LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) Exam — Questions and Answers

Question 1: When setting treatment goals for a client with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), the social worker should PRIMARILY focus on:

Full symptom remission as the primary benchmark
Medication compliance as the sole indicator of progress
Functional recovery, community integration, and quality of life (Correct answer)
Short-term crisis stabilization only

Correct answer: Functional recovery, community integration, and quality of life

Recovery-oriented care for SPMI clients emphasizes functional gains, autonomy, and quality of life rather than symptom elimination alone.

Question 2: The Social Security Act of 1935 originally established which two major social insurance programs?

Medicare and Medicaid
Old-Age Insurance and Unemployment Compensation (Correct answer)
TANF and SNAP
Workers' Compensation and Disability Insurance

Correct answer: Old-Age Insurance and Unemployment Compensation

The Social Security Act of 1935 created Old-Age Insurance (retirement benefits) and Unemployment Compensation as its two cornerstone social insurance programs.

Question 3: A social worker notes that a client's affect is incongruent with the content of their speech—laughing while describing a recent loss. This finding is BEST documented as:

Flat affect
Inappropriate affect (Correct answer)
Blunted affect
Labile affect

Correct answer: Inappropriate affect

Inappropriate affect describes an emotional response that is inconsistent or incongruent with the context or content of the client's communication.

Question 4: A care plan in case management should be:

Focused exclusively on the client's deficits
Developed solely by the case manager without client input
Specific, measurable, time-limited, and developed collaboratively with the client (Correct answer)
Vague to allow flexibility in service delivery

Correct answer: Specific, measurable, time-limited, and developed collaboratively with the client

Effective care plans include SMART goals developed with the client to ensure relevance, measurability, and shared ownership of the plan.

Question 5: A client presents with anxiety and the LMSW recommends progressive muscle relaxation. This is an example of:

Behavioral activation
Somatic or relaxation-based intervention (Correct answer)
Cognitive restructuring
Psychodynamic interpretation

Correct answer: Somatic or relaxation-based intervention

Progressive muscle relaxation is a somatic intervention that reduces physiological tension associated with anxiety by systematically tensing and releasing muscle groups.

Question 6: Which ethical concept refers to the social worker's obligation to keep promises and honor commitments made to clients?

Justice
Autonomy
Beneficence
Fidelity (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Fidelity

Fidelity refers to the duty to be faithful and trustworthy, keeping promises and honoring commitments made within the professional relationship.

Question 7: A social worker using Bronfenbrenner's ecological model would assess which system when examining how a client's parents' work schedule affects the child's school performance?

Mesosystem
Exosystem (Correct answer)
Microsystem
Macrosystem

Correct answer: Exosystem

The exosystem includes settings the child does not directly participate in (e.g., parental workplace) that still indirectly influence the child.

Question 8: Which of the following is a difference between professional ethics and professional values:

Values are a subset of ethics.
Values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, and ethics deals with the principles of practice. (Correct answer)
When a social worker makes a judgment that is ethical, you can assume it is a judgment that also upholds professional values.
Values and ethics are basically the same and are evaluated based on the specific situation

Correct answer: Values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, and ethics deals with the principles of practice.

Professional ethics provide the guiding principles and norms that define proper conduct and behavior within the profession, while professional values serve as the foundation for what professionals regard as significant and desirable in their sector. While ethics focuses on the principles of practice, offering a framework for professional behavior and decision-making, values deal with what is right or wrong in practice, reflecting personal and cultural ideas.

Question 9: Which of the following best illustrates 'white privilege' in the context of social work practice?

White social workers automatically being assigned to white clients
White clients being less likely to be reported to child welfare based on race alone (Correct answer)
White clients having fewer presenting mental health concerns
A white client receiving faster service due to higher insurance coverage

Correct answer: White clients being less likely to be reported to child welfare based on race alone

Research shows racial disparities in child welfare reporting reflect white privilege—unearned advantages that protect white families from systemic scrutiny.

Question 10: A social worker's agency serves primarily Latino clients but all written materials are available only in English. This is an example of:

Standard agency practice acceptable under NASW Code of Ethics
A client responsibility to learn English
An institutional barrier that limits access and equity (Correct answer)
Appropriate cost-saving measures

Correct answer: An institutional barrier that limits access and equity

Providing materials only in English creates an institutional barrier that disproportionately excludes non-English-speaking clients, undermining equity.

Question 11: An adolescent client discloses that her parents are pressuring her to end therapy. The BEST first step is to:

Contact the parents without the client's knowledge
Explore the parents' concerns and consider a family session (Correct answer)
File a complaint against the parents
Discharge the client to honor parental authority

Correct answer: Explore the parents' concerns and consider a family session

Exploring the parents' concerns and offering a family session can address their reservations while keeping the adolescent engaged in treatment.

Question 12: A social worker notices that an adolescent client is highly influenced by peer opinions and frequently changes behavior based on social comparison. This is most consistent with which developmental concept?

Imaginary audience (Correct answer)
Industry
Identity foreclosure
Initiative

Correct answer: Imaginary audience

The imaginary audience, described by Elkind, is an adolescent egocentrism phenomenon where teens believe others are constantly observing and evaluating them.

Question 13: An LMSW serving refugee clients should be aware that many may avoid mental health services because:

Refugee status disqualifies individuals from publicly funded mental health services
Refugees are generally resilient and rarely need mental health support
Mental health stigma, cultural concepts of distress, and mistrust of institutions are common barriers (Correct answer)
Language barriers are the only significant obstacle to accessing care

Correct answer: Mental health stigma, cultural concepts of distress, and mistrust of institutions are common barriers

Cultural stigma around mental illness, culturally specific expressions of distress, and historical trauma involving authorities create multiple barriers for refugees.

Question 14: A social worker has been seeing a client in individual therapy for six months. The client asks to become friends on social media and invites the social worker to their birthday party. How should the social worker respond?

Accept the social media request but decline the party invitation
Transfer the client to another social worker since the relationship has become too close
Attend the party briefly to show support, but decline the social media request
Decline both and explain the importance of maintaining professional boundaries (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Decline both and explain the importance of maintaining professional boundaries

Maintaining clear professional boundaries is a core ethical obligation. Dual relationships — such as becoming social media friends or attending personal events — can compromise objectivity, exploit the power differential, and harm the therapeutic relationship.

Question 15: Which concept refers to a social worker's ongoing reflection on their own cultural values and how those values may influence practice?

Cultural competence
Cultural humility
Cultural imposition
Cultural self-awareness (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Cultural self-awareness

Cultural self-awareness involves recognizing one's own cultural biases and understanding how they can affect the therapeutic relationship with diverse clients.

Question 16: According to Kübler-Ross's model, a terminally ill client who says 'Just let me live to see my grandchild born and I'll be ready' is in which stage of grief?

Bargaining (Correct answer)
Depression
Denial
Anger

Correct answer: Bargaining

Bargaining involves making deals — often with God or fate — in an attempt to postpone the inevitable loss or death.

