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Oregon Social Work — Requirements & Free Practice

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Clinical Social Work Associate

Supervised clinical practice under a Board-approved agency plan.

Licensing authority: Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers · Application information

New application following expiration
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board conditions
The Board may require an individually tailored supervision plan and continuing education based on experience and recent practice.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Previous authorization
The previous corresponding Oregon authorization expired after the permitted lapsed-renewal period.
Prior examination
No ASWB examination applies to reissuance of a CSWA certificate; the law exam is required by the Board universal applicant instructions.
Placement of an existing authorization in inactive status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Inactive status is exempt from the continuing-education reporting requirement.
Existing authorization
Hold a current corresponding Oregon authorization and request inactive status in writing.
Fees
Be current on applicable fees and continue renewing the authorization.
Practice restriction
Do not practice clinical social work or use a protected social-worker title while inactive.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial issuance through the ordinary application
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
National examination
No ASWB passing score is required for issuance of the CSWA certificate. The ASWB Clinical examination taken while an associate is part of the later LCSW issuance route.
Supervision plan
Submit a Board-approved agency plan covering 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours; all clinical practice must be supervised, with at least two one-hour supervision meetings each month.
Renewal of a lapsed authorization within the allowed period
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the completed renewal application, ordinary and late fees, and proof of required CE.
Lapse
The authorization has lapsed after 30 days beyond renewal, but has not expired after one year from the renewal date, subject to a Board extension for good cause and exceptional circumstances.
Practice certification
Certify that no clinical social work was practiced and no protected social-worker title was used while lapsed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Application by a person qualified in another jurisdiction
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Equivalent requirements
Meet substantially equivalent education, fitness and professional requirements; Oregon does not issue a license automatically through reciprocity or endorsement.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
National examination
No ASWB passing score is required for issuance of the CSWA certificate. The ASWB Clinical examination taken while an associate is part of the later LCSW issuance route.
Prior authorization
Hold a corresponding social-work license, registration or certificate in another jurisdiction and supply official verification.
Score transfer
The Board explicitly requires no ASWB score for a CSWA application; the national examinations cross-referenced by OAR 877-020-0016 apply to the corresponding LCSW, LMSW and RBSW authorizations.
Supervision plan
Submit a Board-approved agency plan covering 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours; all clinical practice must be supervised, with at least two one-hour supervision meetings each month.
Reactivation of an inactive associate certificate
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board conditions
The Board may impose a plan of practice and supervision or other fitness requirements; the examination retake in OAR 877-020-0055(4) expressly applies to an inactive license, while CSWA is a certificate.
Request
Submit a status-change request.
Supervision
Confirm the unchanged existing plan or obtain approval of a new plan if employment or supervision changed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal in active status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed renewal application, required fee and any additional information requested by the Board.
Continuing education
No CE is required for CSWA or inactive status; the first renewal is exempt. Otherwise complete the degree-specific CE required by the pre-September 23, 2026 rules.
Existing authorization
Hold the corresponding existing active Oregon authorization.
Renewal interval
Annually for CSWA; every two years for LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, by the last day of the birth month.
Supervision progress
For an active associate, demonstrate satisfactory progress toward the approved supervision plan through the required sworn statement and supervision reports.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal in inactive status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed renewal application, required fee and any additional information requested by the Board.
Continuing education
No CE is required for CSWA or inactive status; the first renewal is exempt. Otherwise complete the degree-specific CE required by the pre-September 23, 2026 rules.
Existing authorization
Hold the corresponding existing inactive Oregon authorization.
Renewal interval
Annually for CSWA; every two years for LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, by the last day of the birth month.
Supervision progress
For an active associate, demonstrate satisfactory progress toward the approved supervision plan through the required sworn statement and supervision reports.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

