MSW 170-Question Practice Exam 2024
Questions and Answers
Question #1
Which of the following is NOT true about motivation to change?
(a) motivation fluctuates from one time to another
(b) motivation can be increased by working to remove barriers to change
(c) motivation is driven by hope or the belief that life can be different
(d) motivation that is imposed by external forces is more salient than that which is
intrinsic - ANSWER-D
Question #2
Evidence-based social work practice can BEST be defined as:
(a) interventions that a social worker has gained training and experience in delivering
(b) treatment that yields the most cost-effective outcomes according to a cost-benefit
analysis
(c) decision making based on the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of research
knowledge, clinical expertise, social work values, and client wishes
(d) practice evaluations that adhere to scientific principles - ANSWER-C
Question #3
What are the stages of change in sequential order?
(a) precontemplation, preparation, contemplation, action, maintenance, and relapse
(b) preparation, action, precontemplation, contemplation, maintenance and relapse
(c) preparation, precontemplation, contemplation, action, maintenance and relapse
(d) precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and relapse -
ANSWER-D
Question #4
Which of the following is NOT an essential step in ethical problem solving?
(a) identifying the ethical standards that may be compromised
(b) determining whether there is an ethical dilemma
(c) weighing ethical issues in light of social work values and principles
(d) asking a supervisor to monitor practice to identify new ethical issues or dilemmas -
ANSWER-D
Question #5
A young boy is stopped by a police officer and claims that he is a member of the armed
forces, though it is obvious that he is not. This assertion by the boy is MOST likely a:
,(a) comorbid thought
(b) dissociation
(c) folie a deux
(d) delusion - ANSWER-D
Question #6
A social work administrator is having trouble finding a group home manager for a new
program scheduled to open in 2 weeks. Further delays in locating staff will delay clients
from moving into the program. The administrator temporarily hires her niece, who just
graduated with a social work degree, for this position. This action is:
(a) ethical because the niece is clearly qualified for the position
(b) unethical because this is a conflict of interest
(c) ethical because the position is temporary and ensures clients get the services
needed
(d) unethical because clients will experience staff turnover when a new manager is hired
- ANSWER-B
Question #7
A social worker is interested in seeing the extent to which current clients are satisfied
with a new relapse prevention program. The social worker distributes a client
satisfaction survey to those in the program. The social worker then collects the surveys
and analyzes the results that are presented to a management team in the agency. The
social worker is conducting which type of evaluation?
(a) summative
(b) experimental
(c) quasi-experimental
(d) formative - ANSWER-D
Question #8
Which of the following is an example of social stratification?
(a) a child is not included in group activities in school because of his or her poor social
skills
(b) children who are violent need to be segregated from their peers
(c) a child with social deficits is assumed to be delayed in cognition without additional
assessment
(d) children from affluent houesholds receive a better public education than those from
low-income households - ANSWER-D
Question #9
During an intake interview, a client reports that she is extremely depressed and has
self-destructive thoughts. She has had prior suicide attempts, but tells the social worker
not to worry as she won't "do it again." The social worker should FIRST:
,(a) tell the client that her decision not to harm herself is a good one
(b) explore with the client what is causing her depression
(c) conduct a safety assessment
(d) refer the client to a psychiatrist for a medication evaluation - ANSWER-C
Question #10
A client with a Social Anxiety Disorder will MOST likely be prescribed which of the
following medications to take on an ongoing basis?
(a) Zoloft (sertraline)
(b) Mellaril (thioridazine)
(c) Thorazine (chlorpromazine)
(d) Valium (diazepam) - ANSWER-A
Question #11
A social worker is appointed by the court to conduct a child custody evaluation for a
couple that is divorcing. The mother reports that her husband is verbally abusive,
controlling, and neglects the children when they are in his care. She reports that the
children have missed a lot of school when staying with their father because he does not
assist with getting them ready for school or doing their homework. The father states that
his wife is lazy, irresponsible, and cannot meet the children's basic needs. He reports
that the school frequently has to provide lunch for the children because the mother does
not supply it when they are in her care. In order to BEST evaluate the legitimacy of the
information, the social worker should:
(a) ask the husband and wife to put their allegations in writing and sign them, attesting
to their accuracy
(b) determine whether the husband or wife have had any past instances - ANSWER-D
Question #12
A social worker is facilitating a psychotherapy group for individuals who are in recovery
from substance abuse. After group, a client mentions that she has been having
problems dealing with job stress without the use of substances. In order to meet this
client's needs, the social worker should:
(a) recommend that the client see the social worker individually in addition to the group
therapy because she appears to need some additional support
(b) suggest that the client bring this topic up in the group next week to see if others are
having similar problems
(c) evaluate whether group therapy is the best treatment modality for the client due to
the issue being mentioned to the social worker outside of the group context
(d) determine if there is an employee assistance program in the client's work setting to
assist - ANSWER-B
Question #13
, An 11-year-old child would like to start helping around the house with chores. She
approaches her mother many times, but is told she cannot assist because "she won't do
it right." During several attempts to do things on her own, she is scolded. According to
psychosocial development theory, she may experience doubts in her abilities due to a
crisis in which of the following stages?
(a) industry versus inferiority
(b) initiative versus guilt
(c) autonomy versus shame/doubt
(d) generativity versus stagnation - ANSWER-A
Question #14
A social worker employed in a hospital is asked to use a SOAP format in a client's
record. In this format, the "A" stands for:
(a) action plan
(b) assessment
(c) active treatment
(d) adjustments to services needed - ANSWER-B
Question #15
Aphasia is BEST defined as difficulty with:
(a) walking or running
(b) common motor skills such as combining hair, despite normal strength
(c) understanding language or using language to speak or write
(d) recognizing familiar objects - ANSWER-C
Question #16
Culture-bound syndromes in the DSM-5 are replaced by all of the following concepts
EXCEPT:
(a) cultural syndromes
(b) cultural stratification
(c) cultural idioms of distress
(d) cultural explanations - ANSWER-B
Question #17
A social worker receives a court order to provide records of a former client. In this
instance, the social worker should submit the records:
(a) and try to contact the client to inform her about the disclosure
(b) with the contact information of the client so the court can contact her about the
release
(c) but not contact the client as court orders are not to be discussed by anyone other
than judges and attorneys