Question 17: A social worker is developing a treatment plan for a client who is mandated to attend substance use counseling but expresses significant ambivalence about changing their behavior. The client states, "I know I should stop, but I'm not sure I want to." Which therapeutic approach is MOST indicated to address this specific issue?

Psychoanalysis
Exposure Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Motivational Interviewing (MI) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Motivational Interviewing is an evidence-based practice specifically designed to help clients explore and resolve ambivalence about behavior change. It is a collaborative, client-centered approach that enhances intrinsic motivation without confrontation, making it ideal for clients who are not yet ready or are unsure about making a change.

Question 18: Vygotsky's concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is best described as:

The maximum potential a child will ever reach
The gap between what a child can do alone and with guidance (Correct answer)
Skills a child can perform independently
Developmental milestones fixed by biology

Correct answer: The gap between what a child can do alone and with guidance

The ZPD refers to tasks a child cannot yet accomplish alone but can complete with the support of a more knowledgeable other.

Question 19: A client presents with recurrent, intrusive memories of a traumatic event, nightmares, avoidance of trauma reminders, and hypervigilance lasting more than one month. The MOST likely DSM-5 diagnosis is:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Correct answer)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Adjustment Disorder with anxiety
Acute Stress Disorder

Correct answer: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD requires symptoms in all four clusters (intrusion, avoidance, negative cognitions/mood, hyperarousal) lasting more than one month following trauma.

Question 20: Which term describes the tendency for children to attribute lifelike qualities to inanimate objects, a characteristic of preoperational thinking?

Centration
Egocentrism
Animism (Correct answer)
Artificialism

Correct answer: Animism

Animism is the preoperational child's belief that inanimate objects (e.g., clouds, toys) are alive and have feelings or intentions.

Question 21: A social worker notices that a neighborhood's high asthma rates correlate with proximity to an industrial facility. This analysis reflects which practice concept?

Environmental justice (Correct answer)
Epidemiological screening
Risk assessment
Community profiling

Correct answer: Environmental justice

Environmental justice examines how marginalized communities disproportionately bear environmental hazards and links health disparities to systemic inequity.

Question 22: A social worker is seeing a client who is also dating someone the worker knows personally. This creates a:

Situation requiring immediate case termination without referral
Non-issue because personal and professional lives are separate
Mandatory reportable conflict
Dual relationship requiring careful boundary management or transfer of care (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Dual relationship requiring careful boundary management or transfer of care

Dual relationships that could impair professional judgment or exploit the client must be disclosed and managed, potentially requiring referral.

Question 23: A meta-analysis synthesizing 15 studies on CBT for depression finds a pooled effect size of d = 0.8. This is interpreted as:

A medium effect
A large effect (Correct answer)
A negligible effect
A small effect

Correct answer: A large effect

Cohen's d of 0.8 is conventionally classified as a large effect size (small=0.2, medium=0.5, large=0.8).

Question 24: A Latino client tells a social worker that he feels shame discussing mental health issues because of 'familismo.' The social worker's best initial response is to:

Recommend group therapy with other Latino clients
Document the client's cultural resistance in the chart
Challenge the client's cultural belief as a barrier to treatment
Normalize the value of familismo while exploring how it shapes his help-seeking (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Normalize the value of familismo while exploring how it shapes his help-seeking

Acknowledging and normalizing cultural values like familismo builds rapport and demonstrates cultural humility.

Question 25: A social worker discovers that a community intervention was effective overall but produced no benefit for elderly participants. This finding best illustrates the importance of:

Randomized control trial design
Increasing the program's sample size
Pre-test/post-test measurement
Subgroup analysis in program evaluation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Subgroup analysis in program evaluation

Subgroup analysis reveals whether interventions work equally across populations, preventing inequitable conclusions from aggregate success.

Question 26: Which approach to supervision focuses on the parallel process between the supervisor-supervisee relationship and the therapist-client relationship?

Task-centered supervision
Educational supervision
Reflective supervision (Correct answer)
Administrative supervision

Correct answer: Reflective supervision

Reflective supervision examines parallel processes and uses the supervisory relationship as a model for the therapeutic relationship.

Question 27: According to Erikson's psychosocial development theory, the central conflict of middle adulthood (ages 40–65) is:

Identity vs. role confusion
Intimacy vs. isolation
Integrity vs. despair
Generativity vs. stagnation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Generativity vs. stagnation

Erikson identified generativity vs. stagnation as the core conflict of middle adulthood, centered on contributing to society and future generations.

Question 28: A social worker using an asset-based community development (ABCD) approach would FIRST:

Conduct a deficit analysis to identify the community's most pressing problems
Write a grant proposal to fund new external services
Survey residents about their unmet needs
Map existing community strengths, skills, and resources (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Map existing community strengths, skills, and resources

ABCD begins with an asset map that identifies what the community already has—skills, institutions, associations—before addressing gaps.

Question 29: Which intervention is MOST characteristic of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?

In-depth exploration of early attachment experiences
Guided imagery used to rehearse feared situations
Bilateral sensory stimulation while processing traumatic memories (Correct answer)
Exposure to trauma cues through written narratives

Correct answer: Bilateral sensory stimulation while processing traumatic memories

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (typically eye movements) while the client attends to traumatic memories, facilitating adaptive information processing.

Question 30: Which of the following is an example of institutional discrimination?

An individual employer refusing to hire a person of color based on personal prejudice
Bank policies that historically denied mortgages to residents of minority neighborhoods (Correct answer)
A client expressing stereotyped beliefs about another ethnic group
A coworker making a racially insensitive joke

Correct answer: Bank policies that historically denied mortgages to residents of minority neighborhoods

Redlining and similar policies are classic examples of institutional discrimination embedded in organizational practices rather than individual attitudes.

Question 31: A social worker is ending treatment with a client after 18 months. Which termination intervention best supports a healthy closure?

Reviewing progress, consolidating gains, and planning for potential future challenges (Correct answer)
Referring the client to another provider without discussing the ending
Abruptly ending sessions to avoid dependency
Extending treatment indefinitely to prevent any regression

Correct answer: Reviewing progress, consolidating gains, and planning for potential future challenges

A planned termination that reviews progress, acknowledges growth, and prepares the client for future challenges consolidates therapeutic gains and reduces relapse risk.

Question 32: Which of the following BEST distinguishes consultation from supervision in social work practice?

Supervision focuses only on administrative tasks, while consultation addresses clinical issues
Consultation is sought voluntarily and the consultee retains full decision-making authority (Correct answer)
Consultation involves an ongoing evaluative relationship with authority over the worker
Supervision is voluntary and time-limited, while consultation is mandatory

Correct answer: Consultation is sought voluntarily and the consultee retains full decision-making authority

A key distinction is authority and accountability. In supervision, the supervisor holds evaluative power and can direct practice. In consultation, the consultee voluntarily seeks expert input and retains the right to accept or reject the consultant's recommendations — there is no hierarchical authority.

