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North Dakota Social Work — Requirements & Free Practice

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Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker

Ordinary Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker license under NDCC Chapter 43-41.

Licensing authority: North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners · Application information

Reapplication after license expiration
ASWB Bachelors Exam
Accreditation status
NDAC 75.5-02-01-02 recognizes accredited, initial accreditation review, approved candidacy and conditional accreditation program statuses.
Age
The applicant must have attained the age of majority.
Applicant class
Former North Dakota licenseholder whose license expired because renewal was not received or renewal fees/continuing education were not satisfied.
Application
Submit the prescribed signed application and required evidence and fees.
Application completion
If licensure requirements are not met within one year, submit a new application.
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Board exam window
Board requirements page states completion of the ASWB examination within one year after application; retain alongside the rule's one-year pre-application score window.
Character
The applicant must be of good moral character; the Board considers professional values and relevant reports.
Degree evidence
The awarding institution must send the official transcript directly to the Board.
Education
Baccalaureate degree in social work from a Board-approved program; the Board identifies CSWE-accredited and CASWE-accredited Canadian programs.
Ethics
The applicant must agree to adhere to the Board-adopted code of social work ethics.
Fees
Application fee $25; initial license fee $75 under NDAC 75.5-02-03-03.
Practice
Do not practice until a new initial application is made and the Board grants a license.
References
Submit three written references: for applicants never employed in social work, faculty, field supervisor and licensed social worker; otherwise two social workers at the requested level or higher and a work supervisor. The Board may waive or change references.
Score or waiver
The rule requires a new initial licensure application. The current ASWB category remains a leaf; previous passing scores, acceptance, timing and any Board waiver are applicant conditions.
Score validity rule
NDAC 75.5-02-03-02(1) says: 1. The license examination must be approved by the board. A passing examination score is valid only if the licensure application is postmarked or delivered to the board's office within one year from the date of the examination. The board shall certify the eligibility of all applicants and determine uniform passing and failing cutoff points.
Student exam eligibility
Students in good standing may take the examination in the semester or quarter of graduation; the license is not granted until proof of graduation is received.
Foreign practitioner with two years of licensed practice
ASWB Bachelors Exam
Exam waiver
NDCC 43-51-06 permits the Board to license without examination. It does not mandate a waiver. The Board ordinary credential requirements still name the ASWB category; retain that leaf with the Board waiver as an applicant condition.
License and practice
Hold and maintain an unrestricted license in good standing elsewhere, with no pending discipline, and at least two years of licensed practice before application; satisfy remaining licensure requirements.
Other requirements
Application, background checks, professional and educational qualifications, verification and applicable fees remain required.
Initial licensure by examination
ASWB Bachelors Exam
Accreditation status
NDAC 75.5-02-01-02 recognizes accredited, initial accreditation review, approved candidacy and conditional accreditation program statuses.
Age
The applicant must have attained the age of majority.
Applicant class
Applicant not currently licensed in another jurisdiction.
Application
Submit the prescribed signed application and required evidence and fees.
Application completion
If licensure requirements are not met within one year, submit a new application.
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Board exam window
Board requirements page states completion of the ASWB examination within one year after application; retain alongside the rule's one-year pre-application score window.
Character
The applicant must be of good moral character; the Board considers professional values and relevant reports.
Degree evidence
The awarding institution must send the official transcript directly to the Board.
Education
Baccalaureate degree in social work from a Board-approved program; the Board identifies CSWE-accredited and CASWE-accredited Canadian programs.
Ethics
The applicant must agree to adhere to the Board-adopted code of social work ethics.
Fees
Application fee $25; initial license fee $75 under NDAC 75.5-02-03-03.
References
Submit three written references: for applicants never employed in social work, faculty, field supervisor and licensed social worker; otherwise two social workers at the requested level or higher and a work supervisor. The Board may waive or change references.
Score validity rule
NDAC 75.5-02-03-02(1) says: 1. The license examination must be approved by the board. A passing examination score is valid only if the licensure application is postmarked or delivered to the board's office within one year from the date of the examination. The board shall certify the eligibility of all applicants and determine uniform passing and failing cutoff points.
Student exam eligibility
Students in good standing may take the examination in the semester or quarter of graduation; the license is not granted until proof of graduation is received.
Military member licensure exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicant
Military member within NDCC 43-51-01; apply to the Board.
Competency
Demonstrate social-work competency through Board-determined methods or standards.
Exceptions
The Board grants case-by-case exceptions to licensing standards; provide required information and any authorized criminal checks.
Ordinary exam statement
The ordinary requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Bachelor’s level exam. Military issuance uses the separately enumerated statutory and rule competency standards; the Board determines any remaining applicant obligations.
Public safety
The Board determines licensure will not substantially increase risk of public harm.
Scope
The Board assigns the authorized level and conditions; this route does not itself confer clinical scope without Board approval.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Military license renewal hardship exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board discretion
The Board grants case-by-case renewal exceptions or applies its rules; satisfy requirements the Board does not excuse.
Existing license
Existing North Dakota Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker license.
Military hardship
Military activation exceeding 30 days or service in an armed-conflict theater or area causes renewal-compliance hardship.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Military spouse licensure exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicant
Military spouse within NDCC 43-51-01; apply to the Board.
Competency
Demonstrate social-work competency through Board-determined methods or standards.
Exceptions
The Board grants case-by-case exceptions to licensing standards; provide required information and any authorized criminal checks.
Experience
NDAC 75.5-02-05-02 requires at least two of the four preceding years of social-work experience.
Ordinary exam statement
The ordinary requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Bachelor’s level exam. Military issuance uses the separately enumerated statutory and rule competency standards; the Board determines any remaining applicant obligations.
Public safety
The Board determines licensure will not substantially increase risk of public harm.
Scope
The Board assigns the authorized level and conditions; this route does not itself confer clinical scope without Board approval.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by reciprocity — equivalent jurisdiction
ASWB Bachelors Exam
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Documents
Submit the signed application, direct license verification, the other jurisdiction law and rules at initial licensure (waivable in unusual circumstances), and any additional information requested by the Board. The law of another jurisdiction is applicant evidence, not an examination leaf.
Exam condition
The Board credential requirements identify a passing ASWB Bachelors score and direct applicants to the requirements listed above. This registered current examination is retained whether the score predates the application or the Board excuses an individual applicant under its reciprocity authority.
Fees
Pay applicable licensure fees. Current reciprocity pages describe $150 fees but also retain references to $25 fees; the applicant must obtain the Board determination of payable amounts.
Other license
Hold a current unrestricted, unencumbered, nonprobationary license in good standing in a jurisdiction imposing substantially the same requirements as NDCC Chapter 43-41.
References
The Board does not require reference forms for reciprocity.
Licensure by reciprocity — individual equivalence
ASWB Bachelors Exam
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Documents
Submit the signed application, direct license verification, the other jurisdiction law and rules at initial licensure (waivable in unusual circumstances), and any additional information requested by the Board. The law of another jurisdiction is applicant evidence, not an examination leaf.
Exam condition
The Board credential requirements identify a passing ASWB Bachelors score and direct applicants to the requirements listed above. This registered current examination is retained whether the score predates the application or the Board excuses an individual applicant under its reciprocity authority.
Fees
Pay applicable licensure fees. Current reciprocity pages describe $150 fees but also retain references to $25 fees; the applicant must obtain the Board determination of payable amounts.
Other license
Hold a license in good standing in another jurisdiction and satisfy the Board that individual qualifications or social-work experience are substantially similar to North Dakota minimum requirements.
References
The Board does not require reference forms for reciprocity.
License renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed signed renewal application and renewal fee.
Continuing education
Complete 30 approved contact hours per two-year period including two ethics hours; the rule limits independent learning to ten hours. Fifteen hours apply for initial licensure January–June of an odd year; none for July or later that year. NDCC 43-51.1-03(8) requires ability to complete continuing education virtually unless otherwise legally or nationally required.
Current license
Existing Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker license not revoked; no grounds for denial under NDCC 43-41-10.
Deadline
Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is due November 15 under the rule or a late fee applies.
Hardship
The Board may waive late fees or extend expiration for medical or other hardship.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Universal licensure of a qualified out of state licensee
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicability
NDCC 43-51.1-02 applies unless the Board is part of an effective interstate compact, executed license transfer, existing interstate mobility or reciprocity agreement. Apply this condition before using this pathway.
Background checks
Submit to the authorized state and federal criminal check and pay required fees.
Competency
Provide competency and education through methods determined by the Board.
Conduct
No disqualifying act unless the Board excuses it, no discipline during the preceding ten years, and no active investigation by a licensing authority or law enforcement.
Ordinary board exam statement
The ordinary credential requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Bachelor’s level exam. The universal statute enumerates a distinct set of prerequisites and controls this route; retain the Board ordinary statement for applicant visibility rather than silently applying it as a new statutory prerequisite.
Other license
Hold a comparable out-of-state United States license and have actively used it for two of the last three years.
State law exam
NDCC 43-51.1-03(4) permits a jurisprudence examination, but does not identify an examination administered for this profession; this discretionary authorization is a condition.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Ordinary Licensed Clinical Social Worker license under NDCC Chapter 43-41.

