Exam Prep Blog: May 2012

After completing a graduate degree in social work and a post-graduate certificate program in Infant-Parent Mental Health, I like to think I know a thing or two about child development...but the truth is that I need reminders. Reminders of what is typical at each age and stage, reminders of what is cause for concern. The test makers and licensing bodies want to ensure both that you won't pathologize normal child behavior and that you won't normalize behavior that is a sign of a problem. Here's a example of a test item that incorporates this topic: Sample: A woman self-refers to a social worker

When it comes to passing the LCSW and MFT exams, people frequently ask me, "how much do I need to study?". They rarely ask, "how little do I need to study?". The first question is harder for me to answer. For one thing, people vary greatly in their studying efficiency. Most people say they are studying, but when you measure how much they’ve learned in that time, it’s very little. The other potential problem is that people tend to review the same material so many times that their brains stop listening and tune out, just as it does when a person tells you the same story over and over. Both of

It’s hard for me to believe, but we’ve been at this blog for 19 weeks now…we’re rolling through our 50 Topics pretty quick! This week, our attention turns to Stages of Development. You can guarantee that there will be a handful of questions on your exam that pertain to developmental stages, and most will reference either Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development or Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development. Let’s take a look at a potential test item that incorporates this topic: Sample: A 32 year-old man seeks treatment from a social worker for ongoing problems with both his personal and

The rumors are true. The BBS will be changing the exam process for the MFT and LCSW exams but not until January 1, 2014. This is a change from the January 1, 2013 date that was originally proposed. In January 2013, a new registrant (MFT intern/Associate Clinical Social Worker) with the Board will be required to take the new California Law and Ethics Exam within the first year of registration with the Board. If the Law and Ethics Exam is not passed within the first renewal period, the registrant must complete a 12-hour law and ethics course in order to be eligible to take the exam in the next

This week brings us to Factors Affecting Mental Health. Most of these factors, including environmental and psychosocial factors, are recorded on Axis IV of the DSM Multiaxial Assessment. You will see these factors in many test questions and will often be asked to prioritize interventions based on multiple stressors/factors. Let's look at an example: Sample: A family contacts a social worker for help with an increase in conflict and fighting. During the intake, the wife tells the social worker that her husband's mother recently moved in with the family after his father passed away. She goes on

This week, we're moving on to Axis III -- Medical Conditions. A medical condition warrants recording on Axis III of a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis when it affects the client's mental health (so if someone has diabetes, but has had it for years and is managing it well, it might not be recorded). Here's one way this topic will almost certainly come up on the exam: Sample: A 47 year-old man seeks services from a social worker for symptoms of depression. In the initial session, the man reports that he has had difficulty sleeping, has been feeling hopeless, and has been suffering from near-constant

While the DSM-IV-TR considers Mental Retardation one of the Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence, we've decided to look at it as part of our tour of Axis II Disorders. Mental Retardation is on Axis II because of its lifelong trajectory and pervasive affect on functioning. Here's one way it may come up in a test item: Sample: A social worker begins treatment with a mother and her 5 year-old son. When she greets the family in the waiting room, the social worker notices several distinct facial features on the child that would indicate Down's Syndrome. When the