New application after revocation or refusal to renew for reasons other than late renewal
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board discretion
Reissuance depends on Board approval, fitness, current issuance requirements and conditions of any final order.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
National examination
No ASWB passing score is required for issuance of the CSWA certificate. The ASWB Clinical examination taken while an associate is part of the later LCSW issuance route.
Previous action
The Board revoked or refused to renew the authorization for reasons other than untimely renewal.
Supervision plan
Submit a Board-approved agency plan covering 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours; all clinical practice must be supervised, with at least two one-hour supervision meetings each month.
Waiting period
ORS 675.550 authorizes discretionary reissuance after one year; the implementing reapplication rule requires three years after revocation.
New application following surrender while a complaint was pending
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board order
Meet current issuance requirements and any conditions in the final order; the Board may impose conditions addressing the surrender.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
National examination
No ASWB passing score is required for issuance of the CSWA certificate. The ASWB Clinical examination taken while an associate is part of the later LCSW issuance route.
Supervision plan
Submit a Board-approved agency plan covering 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours; all clinical practice must be supervised, with at least two one-hour supervision meetings each month.
Surrender
The surrender occurred while a complaint was pending.
Waiting period
Wait at least three years after Board acceptance or approval of the surrender.
Unrestricted certificate following approval of the temporary associate supervision plan
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Existing certificate
Hold a temporary CSWA certificate.
Law exam
The law exam passed for temporary issuance is a currently offered examination involved in this pathway; plan approval is a condition and is not an examination.
Supervision plan
The Board must approve a plan satisfying OAR 877-020-0009(4).
New application following voluntary surrender without a pending complaint
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Current requirements
Meet the requirements in effect when reapplying and any applicable stipulated final order.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
National examination
No ASWB passing score is required for issuance of the CSWA certificate. The ASWB Clinical examination taken while an associate is part of the later LCSW issuance route.
Supervision plan
Submit a Board-approved agency plan covering 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours; all clinical practice must be supervised, with at least two one-hour supervision meetings each month.
Surrender
The Board approved a voluntary surrender without a pending complaint.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Holders of a lapsed or expired license may not practice clinical social work or use titles indicating authorization to practice regulated social work.

Licensing authority: Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers · Application information