Licensing authority: North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners · Application information

Reapplication after license expiration
ASWB Clinical Exam
Accreditation status
NDAC 75.5-02-01-02 recognizes accredited, initial accreditation review, approved candidacy and conditional accreditation program statuses.
Age
The applicant must have attained the age of majority.
Applicant class
Former North Dakota licenseholder whose license expired because renewal was not received or renewal fees/continuing education were not satisfied.
Application
Submit the prescribed signed application and required evidence and fees.
Application completion
If licensure requirements are not met within one year, submit a new application.
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Board exam window
The applicant must successfully complete the ASWB Clinical level exam within one year from the date the application for licensure is filed with the NDBSWE office.
Board reference statement
The LCSW initial application page says: Reference forms are not required for the LCSW level. NDAC 75.5-02-03-01 requires three references but permits the Board to waive or change references.
Board review
A Board member reviews all documentation including exam scores and background results before issuance.
Character
The applicant must be of good moral character; the Board considers professional values and relevant reports.
Clinical experience
Complete 3,000 post-master clinical hours within four years, with the first 1,500 supervised by an LCSW; Board-approved qualified mental-health professionals may supervise additional hours for hardship. The statute preserves its pre-August 1, 2009 supervisor provision and permits substantially equivalent experience.
Clinical supervision
Submit a supervision plan before beginning; report supervisor changes; complete 150 face-to-face supervision hours, at most 50 in a group; maintain records and verify supervised practice and employment.
Degree evidence
The awarding institution must send the official transcript directly to the Board.
Education
Master or doctorate degree in social work from a Board-approved program; the Board identifies CSWE-accredited and CASWE-accredited Canadian programs.
Ethics
The applicant must agree to adhere to the Board-adopted code of social work ethics.
Fees
Application fee $25; initial license fee $75 under NDAC 75.5-02-03-03.
Practice
Do not practice until a new initial application is made and the Board grants a license.
References
Submit three written references: for applicants never employed in social work, faculty, field supervisor and licensed social worker; otherwise two social workers at the requested level or higher and a work supervisor. The Board may waive or change references.
Score or waiver
The rule requires a new initial licensure application. The current ASWB category remains a leaf; previous passing scores, acceptance, timing and any Board waiver are applicant conditions.
Score validity rule
NDAC 75.5-02-03-02(1) says: 1. The license examination must be approved by the board. A passing examination score is valid only if the licensure application is postmarked or delivered to the board's office within one year from the date of the examination. The board shall certify the eligibility of all applicants and determine uniform passing and failing cutoff points.
Student exam eligibility
Students in good standing may take the examination in the semester or quarter of graduation; the license is not granted until proof of graduation is received.
Foreign practitioner with two years of licensed practice
ASWB Clinical Exam
Exam waiver
NDCC 43-51-06 permits the Board to license without examination. It does not mandate a waiver. The Board ordinary credential requirements still name the ASWB category; retain that leaf with the Board waiver as an applicant condition.
License and practice
Hold and maintain an unrestricted license in good standing elsewhere, with no pending discipline, and at least two years of licensed practice before application; satisfy remaining licensure requirements.
Other requirements
Application, background checks, professional and educational qualifications, verification and applicable fees remain required.
Initial licensure by examination
ASWB Clinical Exam
Accreditation status
NDAC 75.5-02-01-02 recognizes accredited, initial accreditation review, approved candidacy and conditional accreditation program statuses.
Age
The applicant must have attained the age of majority.
Applicant class
Applicant not currently licensed in another jurisdiction.
Application
Submit the prescribed signed application and required evidence and fees.
Application completion
If licensure requirements are not met within one year, submit a new application.
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Board exam window
The applicant must successfully complete the ASWB Clinical level exam within one year from the date the application for licensure is filed with the NDBSWE office.
Board reference statement
The LCSW initial application page says: Reference forms are not required for the LCSW level. NDAC 75.5-02-03-01 requires three references but permits the Board to waive or change references.
Board review
A Board member reviews all documentation including exam scores and background results before issuance.
Character
The applicant must be of good moral character; the Board considers professional values and relevant reports.
Clinical experience
Complete 3,000 post-master clinical hours within four years, with the first 1,500 supervised by an LCSW; Board-approved qualified mental-health professionals may supervise additional hours for hardship. The statute preserves its pre-August 1, 2009 supervisor provision and permits substantially equivalent experience.
Clinical supervision
Submit a supervision plan before beginning; report supervisor changes; complete 150 face-to-face supervision hours, at most 50 in a group; maintain records and verify supervised practice and employment.
Degree evidence
The awarding institution must send the official transcript directly to the Board.
Education
Master or doctorate degree in social work from a Board-approved program; the Board identifies CSWE-accredited and CASWE-accredited Canadian programs.
Ethics
The applicant must agree to adhere to the Board-adopted code of social work ethics.
Fees
Application fee $25; initial license fee $75 under NDAC 75.5-02-03-03.
References
Submit three written references: for applicants never employed in social work, faculty, field supervisor and licensed social worker; otherwise two social workers at the requested level or higher and a work supervisor. The Board may waive or change references.
Score validity rule
NDAC 75.5-02-03-02(1) says: 1. The license examination must be approved by the board. A passing examination score is valid only if the licensure application is postmarked or delivered to the board's office within one year from the date of the examination. The board shall certify the eligibility of all applicants and determine uniform passing and failing cutoff points.
Student exam eligibility
Students in good standing may take the examination in the semester or quarter of graduation; the license is not granted until proof of graduation is received.
Military member licensure exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicant
Military member within NDCC 43-51-01; apply to the Board.
Competency
Demonstrate social-work competency through Board-determined methods or standards.
Exceptions
The Board grants case-by-case exceptions to licensing standards; provide required information and any authorized criminal checks.
Ordinary exam statement
The ordinary requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Clinical level exam. Military issuance uses the separately enumerated statutory and rule competency standards; the Board determines any remaining applicant obligations.
Public safety
The Board determines licensure will not substantially increase risk of public harm.
Scope
The Board assigns the authorized level and conditions; this route does not itself confer clinical scope without Board approval.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Military license renewal hardship exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board discretion
The Board grants case-by-case renewal exceptions or applies its rules; satisfy requirements the Board does not excuse.
Existing license
Existing North Dakota Licensed Clinical Social Worker license.
Military hardship
Military activation exceeding 30 days or service in an armed-conflict theater or area causes renewal-compliance hardship.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Military spouse licensure exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicant
Military spouse within NDCC 43-51-01; apply to the Board.
Competency
Demonstrate social-work competency through Board-determined methods or standards.
Exceptions
The Board grants case-by-case exceptions to licensing standards; provide required information and any authorized criminal checks.
Experience
NDAC 75.5-02-05-02 requires at least two of the four preceding years of social-work experience.
Ordinary exam statement