Question 33: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's five stages of grief are most accurately described as:

A set of behavioral reinforcements used in grief counseling
A fixed linear sequence every bereaved person must complete
A framework of common emotional responses that may occur in any order (Correct answer)
A biological process tied directly to the nervous system

Correct answer: A framework of common emotional responses that may occur in any order

Kübler-Ross's stages—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—represent common experiences in grief but do not occur in a rigid, universal order.

Question 34: A city's social services department hires a social worker to analyze data on food deserts, review the effectiveness of existing food assistance programs, and propose a comprehensive, data-driven plan to allocate resources more efficiently. This problem-solving approach at the community level is best described as:

Locality Development
Social Planning (Correct answer)
Grassroots Organizing
Social Action

Correct answer: Social Planning

The Social Planning model is a technical, 'top-down' process focused on problem-solving for community issues. It involves experts who gather and analyze data to design and implement efficient solutions, which is precisely the role described for the social worker.

Question 35: Which systems-based model emphasizes that human behavior is shaped by multiple nested environmental systems ranging from microsystem to macrosystem?

Ego Psychology
Ecological Systems Theory (Correct answer)
Attachment Theory
Structural Family Therapy

Correct answer: Ecological Systems Theory

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory organizes the environment into concentric layers—micro, meso, exo, and macrosystem—that each influence development.

Question 36: A client who persistently believes her coworkers are conspiring against her despite clear evidence to the contrary is displaying which symptom?

Thought insertion
Delusion of persecution (Correct answer)
Hallucination
Idea of reference

Correct answer: Delusion of persecution

A persecutory delusion is a fixed false belief that one is being harmed, harassed, or conspired against, resistant to contradictory evidence.

Question 37: A client in a community mental health setting discloses that they are undocumented and fears deportation if they seek additional services. The social worker's PRIORITY response is to:

Document the disclosure and continue with the mental health assessment
Refer the client immediately to an immigration attorney
Contact immigration authorities to clarify the client's legal status
Reassure the client that mental health records are protected and explain their rights (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Reassure the client that mental health records are protected and explain their rights

Informing the client of their privacy rights under HIPAA and applicable confidentiality laws directly addresses their barrier to care and upholds the social work value of social justice.

Question 38: A client expresses passive suicidal ideation with no plan or intent. The social worker's BEST immediate step is to:

Complete a comprehensive suicide risk assessment and develop a collaborative safety plan (Correct answer)
Discharge the client as no immediate risk is present
Ignore passive ideation until the client presents active intent
Hospitalize the client involuntarily

Correct answer: Complete a comprehensive suicide risk assessment and develop a collaborative safety plan

Passive ideation still warrants thorough risk assessment and safety planning, as it can escalate and is a known risk factor.

Question 39: A client who lost their job 6 weeks ago presents with tearfulness, difficulty concentrating, and mild insomnia. Symptoms do not meet criteria for MDD. Which diagnosis is most appropriate?

Unspecified Depressive Disorder
Brief Depressive Episode
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood

Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood applies when emotional or behavioral symptoms develop in response to an identifiable stressor within 3 months and do not meet criteria for another disorder.

Question 40: A client with a history of alcohol use disorder has been sober for six months and wants to celebrate by having 'just one drink.' The social worker recognizes this thinking as:

Cognitive dissonance
Permission-giving thinking (Correct answer)
Euphoric recall
Abstinence violation effect

Correct answer: Permission-giving thinking

Permission-giving thoughts are rationalizations that allow a person to justify substance use, and recognizing them is a key relapse prevention skill.

Question 41: A social worker suspects a client may be experiencing a psychiatric crisis rather than a situational crisis. Which symptom would MOST suggest a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate referral?

Reporting command hallucinations instructing self-harm (Correct answer)
Crying and expressing sadness about a recent job loss
Difficulty sleeping after an argument with a partner
Feeling overwhelmed managing childcare responsibilities

Correct answer: Reporting command hallucinations instructing self-harm

Command hallucinations directing self-harm constitute a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate medical and psychiatric evaluation.

Question 42: A social worker is creating a community outreach program for LGBTQ+ youth. To ensure the program is inclusive, they should prioritize:

Limiting the program to gay and lesbian youth to maintain focus
Partnering with religious organizations to provide balanced perspectives on sexual identity
Designing the curriculum based on existing heterosexual youth models and adapting as needed
Conducting focus groups with LGBTQ+ youth to co-design the program (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Conducting focus groups with LGBTQ+ youth to co-design the program

Co-designing programs with the target community ensures relevance, inclusivity, and ownership—key principles of empowerment-based social work practice.

Question 43: Legislative advocacy by social workers most commonly includes which activity?

Organizing boycotts of corporate entities
Testifying before legislative committees and contacting elected officials (Correct answer)
Filing lawsuits on behalf of clients
Publishing peer-reviewed research on social problems

Correct answer: Testifying before legislative committees and contacting elected officials

Legislative advocacy involves direct engagement with the legislative process, including written and oral testimony, meeting with legislators, and submitting public comments on proposed rules.

Question 44: Due to her strained connection with her mother, a young, beginning social worker experiences some intrapersonal and interpersonal difficulties with women in leadership roles. Client of the social worker is a successful female CEO of an Internet start-up who is around 50 years old. The social worker may have difficulties in therapy because of:

Counter-resistance
Resistance
Transference
Counter-transference (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Counter-transference

Due to her intrapersonal and interpersonal conflicts with women in authoritative positions, which result from her strained connection with her mother, the social worker is likely to encounter countertransference in treatment. <br> The term "countertransference" describes how the therapist's feelings, prejudices, or unsolved issues may surface during therapy and affect their interaction with the client. In this instance, the social worker's personal challenges and unresolved concerns with women in leadership roles, particularly those related to her mother, may have an impact on how she perceives, feels, and responds to the client who is a female CEO.

Question 45: In the DSM-5, which disorder requires the clinician to specify whether the onset was in childhood or adolescence?

Specific Phobia
Social Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) requires specifying early onset (before age 21) or late onset (age 21 or older) due to differences in course and prognosis.

Question 46: A social worker is preparing to conduct an assessment with a recent immigrant who has a different cultural background and speaks limited English. To ensure a culturally competent assessment, which of the following is the MOST important initial step?

Providing the client with psychoeducation on Western concepts of mental illness.
Exploring the client's understanding of their problem using the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) framework. (Correct answer)
Using a standardized assessment tool translated into the client's native language.
Immediately referring the client to a practitioner from the same cultural background.

Correct answer: Exploring the client's understanding of their problem using the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) framework.

The most important initial step is to understand the client's own perspective and cultural context. The DSM-5-TR's Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI) provides a structured framework for clinicians to explore the client's cultural definition of the problem, perceptions of cause, and help-seeking behaviors. This person-centered approach is foundational to a culturally competent assessment. Referring out may not be necessary or desired, translated tools can have validity issues without proper adaptation, and imposing Western concepts at the outset is not culturally sensitive.

Question 47: Which federal legislation established the framework for child welfare services and created Title IV-E foster care funding?

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act
The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (Correct answer)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)

Correct answer: The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980

The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 created Title IV-E, establishing federal funding for foster care and adoption assistance.