New application following expiration
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board conditions
The Board may require an individually tailored supervision plan and continuing education based on experience and recent practice.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Previous authorization
The previous corresponding Oregon authorization expired after the permitted lapsed-renewal period.
Prior examination
For LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, a previously passed, currently offered ASWB examination remains a requirement; submit passing-score evidence.
Placement of an existing authorization in inactive status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Inactive status is exempt from the continuing-education reporting requirement.
Existing authorization
Hold a current corresponding Oregon authorization and request inactive status in writing.
Fees
Be current on applicable fees and continue renewing the authorization.
Practice restriction
Do not practice clinical social work or use a protected social-worker title while inactive.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial issuance through completion of CSWA supervision and examination
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Application method
An existing Oregon CSWA transitions using the Board-provided initial-license form after approval of the completed plan and passing ASWB Clinical score; do not submit a second LCSW application.
Associate authorization
Hold a current good-standing Oregon CSWA certificate or have completed its equivalent elsewhere.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Clinical experience
Complete an approved plan with at least 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours, and 100 supervision hours with at least 50 individual hours over 24–60 consecutive months, subject to Board extension.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Supervision
Continue Board-approved supervision until the LCSW is issued; submit supervisor evaluations.
Renewal of a lapsed authorization within the allowed period
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the completed renewal application, ordinary and late fees, and proof of required CE.
Lapse
The authorization has lapsed after 30 days beyond renewal, but has not expired after one year from the renewal date, subject to a Board extension for good cause and exceptional circumstances.
Practice certification
Certify that no clinical social work was practiced and no protected social-worker title was used while lapsed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Application by a person qualified in another jurisdiction
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Associate authorization
Hold a current good-standing Oregon CSWA certificate or have completed its equivalent elsewhere.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Clinical experience
Complete an approved plan with at least 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours, and 100 supervision hours with at least 50 individual hours over 24–60 consecutive months, subject to Board extension.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Equivalent requirements
Meet substantially equivalent education, fitness and professional requirements; Oregon does not issue a license automatically through reciprocity or endorsement.
Experience documentation
If licensed and working as an LCSW for more than one year, submit the Board experience attestation; if less than one year, submit the previous-hours form.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Practice before licensure
Before practicing clinical social work in Oregon while the LCSW application is pending, obtain an Oregon CSWA and comply with the applicable supervision plan.
Prior authorization
Hold a corresponding social-work license, registration or certificate in another jurisdiction and supply official verification.
Score transfer
Transfer the applicable ASWB passing score if required; an examination previously passed remains an examination requirement.
Supervision
Continue Board-approved supervision until the LCSW is issued; submit supervisor evaluations.
Return to active status after more than two years inactive
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Board conditions
For LCSW, the Board may require supervised practice or other evidence of fitness before reactivation.
Continuing education
The Board requires continuing education in specified topics after more than two years inactive.
Inactive duration
More than two years since the Board inactive-status notice.
Request
Submit a written request to return to active status.
Return to active status within two years of inactive notice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board conditions
For LCSW, the Board may require supervised practice or other evidence of fitness before reactivation.
Continuing education
The more-than-two-year continuing-education condition does not apply.
Inactive duration
No more than two years since the Board inactive-status notice.
Request
Submit a written request to return to active status.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal in active status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed renewal application, required fee and any additional information requested by the Board.
Continuing education
No CE is required for CSWA or inactive status; the first renewal is exempt. Otherwise complete the degree-specific CE required by the pre-September 23, 2026 rules.
Existing authorization
Hold the corresponding existing active Oregon authorization.
Renewal interval
Annually for CSWA; every two years for LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, by the last day of the birth month.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal in inactive status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed renewal application, required fee and any additional information requested by the Board.
Continuing education
No CE is required for CSWA or inactive status; the first renewal is exempt. Otherwise complete the degree-specific CE required by the pre-September 23, 2026 rules.
Existing authorization
Hold the corresponding existing inactive Oregon authorization.
Renewal interval
Annually for CSWA; every two years for LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, by the last day of the birth month.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal of an LCSW in semi retired status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Complete 20 CE hours including six ethics and six cultural-competency hours; no CE carryover is authorized.
Existing license
Hold an LCSW in Board-approved reduced-requirement status and continue satisfying its eligibility restrictions.
Practice limit
Do not exceed 500 social-work practice hours per year.
Renewal
Submit the renewal application and reduced fee every two years by the birth-month deadline.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