The ordinary requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Clinical level exam. Military issuance uses the separately enumerated statutory and rule competency standards; the Board determines any remaining applicant obligations.
Public safety
The Board determines licensure will not substantially increase risk of public harm.
Scope
The Board assigns the authorized level and conditions; this route does not itself confer clinical scope without Board approval.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by reciprocity — equivalent jurisdiction
ASWB Clinical Exam
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Board review
A Board member determines whether qualifications meet requirements; the Board may license on clinical experience with additional documentation if reciprocity eligibility is not established.
Clinical evidence
Provide a detailed account of clinical experience, diagnosis, supervised practice and hours, plus the LCSW reciprocity applicant affidavit affirming practice meets or exceeds NDCC 43-41-04 minimum supervision requirements.
Documents
Submit the signed application, direct license verification, the other jurisdiction law and rules at initial licensure (waivable in unusual circumstances), and any additional information requested by the Board. The law of another jurisdiction is applicant evidence, not an examination leaf.
Exam condition
The Board credential requirements identify a passing ASWB Clinical score and direct applicants to the requirements listed above. This registered current examination is retained whether the score predates the application or the Board excuses an individual applicant under its reciprocity authority.
Fees
Pay applicable licensure fees. Current reciprocity pages describe $150 fees but also retain references to $25 fees; the applicant must obtain the Board determination of payable amounts.
Other license
Hold a current unrestricted, unencumbered, nonprobationary license in good standing in a jurisdiction imposing substantially the same requirements as NDCC Chapter 43-41.
References
The Board does not require reference forms for reciprocity.
Licensure by reciprocity — individual equivalence
ASWB Clinical Exam
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Board review
A Board member determines whether qualifications meet requirements; the Board may license on clinical experience with additional documentation if reciprocity eligibility is not established.
Clinical evidence
Provide a detailed account of clinical experience, diagnosis, supervised practice and hours, plus the LCSW reciprocity applicant affidavit affirming practice meets or exceeds NDCC 43-41-04 minimum supervision requirements.
Documents
Submit the signed application, direct license verification, the other jurisdiction law and rules at initial licensure (waivable in unusual circumstances), and any additional information requested by the Board. The law of another jurisdiction is applicant evidence, not an examination leaf.
Exam condition
The Board credential requirements identify a passing ASWB Clinical score and direct applicants to the requirements listed above. This registered current examination is retained whether the score predates the application or the Board excuses an individual applicant under its reciprocity authority.
Fees
Pay applicable licensure fees. Current reciprocity pages describe $150 fees but also retain references to $25 fees; the applicant must obtain the Board determination of payable amounts.
Other license
Hold a license in good standing in another jurisdiction and satisfy the Board that individual qualifications or social-work experience are substantially similar to North Dakota minimum requirements.
References
The Board does not require reference forms for reciprocity.
License renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed signed renewal application and renewal fee.
Continuing education
Complete 30 approved contact hours per two-year period including two ethics hours; the rule limits independent learning to ten hours. Fifteen hours apply for initial licensure January–June of an odd year; none for July or later that year. NDCC 43-51.1-03(8) requires ability to complete continuing education virtually unless otherwise legally or nationally required.
Current license
Existing Licensed Clinical Social Worker license not revoked; no grounds for denial under NDCC 43-41-10.
Deadline
Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is due November 15 under the rule or a late fee applies.
Hardship
The Board may waive late fees or extend expiration for medical or other hardship.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Universal licensure of a qualified out of state licensee
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicability
NDCC 43-51.1-02 applies unless the Board is part of an effective interstate compact, executed license transfer, existing interstate mobility or reciprocity agreement. Apply this condition before using this pathway.
Background checks
Submit to the authorized state and federal criminal check and pay required fees.
Competency
Provide competency and education through methods determined by the Board.
Conduct
No disqualifying act unless the Board excuses it, no discipline during the preceding ten years, and no active investigation by a licensing authority or law enforcement.
Ordinary board exam statement
The ordinary credential requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Clinical level exam. The universal statute enumerates a distinct set of prerequisites and controls this route; retain the Board ordinary statement for applicant visibility rather than silently applying it as a new statutory prerequisite.
Other license
Hold a comparable out-of-state United States license and have actively used it for two of the last three years.
State law exam
NDCC 43-51.1-03(4) permits a jurisprudence examination, but does not identify an examination administered for this profession; this discretionary authorization is a condition.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Upgrade from a current North Dakota lower level license
ASWB Clinical Exam
Accreditation status
NDAC 75.5-02-01-02 recognizes accredited, initial accreditation review, approved candidacy and conditional accreditation program statuses.
Age
The applicant must have attained the age of majority.
Applicant class
Holder of a current North Dakota LMSW license upgrading to LCSW.
Application
Submit the prescribed signed application and required evidence and fees.
Application completion
If licensure requirements are not met within one year, submit a new application.
Background checks
The Board initial application page states that a current LMSW licenseholder is not required to repeat the background check.
Board exam window
The applicant must successfully complete the ASWB Clinical level exam within one year from the date the application for licensure is filed with the NDBSWE office.
Board reference statement
The LCSW initial application page says: Reference forms are not required for the LCSW level. NDAC 75.5-02-03-01 requires three references but permits the Board to waive or change references.
Board review
A Board member reviews all documentation including exam scores and background results before issuance.
Character
The applicant must be of good moral character; the Board considers professional values and relevant reports.
Clinical experience
Complete 3,000 post-master clinical hours within four years, with the first 1,500 supervised by an LCSW; Board-approved qualified mental-health professionals may supervise additional hours for hardship. The statute preserves its pre-August 1, 2009 supervisor provision and permits substantially equivalent experience.
Clinical supervision
Submit a supervision plan before beginning; report supervisor changes; complete 150 face-to-face supervision hours, at most 50 in a group; maintain records and verify supervised practice and employment.
Degree evidence
The Board does not require another transcript for an LMSW upgrading to LCSW.
Education
Master or doctorate degree in social work from a Board-approved program; the Board identifies CSWE-accredited and CASWE-accredited Canadian programs.
Ethics
The applicant must agree to adhere to the Board-adopted code of social work ethics.
Fees
The Board charges the $25 upgrade application fee and waives the $75 initial license fee for current North Dakota licenseholders upgrading.
References
Submit three written references: for applicants never employed in social work, faculty, field supervisor and licensed social worker; otherwise two social workers at the requested level or higher and a work supervisor. The Board may waive or change references.
Score validity rule
NDAC 75.5-02-03-02(1) says: 1. The license examination must be approved by the board. A passing examination score is valid only if the licensure application is postmarked or delivered to the board's office within one year from the date of the examination. The board shall certify the eligibility of all applicants and determine uniform passing and failing cutoff points.
Student exam eligibility
Students in good standing may take the examination in the semester or quarter of graduation; the license is not granted until proof of graduation is received.