Question 48: A social worker using a strengths-based perspective rooted in resilience theory would most likely focus on:

Tracing unresolved childhood conflicts through free association
Diagnosing the client's pathology using the DSM-5
Identifying the client's protective factors and coping capacities (Correct answer)
Confronting the client's maladaptive defenses directly

Correct answer: Identifying the client's protective factors and coping capacities

Resilience-informed, strengths-based practice emphasizes identifying and building on clients' internal and external protective factors rather than deficits.

Question 49: Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of short-term goals in a treatment plan?

They serve as incremental steps toward achieving long-term goals (Correct answer)
They replace long-term goals when progress is slow
They are used only in crisis intervention settings
They focus exclusively on medication compliance

Correct answer: They serve as incremental steps toward achieving long-term goals

Short-term goals create measurable benchmarks that guide progress toward broader long-term treatment objectives.

Question 50: Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory BEST explains human development by emphasizing that:

Cognitive schemas acquired in childhood determine how adults interpret all new experiences
Individuals develop within nested, interacting environmental systems ranging from immediate family to broad cultural forces (Correct answer)
People are motivated by a fixed hierarchy of needs beginning with physiological survival
Behavior is primarily driven by unconscious conflicts from early childhood

Correct answer: Individuals develop within nested, interacting environmental systems ranging from immediate family to broad cultural forces

Bronfenbrenner's model places the individual at the center of concentric systems (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem) that mutually influence one another and shape development across the lifespan — a foundational framework in social work's person-in-environment perspective.

Question 51: In community practice, 'bridge building' between isolated racial or ethnic groups is a strategy primarily aimed at increasing:

Cultural assimilation
Bridging social capital (Correct answer)
Bonding social capital
Linking social capital

Correct answer: Bridging social capital

Bridging social capital refers to weaker, cross-cutting ties between people of different backgrounds that expand access to resources and reduce social fragmentation.

Question 52: A social worker learns that a 16-year-old client is sexually active with a 17-year-old peer, both consenting. The MOST appropriate response is:

Report to child protective services immediately
Terminate services due to illegal behavior
Inform the client's parents without consent
Discuss safety and contraception without mandatory reporting (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Discuss safety and contraception without mandatory reporting

Consensual sexual activity between teens close in age is generally not reportable; the worker should focus on safety and education.

Question 53: Which of the following is NOT one of the six core values identified in the Preamble of the NASW Code of Ethics?

Self-Determination (Correct answer)
Integrity
Social Justice
Service

Correct answer: Self-Determination

The Preamble of the NASW Code of Ethics outlines six core values: Service, Social Justice, Dignity and Worth of the Person, Importance of Human Relationships, Integrity, and Competence. While Self-Determination is a fundamental ethical principle (Standard 1.02), it is not listed as one of the six core values.

Question 54: A social worker using the strengths-based model of case management would focus PRIMARILY on:

Reducing client contact to preserve professional boundaries
Identifying and mobilizing the client's existing resources and capabilities (Correct answer)
Applying a standardized protocol regardless of individual circumstances
Diagnosing pathology and deficits

Correct answer: Identifying and mobilizing the client's existing resources and capabilities

The strengths-based model emphasizes identifying and building on a client's resilience, skills, and resources rather than focusing on problems.

Question 55: A social worker is developing a discharge plan for a client leaving an inpatient psychiatric unit. The MOST critical element to include is:

A list of coping skills the client learned during hospitalization
A referral for vocational rehabilitation
Documentation of all diagnoses assigned during the stay
A scheduled follow-up appointment within 7 days and crisis contact information (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A scheduled follow-up appointment within 7 days and crisis contact information

Research shows that follow-up within 7 days of psychiatric discharge significantly reduces readmission rates; crisis contacts ensure safety in the high-risk post-discharge period.

Question 56: Which of the following social work principles is MOST fundamental to the process of creating a collaborative intervention plan with a client?

Partialization
Client Self-Determination (Correct answer)
Transference
Gatekeeping

Correct answer: Client Self-Determination

Client self-determination is the principle that clients have the right to make their own choices and decisions. Collaborative intervention planning directly honors this by positioning the client as an expert in their own life and an active partner in identifying goals and choosing treatment methods, rather than having a plan imposed upon them.

Question 57: A social worker is seeing a client from a culture where direct eye contact is considered disrespectful. The client avoids eye contact during sessions. What is the MOST culturally competent response?

Recognize this as culturally appropriate behavior and adjust expectations (Correct answer)
Gently encourage the client to make eye contact to build rapport
Interpret avoidance of eye contact as a clinical symptom
Consult DSM-5 criteria to assess for social anxiety disorder

Correct answer: Recognize this as culturally appropriate behavior and adjust expectations

Cultural competence requires recognizing that behaviors have different meanings across cultures and adjusting clinical interpretations accordingly.

Question 58: A social worker learns that a 17-year-old client is sexually active with a same-age peer and both parties are consenting. The social worker personally disapproves. What is the ethical obligation?

Respect the client's self-determination and continue services without imposing personal values (Correct answer)
Report the situation to child protective services
Inform the client's parents because the client is a minor
Terminate services due to the ethical conflict

Correct answer: Respect the client's self-determination and continue services without imposing personal values

Social workers must respect client self-determination and set aside personal values when they do not present a legal or safety concern, including in matters of sexuality.

Question 59: A social worker conducting a risk assessment learns a client has a specific plan, access to means, and a history of prior attempts. According to risk stratification, this client should be classified as:

Moderate risk — increase session frequency
Low risk — monitor in outpatient setting
High risk — hospitalization or intensive intervention warranted (Correct answer)
Indeterminate — defer to a psychiatrist

Correct answer: High risk — hospitalization or intensive intervention warranted

Specific plan, access to lethal means, and prior attempt history are high-risk factors that together indicate need for immediate intensive intervention, including possible hospitalization.

Question 60: Which ethical principle is most at stake when a social worker shares aggregate community health data publicly without first consulting affected residents?

Non-maleficence
Justice
Self-determination (Correct answer)
Beneficence

Correct answer: Self-determination

Self-determination requires that community members have meaningful input into decisions—including how data about them is collected and used.

Question 61: Which of the following BEST describes the 'identified patient' concept in family systems theory?

The family member who initiated contact with the social worker
The client officially designated as the primary service recipient
The symptom-bearer who is actually expressing the family's systemic dysfunction (Correct answer)
The family member with the highest motivation for treatment

Correct answer: The symptom-bearer who is actually expressing the family's systemic dysfunction

The identified patient is the family member labeled as 'the problem,' whose symptoms are understood as a manifestation of the entire family system's dysfunction.

Question 62: A social worker receives a 'friend request' on a personal social media account from a current client. Which of the following actions BEST aligns with ethical standards regarding professional boundaries?

Accept the request to build rapport but restrict the client's access to personal posts.
Create a separate, professional social media account and direct the client to connect there instead.
Politely decline or ignore the request and discuss the importance of maintaining professional boundaries in the next session. (Correct answer)
Ignore the request and do not mention it to the client to avoid awkwardness.

