News

Have you ever wondered about the connection between the knowledge learned in a social work program and the applied knowledge tested by the social work licensing exams? The Association of Social Work Boards recently explored answers to this common question by conducting an alignment study that found significant overlap, strengthening evidence for the connections among education, licensure, and professional practice.

In alignment with its ongoing commitment to improving exam candidates’ experiences, ASWB will begin a pilot program to offer the option of online proctored exams for select candidates. The pilot will launch on Monday, March 23, 2026.

The social work licensing exams determine whether an aspiring social worker is ready to practice as a member of a profession that serves vulnerable client populations. Because the stakes are high — for licensure candidates and for the communities they hope to serve — ASWB adheres to rigorous exam development standards. The 2026 exams will feature a new structure centering candidates’ experiences and a renewed focus on applied knowledge rather than simple recall of information.

The 16th edition of the yearbook continues to communicate ASWB’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and high standards in the examination development process. Every question writer, Examination Committee and Form Review Team volunteer, and consultant is listed.

The Association of Social Work Boards convened a panel of social work educators to compare the content of one of the social work licensing exams alongside the competencies for academic accreditation.

ASWB is recruiting exam question writers from all license categories who represent a variety of experience and educational, geographic, and demographic backgrounds.

ASWB has published a revised edition of the Guide to the Social Work Licensing Exams for Educators and Supervisors and has expanded access to the available set of group review practice questions. These changes allow access to the exam materials for both social work educators and social work supervisors.

ASWB is seeking volunteers to participate on the standard setting panel for the next iteration of competence assessments for social work licensing. Deadline for applications is August 15, 2025.

As of June 2025, all states, provinces, and territories that use the social work licensing exams allow nonstandard testing arrangements for test-takers whose first language is not English.

Recently, coinciding with the vendor transition for exam administration, ASWB implemented a policy that provides the social work licensing exams in two distinct sections of 85 questions with a break in between the two sections. Each section has a time limit of two hours, and there are no structural differences in content distribution, content order, or difficulty between the sections.