Licensed Master Social Worker

Ordinary Licensed Master Social Worker license under NDCC Chapter 43-41.

Licensing authority: North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners · Application information

Reapplication after license expiration
ASWB Masters Exam
Accreditation status
NDAC 75.5-02-01-02 recognizes accredited, initial accreditation review, approved candidacy and conditional accreditation program statuses.
Age
The applicant must have attained the age of majority.
Applicant class
Former North Dakota licenseholder whose license expired because renewal was not received or renewal fees/continuing education were not satisfied.
Application
Submit the prescribed signed application and required evidence and fees.
Application completion
If licensure requirements are not met within one year, submit a new application.
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Board exam window
Board requirements page states completion of the ASWB examination within one year after application; retain alongside the rule's one-year pre-application score window.
Character
The applicant must be of good moral character; the Board considers professional values and relevant reports.
Degree evidence
The awarding institution must send the official transcript directly to the Board.
Education
Master or doctorate degree in social work from a Board-approved program. The Board page describes a master degree and identifies CSWE-accredited and CASWE-accredited Canadian programs; the statute also accepts a doctorate.
Ethics
The applicant must agree to adhere to the Board-adopted code of social work ethics.
Fees
Application fee $25; initial license fee $75 under NDAC 75.5-02-03-03.
Practice
Do not practice until a new initial application is made and the Board grants a license.
References
Submit three written references: for applicants never employed in social work, faculty, field supervisor and licensed social worker; otherwise two social workers at the requested level or higher and a work supervisor. The Board may waive or change references.
Score or waiver
The rule requires a new initial licensure application. The current ASWB category remains a leaf; previous passing scores, acceptance, timing and any Board waiver are applicant conditions.
Score validity rule
NDAC 75.5-02-03-02(1) says: 1. The license examination must be approved by the board. A passing examination score is valid only if the licensure application is postmarked or delivered to the board's office within one year from the date of the examination. The board shall certify the eligibility of all applicants and determine uniform passing and failing cutoff points.
Student exam eligibility
Students in good standing may take the examination in the semester or quarter of graduation; the license is not granted until proof of graduation is received.
Foreign practitioner with two years of licensed practice
ASWB Masters Exam
Exam waiver
NDCC 43-51-06 permits the Board to license without examination. It does not mandate a waiver. The Board ordinary credential requirements still name the ASWB category; retain that leaf with the Board waiver as an applicant condition.
License and practice
Hold and maintain an unrestricted license in good standing elsewhere, with no pending discipline, and at least two years of licensed practice before application; satisfy remaining licensure requirements.
Other requirements
Application, background checks, professional and educational qualifications, verification and applicable fees remain required.
Initial licensure by examination
ASWB Masters Exam
Accreditation status
NDAC 75.5-02-01-02 recognizes accredited, initial accreditation review, approved candidacy and conditional accreditation program statuses.
Age
The applicant must have attained the age of majority.
Applicant class
Applicant not currently licensed in another jurisdiction.
Application
Submit the prescribed signed application and required evidence and fees.
Application completion
If licensure requirements are not met within one year, submit a new application.
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Board exam window
Board requirements page states completion of the ASWB examination within one year after application; retain alongside the rule's one-year pre-application score window.
Character
The applicant must be of good moral character; the Board considers professional values and relevant reports.
Degree evidence
The awarding institution must send the official transcript directly to the Board.
Education
Master or doctorate degree in social work from a Board-approved program. The Board page describes a master degree and identifies CSWE-accredited and CASWE-accredited Canadian programs; the statute also accepts a doctorate.
Ethics
The applicant must agree to adhere to the Board-adopted code of social work ethics.
Fees
Application fee $25; initial license fee $75 under NDAC 75.5-02-03-03.
References
Submit three written references: for applicants never employed in social work, faculty, field supervisor and licensed social worker; otherwise two social workers at the requested level or higher and a work supervisor. The Board may waive or change references.
Score validity rule
NDAC 75.5-02-03-02(1) says: 1. The license examination must be approved by the board. A passing examination score is valid only if the licensure application is postmarked or delivered to the board's office within one year from the date of the examination. The board shall certify the eligibility of all applicants and determine uniform passing and failing cutoff points.
Student exam eligibility
Students in good standing may take the examination in the semester or quarter of graduation; the license is not granted until proof of graduation is received.
Military member licensure exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicant
Military member within NDCC 43-51-01; apply to the Board.
Competency
Demonstrate social-work competency through Board-determined methods or standards.
Exceptions
The Board grants case-by-case exceptions to licensing standards; provide required information and any authorized criminal checks.
Ordinary exam statement
The ordinary requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Master’s level exam. Military issuance uses the separately enumerated statutory and rule competency standards; the Board determines any remaining applicant obligations.
Public safety
The Board determines licensure will not substantially increase risk of public harm.
Scope
The Board assigns the authorized level and conditions; this route does not itself confer clinical scope without Board approval.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Military license renewal hardship exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board discretion
The Board grants case-by-case renewal exceptions or applies its rules; satisfy requirements the Board does not excuse.
Existing license
Existing North Dakota Licensed Master Social Worker license.
Military hardship
Military activation exceeding 30 days or service in an armed-conflict theater or area causes renewal-compliance hardship.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Military spouse licensure exception
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicant
Military spouse within NDCC 43-51-01; apply to the Board.
Competency
Demonstrate social-work competency through Board-determined methods or standards.
Exceptions
The Board grants case-by-case exceptions to licensing standards; provide required information and any authorized criminal checks.
Experience
NDAC 75.5-02-05-02 requires at least two of the four preceding years of social-work experience.
Ordinary exam statement