Correct answer: Politely decline or ignore the request and discuss the importance of maintaining professional boundaries in the next session.

The NASW Code of Ethics (Standard 1.06) warns against engaging in dual relationships with clients, including on social networking sites, to avoid boundary confusion and potential harm. Accepting the request, even with privacy settings, blurs the lines between a personal and professional relationship. Ignoring it without discussion fails to use a teachable moment to reinforce healthy boundaries. The most therapeutic and ethical response is to decline the connection and use the opportunity to discuss the nature of the therapeutic relationship and the reasons for keeping it within professional contexts.

Question 63: Which of the following BEST defines the concept of ethnocentrism in the context of social work practice?

The act of judging another culture based on the values and standards of one's own culture, often with an implicit belief in one's own superiority. (Correct answer)
The ability to possess knowledge and skills for effectively working with clients from a wide variety of different cultures.
The understanding that all cultural perspectives are equally valid and should be respected without judgment.
The process by which an individual or group adopts the customs and attitudes of the dominant culture.

Correct answer: The act of judging another culture based on the values and standards of one's own culture, often with an implicit belief in one's own superiority.

Ethnocentrism is the application of one's own cultural framework as a reference point to judge other cultures, practices, and beliefs, which often leads to a negative judgment and a belief that one's own culture is superior. It is a significant barrier to culturally competent practice that social workers must actively work to overcome.

Question 64: A social worker is providing crisis counseling to a survivor of domestic violence who just left an abusive partner. Which intervention is MOST appropriate?

Encourage the client to return home and establish better communication with the partner
Refer immediately to long-term trauma therapy and close the crisis case
Assess immediate safety needs including housing, finances, and legal protection options (Correct answer)
Focus sessions on exploring the client's childhood attachment patterns

Correct answer: Assess immediate safety needs including housing, finances, and legal protection options

Immediately assessing safety needs — shelter, financial resources, legal options such as protective orders — is the priority crisis intervention for a domestic violence survivor.

Question 65: Which developmental theorist proposed that infants are born with innate schemas that are modified through assimilation and accommodation?

John Bowlby
Jean Piaget (Correct answer)
Erik Erikson
Lev Vygotsky

Correct answer: Jean Piaget

Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory posits that children use assimilation (fitting new info into existing schemas) and accommodation (changing schemas) to adapt.

Question 66: A social worker is using Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) with a rape survivor. A core component of this intervention is:

EMDR bilateral stimulation techniques
Identifying and challenging 'stuck points' — distorted beliefs about the trauma (Correct answer)
Psychodynamic exploration of childhood attachment
In vivo exposure to trauma-related stimuli

Correct answer: Identifying and challenging 'stuck points' — distorted beliefs about the trauma

CPT specifically targets 'stuck points,' which are maladaptive cognitions about the trauma, self, and world that maintain PTSD symptoms.

Question 67: When designing a community health education program, the principle of cultural humility requires the social worker to:

Apply DSM criteria uniformly regardless of cultural context
Become an expert in every culture represented in the community
Hire translators to convert existing materials into other languages
Recognize the limits of their own cultural knowledge and engage in ongoing learning with community members (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Recognize the limits of their own cultural knowledge and engage in ongoing learning with community members

Cultural humility emphasizes lifelong self-reflection and openness to learning from community members rather than claiming cultural competence as a fixed endpoint.

Question 68: Which advocacy strategy involves social workers working directly with legislators to influence the drafting or amendment of legislation?

Litigation advocacy
Media advocacy
Community organizing
Legislative advocacy (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Legislative advocacy

Legislative advocacy involves direct engagement with lawmakers to shape policy through testimony, lobbying, and bill drafting support.

Question 69: Which defense mechanism involves attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to another person?

Projection (Correct answer)
Displacement
Rationalization
Sublimation

Correct answer: Projection

Projection is the defense mechanism where an individual attributes their own unwanted thoughts, feelings, or impulses to someone else.

Question 70: When conducting a risk assessment using the SAD PERSONS mnemonic, which factor does the letter 'O' represent?

Organic brain syndrome (Correct answer)
Ongoing substance use
Object relations deficits
Organized plan

Correct answer: Organic brain syndrome

In the SAD PERSONS scale, 'O' stands for Organized or serious previous attempts in some versions, but most commonly refers to Organic (neurological) factors; the standard mnemonic uses 'O' for Organized plan or Organic illness depending on the version — the most widely taught LMSW version uses Organized plan.

Question 71: A social worker is asked by a court to release a client's therapy records without the client's consent. The social worker should:

Release all records immediately to comply with the court order
Consult with an attorney and release only information required by the court order (Correct answer)
Ask the client to sign a release before complying with the court
Refuse to release any records to protect client confidentiality

Correct answer: Consult with an attorney and release only information required by the court order

When facing a court order, social workers should consult legal counsel and release only the minimum information legally required, protecting client confidentiality as much as possible.

Question 72: In Bowlby's attachment theory, which attachment pattern is characterized by a child who shows distress when the caregiver leaves but is not easily comforted upon return?

Avoidant attachment
Secure attachment
Anxious-ambivalent attachment (Correct answer)
Disorganized attachment

Correct answer: Anxious-ambivalent attachment

Anxious-ambivalent (resistant) attachment involves both distress at separation and difficulty being soothed upon reunion, reflecting inconsistent caregiving.

Question 73: A social worker is reviewing a client's treatment plan to ensure it meets professional standards. Which of the following is an essential component that MUST be included in the plan?

Measurable objectives and the specific interventions to be used. (Correct answer)
A detailed summary of the client's childhood history.
A list of all potential barriers without proposed solutions.
The social worker's preferred theoretical orientation.

Correct answer: Measurable objectives and the specific interventions to be used.

A formal treatment plan serves as a roadmap for therapy. It must contain specific, measurable objectives that allow both the client and social worker to track progress. It also must delineate the specific interventions (e.g., CBT, mindfulness, psychoeducation) that will be employed to help the client achieve those objectives.

Question 74: A social worker serves on the board of a nonprofit that is now seeking services from the agency where the worker is employed. This situation represents:

A dual relationship and conflict of interest that must be disclosed (Correct answer)
A violation only if the social worker personally profits
An acceptable arrangement as long as the nonprofit pays market rates
A professional collaboration opportunity

Correct answer: A dual relationship and conflict of interest that must be disclosed

Serving on an outside board while your employer considers that organization for services creates a conflict of interest requiring disclosure and recusal.

Question 75: Harry Harlow's experiments with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrated that contact comfort is:

Irrelevant to emotional development in primates
More important than food in forming attachment bonds (Correct answer)
Equal in importance to food for survival
Less important than food in forming attachment bonds

Correct answer: More important than food in forming attachment bonds

Harlow's findings showed that infant monkeys preferred a cloth 'mother' providing contact comfort over a wire 'mother' providing food, highlighting the primacy of physical comfort in attachment.

