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Social work licensing practices vary widely by state. Some states require entry-level and generalist social workers to pass an test and earn licensure. In other states, you only need a license to become a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and provide psychotherapy services.

In many states, social work licensure at any level requires you to pass an test administered by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB). The ASWB test is a nationally recognized assessment that evaluates your comprehension of human behavior and development.

If you’re a social work major or considering pivoting into the human services field, read on to discover how to prepare for, take and pass the ASWB licensure exam—with or without a social work degree.

What Is the ASWB Exam?

ASWB is a nonprofit organization comprising all of the state social work regulatory boards in the United States and Canada. This body regulates the social work profession and administers the licensure test that evaluates prospective social workers’ ethics and expertise. Passing the ASWB test is the final step to earning a social work license in many states.

ASWB offers five test categories—associate, bachelor’s, master’s, advanced generalist and clinical—each tailored to a specific education and experience level. A candidate’s test category determines their title and scope of practice post-licensure.

Within a four-hour window, ASWB exam-takers must answer questions concerning:

• Human development, diversity and behavior in the environment
• Assessment (of clients’ physical and mental status)
• Interventions with clients
• Professional relationships, values and ethics

ASWB test Categories

All ASWB test categories contain 170 questions on human development and behavior, but question types may vary among categories. For example, the associate and bachelor’s exams lean more heavily on recall questions than other test categories, which feature larger proportions of reasoning questions.

Each test category may lead to a different level of social work licensure depending on your state’s licensing processes. Not all states offer all five categories of the ASWB exam.

Associate

This category offers a licensure pathway for applicants who want to practice social work without earning a four-year degree in the field. In most cases, associate-level social workers can only practice under supervision.

A handful of states offer this licensing pathway: South Dakota, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Only South Dakota, New Hampshire and Massachusetts require associate-level social workers to pass the associate ASWB exam.

Registration for the associate ASWB test category costs $230.

Bachelor’s

The ASWB bachelor’s exam, which also costs $230, evaluates your generalist understanding of social work practices and ethics. You must hold a bachelor’s degree in social work from an accredited college to sit for this test category.

The bachelor’s category features the same questions as the associate category.

Passing the bachelor’s test qualifies you to become a non-clinical baccalaureate social worker. Exact titles vary among states; in Oregon, these professionals are called registered baccalaureate social workers, while North Carolina calls them certified social workers.

In most cases, social workers at this level interview clients, manage cases, conduct research and advocate for social justice. Depending on the state, they may only be able to practice autonomously after gaining supervised work experience post-licensure.

Master’s

The ASWB master’s category requires a master of social work (MSW) and usually qualifies applicants for the licensed master social worker (LMSW) credential. Again, the exact title may vary by state—Indiana calls these professionals licensed social workers, for example.

The master’s-level test tests your foundational understanding of the social work field and evaluates your application of specialized skills gained during their MSW program. Licensees know how to apply advanced practice skills and specialized knowledge in their roles.

LMSWs can drive social change and justice for various communities. In some states, they can provide clinical therapy with oversight from an LCSW. The registration fee for this ASWB test category is $230.

Advanced Generalist:

The advanced generalist category is tailored to prospective LMSWs who aspire to work in macro-level roles. This means working with large populations, such as entire states and countries. The advanced generalist ASWB test indicates a desire to work with public policy, state or national campaigns, or other government initiatives.

To sit for the advanced generalist ASWB exam, you must hold a master’s degree in social work plus two years of nonclinical professional experience.

With a fee of $260, test takers can prove their expertise in social justice, public policy and administration, and public welfare to their state licensing boards.

Clinical

The minimum requirements for this ASWB category include an MSW and two years of clinical experience. The clinical ASWB test serves prospective social workers who want to provide mental health services in clinical settings.

LCSWs (who may work under different titles, depending on where they practice) provide psychotherapy services to prevent, diagnose and treat mental illnesses. Through individual or group therapy, these professionals help people struggling with emotional distress.

Clinical social workers practice independently in various settings, including hospitals, schools, psychiatric facilities and social service agencies. Registering for the clinical ASWB test category costs $260.