The ordinary requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Master’s level exam. Military issuance uses the separately enumerated statutory and rule competency standards; the Board determines any remaining applicant obligations.
Public safety
The Board determines licensure will not substantially increase risk of public harm.
Scope
The Board assigns the authorized level and conditions; this route does not itself confer clinical scope without Board approval.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by reciprocity — equivalent jurisdiction
ASWB Masters Exam
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Documents
Submit the signed application, direct license verification, the other jurisdiction law and rules at initial licensure (waivable in unusual circumstances), and any additional information requested by the Board. The law of another jurisdiction is applicant evidence, not an examination leaf.
Exam condition
The Board credential requirements identify a passing ASWB Masters score and direct applicants to the requirements listed above. This registered current examination is retained whether the score predates the application or the Board excuses an individual applicant under its reciprocity authority.
Fees
Pay applicable licensure fees. Current reciprocity pages describe $150 fees but also retain references to $25 fees; the applicant must obtain the Board determination of payable amounts.
Other license
Hold a current unrestricted, unencumbered, nonprobationary license in good standing in a jurisdiction imposing substantially the same requirements as NDCC Chapter 43-41.
References
The Board does not require reference forms for reciprocity.
Licensure by reciprocity — individual equivalence
ASWB Masters Exam
Background checks
Complete statewide and nationwide criminal-history checks and a child-abuse-and-neglect information inquiry, at applicant expense.
Documents
Submit the signed application, direct license verification, the other jurisdiction law and rules at initial licensure (waivable in unusual circumstances), and any additional information requested by the Board. The law of another jurisdiction is applicant evidence, not an examination leaf.
Exam condition
The Board credential requirements identify a passing ASWB Masters score and direct applicants to the requirements listed above. This registered current examination is retained whether the score predates the application or the Board excuses an individual applicant under its reciprocity authority.
Fees
Pay applicable licensure fees. Current reciprocity pages describe $150 fees but also retain references to $25 fees; the applicant must obtain the Board determination of payable amounts.
Other license
Hold a license in good standing in another jurisdiction and satisfy the Board that individual qualifications or social-work experience are substantially similar to North Dakota minimum requirements.
References
The Board does not require reference forms for reciprocity.
License renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed signed renewal application and renewal fee.
Continuing education
Complete 30 approved contact hours per two-year period including two ethics hours; the rule limits independent learning to ten hours. Fifteen hours apply for initial licensure January–June of an odd year; none for July or later that year. NDCC 43-51.1-03(8) requires ability to complete continuing education virtually unless otherwise legally or nationally required.
Current license
Existing Licensed Master Social Worker license not revoked; no grounds for denial under NDCC 43-41-10.
Deadline
Licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is due November 15 under the rule or a late fee applies.
Hardship
The Board may waive late fees or extend expiration for medical or other hardship.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Universal licensure of a qualified out of state licensee
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Applicability
NDCC 43-51.1-02 applies unless the Board is part of an effective interstate compact, executed license transfer, existing interstate mobility or reciprocity agreement. Apply this condition before using this pathway.
Background checks
Submit to the authorized state and federal criminal check and pay required fees.
Competency
Provide competency and education through methods determined by the Board.
Conduct
No disqualifying act unless the Board excuses it, no discipline during the preceding ten years, and no active investigation by a licensing authority or law enforcement.
Ordinary board exam statement
The ordinary credential requirements page states: Passing score on the ASWB Master’s level exam. The universal statute enumerates a distinct set of prerequisites and controls this route; retain the Board ordinary statement for applicant visibility rather than silently applying it as a new statutory prerequisite.
Other license
Hold a comparable out-of-state United States license and have actively used it for two of the last three years.
State law exam
NDCC 43-51.1-03(4) permits a jurisprudence examination, but does not identify an examination administered for this profession; this discretionary authorization is a condition.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Upgrade from a current North Dakota lower level license
ASWB Masters Exam
Accreditation status
NDAC 75.5-02-01-02 recognizes accredited, initial accreditation review, approved candidacy and conditional accreditation program statuses.
Age
The applicant must have attained the age of majority.
Applicant class
Holder of a current North Dakota LBSW license upgrading to LMSW.
Application
Submit the prescribed signed application and required evidence and fees.
Application completion
If licensure requirements are not met within one year, submit a new application.
Background checks
The Board initial application page states that a current LBSW licenseholder is not required to repeat the background check.
Board exam window
Board requirements page states completion of the ASWB examination within one year after application; retain alongside the rule's one-year pre-application score window.
Character
The applicant must be of good moral character; the Board considers professional values and relevant reports.
Degree evidence
The awarding institution must send the official transcript directly to the Board.
Education
Master or doctorate degree in social work from a Board-approved program. The Board page describes a master degree and identifies CSWE-accredited and CASWE-accredited Canadian programs; the statute also accepts a doctorate.
Ethics
The applicant must agree to adhere to the Board-adopted code of social work ethics.
Fees
The Board charges the $25 upgrade application fee and waives the $75 initial license fee for current North Dakota licenseholders upgrading.
References
Submit three written references: for applicants never employed in social work, faculty, field supervisor and licensed social worker; otherwise two social workers at the requested level or higher and a work supervisor. The Board may waive or change references.
Score validity rule
NDAC 75.5-02-03-02(1) says: 1. The license examination must be approved by the board. A passing examination score is valid only if the licensure application is postmarked or delivered to the board's office within one year from the date of the examination. The board shall certify the eligibility of all applicants and determine uniform passing and failing cutoff points.
Student exam eligibility
Students in good standing may take the examination in the semester or quarter of graduation; the license is not granted until proof of graduation is received.

