ASWB's examination development team continues to manage the equally important processes that result in valid, reliable, and fair licensure exams. "Partnerships with our vendors are key," says Exam Development Director Carl Hokanson, LGSW. "We all work together to make sure these projects are successful and uphold the highest standards."

The most comprehensive profession-wide study to date, the Census will generate an up-to-date picture of who today’s social workers are and what they are doing in their practice. Findings will help support the development of a more inclusive and equitable social work workforce and will be used in designing future competence assessments for social work licensure.

As we enter 2024, the ASWB examination program is looking forward to realizing many long-anticipated changes and initiatives. We are transitioning out of a year of planning and preparation and into a year of goals completed. Read more for details on what’s coming in the new year!

ASWB is using the Community Conversations research findings reported by HumRRO to inform the continued development of fair, reliable, and valid competence assessments and to determine future initiatives aimed at closing pass rate gaps among demographic groups.

My first anniversary as ASWB’s CEO is an opportunity for deep reflection. While I am looking back on a year unprecedented in ASWB’s history — and the social work profession’s history — I  am also focused on the future of social work regulation.

As part of our ongoing investment in creating competence measures for the future of social work, ASWB has invited social workers to share their experiences with social work licensing and the licensing exams via two independent research efforts.

The 2022–2024 Practice Analysis Task Force, a group of 32 licensed social workers, provides subject matter expertise to ASWB’s next analysis of the practice of social work.

Last year, ASWB took the groundbreaking step of publishing pass rate data for the social work licensing exams to contribute to and lead engagement in profession-wide conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion. At that time, we also pledged to include a more diverse set of voices in our exam development process and provide more support and resources for educators and supervisors as they prepare licensure candidates. We are committed to listening to and learning from the social work com

The data highlighted disparities in exam pass rates for different demographic groups. For Black test-takers and older test-takers, pass rates were particularly low. The discrepancies seen in the data are unacceptable. Recognizing that multiple factors impact a test-taker’s performance and need to be addressed, we remain committed to doing our part and working with other […]

ASWB has contracted with the independent firm Fifth Theory to provide free test mastery mindset support to test-takers who are unsuccessful in passing the social work licensing exams. Fifth Theory’s research-based Test Mastery Inclusion program is designed to help test-takers be successful on a high-stakes exam. ASWB acknowledges that the personal and educational experiences that […]