ASWB Bachelors Assessment 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A social worker is assessing an elderly client for functional impairment. Which tool is commonly used to assess Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)?
- PHQ-9
- Katz Index of Independence (Correct answer)
- Columbia Protocol
- Beck Anxiety Inventory
Correct answer: Katz Index of Independence
The Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living measures functional status by assessing independence in bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and feeding.
Question 2: During an initial assessment, a client from a refugee background appears distressed when asked about family members. The social worker should FIRST:
- Proceed quickly through the assessment to minimize distress
- Acknowledge the difficulty and allow the client to set the pace (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to a trauma specialist before continuing
- Document that the client is non-compliant with the assessment
Correct answer: Acknowledge the difficulty and allow the client to set the pace
Trauma-informed practice requires acknowledging distress and allowing the client to guide pacing, ensuring safety and trust before gathering potentially traumatic information.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST illustrates the use of collateral information in social work assessment?
- Reviewing the client's self-reported history
- Contacting a school counselor with the client's consent to discuss a child's behavior (Correct answer)
- Observing the client's nonverbal communication
- Administering a standardized rating scale
Correct answer: Contacting a school counselor with the client's consent to discuss a child's behavior
Collateral information comes from sources other than the client — such as family members, teachers, or other providers — and supplements the client's self-report with appropriate consent.
Question 4: A social worker assesses that a client lacks stable housing, has untreated diabetes, and is experiencing depression. Addressing the housing issue FIRST is consistent with which theoretical framework?
- Psychoanalytic theory
- Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (Correct answer)
- Cognitive Behavioral Theory
- Systems Theory
Correct answer: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs holds that basic physiological and safety needs (such as housing) must be addressed before higher-order needs can be meaningfully targeted.
Question 5: A client tells the social worker, 'I don't think anyone can help me.' In assessment, this statement is MOST relevant to evaluating the client's:
- Intelligence level
- Motivation and hope for change (Correct answer)
- Social support network
- Cognitive functioning
Correct answer: Motivation and hope for change
Expressions of hopelessness directly inform the assessment of a client's motivation, treatment readiness, and potential barriers to engagement in services.
Question 6: When assessing a client's mental status, 'insight' refers to:
- The client's ability to recall recent events
- The client's awareness and understanding of their own condition (Correct answer)
- The client's orientation to time and place
- The client's judgment about social situations
Correct answer: The client's awareness and understanding of their own condition
Insight in a mental status exam refers to the degree to which a client understands and acknowledges that they have a mental health condition and that it affects their functioning.
Question 7: A social worker completes an assessment and determines that a client has multiple risk factors but also strong protective factors. This balanced view reflects which assessment approach?
- Deficit-based assessment
- Diagnostic-only assessment
- Risk and protective factor assessment (Correct answer)
- Behavioral observation only
Correct answer: Risk and protective factor assessment
Risk and protective factor assessment identifies both vulnerabilities that increase negative outcomes and resilience factors that can buffer against those risks, informing balanced intervention planning.
ASWB Bachelors Assessment 5
A social worker is assessing an elderly client for functional impairment.
Which tool is commonly used to assess Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)?