Tips for Passing the LCSW Exam

There are just a few posts on the LCSW Exam Prep Blog. One of them includes these handy seven tips for passing the LCSW exam.  The list is below, details here.

1. Know yourself and how you study best.
2. Use study guides.
3. Take several practice exams.
4. Make flash cards.
5. Know what to do FIRST/NEXT.
6. Read the question.
7. Breathe.

These make sense, provided overstudying is studiously avoided.  Study guides may not be as necessary as they were way back in 2008 before the net exploded with exam-friendly information.  Flash cards?  Sure, if  they work for you.  Practice tests?  Absolutely.  Breathing?  A plus.  Figure out what works for you and get to it.  Good luck!

LCSW Exam Help

If you usually just block these things out as you web surf, please take a moment to note the collection of LCSW exam prep-friendly blogs listed on the sidebar.  Not all are active, but in each there's something that'll get your prepared for diving into the LCSW exam (or any of the other ASWB offerings).  Three favorites:

• The Social Work Test Prep Blog
• LCSW Study Buddy
• Us, of course!

Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development

Continuing with the best, most ASWB-exam relevant, parts of the CounsellingResource collection, here's Freud's Theory of Psychosexual Development delivered in under ten minutes.



Here's Simply Psychology tackling the same.

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

Another from the CounsellingResources collection, Erikson's Psychosocial Stages of Development:



Here's the same info via Wikipedia.

Five Stages of Grief

From the CounsellingResource YouTube channel, here's a quick primer on Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and the Five Stages of Grief.

NASW Code of Ethics: Ethical Responsibilities to the Broader Society

From the NASW Code of Ethics, last but not least:  Social Workers' Ethical Responsibilities to the Broader Society.

• 6.01 Social Welfare
• 6.02 Public Participation
• 6.03 Public Emergencies
• 6.04 Social and Political Action

NASW Code of Ethics: Ethical Responsibilities to the Social Work Profession

Just two items in this next Code of Ethics section, Ethical Responsibilities to the Social Work Profession. 

• 5.01 Integrity of the Profession
• 5.02 Evaluation and Research

NASW Code of Ethics: Ethical Responsibilities as Professionals

Our Code of Ethics survey continues with Ethical Responsibilities as Professionals.  

• 4.01 Competence
• 4.02 Discrimination
• 4.03 Private Conduct
• 4.04 Dishonesty, Fraud, and Deception
• 4.05 Impairment
• 4.06 Misrepresentation
• 4.07 Solicitations
• 4.08 Acknowledging Credit

NASW Code of Ethics: Ethical Responsibilities in Practice Settings

Next up in the Code of Ethics, Social Workers' Ethical Responsibilities in Practice Settings.  Here they are:

• 3.01 Supervision and Consultation
• 3.02 Education and Training
• 3.03 Performance Evaluation
• 3.04 Client Records
• 3.05 Billing
• 3.06 Client Transfer
• 3.07 Administration
• 3.08 Continuing Education and Staff Development
• 3.09 Commitments to Employers
• 3.10 Labor-Management Disputes

NASW Code of Ethics: Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues

Continuing through the Code of Ethics, up next: Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues.

• 2.01 Respect
• 2.02 Confidentiality: Colleagues
• 2.03 Interdisciplinary Collaboration
• 2.04 Disputes Involving Colleagues
• 2.05 Consultation
• 2.06 Referral for Services
• 2.07 Sexual Relationships
• 2.08 Sexual Harassment
• 2.09 Impairment of Colleagues
• 2.10 Incompetence of Colleagues
• 2.11 Unethical Conduct of Colleagues

NASW Code of Ethics: Ethical Responsibilities to Clients

More guided study through the Code of Ethics. If you have this stuff down, much of the exam will come lots easier!  Here's section one of the Ethical Standards: Social Workers' Ethical Responsibilities to Clients.

• 1.01 Commitment to Clients
• 1.02 Self-Determination
• 1.03 Informed Consent
• 1.04 Competence
• 1.05 Cultural Competence and Social Diversity
• 1.06 Conflicts of Interest
• 1.07 Privacy and Confidentiality: Clients
• 1.08 Access to Records
• 1.09 Sexual Relationships
• 1.10 Physical Contact
• 1.11 Sexual Harassment
• 1.12 Derogatory Language
• 1.13 Payment for Services
• 1.14 Clients Who Lack Decision-Making Capacity
• 1.15 Interruption of Services
• 1.16 Termination of Services

KSA of the Day: Value Issues

Here's the final KSA of the Day: VALUE ISSUES.  How to prepare?  The NASW Code of Ethics identifies six core values for social workers (links below go to the code):

1. Service
2. Social Justice
3. Dignity and Worth of the Person
4. Importance of Human Relationships
5. Integrity
6. Competence

Reading the entire Frederic Reamer book may be overdoing it, but if that's your thing, let us know how it goes.
That does it for the KSAs.  Find the complete collection using the KSA of the Day tag.  Thanks for studying along with Pass the ASWB Exam and good luck on the test!

KSA of the Day: Confidentiality and Its Limits

Here's the KSA of the Day with the shortest list of bullets: CONFIDENTIALITY AND ITS LIMITS.  Don't be tricked--this material will come up on the exam--more than two bullet-points worth! 

Suggested reading (and rereading): NASW Code of Ethics sections 1.07, Privacy and Confidentiality, and 2.02 Confidentiality with Colleagues. Also, as a bonus, here's NASW's helpful HIPAA Highlights for Social Workers. 

KSA of the Day: Ethical Issues

Next section of the exam is Professional Ethics and Values--18% of the current exam.  The first KSA of the Day from the section: ETHICAL ISSUES.  You already know where to go for this stuff, right?  The NASW Code of Ethics.  Covers everything on the list below.

Don't feel like reading?  Here's some listening on the topic from the Social Work Podcast.