ASWB Bachelors Exam

Provider
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); administered on computer at Pearson test centers
Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination (three- and four-option questions) in two 61-question sections, each with a two-hour time limit; scored and pretest questions are mixed together; results reported as pass/fail
Exam questions
122 multiple-choice questions: 110 scored and 12 unscored pretest questions
Time limit
4 hours (two sections, each with a two-hour time limit)
Passing score
Pass/fail; the number of correct answers required varies by exam form and generally ranges from 66 to 78 of the 110 scored questions
Exam fee
US$230 exam registration fee
Examination outline
  • I. VALUES AND ETHICS (35%) (35%)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Legal and ethical issues related to the practice of social work, including responsibility to clients/client systems, colleagues, the profession, and society
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Principles and processes of obtaining informed consent
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Legal and ethical issues regarding confidentiality, including limitations of confidentiality (e.g., HIPAA, PHI, privacy)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Professional values and principles (e.g., competence, social justice, integrity, dignity and worth of the person)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Social worker self-care principles
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Importance of professional development activities to improve practice and maintain current professional knowledge (e.g., in-service training, licensing requirements, reviews of literature, workshops, on-going supervision, consultation)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Professional boundaries in the social worker-client/client system relationship (e.g., power differences, influence, privilege, conflicts of interest, self-disclosure, dual relationships)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Protecting and enhancing client/client system self-determination (e.g., medication, medical treatment, counseling, placement, right to refuse services)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding mandatory reporting (e.g., abuse, threat of harm, impaired professionals, duty to warn)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding documentation (e.g., maintaining client records)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Impact of governmental policies on service delivery (e.g., local, state, federal legislation and policy)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues related to death and dying
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Ethical issues in supervision and management
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Responsible billing practices (e.g., managed care, insurance reimbursement, incident to billing)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Ethical issues related to electronic practice
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding termination
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Anti-oppressive and anti-racist approaches
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Social, racial, environmental, and economic justice principles
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Impact of culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and intersectionality on behaviors, attitudes, and identity formation
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Accessibility including language, physical, and cultural access (e.g., translation and interpretation, neurodiversity, American Sign Language)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Social justice, truth and reconciliation, and restorative practices related to clients/client systems from historically oppressed and marginalized communities
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Cultural impacts of exploitation across marginalized communities (e.g., financial, immigration status, trafficking, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Privilege and bias and their impact on client/client systems (e.g., implicit bias, microaggressions)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Power differential and racial privilege (e.g., internalized racial and ethnic inferiority and superiority)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Impact of globalization, immigration, and refugee or immigration status on clients/client systems and service delivery
  • II. ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING (33%) (33%)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of poverty on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (e.g., social determinants of health)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators and impact of trauma, stressors, violence, and crises on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (e.g., intergenerational, historical, and complex)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators and impact of addiction and substance use and abuse on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators, dynamics, and impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and neglect on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Family dynamics and functioning and the effects on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Dynamics of interpersonal relationships and relationship development (e.g., family, couples, groups, polyamory)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators of mental and emotional illness throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of out-of-home placement (e.g., hospitalization, foster care, residential care, criminal justice system) on clients/client systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Factors of out-of-home displacement (e.g., homelessness, immigration, and refugee status) on clients/client systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Co-occurring disorders and conditions
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Factors influencing self- and body-image (e.g., culture, race, religion/spirituality, age, ability, trauma, gender, sexuality, size)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Characteristics of perpetrators of abuse, neglect, and exploitation
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of caregiving on families
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators, dynamics, and impact of exploitation across the lifespan (e.g., financial, immigration status, trafficking)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Biopsychosocial assessment model and related components and factors
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Effects of physical and mental ability throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Typical and atypical physical, cognitive, emotional, and sexual development throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of aging on the individual and family systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Racial, ethnic, cultural, and spiritual/faith development throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Defense mechanisms and their effects on behavior and relationships
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — The influence and impact of technology, including social media, on client/client-systems (personal and professional)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of urbanization, globalization, environmental hazards, and climate change on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Client/client system competence, self-determination, and self-monitoring techniques (e.g., financial decisions, treatment decisions, emancipation, age of consent, permanency planning)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of assessing risk of harm to self and others
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Principles and techniques of interviewing (e.g., supporting, clarifying, confronting, validating, feedback, reflecting, language differences, use of interpreters)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of involving clients/client systems in problem identification, problem solving, and intervention planning
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods, techniques, and instruments for assessing client/client system strengths, resources, needs, and challenges
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for obtaining sensitive and/or confidential information (e.g., substance use, sexual abuse)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for assessing resilience and coping abilities
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Indicators of and methods of assessing motivation, barriers, and readiness for change
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Components and function of the mental status examination
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of assessing clients’/client systems’ communication skills
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of incorporating information from records and evaluations (e.g., employment, medical, psychological, school)
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Assessing the availability of and determining appropriate community resources
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Factors and processes used in goal planning, treatment planning, triage, and service plans
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Criteria used in the selection of intervention/treatment modalities (e.g., client/client system abilities, developmental level, culture, life stage)
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Cultural considerations in the creation of an intervention plan
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Indicators of client/client system readiness for termination
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Use and side effects of common prescription, over-the-counter, and alternative medications
  • III. INTERVENTION AND PRACTICE (32%) (32%)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Principles and techniques for building and maintaining a helping relationship (e.g., acceptance, empathy, rapport)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — The social worker’s role in the problem-solving process
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Strengths-based and empowerment strategies and interventions
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Interdisciplinary and intra-disciplinary team collaboration (e.g., co-therapy, care conference, IEP)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — End of life practice (e.g., continuity of care, hospice, palliative care, stages of death and dying)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Parenting capacities and skill building
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Permanency planning (e.g., child welfare)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Policies, procedures, regulations, and legislation and their impact on social work practice and service delivery
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Community organizing, development, and mobilizing community participation
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Principles of active listening and observation
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Verbal and nonverbal communication (e.g., body language, congruence, feedback)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods and approaches for providing trauma-informed care for various types of trauma (e.g., complex, vicarious)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Limit and boundary setting techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Case management techniques (e.g., case recording, documentation, case presentation)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Approaches to and methods of advocacy for needed services and resources
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Evidence-based practices (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness based stress reduction, motivational interviewing, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for engaging and motivating voluntary and involuntary clients/client systems
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Contracting and goal-setting techniques (e.g., partializing, measurable objectives)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Practice with clients experiencing loss, separation, and grief
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Emotional regulation techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Crisis intervention and treatment approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Stress management techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Discharge, aftercare, wrap-around services, and follow-up
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of teaching coping and other self-care skills to clients
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Techniques and methods for addiction intervention
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Establishing service networks or community resources
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Problem-solving models and approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Harm reduction techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Conflict resolution methods
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Anger management techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Task-centered approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Psychoeducation methods
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Group work techniques and approaches (e.g., developing and managing group processes and cohesion)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Role modeling techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Social change and social planning methods
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Assertiveness training techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Role play techniques
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Techniques for evaluating progress and effectiveness of intervention, treatment, and service plans
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Methods of evaluating agency programs (e.g., needs assessment, formative/summative assessment, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit analysis, outcomes assessment)
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Methods, techniques, and instruments used to evaluate social work practice
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Organizational development, structure, and functioning (e.g., policies, procedures)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Supervisee’s role in supervision (e.g., identifying learning needs, self-assessment, prioritizing)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Supervision and consultation models and techniques (e.g., individual, peer, group, case recording)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Transference and countertransference within supervisory relationships
Examination sources

