If a person fails to define all of these terms, this is a sign that vocabulary remediation is necessary. BSW and MSW graduates should be familiar with basic social work terms and should be able to define them. The exams are filled with clinical and generalist social work vocabulary.
In practical terms, high test reliability means that if a person fails the exam, there is a high probability that he or she will fail again if there is no change in knowledge. Reliability describes the degree test scores are consistent over time, and the chances that a test taker’s score will not change significantly between attempts if the level of knowledge does not change. The licensing examinations are based on what social workers do now on their entry level jobs. The key point for exam preparation is: focus on current practice, not distant past or future practice. Use supervision to apply what has been learned to practice. There is more to practice than can be learned from books. Do not ignore the value of a social work education, but total dependence on academic learning is not enough. Social work educators may or may not focus on current practice standards, and indeed many are expected to be futuristic. ASWB completes a practice analysis every seven to ten years, and the exams are changed after each analysis to reflect current standards of practice. changing one’s approach to answering the test itemsĪssociation of Social Work Boards (ASWB) examinations are based on a North American analysis of social work practice at various educational and experience levels.understanding how the test was constructed.Prior to retaking any exam, three specific issues must be addressed. These are:
#SHOULD I GET THE MOST UP TO DATE MASTER THE BOARDS STEP 3 HOW TO#
Social workers who fail the licensing examination often seek information on how to improve their scores. Looking for Step 1 or Step 2 exam content?Ĭheck out our Step 1 question bank and Step 2 question bank.By: Stephen Marson, Robert Kersting, and Donna DeAngelis You’re better off doing more and more questions than doing a topics-based review (we suggest UWorld and BoardVitals, obviously).Kaplan is pretty good for the other Step exams, but misses the mark on Step 3.The cases are shorter and are given on the second day, so it tends to be a much easier experience.(We have a block of these in our USMLE Step 3 question bank that should help you get your speed up) If you are having trouble with the timing, skip the drug ads and research questions.