. Social workers believe they are not being effective in addressing clients' concerns.
C. Professionals believe that other modalities of treatment may be more effective to
resolve clients' issues.
D. Social workers are not making reasonable progress in addressing clients' problems. -
Answer -C
A social worker is working with a second grade child who is having trouble staying in her
seat in the classroom. The social worker, in conjunction with the teacher, indicates that
the immediate objective is that the child "will remain seated after being reminded to do
so by the teacher while in the classroom." The social worker's supervisor, after
reviewing the objective, would judge it to be:
A. Adequate as it addresses the target problem
B. Inadequate as it puts too much responsibility on the teacher
C. Adequate since the teacher was involved in the process
D. Inadequate as it lacks some elements of a measurable objective - Answer -D
A social worker may limit a client's self-determination when the clients' actions:
A. Pose a serious and imminent risk to self or others according to the social worker's
judgment.
B. Cause significant family dysfunction which threatens to impact on the psychological
well-being of its members.
C. Result in legal action such as arrests, fines, and/or civil penalties.
D. Violate agency procedures and policies as established by the chief executive officer -
Answer -A
During assessment, partialization can be used by a social worker to assist a client with
all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Recognizing the next action to take when intervening in a situation
B. Helping to clarify the specific cause(s) of a problem
C. Identifying issues that need immediate attention
D. Distinguishing areas that require further inquiry - Answer -A
,According to Erikson, which of the following is seen as the last stage in psychosocial
development?
A. Ego integrity v. Despair
B. Trust v. Mistrust
C. Intimacy v. Isolation
D. Autonomy v. Shame and doubt - Answer -A
Psychological abuse is MOST often detected by:
A. Confessions of perpetrators
B. Information supplied by collateral contacts
C. Behavioral characteristics of victims
D. Bruises or marks left by comorbid physical mistreatment - Answer -C
A client shows a social worker a list of reasons why she should and should not leave
her abusive husband. She says that she is preparing the list to see if the benefits are
greater than the risks. The client is basing her decision on which of the following
theories?
A. Systems
B. Functionalist
C. Harm reduction
D. Social exchange - Answer -D
Which of the following is TRUE about human trafficking?
A. Human trafficking involves sexual exploitation.
B. Victims of human trafficking are poor females.
C. Human trafficking occurs in all countries except the United States.
D. Human trafficking is not the same as human smuggling. - Answer -D
Role complementarity occurs when:
A. An individual takes on a new role that is appreciated by another.
B. Two individuals act in an expected manner.
C. There is confusion in the role definition of an individual.
D. An individual successfully exits an existing role. - Answer -B
A social worker needs to contact a client who has not shown up for services in many
weeks. He calls the number provided, only to get a household answering machine. The
social worker leaves a simple message including his name, his agency name, and his
contact information. The social worker's actions were:
A. Unethical because members of the household are now aware of the client's affiliation
with the agency.
,B. Ethical since the client provided the phone number upon intake.
C. Ethical as no details about the nature of the call were included in the message.
D. Unethical because the reason for the call should have been fully disclosed. - Answer
-A
Which is NOT a primary purpose of social work licensure?
A. Create parity with other helping professions to ensure that social workers receive
comparable compensation.
B. Identify standards for the safe professional practice of social work.
C. Ensure social workers have the knowledge and skills to practice competently.
D. Provide an avenue for investigating complaints and taking action to ensure continued
safe and professional practice - Answer -A
Which of the following is NOT typically part of the sensorimotor stage of cognitive
development?
A. Actions are imitative in nature.
B. Intentional actions begin to emerge.
C. Difference between past, present, and future is learned.
D. Primitive ability to manipulate objects is seen. - Answer -C
What is the MOST significant difference between a formative and summative
evaluation?
A. A summative evaluation is more scientifically rigorous than a formative evaluation.
B. A formative evaluation examines processes while a summative evaluation is focused
on outcomes.
C. A summative evaluation examines processes while a formative evaluation is focused
on outcomes.
D. A formative evaluation is more scientifically rigorous than a summative evaluation. -
Answer -B
When a social worker receives a subpoena, he or she must:
A. Send the client his or her records so the client can respond to the subpoena
, B. Claim privilege and not release any information until court-ordered to do so.
C. Send the records immediately to the court in order to avoid being sanctioned.
D. Submit a written summary of services rendered to the court in lieu of sending the
records. - Answer -B
A client tells a social worker that he feels "alone" and does not think that anyone else is
having the same problems that he is experiencing. In order to assist the client, it is
BEST that the social worker:
A. Ask the client to explain further what he means by feeling "alone"
B. Determine whether the client is at risk for suicide and in need of hospitalization.
C. Refer the client to counseling for depression
D. State that many people have encountered similar difficulties and that the social
worker is there to help. - Answer -D
A client who is going through a bitter divorce tells a social worker that she "does not
know how this will ever turn out well." The social worker, who is divorced, remembers
when she also felt that way. To appropriately assist the client, the social worker should:
A. Discuss with the client how she envisions the client's life after the divorce without
disclosing her own past.
B. Speak candidly to the client about her own marital struggles so the client does not
feel alone.
C. Tell the client that she also felt that way when she was getting divorced in an effort to
normalize the client's emotions.
D. Make a referral to another social worker in the agency because the client's
experiences are eliciting an emotional reaction in the social worker. - Answer -A
Which of the following is NOT true about early childhood development?
A. Receptive communication skills usually develop at an earlier age than expressive
language.
B. Play is important to cognitive, social, and physical development.
C. Behavioral outbursts can be signs of psychological disturbance.