ASWB Clinical Exam

Provider
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); administered on computer at Pearson test centers
Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination (three- and four-option questions) in two 61-question sections, each with a two-hour time limit; scored and pretest questions are mixed together; results reported as pass/fail
Exam questions
122 multiple-choice questions: 110 scored and 12 unscored pretest questions
Time limit
4 hours (two sections, each with a two-hour time limit)
Passing score
Pass/fail; the number of correct answers required varies by exam form and generally ranges from 66 to 78 of the 110 scored questions
Exam fee
US$260 exam registration fee
Examination outline
  • I. VALUES AND ETHICS (36%) (36%)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Legal and ethical issues regarding confidentiality, including limitations of confidentiality (e.g., HIPAA, PHI, privacy)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Legal and ethical issues related to the practice of social work, including responsibility to clients/client systems, colleagues, the profession, and society
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Principles and processes of obtaining informed consent
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Professional values and principles (e.g., competence, social justice, integrity, dignity and worth of the person)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Social worker self-care principles
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Importance of professional development activities to improve practice and maintain current professional knowledge (e.g., in-service training, licensing requirements, reviews of literature, workshops, on-going supervision, consultation)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Protecting and enhancing client/client system self-determination (e.g., medication, medical treatment, counseling, placement, right to refuse services)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Professional boundaries in the social worker-client/client system relationship (e.g., power differences, influence, privilege, conflicts of interest, self-disclosure, dual relationships)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding mandatory reporting (e.g., abuse, threat of harm, impaired professionals, duty to warn)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding documentation (e.g., maintaining client records)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Responsible billing practices (e.g., managed care, insurance reimbursement, incident to billing)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues related to death and dying
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Ethical issues in supervision and management
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Impact of governmental policies on service delivery (e.g., local, state, federal legislation and policy)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding termination
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Ethical issues related to electronic practice
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Research ethics (e.g., institutional review boards, use of human subjects, informed consent)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Anti-oppressive and anti-racist approaches
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Social, racial, environmental, and economic justice principles
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Impact of culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and intersectionality on behaviors, attitudes, and identity formation
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Accessibility including language, physical, and cultural access (e.g., translation and interpretation, neurodiversity, American Sign Language)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Power differential and racial privilege (e.g., internalized racial and ethnic inferiority and superiority)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Privilege and bias and their impact on client/client systems (e.g., implicit bias, microaggressions)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Cultural impacts of exploitation across marginalized communities (e.g., financial, immigration status, trafficking, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Social justice, truth and reconciliation, and restorative practices related to clients/client systems from historically oppressed and marginalized communities
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Impact of globalization, immigration, and refugee or immigration status on clients/client systems and service delivery
  • II. ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING (32% — the heading in the Clinical content outline prints no percentage; page 6 of the guidebook states the Clinical examination will have 32 percent of the questions testing Assessment and Planning) (32%)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators and impact of trauma, stressors, violence, and crises on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (e.g., intergenerational, historical, and complex)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Family dynamics and functioning and the effects on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Dynamics of interpersonal relationships and relationship development (e.g., family, couples, groups, polyamory)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators, dynamics, and impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and neglect on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators of mental and emotional illness throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Co-occurring disorders and conditions
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Biopsychosocial assessment model and related components and factors
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators and impact of addiction and substance use and abuse on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of poverty on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (e.g., social determinants of health)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Factors influencing self- and body-image (e.g., culture, race, religion/spirituality, age, ability, trauma, gender, sexuality, size)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Defense mechanisms and their effects on behavior and relationships
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Characteristics of perpetrators of abuse, neglect, and exploitation
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of out-of-home placement (e.g., hospitalization, foster care, residential care, criminal justice system) on clients/client systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of caregiving on families
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators, dynamics, and impact of exploitation across the lifespan (e.g., financial, immigration status, trafficking)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Typical and atypical physical, cognitive, emotional, and sexual development throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Effects of physical and mental ability throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of aging on the individual and family systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Racial, ethnic, cultural, and spiritual/faith development throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Factors of out-of-home displacement (e.g., homelessness, immigration, and refugee status) on clients/client systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — The influence and impact of technology, including social media, on client/client-systems (personal and professional)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of urbanization, globalization, environmental hazards, and climate change on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Client/client system competence, self-determination, and self-monitoring techniques (e.g., financial decisions, treatment decisions, emancipation, age of consent, permanency planning)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of assessing risk of harm to self and others
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Principles and techniques of interviewing (e.g., supporting, clarifying, confronting, validating, feedback, reflecting, language differences, use of interpreters)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of involving clients/client systems in problem identification, problem solving, and intervention planning
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Indicators of and methods of assessing motivation, barriers, and readiness for change
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for assessing resilience and coping abilities
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods, techniques, and instruments for assessing client/client system strengths, resources, needs, and challenges
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for obtaining sensitive and/or confidential information (e.g., substance use, sexual abuse)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of assessing clients’/client systems’ communication skills
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in assessment and common indicators of mental health and brain-related conditions
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Components and function of the mental status examination
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of incorporating information from records and evaluations (e.g., employment, medical, psychological, school)
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Assessing the availability of and determining appropriate community resources
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Factors and processes used in goal planning, treatment planning, triage, and service plans
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Criteria used in the selection of intervention/treatment modalities (e.g., client/client system abilities, developmental level, culture, life stage)
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Cultural considerations in the creation of an intervention plan
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Use and side effects of common prescription, over-the-counter, and alternative medications
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Indicators of client/client system readiness for termination
  • III. INTERVENTION AND PRACTICE (32%) (32%)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Strengths-based and empowerment strategies and interventions
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Principles and techniques for building and maintaining a helping relationship (e.g., acceptance, empathy, rapport)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Interdisciplinary and intra-disciplinary team collaboration (e.g., co-therapy, care conference, IEP)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — The social worker’s role in the problem-solving process
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — End of life practice (e.g., continuity of care, hospice, palliative care, stages of death and dying)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Parenting capacities and skill building
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Policies, procedures, regulations, and legislation and their impact on social work practice and service delivery
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Developing formal documents (e.g., grants, proposals, reports, evaluations)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods and approaches for providing trauma-informed care for various types of trauma (e.g., complex, vicarious)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Verbal and nonverbal communication (e.g., body language, congruence, feedback)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Principles of active listening and observation
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Limit and boundary setting techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Crisis intervention and treatment approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Emotional regulation techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Evidence-based practices (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness based stress reduction, motivational interviewing, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of teaching coping and other self-care skills to clients
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Stress management techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Practice with clients experiencing loss, separation, and grief
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for engaging and motivating voluntary and involuntary clients/client systems
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Harm reduction techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Approaches to and methods of advocacy for needed services and resources
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Psychoeducation methods
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Contracting and goal-setting techniques (e.g., partializing, measurable objectives)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Problem-solving models and approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Techniques and methods for addiction intervention
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Case management techniques (e.g., case recording, documentation, case presentation)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Conflict resolution methods
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Anger management techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Family therapy models, interventions, and approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Discharge, aftercare, wrap-around services, and follow-up
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Group work techniques and approaches (e.g., developing and managing group processes and cohesion)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Establishing service networks or community resources
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Assertiveness training techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Role modeling techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Couples interventions and treatment approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Role play techniques
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Techniques for evaluating progress and effectiveness of intervention, treatment, and service plans
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Methods of establishing program objectives and outcomes
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Program evaluation and related impact on services
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Methods of evaluating agency programs (e.g., needs assessment, formative/summative assessment, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit analysis, outcomes assessment)
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Basic and applied research design and methods, data collection and analysis methods, and methods to assess reliability and validity in social work research (e.g., objective, subjective, qualitative, quantitative)
    • IIIC. PRACTICE EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Quality assurance (e.g., program reviews and audits by external sources)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Supervisee’s role in supervision (e.g., identifying learning needs, self-assessment, prioritizing)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Supervision and consultation models and techniques (e.g., individual, peer, group, case recording)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Transference and countertransference within supervisory relationships
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Methods for creating, implementing, and evaluating policies and procedures that minimize risk for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Organizational development, structure, and functioning (e.g., policies, procedures)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Fiscal management and resource allocation techniques
Examination sources

