ASWB Bachelors MCQ 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to the NASW Code of Ethics, which of the following represents a social worker's primary ethical obligation?
- Loyalty to the employing agency
- Service to the client (Correct answer)
- Adherence to state licensing laws
- Collaboration with other professionals
Correct answer: Service to the client
The NASW Code of Ethics identifies service to clients as the primary ethical obligation of social workers.
Question 2: A social worker is completing an intake with a Spanish-speaking client who has limited English proficiency. The client's bilingual adult child offers to interpret. What is the BEST response?
- Accept the offer to save time and build rapport
- Use the child as an interpreter only for non-sensitive topics
- Arrange for a qualified professional interpreter (Correct answer)
- Conduct the session in English with written translations
Correct answer: Arrange for a qualified professional interpreter
Professional interpreters ensure accuracy and confidentiality; using family members can compromise both and create ethical concerns.
Question 3: Which of Erikson's psychosocial stages is most relevant when working with a 16-year-old client struggling with peer pressure and questions about career goals?
- Industry vs. Inferiority
- Identity vs. Role Confusion (Correct answer)
- Intimacy vs. Isolation
- Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
Correct answer: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Adolescence corresponds to Erikson's Identity vs. Role Confusion stage, during which individuals explore who they are and their place in the world.
Question 4: A client shares that they plan to stop taking prescribed psychiatric medication because they feel fine. What should the social worker do FIRST?
- Contact the prescribing physician immediately without telling the client
- Respect the client's autonomy and document the decision
- Explore the client's reasons and educate them about risks of stopping medication abruptly (Correct answer)
- Advise the client they must continue medication as a condition of services
Correct answer: Explore the client's reasons and educate them about risks of stopping medication abruptly
Exploring reasoning and providing psychoeducation respects autonomy while ensuring the client has accurate information to make an informed decision.
Question 5: In the ecological perspective, which concept refers to the fit between a person and their environment?
- Transactions
- Goodness of fit (Correct answer)
- Reciprocity
- Adaptation
Correct answer: Goodness of fit
Goodness of fit describes how well a person's needs, capacities, and goals align with the opportunities and demands of their environment.
Question 6: Which of the following is a hallmark feature of motivational interviewing?
- Confronting the client's denial directly
- Expressing empathy through reflective listening (Correct answer)
- Setting concrete behavioral goals early in treatment
- Providing expert advice to guide client decisions
Correct answer: Expressing empathy through reflective listening
Motivational interviewing relies on empathy and reflective listening to explore ambivalence and build intrinsic motivation for change.
Question 7: A social worker employed at a nonprofit agency is instructed by a supervisor to falsify a client's income documentation to qualify for a housing program. What should the social worker do?
- Follow the supervisor's instruction since agency policy takes precedence
- Falsify the document but report the supervisor later
- Refuse to falsify and report the unethical directive through appropriate channels (Correct answer)
- Resign immediately without reporting the incident
Correct answer: Refuse to falsify and report the unethical directive through appropriate channels
Social workers must refuse unethical directives and use proper internal or external reporting mechanisms to address misconduct.
ASWB Bachelors MCQ 3
According to the NASW Code of Ethics, which of the following represents a social worker's primary ethical obligation?