Question 76: Environmental racism is BEST defined as:

Racial disparities in access to parks and green spaces only
Policies that require racial diversity in urban planning
The disproportionate siting of environmentally hazardous facilities in communities of color (Correct answer)
Individual prejudice expressed through littering

Correct answer: The disproportionate siting of environmentally hazardous facilities in communities of color

Environmental racism refers to the disproportionate burden of environmental hazards borne by communities of color due to systemic policies and practices.

Question 77: A social worker conducting a biopsychosocial assessment is PRIMARILY trying to:

Establish rapport before beginning formal therapy
Understand the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors affecting the client (Correct answer)
Diagnose the client using DSM-5 criteria
Determine the client's eligibility for public benefits

Correct answer: Understand the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors affecting the client

A biopsychosocial assessment examines the intersecting biological, psychological, and social dimensions of a client's presenting problem to inform holistic treatment planning.

Question 78: A social worker notices that their agency's intake forms only offer binary gender options. What is the most appropriate anti-oppressive response?

Accept the forms as standard practice
Advocate internally to add inclusive gender options such as non-binary and self-describe (Correct answer)
Tell clients to choose whichever option feels closest
Refer all transgender clients to a different agency

Correct answer: Advocate internally to add inclusive gender options such as non-binary and self-describe

Advocating for inclusive intake forms is an anti-oppressive practice that affirms the identities of gender-diverse clients.

Question 79: The concept of 'minority stress' most directly refers to:

Excess stress from stigma, discrimination, and prejudice experienced by marginalized groups (Correct answer)
Stress caused by being a racial minority in a workplace
Stress that only affects people of color in healthcare settings
The stress of providing services to minority populations

Correct answer: Excess stress from stigma, discrimination, and prejudice experienced by marginalized groups

Minority stress theory (Meyer, 2003) describes chronic stress unique to stigmatized minority groups arising from social prejudice and discrimination.

Question 80: Which of the following best describes 'colorblindness' as a problematic racial ideology in social work?

Treating all clients with identical interventions regardless of cultural background
Deliberately avoiding eye contact with clients of different races
Using race-neutral language in all clinical documentation
Claiming not to see race as a way of denying the impact of racism and racial identity (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Claiming not to see race as a way of denying the impact of racism and racial identity

Color-blind ideology ignores the reality of racial disparities and structural racism, undermining culturally competent and anti-racist practice.

Question 81: A social worker is preparing testimony for a city council hearing on affordable housing. This activity is an example of which community practice role?

Legislative advocate (Correct answer)
Mediator
Case manager
Community educator

Correct answer: Legislative advocate

Providing testimony to legislative bodies to influence policy decisions is a core function of the legislative advocate role.

Question 82: Bowlby's attachment theory proposes that infants form attachments primarily because:

Caregivers provide food and reduce hunger drives
Infants are conditioned through operant reinforcement
Proximity-seeking behavior is evolutionarily adaptive for survival (Correct answer)
Social learning from peers shapes attachment patterns

Correct answer: Proximity-seeking behavior is evolutionarily adaptive for survival

Bowlby argued attachment is an innate biological system that keeps vulnerable infants close to caregivers for protection and survival.

Question 83: A social worker identifies that multiple agencies in a community are providing duplicative services to the same population. The most appropriate community-level response is:

Advocating that one agency shut down its program
Referring clients to the agency with the shortest waitlist
Conducting a client satisfaction survey
Facilitating an interagency coordination council (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Facilitating an interagency coordination council

An interagency coordination council addresses systemic duplication by aligning services, sharing referrals, and using community resources more efficiently.

Question 84: Which treatment modality is MOST evidence-based for clients diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Psychodynamic therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Exposure and Response Prevention is the gold-standard, empirically supported treatment for OCD, reducing compulsions by breaking the anxiety-compulsion cycle.

Question 85: Under the principle of fidelity in social work ethics, a social worker is obligated to:

Prioritize agency policies over client needs in all situations
Keep promises and commitments made to clients (Correct answer)
Follow supervisor instructions without question
Maintain loyalty to their professional organization above all else

Correct answer: Keep promises and commitments made to clients

Fidelity refers to keeping promises, honoring commitments, and being trustworthy in the professional relationship, which is foundational to the therapeutic alliance.

Question 86: According to Erik Erikson, the central conflict of adolescence (ages 12–18) is best described as:

Trust vs. Mistrust
Industry vs. Inferiority
Identity vs. Role Confusion (Correct answer)
Intimacy vs. Isolation

Correct answer: Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson identified Identity vs. Role Confusion as the core psychosocial task of adolescence, during which individuals explore and commit to a sense of self.

Question 87: A social worker wants to explore the lived experiences of refugees adjusting to a new country. Which research design is MOST appropriate?

Meta-analysis
Phenomenological qualitative study (Correct answer)
Randomized controlled trial
Cross-sectional survey

Correct answer: Phenomenological qualitative study

Phenomenological qualitative designs are ideal for exploring subjective lived experiences in depth.

Question 88: A 45-year-old client reports a consistently depressed mood that has been present for 'as long as they can remember.' The client is able to maintain employment and social relationships but describes a chronic feeling of being 'down in the dumps,' along with low energy and poor concentration. The symptoms have been present for more than two years and have never been severe enough to meet the full criteria for a major depressive episode. According to the DSM-5-TR, which diagnosis is most appropriate?

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Correct answer)
Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood
Cyclothymic Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode

Correct answer: Persistent Depressive Disorder

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) is the correct diagnosis. The key diagnostic feature is a chronically depressed mood that occurs for most of the day, for more days than not, for at least two years in adults. The client's description of long-term, less severe depressive symptoms that do not meet the full criteria for a major depressive episode aligns with the diagnostic criteria for PDD. Major Depressive Disorder requires a discrete episode of at least two weeks with more severe symptoms. Cyclothymic Disorder involves numerous periods with hypomanic and depressive symptoms that do not meet the criteria for a full episode. Adjustment Disorder is a response to a specific stressor and would not account for a lifelong pattern.

Question 89: A social worker is writing long-term goals for a client with schizophrenia. The MOST realistic long-term goal would be:

Client will return to pre-illness functioning in 90 days
Client will discontinue antipsychotic medication
Client will manage symptoms and maintain community living skills (Correct answer)
Client will eliminate all hallucinations within 6 months

Correct answer: Client will manage symptoms and maintain community living skills

Realistic goals for schizophrenia focus on symptom management and functional living rather than full remission.

Question 90: A social worker is using Motivational Interviewing with a client who is ambivalent about stopping alcohol use. Which technique best elicits 'change talk' from the client?

Asking the client to list reasons they want to change (Correct answer)
Assigning a sobriety contract for the client to sign
Telling the client about the health risks of alcohol
Confronting the client about the consequences of drinking

Correct answer: Asking the client to list reasons they want to change

Eliciting change talk by asking clients to articulate their own reasons for change is a core MI technique that increases intrinsic motivation.