ASWB Masters Exam

Provider
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB); administered on computer at Pearson test centers
Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination (three- and four-option questions) in two 61-question sections, each with a two-hour time limit; scored and pretest questions are mixed together; results reported as pass/fail
Exam questions
122 multiple-choice questions: 110 scored and 12 unscored pretest questions
Time limit
4 hours (two sections, each with a two-hour time limit)
Passing score
Pass/fail; the number of correct answers required varies by exam form and generally ranges from 66 to 78 of the 110 scored questions
Exam fee
US$230 exam registration fee
Examination outline
  • I. VALUES AND ETHICS (35%) (35%)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Principles and processes of obtaining informed consent
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Legal and ethical issues regarding confidentiality, including limitations of confidentiality (e.g., HIPAA, PHI, privacy)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Legal and ethical issues related to the practice of social work, including responsibility to clients/client systems, colleagues, the profession, and society
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Professional values and principles (e.g., competence, social justice, integrity, dignity and worth of the person)
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Burnout, secondary trauma, and compassion fatigue
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Social worker self-care principles
    • IA. ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES — Importance of professional development activities to improve practice and maintain current professional knowledge (e.g., in-service training, licensing requirements, reviews of literature, workshops, on-going supervision, consultation)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Professional boundaries in the social worker-client/client system relationship (e.g., power differences, influence, privilege, conflicts of interest, self-disclosure, dual relationships)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Protecting and enhancing client/client system self-determination (e.g., medication, medical treatment, counseling, placement, right to refuse services)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding mandatory reporting (e.g., abuse, threat of harm, impaired professionals, duty to warn)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding documentation (e.g., maintaining client records)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Impact of governmental policies on service delivery (e.g., local, state, federal legislation and policy)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues related to death and dying
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Ethical issues in supervision and management
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Responsible billing practices (e.g., managed care, insurance reimbursement, incident to billing)
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Ethical issues related to electronic practice
    • IB. ETHICAL SERVICE DELIVERY — Legal and ethical issues regarding termination
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Anti-oppressive and anti-racist approaches
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Social, racial, environmental, and economic justice principles
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Impact of culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and intersectionality on behaviors, attitudes, and identity formation
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Accessibility including language, physical, and cultural access (e.g., translation and interpretation, neurodiversity, American Sign Language)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Privilege and bias and their impact on client/client systems (e.g., implicit bias, microaggressions)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Power differential and racial privilege (e.g., internalized racial and ethnic inferiority and superiority)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Cultural impacts of exploitation across marginalized communities (e.g., financial, immigration status, trafficking, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women)
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Social justice, truth and reconciliation, and restorative practices related to clients/client systems from historically oppressed and marginalized communities
    • IC. DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE — Impact of globalization, immigration, and refugee or immigration status on clients/client systems and service delivery
  • II. ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING (33%) (33%)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators and impact of trauma, stressors, violence, and crises on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (e.g., intergenerational, historical, and complex)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Family dynamics and functioning and the effects on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of poverty on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities (e.g., social determinants of health)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Dynamics of interpersonal relationships and relationship development (e.g., family, couples, groups, polyamory)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators, dynamics, and impact of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and neglect on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators of mental and emotional illness throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of out-of-home placement (e.g., hospitalization, foster care, residential care, criminal justice system) on clients/client systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of caregiving on families
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators and impact of addiction and substance use and abuse on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Co-occurring disorders and conditions
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Biopsychosocial assessment model and related components and factors
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Characteristics of perpetrators of abuse, neglect, and exploitation
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Indicators, dynamics, and impact of exploitation across the lifespan (e.g., financial, immigration status, trafficking)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Defense mechanisms and their effects on behavior and relationships
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Effects of physical and mental ability throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Factors of out-of-home displacement (e.g., homelessness, immigration, and refugee status) on clients/client systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of aging on the individual and family systems
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Factors influencing self- and body-image (e.g., culture, race, religion/spirituality, age, ability, trauma, gender, sexuality, size)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Racial, ethnic, cultural, and spiritual/faith development throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Typical and atypical physical, cognitive, emotional, and sexual development throughout the lifespan
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — The influence and impact of technology, including social media, on client/client-systems (personal and professional)
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Impact of urbanization, globalization, environmental hazards, and climate change on individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIA. ASSESSMENT CONCEPTS — Client/client system competence, self-determination, and self-monitoring techniques (e.g., financial decisions, treatment decisions, emancipation, age of consent, permanency planning)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Principles and techniques of interviewing (e.g., supporting, clarifying, confronting, validating, feedback, reflecting, language differences, use of interpreters)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of assessing risk of harm to self and others
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of involving clients/client systems in problem identification, problem solving, and intervention planning
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods, techniques, and instruments for assessing client/client system strengths, resources, needs, and challenges
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for obtaining sensitive and/or confidential information (e.g., substance use, sexual abuse)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for assessing resilience and coping abilities
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Indicators of and methods of assessing motivation, barriers, and readiness for change
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of assessing clients’/client systems’ communication skills
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of incorporating information from records and evaluations (e.g., employment, medical, psychological, school)
    • IIB. ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Components and function of the mental status examination
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Assessing the availability of and determining appropriate community resources
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Cultural considerations in the creation of an intervention plan
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Factors and processes used in goal planning, treatment planning, triage, and service plans
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Criteria used in the selection of intervention/treatment modalities (e.g., client/client system abilities, developmental level, culture, life stage)
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Use and side effects of common prescription, over-the-counter, and alternative medications
    • IIC. ASSESSMENT PRACTICES — Indicators of client/client system readiness for termination
  • III. INTERVENTION AND PRACTICE (32%) (32%)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Strengths-based and empowerment strategies and interventions
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Principles and techniques for building and maintaining a helping relationship (e.g., acceptance, empathy, rapport)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — The social worker’s role in the problem-solving process
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Interdisciplinary and intra-disciplinary team collaboration (e.g., co-therapy, care conference, IEP)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — End of life practice (e.g., continuity of care, hospice, palliative care, stages of death and dying)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Parenting capacities and skill building
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Policies, procedures, regulations, and legislation and their impact on social work practice and service delivery
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Permanency planning (e.g., child welfare)
    • IIIA. PRACTICE CONCEPTS — Community organizing, development, and mobilizing community participation
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Limit and boundary setting techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Verbal and nonverbal communication (e.g., body language, congruence, feedback)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods and approaches for providing trauma-informed care for various types of trauma (e.g., complex, vicarious)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Principles of active listening and observation
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Crisis intervention and treatment approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Emotional regulation techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Approaches to and methods of advocacy for needed services and resources
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods of teaching coping and other self-care skills to clients
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Practice with clients experiencing loss, separation, and grief
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Methods for engaging and motivating voluntary and involuntary clients/client systems
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Case management techniques (e.g., case recording, documentation, case presentation)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Evidence-based practices (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, mindfulness based stress reduction, motivational interviewing, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Stress management techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Harm reduction techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Contracting and goal-setting techniques (e.g., partializing, measurable objectives)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Problem-solving models and approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Discharge, aftercare, wrap-around services, and follow-up
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Conflict resolution methods
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Establishing service networks or community resources
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Techniques and methods for addiction intervention
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Psychoeducation methods
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Anger management techniques
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Group work techniques and approaches (e.g., developing and managing group processes and cohesion)
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Family therapy models, interventions, and approaches
    • IIIB. INTERVENTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES — Social change and social planning methods
    • IIIC. PRACTICE. EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Techniques for evaluating progress and effectiveness of intervention, treatment, and service plans
    • IIIC. PRACTICE. EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Methods, techniques, and instruments used to evaluate social work practice
    • IIIC. PRACTICE. EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Methods of evaluating agency programs (e.g., needs assessment, formative/summative assessment, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit analysis, outcomes assessment)
    • IIIC. PRACTICE. EVALUATION AND RESEARCH — Basic and applied research design and methods, data collection and analysis methods, and methods to assess reliability and validity in social work research (e.g., objective, subjective, qualitative, quantitative)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Supervisee’s role in supervision (e.g., identifying learning needs, self-assessment, prioritizing)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Methods for creating, implementing, and evaluating policies and procedures for safe, inclusive, and a healthy work environment
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Methods for creating, implementing, and evaluating policies and procedures that minimize risk for individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Supervision and consultation models and techniques (e.g., individual, peer, group, case recording)
    • IIID. SUPERVISION AND ADMINISTRATION — Transference and countertransference within supervisory relationships
Examination sources