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What is happening to the ASWB examinations?
What is a content outline?
Why are the examinations changing?
What’s different about the new examinations?
Why is the number of content areas being reduced?
Is test content changing?
Will the new tests be harder/easier?
Will the passing score change?
Will the questions be different?
What if I have been studying for the 2010 outline?
What are KSAs?
Will every KSA be tested on every exam?
Can I choose which version of the exam I want to take?
What if I can’t get an appointment to take the exam before Jan 1, 2011?
When can I make an appointment to take the test under the new content outline?
What happens if I cancel my 2010 appointment? What happens if my 2010 appointment is cancelled because of weather or other problems, and I can’t take the test until 2011?
Can I switch my appointment from a 2010 appointment to a 2011 appointment?
Is there an appeal process if I don’t want to take the new form?
Will there be new study materials available?
Will these materials be comprehensive?
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What is happening to the ASWB examinations?
Beginning January 1, 2011, the ASWB Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical examinations will reflect changes resulting from a recent practice analysis (complete report can be found here). These studies are conducted periodically in order to ensure that test content reflects current practice. For exam candidates, the main changes have to do with how test content is organized. This is reflected in the examination Content Outlines.
The ASWB Advanced Generalist examination will not reflect the practice analysis changes until January 1, 2012. Until that time, the 2010 content outline will be used. For a complete explanation of the Advanced Generalist testing program for 2011, click here.
What is a content outline?
The content outline is the basic framework for how the ASWB examination is organized, and includes the percentage of questions in various content areas.
Why are the examinations changing?
Regular updates in content and organization are necessary to ensure that the ASWB examinations reflect current practice, and are organized in ways that are clear to test-takers.
What’s different about the new examinations?
The most notable differences between the 2010 and 2011 examinations have to do with the way test content is organized. Currently, each examination uses 150 test questions to measure competency across 10-11 different content areas. Beginning in 2011 for the Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical examinations, and in 2012 for the Advanced Generalist examination, the tests will use 150 questions to measure competency across 4-5 content areas.
Why is the number of content areas being reduced?
Social work content experts and examination experts agreed that many of the content areas listed separately in the current examinations could be combined under more broad headings. The reduced number of content areas does NOT mean the examinations are testing a more narrow range of knowledge—it just means that the knowledge being tested has been reorganized.
Is test content changing?
Not significantly. It is typical for examination content to change somewhat as a result of a practice analysis, and some minor changes and adjustments did occur on the ASWB examinations. Overall, however, the magnitude of these changes is not great. A brief summary of content changes can be found in the Practice Analysis summary publication, here.
Will the new tests be harder/easier?
Because of shifts in content, and depending on the individual strengths and preparation of test-takers, it is possible that some candidates may find the 2011 examinations more or less challenging than the 2010 versions. Like the current examinations, the examinations administered in 2011 will be designed and scored as minimum competency examinations. The overall difficulty of the new exams is established through a passing score process that estimates the abilities of minimally-competent test-takers.
Will the passing score change?
Even though there will be many similarities between the 2010 and 2011 tests, the examinations administered in 2011 are considered to be different examinations than their 2010 counterparts. Part of the creation of these different examinations involves the establishment of passing score standards specific to the new examinations. The number of questions required to be answered correctly in order to pass may or may not reflect the same numbers used currently. States and provinces will require a “70”, a “75” or a “pass” just as they do now. These numbers reflect a mathematical conversion of your “raw” score to the “scaled score” used by your state or province (see a more detailed explanation of exam scoring in the general examination FAQs).
Will the questions be different?
No. The tests will use the same four-option multiple choice format being used currently. All other stylistic features will remain unchanged.
What if I have been studying for the 2010 outline?
Candidates who take the Bachelors, Masters, or Clinical examination by December 31, 2010, will be taking an examination that reflects the content outlines currently in place. Candidates who take an Advanced Generalist examination by December 31, 2011 will be taking an examination that reflects content outlines that are in place currently. The new content outlines affect only those candidates taking a Bachelors, Masters, or Clinical examination AFTER December 31, 2010; or who are taking an Advanced Generalist examination AFTER December 31, 2011. Candidates for the Bachelors, Masters, or Clinical examination who have begun their preparation based on the current outline and who plan on taking the test after December 31, 2010 should compare content outlines. As stated earlier, candidates are likely to find that most of the changes have to do with how the content is organized, and less to do with significant changes to actual test content.
What are KSAs?
A KSA is a “Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities” statement. These statements describe the discrete knowledge components that may be tested in each part of the examination, and are the basis for individual test questions. One of the major changes for examinations beginning in 2011 is that these KSAs are being made publicly available. Please remember that the KSAs available for the Advanced Generalist examination reflect the content that will be in place effective January 1, 2012.
Will every KSA be tested on every exam?
No. The KSAs listed under each competency statement represent a range of knowledge that may be tested.
Can I choose which version of the exam I want to take?
No. After December 31, 2010, only tests reflecting the new content outlines will be available for the Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical examinations. If you want to take a Bachelors, Masters, or Clinical test that reflects the current outlines, you must do so by December 31, 2010. The content for the Advanced Generalist test will not be changing until January 1, 2012.
What if I can’t get an appointment to take the exam before Jan 1, 2011?
If you are taking the Bachelors, Masters, or Clinical test, you will be administered an examination based on the new content outlines. If you are taking an Advanced Generalist test, you will be administered an examination based on the 2010 content outlines, although you may be part of a pool of candidates participating in a data-gathering project that will allow you to take the examination for free. Click here for the details.
When can I make an appointment to take the test under the new content outline?
Candidates will not be able to make appointments for 2011 until fall 2010. An announcement will be posted on the ASWB website when 2011 testing appointments are available.
What happens if I cancel my 2010 appointment? What happens if my 2010 appointment is cancelled because of weather or other problems, and I can’t take the test until 2011?
After December 31, Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical examinations based on the content outlines used in 2010 will no longer be available for use for any reason.
Can I switch my appointment from a 2010 appointment to a 2011 appointment?
Currently, no appointments are being accepted for 2011. Candidates interested in taking the test after December 31, 2010 are advised to wait until fall 2010 when 2011 appointments are expected to become available.
Is there an appeal process if I don’t want to take the new form?
No. The new Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical examinations are the only examinations that will be offered by ASWB after December 31, 2010. The Advanced Generalist examination content will reflect the 2010 content outlines through December 31, 2011.
Will there be new study materials available?
Study materials are being updated to reflect the new examinations. Updated hard-copy study guides should be available in fall 2010; an updated online practice examination should be available in November, 2010. Candidates may also find the KSAs to be a valuable new resource in test preparation.
Will these materials be comprehensive?
Updated study materials will consist of the same offerings now available to candidates: a study guide booklet, and an online practice examination. Only one version of the online practice examination will initially be available in each category of the examinations. A second set of practice examinations will be developed in 2011 and published as soon as it is ready.
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