ASWB Exam Study Guide

Whether you work in clinical or non-clinical social work, establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries is so important in our field. Thankfully, the ASWB recognizes this and considers it important enough to put on their licensing exams. Questions regarding boundaries regularly show up on the LMSW and LCSW exams and we want to ensure all of our customers are ready for these questions when they show up. Regardless of whether you’re a pro at setting healthy boundaries or struggle in this realm, we’re here to help you get ready for this topic on the exam (and hopefully outside the exam, too!)

The DSM-5 was published in 2013. Many social workers went to school learning the DSM-IV-TR and because of this, we still receive coaching questions about the differences between the DSM-IV-TR and the DSM-5. We know regardless of which DSM you went to school with, picking up the DSM-5 can feel daunting. The thought of learning and applying all of the DSM-5 information to LCSW exam questions can be overwhelming. But fear not: TDC's got you covered! How am I supposed to memorize the DSM-5? The good news is, you aren’t! The ASWB does not expect you to have the DSM-5 memorized. One of my favorite

Alright Social Work Exam and MFT Exam-Takers, it’s Tuesday, time for another free LCSW practice exam question to help you study. For this week's Hot Topic we’re taking a brief look at Domestic Violence. Let’s take a closer look at a possible test item.

As you prepare for your ASWB exam, know that issues surrounding aging adults are likely to show up in one form or another on your test. The ASWB is assessing not only that you know how to appropriately respond to scenario questions with aging adults, but also that you know symptoms for common diagnoses such as Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer's. Additionally-and this is an important one-they want to make sure you aren’t answering based on any underlying assumptions or stereotypes you have about aging adults. Self-Determination Like our work with any client population, we want to

[caption id="attachment_2202" align="alignnone" width="900"] community social work[/caption] For many of us pursuing clinical licensure, thinking about the macro social work questions that could show up on the exam sends our otherwise clinically confident selves into a mental tailspin. It makes sense; for most of us taking the ASWB social work exams (whether LMSW or LCSW), our intent is to do clinical work. Because many of us lack work experience at the community level, this topic feels daunting. What is Community Social Work? Community social work looks at the impact larger social systems

Every now and then I’ll receive a question asking what 'LCSW' means or how being an LCSW differs from an MFT. The term LCSW stands for licensed clinical social worker. What exactly is a licensed clinical social worker? An LCSW is someone who has graduated from an accredited social work master's program, completed supervised clinical hours, and passed the ASWB’s clinical licensure exam. This is the highest level of social work licensure a person can obtain. When social workers move from being unlicensed (or provisionally licensed) to fully licensed clinicians, some significant changes occur

Negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement are two concepts from behavioral therapy that are likely to show up on the ASWB’s exams (both LMSW and LCSW). While we previously wrote a blog with a practice question and rationale on this topic, today we want to take a few minutes to hone in specifically on negative reinforcement examples, as this is one of the most misunderstood behavioral principles. Reinforcement In operant conditioning, the word ‘reinforcement’ refers to strengthening (increasing) a desired behavior. So if I want a child to complete his chores, do his homework, etc., I

At least several times each week I receive coaching emails inquiring whether it is recommended to use the acronyms FAREAFI and AASPIRINS on the exam. And understandably so! How wonderful would it be if there were a mnemonic we could apply to the challenging reasoning based questions that make up the vast majority (80-85%) of the ASWB’s clinical social work exam? So, do they work? Does TDC recommend the use of them in conjunction with our program and strategies? Unfortunately, the answer to both of these questions is a resounding ‘no’ (which is why we will not be going into a breakdown of these

Happy February to everyone getting ready to PASS their ASWB social work licensing exams. Today we are covering a topic (including a FREE aswb practice exam question) that we can say with near certainty will show up on your LCSW and LMSW exams: Danger to Others. Danger to Others As social workers, we not only have a responsibility to honor our client’s self-determination, but also to protect society (hence why we are mandated reporters for children, the elderly, and dependent adults and why we have a duty to warn). Here are a few helpful pieces of information you want to keep in mind about

Happy New Year to all of you who are getting ready to PASS your ASWB exams in 2019! Let's start the year off right with a FREE ASWB exam practice question to get you ready to achieve all of your 2019 social work goals. Clinical Supervision If you’re studying for the ASWB exam, clinical supervision is a topic that you could very well see showing up on your exam. A number of the individuals I’m coaching have asked, “how am I supposed to know what to do as a supervisor if I’ve never been a supervisor before?” That’s a great question, and thankfully TDC is here to help you prepare for all aspects