Question 91: Freud's concept of the 'latency stage' (ages 6–12) is best characterized by:

Intense focus on genital sexuality and peer relationships
Oral fixation and dependency needs
Resolution of the Oedipus or Electra complex
Repression of sexual urges and focus on social and intellectual skills (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Repression of sexual urges and focus on social and intellectual skills

During the latency stage, Freud believed sexual impulses are dormant while children develop social skills, friendships, and academic competencies.

Question 92: A social worker is developing a coalition to address food insecurity in a rural county. Which step should come FIRST?

Apply for federal grant funding
Launch a public awareness campaign
Hire additional staff for program delivery
Map existing resources and identify gaps in services (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Map existing resources and identify gaps in services

Mapping existing resources and identifying gaps is the essential first step to avoid duplication and ensure the coalition addresses unmet needs.

Question 93: An LMSW is facilitating a community meeting where two neighborhood factions hold opposing views on a proposed shelter. The BEST facilitation approach is to:

Side with the faction whose position aligns with social work values
Establish ground rules, ensure all perspectives are heard, and focus on shared interests (Correct answer)
Postpone the meeting until consensus is reached privately
Allow the loudest voices to dominate to reflect natural community dynamics

Correct answer: Establish ground rules, ensure all perspectives are heard, and focus on shared interests

Setting ground rules and steering discussion toward shared interests is the standard facilitative approach to managing conflict in community practice.

Question 94: Which principle of community organizing is illustrated when a social worker encourages residents to lead their own press conference rather than speaking on their behalf?

Incrementalism
Leadership development (Correct answer)
Power mapping
Constituency building

Correct answer: Leadership development

Having residents lead public actions builds their skills, confidence, and credibility—core to sustainable leadership development in community organizing.

Question 95: Which of the following best describes the diagnostic concept of 'specifiers' in DSM-5?

Severity ratings used only for psychotic disorders
Alternative diagnoses to consider when primary diagnosis is uncertain
Additional descriptors that communicate clinical information beyond the core diagnosis (Correct answer)
Subtypes that replace the primary diagnosis

Correct answer: Additional descriptors that communicate clinical information beyond the core diagnosis

Specifiers are extensions of diagnoses that provide more detail about course, severity, or features without changing the primary diagnosis.

Question 96: The concept of 'privileged communication' in social work practice refers to:

Confidential information shared only with supervisors
The agency's right to access all client records
Information shared between colleagues under peer review protection
The right of social workers to refuse to testify about client communications in court (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The right of social workers to refuse to testify about client communications in court

Privileged communication is a legal protection that allows social workers to refuse to disclose client information in legal proceedings without the client's consent.

Question 97: The NASW Code of Ethics requires social workers to engage in social and political action PRIMARILY to:

Promote evidence-based practice models
Ensure that all people have equal access to resources and opportunities (Correct answer)
Expand social work employment opportunities
Advance their professional reputation

Correct answer: Ensure that all people have equal access to resources and opportunities

The NASW Code of Ethics mandates political and social action to ensure equal access to resources, services, and opportunities for all people.

Question 98: In motivational interviewing, the technique of 'rolling with resistance' refers to:

Referring the client to another provider
Avoiding arguments and reflecting client ambivalence without pushing change (Correct answer)
Documenting the client's resistance in clinical notes
Confronting the client's denial directly

Correct answer: Avoiding arguments and reflecting client ambivalence without pushing change

Rolling with resistance means the social worker does not oppose client resistance but instead reflects and explores it to avoid power struggles.

Question 99: A client states: 'I don't see the point in making goals — nothing ever works out for me.' This reflects which cognitive distortion?

Personalization
Mind reading
All-or-nothing thinking
Overgeneralization (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Overgeneralization

Overgeneralization involves drawing a broad negative conclusion from a single event, such as concluding nothing will ever work based on past failures.

Question 100: Helms' White Racial Identity Development model suggests that the 'reintegration' status involves:

Idealization of White culture and hostility toward minority groups (Correct answer)
Active exploration of what it means to be White
Abandoning a previously racist identity
Genuine appreciation of other racial groups

Correct answer: Idealization of White culture and hostility toward minority groups

In the reintegration status, the person idealizes White culture and may harbor conscious or unconscious hostility toward people of color.

Question 101: When assessing for Somatic Symptom Disorder, which feature is required by DSM-5 that was NOT required under DSM-IV Somatization Disorder?

Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to somatic symptoms (Correct answer)
Multiple unexplained physical symptoms across four symptom groups
Onset before age 30
Symptoms unexplained by a medical condition

Correct answer: Excessive thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to somatic symptoms

DSM-5 Somatic Symptom Disorder requires excessive psychological distress or behaviors related to somatic symptoms, even if a medical cause is present, shifting focus from medically unexplained to psychological impact.

Question 102: Which case management function involves directly connecting clients with appropriate community services and resources?

Planning
Assessment
Monitoring
Linking (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Linking

Linking (referral) is the case management function that bridges clients with specific community services identified during the planning phase.

Question 103: When a social worker assumes a client who speaks with an accent is not highly educated, this is an example of:

Cultural competence
A microaggression based on linguistic bias (Correct answer)
Countertransference
Appropriate risk assessment

Correct answer: A microaggression based on linguistic bias

Making negative assumptions about intelligence based on accent is a microaggression rooted in linguistic discrimination.

Question 104: A social worker meets with a client who has been sober for six months but recently relapsed once. Using harm reduction principles, the MOST appropriate response is to:

Acknowledge the relapse as part of recovery and collaboratively develop a safety plan (Correct answer)
Require immediate inpatient detoxification before resuming outpatient services
Discharge the client for violating the treatment agreement
Increase session frequency and mandate AA attendance

Correct answer: Acknowledge the relapse as part of recovery and collaboratively develop a safety plan

Harm reduction treats relapse as a common part of the recovery process and focuses on minimizing risk while maintaining the therapeutic relationship.

Question 105: A social worker discovers that a colleague is billing Medicaid for services never rendered. According to the NASW Code of Ethics, what is the social worker's primary obligation?

Report the misconduct through appropriate channels, including supervisors or licensing boards (Correct answer)
Confront the colleague privately and give them a chance to self-report
Document the issue internally without reporting to external authorities
Ignore the situation to avoid damaging the colleague's career

Correct answer: Report the misconduct through appropriate channels, including supervisors or licensing boards

The NASW Code of Ethics obligates social workers to report unethical conduct by colleagues, including fraud, to appropriate professional or regulatory bodies.

Question 106: A social worker advocates for policy changes to address food deserts in low-income communities. This action best exemplifies which social work principle?

Informed consent
Social justice (Correct answer)
Dual relationship avoidance
Client confidentiality

Correct answer: Social justice

Addressing food deserts through policy advocacy directly targets structural inequity, embodying the social work commitment to social justice.

Question 107: A social worker in private practice wants to enter into a business relationship with a former client of two years. What is the BEST course of action?

Consult with a colleague and proceed if they approve
Proceed if the therapeutic relationship has been formally terminated
Wait the required 1-year post-termination period before proceeding
Avoid the relationship due to potential exploitation of the former client (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Avoid the relationship due to potential exploitation of the former client

Social workers should avoid business relationships with former clients because the power differential from the therapeutic relationship may persist and create exploitation risk.