New application after revocation or refusal to renew for reasons other than late renewal
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Application method
An existing Oregon CSWA transitions using the Board-provided initial-license form after approval of the completed plan and passing ASWB Clinical score; do not submit a second LCSW application.
Associate authorization
Hold a current good-standing Oregon CSWA certificate or have completed its equivalent elsewhere.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board discretion
Reissuance depends on Board approval, fitness, current issuance requirements and conditions of any final order.
Clinical experience
Complete an approved plan with at least 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours, and 100 supervision hours with at least 50 individual hours over 24–60 consecutive months, subject to Board extension.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Previous action
The Board revoked or refused to renew the authorization for reasons other than untimely renewal.
Supervision
Continue Board-approved supervision until the LCSW is issued; submit supervisor evaluations.
Waiting period
ORS 675.550 authorizes discretionary reissuance after one year; the implementing reapplication rule requires three years after revocation.
Reduced requirement semi retired status for an existing LCSW
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
20 CE hours per renewal, including unchanged ethics requirements and the cultural-competency requirement identified by the Board; no carryover.
Existing license
Hold an existing LCSW and request Board approval of reduced requirements in writing.
Fees
The renewal fee is reduced by half under OAR 877-020-0060.
Practice history
Twenty years of licensed clinical practice, subject to Board reduction for good cause, and no discipline during the previous 15 years of practice.
Practice limit
Practice no more than 500 hours per calendar year.
Status
This is semi-retired status of the existing LCSW, rather than an independently created license identity.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Board approval as a clinical supervision plan supervisor
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Existing license
Hold a qualifying LCSW in active or semi-retired status and obtain Board approval as a supervisor.
Experience
Complete at least two years of licensed practice.
Law exam window
Pass the Board Oregon-law exam within five years before commencing supervision; the Board page also asks for repeat passage every five years thereafter.
Professional competence
Be qualified for the associate practice areas and client population and avoid prohibited conflicts and dual relationships.
Training
Before supervision, complete and report at least 15 hours of initial supervision-techniques CE; complete six supervision CE hours every five years thereafter.
New application following surrender while a complaint was pending
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Application method
An existing Oregon CSWA transitions using the Board-provided initial-license form after approval of the completed plan and passing ASWB Clinical score; do not submit a second LCSW application.
Associate authorization
Hold a current good-standing Oregon CSWA certificate or have completed its equivalent elsewhere.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board order
Meet current issuance requirements and any conditions in the final order; the Board may impose conditions addressing the surrender.
Clinical experience
Complete an approved plan with at least 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours, and 100 supervision hours with at least 50 individual hours over 24–60 consecutive months, subject to Board extension.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Supervision
Continue Board-approved supervision until the LCSW is issued; submit supervisor evaluations.
Surrender
The surrender occurred while a complaint was pending.
Waiting period
Wait at least three years after Board acceptance or approval of the surrender.
New application following voluntary surrender without a pending complaint
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Application method
An existing Oregon CSWA transitions using the Board-provided initial-license form after approval of the completed plan and passing ASWB Clinical score; do not submit a second LCSW application.
Associate authorization
Hold a current good-standing Oregon CSWA certificate or have completed its equivalent elsewhere.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Clinical experience
Complete an approved plan with at least 3,500 practice hours, including 2,000 direct-client hours, and 100 supervision hours with at least 50 individual hours over 24–60 consecutive months, subject to Board extension.
Current requirements
Meet the requirements in effect when reapplying and any applicable stipulated final order.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Supervision
Continue Board-approved supervision until the LCSW is issued; submit supervisor evaluations.
Surrender
The Board approved a voluntary surrender without a pending complaint.

Licensed Master Social Worker

Licensure for the practice of masters social work, requiring a master’s degree in social work.

Licensing authority: Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers · Application information

New application following expiration
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board conditions
The Board may require an individually tailored supervision plan and continuing education based on experience and recent practice.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Previous authorization
The previous corresponding Oregon authorization expired after the permitted lapsed-renewal period.
Prior examination
For LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, a previously passed, currently offered ASWB examination remains a requirement; submit passing-score evidence.
Placement of an existing authorization in inactive status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Inactive status is exempt from the continuing-education reporting requirement.
Existing authorization
Hold a current corresponding Oregon authorization and request inactive status in writing.
Fees
Be current on applicable fees and continue renewing the authorization.
Practice restriction
Do not practice clinical social work or use a protected social-worker title while inactive.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial issuance through the ordinary application
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Renewal of a lapsed authorization within the allowed period
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the completed renewal application, ordinary and late fees, and proof of required CE.
Lapse
The authorization has lapsed after 30 days beyond renewal, but has not expired after one year from the renewal date, subject to a Board extension for good cause and exceptional circumstances.
Practice certification
Certify that no clinical social work was practiced and no protected social-worker title was used while lapsed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Application by a person qualified in another jurisdiction
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Equivalent requirements
Meet substantially equivalent education, fitness and professional requirements; Oregon does not issue a license automatically through reciprocity or endorsement.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Prior authorization
Hold a corresponding social-work license, registration or certificate in another jurisdiction and supply official verification.
Score transfer
Transfer the applicable ASWB passing score if required; an examination previously passed remains an examination requirement.
Return to active status after more than two years inactive
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Board conditions
Satisfy the Board return-to-active requirements.
Continuing education
The Board requires continuing education in specified topics after more than two years inactive.
Inactive duration
More than two years since the Board inactive-status notice.
Request
Submit a written request to return to active status.
Return to active status within two years of inactive notice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board conditions
Satisfy the Board return-to-active requirements.
Continuing education
The more-than-two-year continuing-education condition does not apply.
Inactive duration
No more than two years since the Board inactive-status notice.
Request
Submit a written request to return to active status.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal in active status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed renewal application, required fee and any additional information requested by the Board.
Continuing education
No CE is required for CSWA or inactive status; the first renewal is exempt. Otherwise complete the degree-specific CE required by the pre-September 23, 2026 rules.
Existing authorization
Hold the corresponding existing active Oregon authorization.
Renewal interval
Annually for CSWA; every two years for LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, by the last day of the birth month.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal in inactive status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed renewal application, required fee and any additional information requested by the Board.
Continuing education
No CE is required for CSWA or inactive status; the first renewal is exempt. Otherwise complete the degree-specific CE required by the pre-September 23, 2026 rules.
Existing authorization
Hold the corresponding existing inactive Oregon authorization.
Renewal interval
Annually for CSWA; every two years for LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, by the last day of the birth month.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