Signing Up for the ASWB Exam

Apply for a State License

First, you must get your state board’s approval to register for the ASWB exam. Approval processes differ depending on the state where you want to practice.

Typical requirements vary by state and license level but may include college transcripts, a license application fee and proof of supervised experience, which you can send to the board via email or fax. Some states may also require you to provide fingerprints and undergo a background check.

Sign Up for the ASWB Exam

Once you receive approval from your state social work board, you must register for the appropriate ASWB licensure exam, either online, via mail or by fax. Registration costs between $230 and $260, depending on your test category.

If your registration is successful, you’ll receive an “authorization to test” email from ASWB.

Schedule Your Test with Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE provides testing centers for licensure applicants nationwide. You can schedule, cancel and reschedule test appointments with Pearson VUE through the testing authorization email.

Preparing for the ASWB Exam

Understand How the test Is Structured

The ASWB test is a four-hour, computer-based test comprising 170 multiple-choice questions that test your expertise and decision-making skills as a social worker.

Exam questions cover various content areas and competencies you should have covered during your degree program. You may also find knowledge, skills and abilities statements resembling real-life situations that require critical thinking. To pass the licensure exam, you must answer about 100 out of the 150 questions correctly.

Take a Practice Test

Although self-study is necessary to pass professional exams, practice tests can help you prepare better. By taking a mock test, you can identify loopholes in your study plan, learn the testing software, understand your strengths and areas for improvement, and prepare for complex questions.

After you register for your exam, ASWB offers a 30-day window to take a practice test for an additional $85. Practice exams exist for all categories except the advanced generalist exam.

Other test prep resources offer free practice tests, but ASWB warns against those resources because their content may be misleading.

Know What to Expect on Test Day

ASWB enforces several security measures on test day to ensure a reliable test process. Prepare to present two photo IDs and sign a confidentiality agreement.

Pearson VUE test centers are fitted with surveillance tools to detect test malpractice. Exam Center personnel may also walk through the room at intervals.

You cannot enter the testing center with personal items, but you will receive erasable note boards, markers and other necessary materials from the Exam Center personnel. You must return the items after the test or risk invalidating your score.

The testing equipment should look like a typical computer setup. Test administrators may provide a short on-screen tutorial to help you navigate the software.

Decompress After the Exam

Upon completing the licensure exam, you’ll receive an unofficial score report at the Exam Center indicating your performance. ASWB will then send the official score report to your state’s social work board two weeks after the exam.

Note that your scores cannot be altered at any point, so all you can do is wait for your state board to contact you or go ahead with other state-specific requirements. This may take anywhere from two weeks to a month.

If you fail the licensure exam, you can retake it after 90 days.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the ASWB Exam

Four-day Classes
Examinations for subjects which have meetings in both the Monday/Wednesday/Friday (MWF) and Tuesday/Thursday (TT) sequences should be scheduled according to the sequence in which they have the greater number of times. If a class meets an equal number of times in each sequence, the examination should be scheduled according to the sequence which shows an earlier date or time in the examination schedule.

i.e., for MTWF or MWTHF courses, refer to the MWF examination time. For MTWTH of MTTHF courses, find both the MWF test time and the TT test time—your test is scheduled for whichever date/time is earlier.

Common test Times
All sections of Accounting 203 and 204 as well as all sections of Mathematics 171, 172, and 271
have a common test on Monday, December 11, 9:00 a.m.

Half-Semester Courses
Exams for undergraduate courses meeting during the first half of the semester will be
scheduled on the last day of class. Exams for undergraduate courses meeting during the
second half of the semester will be scheduled according to the test schedule above.

Labs and Combination Lecture/Lab Courses
Exams for labs, if given, should be administered during the final lab period. Exams for
combination lecture/lab classes should be administered according to the test schedule above.

One-credit PER and MUSC Courses
Exams for one-credit PER and MUSC courses, if given, will typically be scheduled for the final
class period.

Graduate Courses
Graduate courses will typically follow the full eight-week schedule, with the test on the final
day of class.