Question 108: A social worker is using the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) framework. What distinguishes CAMS from traditional risk assessment approaches?

It replaces safety planning with immediate hospitalization
It relies on clinician judgment alone without client input
It focuses exclusively on biological and psychiatric factors
It engages the client as a collaborative partner in assessing and managing their own suicidal risk (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It engages the client as a collaborative partner in assessing and managing their own suicidal risk

CAMS is distinguished by its collaborative, patient-centered approach in which clinician and client co-create the risk assessment and stabilization plan together.

Question 109: A social worker at a community mental health center is seeing a client who meets the criteria for major depressive disorder. According to the DSM-5, how many symptoms must be present for at least two weeks for this diagnosis?

Four or more symptoms, including loss of interest
Six or more symptoms, including sleep disturbance
Five or more symptoms, including depressed mood or loss of interest (Correct answer)
Three or more symptoms, including depressed mood

Correct answer: Five or more symptoms, including depressed mood or loss of interest

DSM-5 requires five or more depressive symptoms present for at least two weeks, with at least one being depressed mood or loss of interest/pleasure.

Question 110: A client presents with a 2-week period of depressed mood most of the day, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, hypersomnia, psychomotor retardation, and feelings of worthlessness. There is no history of manic or hypomanic episodes. Which diagnosis BEST fits this presentation?

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
Cyclothymic Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder (Correct answer)
Bipolar I Disorder, depressive episode

Correct answer: Major Depressive Disorder

A discrete episode of at least 5 DSM symptoms (including depressed mood or anhedonia) lasting at least 2 weeks, without a history of mania or hypomania, meets criteria for Major Depressive Disorder. Persistent Depressive Disorder requires symptoms lasting at least 2 years. Bipolar diagnoses require a manic/hypomanic history.

Question 111: According to NASW's Code of Ethics, social workers have an ethical obligation to engage in social and political action primarily to:

Increase their professional visibility
Satisfy continuing education mandates
Ensure clients access to needed resources and opportunities (Correct answer)
Comply with agency requirements

Correct answer: Ensure clients access to needed resources and opportunities

NASW's Code of Ethics (Standard 6.04) obligates social workers to engage in social and political action to expand client access to resources, services, and opportunities.

Question 112: Kohlberg's 'postconventional' level of moral development is best represented by which behavior?

Obeying laws because authority figures demand it
Conforming to social norms to gain peer approval
Following rules to avoid punishment
Making moral decisions based on universal ethical principles (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Making moral decisions based on universal ethical principles

Postconventional morality involves reasoning based on self-chosen ethical principles that may transcend societal laws, representing the highest level of moral development.

Question 113: In Tuckman's model of group development, which stage is characterized by conflict, resistance, and competition among members?

Performing
Forming
Norming
Storming (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Storming

The Storming stage involves power struggles and conflict as members test boundaries and negotiate roles before cohesion develops.

Question 114: Which concept describes the consistency of a measurement tool when applied repeatedly under the same conditions?

Construct equivalence
Validity
Reliability (Correct answer)
Sensitivity

Correct answer: Reliability

Reliability refers to the degree to which a measurement produces stable, consistent results across repeated administrations.

Question 115: When a minor client discloses sexual activity with another minor of the same age, the social worker's reporting obligation depends MOST on:

Whether the activity was consensual and state laws regarding age of consent (Correct answer)
The age of the minor making the disclosure
Whether the minor has a history of prior abuse
The parents' wishes regarding disclosure

Correct answer: Whether the activity was consensual and state laws regarding age of consent

Reporting obligations for minor sexual activity depend on state-specific age of consent laws and whether the activity meets the legal definition of abuse or exploitation.

Question 116: When working with clients who have disabilities, the social model of disability suggests that practitioners should:

Refer clients primarily to medical professionals for needs assessment
Focus on curing or rehabilitating the individual's impairment
Encourage acceptance of limitations as permanent
Address societal barriers and structures that disable people rather than the person's condition (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Address societal barriers and structures that disable people rather than the person's condition

The social model locates disability in societal barriers—physical, attitudinal, and systemic—rather than in the individual's body or mind.

Question 117: A client presents with persistent depressed mood, loss of interest, fatigue, and hypersomnia lasting 3 weeks. Which DSM-5 diagnosis is most appropriate to consider?

Persistent Depressive Disorder
Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood
Major Depressive Disorder (Correct answer)
Bipolar II Disorder

Correct answer: Major Depressive Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder requires at least 5 symptoms during a 2-week period, including depressed mood or anhedonia, which this client meets.

Question 118: Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, a social worker advocating for school-aged children experiencing homelessness must ensure:

Children are placed in specialized schools designed for homeless youth
Children's homeless status is disclosed to teachers to facilitate additional support
Children can immediately enroll in school and receive transportation to their school of origin (Correct answer)
Families receive housing before children are allowed to attend public school

Correct answer: Children can immediately enroll in school and receive transportation to their school of origin

McKinney-Vento guarantees immediate enrollment without documentation and transportation to the school of origin to provide stability for homeless children.

Question 119: A social worker in an emergency room evaluates a client who was brought in after a suicide attempt. Which factor would INCREASE concern for future attempt risk?

The client describes the attempt as planned over several weeks with clear intent to die (Correct answer)
The client expresses regret about the attempt
The client has strong family support present
The client is fully cooperative with treatment planning

Correct answer: The client describes the attempt as planned over several weeks with clear intent to die

Planned attempts with clear lethal intent are associated with significantly higher risk of future attempts than impulsive attempts.

Question 120: Which therapeutic approach focuses on identifying and changing maladaptive thought patterns to alter behavior and emotions?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Correct answer)
Narrative therapy
Psychodynamic therapy

Correct answer: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

CBT targets distorted cognitions and their connection to feelings and behaviors to produce lasting therapeutic change.

Question 121: Policy advocacy differs from direct social work practice primarily because it:

Focuses on changing conditions affecting many people rather than helping individual clients (Correct answer)
Is practiced only by macro-level social workers
Requires more clinical training
Involves providing concrete services to vulnerable populations

Correct answer: Focuses on changing conditions affecting many people rather than helping individual clients

Policy advocacy aims to change laws, regulations, or social conditions that affect entire populations, whereas direct practice addresses the needs of individual clients or families.

Question 122: Under the NASW Code of Ethics, when a social worker's personal values conflict with a client's legal but morally objectionable behavior, the worker should FIRST:

Terminate services to avoid dual relationship concerns
Disclose personal values to set appropriate boundaries
Explore the conflict in supervision and manage personal reactions (Correct answer)
Refer the client to another provider immediately

Correct answer: Explore the conflict in supervision and manage personal reactions

Social workers must use supervision to process value conflicts and ensure client self-determination is not compromised.

LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) Exam

The LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) Exam exam validates essential knowledge and skills required for certification or licensure in this field.

122

Questions

240 min

Time Limit

70%

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