New application after revocation or refusal to renew for reasons other than late renewal
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board discretion
Reissuance depends on Board approval, fitness, current issuance requirements and conditions of any final order.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Previous action
The Board revoked or refused to renew the authorization for reasons other than untimely renewal.
Waiting period
ORS 675.550 authorizes discretionary reissuance after one year; the implementing reapplication rule requires three years after revocation.
New application following surrender while a complaint was pending
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board order
Meet current issuance requirements and any conditions in the final order; the Board may impose conditions addressing the surrender.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Surrender
The surrender occurred while a complaint was pending.
Waiting period
Wait at least three years after Board acceptance or approval of the surrender.
New application following voluntary surrender without a pending complaint
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Current requirements
Meet the requirements in effect when reapplying and any applicable stipulated final order.
Degree
MSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Surrender
The Board approved a voluntary surrender without a pending complaint.

Registered Baccalaureate Social Worker

Registration for practice of baccalaureate social work.

Licensing authority: Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers · Application information

New application following expiration
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board conditions
The Board may require an individually tailored supervision plan and continuing education based on experience and recent practice.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Previous authorization
The previous corresponding Oregon authorization expired after the permitted lapsed-renewal period.
Prior examination
For LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, a previously passed, currently offered ASWB examination remains a requirement; submit passing-score evidence.
Placement of an existing authorization in inactive status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
Inactive status is exempt from the continuing-education reporting requirement.
Existing authorization
Hold a current corresponding Oregon authorization and request inactive status in writing.
Fees
Be current on applicable fees and continue renewing the authorization.
Practice restriction
Do not practice clinical social work or use a protected social-worker title while inactive.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial issuance through the ordinary application
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Degree
BSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Renewal of a lapsed authorization within the allowed period
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the completed renewal application, ordinary and late fees, and proof of required CE.
Lapse
The authorization has lapsed after 30 days beyond renewal, but has not expired after one year from the renewal date, subject to a Board extension for good cause and exceptional circumstances.
Practice certification
Certify that no clinical social work was practiced and no protected social-worker title was used while lapsed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Application by a person qualified in another jurisdiction
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Degree
BSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Equivalent requirements
Meet substantially equivalent education, fitness and professional requirements; Oregon does not issue a license automatically through reciprocity or endorsement.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Prior authorization
Hold a corresponding social-work license, registration or certificate in another jurisdiction and supply official verification.
Score transfer
Transfer the applicable ASWB passing score if required; an examination previously passed remains an examination requirement.
Return to active status after more than two years inactive
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Board conditions
Satisfy the Board return-to-active requirements.
Continuing education
The Board requires continuing education in specified topics after more than two years inactive.
Inactive duration
More than two years since the Board inactive-status notice.
Request
Submit a written request to return to active status.
Return to active status within two years of inactive notice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Board conditions
Satisfy the Board return-to-active requirements.
Continuing education
The more-than-two-year continuing-education condition does not apply.
Inactive duration
No more than two years since the Board inactive-status notice.
Request
Submit a written request to return to active status.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal in active status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed renewal application, required fee and any additional information requested by the Board.
Continuing education
No CE is required for CSWA or inactive status; the first renewal is exempt. Otherwise complete the degree-specific CE required by the pre-September 23, 2026 rules.
Existing authorization
Hold the corresponding existing active Oregon authorization.
Renewal interval
Annually for CSWA; every two years for LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, by the last day of the birth month.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Renewal in inactive status
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit a completed renewal application, required fee and any additional information requested by the Board.
Continuing education
No CE is required for CSWA or inactive status; the first renewal is exempt. Otherwise complete the degree-specific CE required by the pre-September 23, 2026 rules.
Existing authorization
Hold the corresponding existing inactive Oregon authorization.
Renewal interval
Annually for CSWA; every two years for LCSW, LMSW and RBSW, by the last day of the birth month.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

