LCSW Practice Exam 2 | ASWB Clinical Exam Practice (2025)

Our second free LCSW practice exam contains 25 practice questions. This mock test will help you prepare for the ASWB clinical exam. You’ll need to pass the ASWB clinical exam to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Our free LCSW practice tests will familiarize you with types of questions asked and boost your confidence.

1. Studies that collect and analyze data from an entire study population at a single point in time are known as:

Single Subject Design

Retrospective Study

Case Study

Cross-sectional Studies

Question 1 of 25

2. Which of the following is NOT one of the core skills used in motivational interviewing?

Summarizing

Observations

Reflections

Affirmations

Question 2 of 25

3. A social worker is appointed by the court to conduct a child custody evaluation for a divorcing couple. Each parent accuses the other of neglectful or irresponsible behavior. To BEST evaluate the legitimacy of these claims, what should the social worker do?

Ask the husband and wife to put their allegations in writing and sign them, attesting to their accuracy

Determine whether the husband or wife have had any past instances with being untruthful

Always speak to the husband and wife together so that they are more likely to be honest

Obtain information from school personnel and records after obtaining parental consent

Question 3 of 25

4. A social worker is developing a program to help youth exiting the juvenile justice system find employment. After conducting a needs assessment and setting program goals, what should be the NEXT step?

Create an action plan along with a timeline for implementation

Create a planning team which includes identifying key staff

Using the identified goals, implement an action plan and evaluate progress as needed

Put the identified goals in action to ensure they are productive and accurate based on the identified population

Question 4 of 25

5. A 15-year-old client is referred to a therapist after throwing a chair at a student at school. The client's parents recently divorced, and this is the first behavioral incident. To begin building the therapeutic relationship, what should the therapist do FIRST?

Complete a biopsychosocial assessment

Play a game to lessen the stress of the first session

Go over the limitations of confidentiality with the client

Get a release of confidentiality from the mother to talk to the client's teacher

Question 5 of 25

6. A therapist receives a court order to release a client's records related to a custody dispute. Concerned that releasing certain parts may harm the client, the therapist requests to limit the release, but the judge denies the request. What should the therapist do next?

Speak with a lawyer

Release the records to the court immediately

Speak with the client about the subpoena

Release only aspects of the records that the therapist believes aren't harmful

Question 6 of 25

7. What is an ecomap?

A map of habitats in an environment

A map of an individual’s economic resources

A visual diagram of an individual’s social relationships

An auditory tool that assists individuals with blindness in navigating their environment

Question 7 of 25

8. An 11-year-old child wants to help with household chores but is repeatedly discouraged and scolded by her mother. According to Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, which stage is the child most likely experiencing difficulty with?

Initiative versus guilt

Autonomy versus shame/doubt

Generativity versus stagnation

Industry versus inferiority

Question 8 of 25

9. A social worker employed in a hospital is asked to use the SOAP format in a client's record. In this format, what does the "A" stand for?

Assessment

Action plan

Active treatment

Adjustments to services needed

Question 9 of 25

10. A 76-year-old client is speaking with a social worker in the emergency room. The client states that someone in the government is trying to kill her. In which section of the mental status exam would this statement be most appropriately documented?

Sensorium

Perception

Thought content

Thought process

Question 10 of 25

11. Aphasia is BEST defined as difficulty with which of the following?

Walking or running

Recognizing familiar objects

Understanding language or using language to speak or write

Common motor skills such as combing hair, despite normal strength

Question 11 of 25

12. During an assessment, a client reports a low mood, difficulty sleeping, and trouble concentrating that have persisted for the past three years. The client also discloses a history of sexual assault seven years ago but states they "don't really think about it anymore." What is the client's MOST likely diagnosis?

Major Depressive Disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Acute Stress Disorder

Cyclothymic Disorder

Question 12 of 25

13. A social worker is asked to meet with a 13-year-old child after he refused to go home with his father the previous day, leading security to contact his mother. When the social worker meets with the child, he is sucking his thumb. The social worker should be MOST concerned that the child:

May have a developmental delay

May be experiencing bullying

May be experiencing abuse by his father

May have disrupted sleep

Question 13 of 25

14. Which of the following is NOT considered a risk factor for developing an alcohol use disorder?

Impulsivity

Genetics

Early exposure

Higher socioeconomic status

Question 14 of 25

15. Culture-bound syndromes in the DSM-5 have been replaced by all of the following concepts EXCEPT:

Cultural explanations

Cultural syndromes

Cultural stratification

Cultural idioms of distress

Question 15 of 25

16. A patient is mandated to meet with a social worker after a conviction for reckless driving. He shares that he recently ended a long-term relationship, is experiencing financial hardship, and has a history of major depressive disorder but avoided treatment due to concerns about insurance coverage. These factors BEST indicate an increased risk for:

Substance use disorder

Schizophrenia

Homelessness

Suicide

Question 16 of 25

17. A social worker receives a court order to provide records of a former client. In this situation, the social worker should:

Submit the records and try to contact the client to inform her about the disclosure

Submit the records with the client's contact information so the court can notify her

Submit the records but not contact the client, as court orders are not to be discussed by anyone other than judges and attorneys

Write to the judge to ask whether the client should be notified about the court order

Question 17 of 25

18. Sinemet is the primary medication used in the treatment of which of the following conditions?

Parkinson’s disease

Multiple sclerosis

Crohn’s disease

HIV/AIDS

Question 18 of 25

19. A social worker is transitioning from their current agency to a new place of employment. What is the most ethical way for the social worker to handle this change in relation to their clients?

Discontinue services to clients immediately

Not inform clients in order to avoid causing them undue stress and harm

Inform clients of appropriate options for the continuation of services and the benefits and risks of the options

Advise clients to transfer services to the social worker’s new agency to prevent treatment interruptions

Question 19 of 25

20. About half of all individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease will develop which of the following conditions?

Diabetes

Clinical depression

Psychotic symptoms

Substance use dependence

Question 20 of 25

21. Federal law requires health care facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to do all of the following regarding advance directives EXCEPT:

Inform clients of their rights to have advance directives that allow them to make decisions about their health care

Use a portion of their revenues to assist clients with the costs associated with creating advance directives

Ask clients if they have advance directives and document their responses

Provide education about advance directives

Question 21 of 25

22. A researcher believes their postpartum depression measurement tool is valid because it accurately predicts which clients will use psychiatric medication. Which type of validity is the researcher using to support this claim?

Construct validity

Criterion-related validity

Content validity

Face validity

Question 22 of 25

23. In which of the following situations is task-centered treatment NOT recommended?

When the client wants to see immediate results or changes in circumstances

When the client is anxious to be an active part of the change process

When there is a time-limited period in which to work with the client

When the client is addressing long-standing problems that are complex in nature

Question 23 of 25

24. When assessing clients who need care, social workers should attempt to serve clients in which of the following settings?

Natural environment

Home environment

Community environment

Least restrictive environment

Question 24 of 25

25. A client is currently taking Clozaril for the treatment of schizophrenia. What type of medical monitoring is MOST likely required due to the use of this medication?

Weight checks

Dietary restrictions

Exercise regimen

Blood work

Question 25 of 25

If you haven’t checked our first LCSW practice exam, access that here: LCSW Practice Exam 1.