New application after revocation or refusal to renew for reasons other than late renewal
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board discretion
Reissuance depends on Board approval, fitness, current issuance requirements and conditions of any final order.
Degree
BSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Previous action
The Board revoked or refused to renew the authorization for reasons other than untimely renewal.
Waiting period
ORS 675.550 authorizes discretionary reissuance after one year; the implementing reapplication rule requires three years after revocation.
New application following surrender while a complaint was pending
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Board order
Meet current issuance requirements and any conditions in the final order; the Board may impose conditions addressing the surrender.
Degree
BSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Surrender
The surrender occurred while a complaint was pending.
Waiting period
Wait at least three years after Board acceptance or approval of the surrender.
New application following voluntary surrender without a pending complaint
Application
Submit a complete and accurate Board application and required fees.
Background check
Complete the background check and fingerprinting required by the Board application checklist.
Current requirements
Meet the requirements in effect when reapplying and any applicable stipulated final order.
Degree
BSW from a Board-recognized accredited or candidacy-status social-work program, or accepted foreign equivalency.
Education
Provide the required accredited social-work degree or a Board-accepted foreign-degree equivalency determination and certified transcript.
Fitness
Demonstrate fitness and good moral character; disclose relevant professional licensing history, investigations and discipline.
Legal compliance
Comply with applicable Oregon social-work statutes and Board rules.
Surrender
The Board approved a voluntary surrender without a pending complaint.

Temporary Clinical Social Work License

Emergency license for qualified clinical social workers licensed elsewhere or former Oregon LCSWs who voluntarily let their license expire.

Licensing authority: state board of licensed social workers · Application information

Emergency clinical license for a former Oregon LCSW
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the temporary-license application and current photographic state or federal ID; if available, submit documentation of a request for emergency clinical services.
Continuing education
The emergency rules exempt the holder from Division 25 CE and reporting requirements.
Declared emergency
Available during a Governor-declared Oregon disaster or emergency; comply with any Governor-order limitations.
Expiration
The governing rule ends the license 90 days after the disaster or emergency is declared ended, or earlier disciplinary restriction; an authorization based on another jurisdiction also ends if that qualifying license expires.
Extension
The Board may extend the emergency license once for no more than 90 additional days on written request.
Implementation notice
The Board EO 26-10 page states: "All emergency authorizations will end 90 days from the date the emergency was declared." It offers extension requests by September 1, 2026. That implementation statement is retained as an applicant-facing condition alongside the controlling rule measuring expiration from the declared end of the emergency.
Qualifying license
Previously held an Oregon LCSW and voluntarily allowed it to expire.
Reporting
Notify the Board within 30 days of relevant investigations or actions; a holder qualified elsewhere must also report changes in that qualifying license.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

One extension of an emergency clinical license
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Emergency page
For EO 26-10 the Board asked for extension requests by September 1, 2026; approval remains a Board decision.
Existing license
Hold an emergency temporary clinical license qualifying for the governing rule extension.
Request
Request the extension in writing; one extension of no more than 90 additional days is permitted.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Emergency clinical license based on an unrestricted license elsewhere
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Submit the temporary-license application and current photographic state or federal ID; if available, submit documentation of a request for emergency clinical services.
Continuing education
The emergency rules exempt the holder from Division 25 CE and reporting requirements.
Declared emergency
Available during a Governor-declared Oregon disaster or emergency; comply with any Governor-order limitations.
Expiration
The governing rule ends the license 90 days after the disaster or emergency is declared ended, or earlier disciplinary restriction; an authorization based on another jurisdiction also ends if that qualifying license expires.
Extension
The Board may extend the emergency license once for no more than 90 additional days on written request.
Implementation notice
The Board EO 26-10 page states: "All emergency authorizations will end 90 days from the date the emergency was declared." It offers extension requests by September 1, 2026. That implementation statement is retained as an applicant-facing condition alongside the controlling rule measuring expiration from the declared end of the emergency.
Qualifying license
Hold a permanent, active, unrestricted independent clinical social-work license elsewhere, with no pending investigation or disciplinary action; provide verification.
Reporting
Notify the Board within 30 days of relevant investigations or actions; a holder qualified elsewhere must also report changes in that qualifying license.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Temporary Certificate of Clinical Social Work Associate

Temporary certificate pending the supervision-plan decision, for at most 180 days; does not authorize clinical practice or accrual of practice or supervision hours.

Licensing authority: Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers · Application information

Temporary certification pending approval of a practice and supervision plan
Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination
Application
Submit a complete application and applicable fee.
Cross reference
The rule still cites OAR 877-020-0008(5)(a); the identified Board Oregon-law exam is currently codified in subsection (4)(a). The Board universal applicant instructions and downloadable exam identify that same examination.
Duration
Ends when the Board approves or proposes to deny the supervision plan, or 180 days after issuance, whichever occurs first.
Education
Hold the recognized MSW or accepted foreign equivalency.
Fitness
Meet the fitness standard in OAR 877-020-0008(2).
Practice restriction
Do not practice clinical social work or accrue practice or supervision hours on the temporary certificate.

Oregon Statutes & Administrative Rules Examination

Provider
Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers
Format
Downloadable multiple-choice examination with a separately submitted answer sheet
Passing score
At least 90 percent under Board rules; the published exam permits at most three incorrect answers.
Examination outline
  • ORS Chapter 675 — Psychologists; Occupational Therapists; Social Workers; Licensed Professional Counselors and Marriage and Family Therapists
  • ORS Chapter 676 — Health Professions Generally
  • ORS Chapter 40 — Evidence Code
  • ORS 124.050–124.095 — Abuse Prevention and Reporting
  • ORS 419B.005–419B.050 — Reporting of Child Abuse
  • ORS 430.765 — Duty of Officials to Report Abuse
  • OAR Chapter 877, Division 1 — Procedural Rules and Definitions
  • OAR Chapter 877, Division 5 — Authorization for Graduate Students to Practice Clinical Social Work
  • OAR Chapter 877, Division 15 — Registration as a Baccalaureate Social Worker and Licensure as a Master’s Social Worker
  • OAR Chapter 877, Division 20 — Procedure for Certification of Clinical Social Work Associates and Licensing of Licensed Clinical Social Workers
  • OAR Chapter 877, Division 22 — Criminal Records Check
  • OAR Chapter 877, Division 25 — Continuing Education Reporting Requirements
  • OAR Chapter 877, Division 30 — Code of Ethics for Regulated Social Workers
  • OAR Chapter 877, Division 40 — Procedures for Handling Complaints to the Board
Examination sources

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

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

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