LMSW Exam Prep (Aug 2026 Vers.)

LMSW Exam Prep for the new version as of August 2026

D (assessment)

What is the first step in the problem-solving process within the SW frame work?

A. implementation

B. Planning

C. Evaluation

D. Assessment

LMSW Exam Information

• 122 total questions (110 scored, 12 unscored) with 3- and 4-option questions

• 3 content areas

• two 61-question sections

• 2hrs per section

• 10min scheduled break between sections

• 35% Values and Ethics

• 33% Assessment and Planning

• 32% Intervention and Practice

• 3 cognitive levels used: recall, application, and reasoning

B (to define who will be responsible for which assigned task)

What is the PRIMARY purpose of contracting between a social worker and a client?

• Cognitive level: recall

A (clients)

What group is privileged communication designed to protect?

A. clients

B. the public

C. agencies

D. administrators

• Cognitive level: Recall

C (possibility of child neglect)

A social worker at a health clinic receives a referral for a family with an infant who has been diagnosed with nonorganic failure to thrive. When assessing the family, what should the social worker consider first?

• Cognitive level: recall

C (acknowledge the client’s reluctance to discuss these experiences)

During an initial session with a SW, an adults who was s3xually abused as a child is fearful and hesitant to respond to a request for specific information about the abuse. What should the SW do first?

• cognitive level: application

A (explain ethical boundaries to the client

A former client emails a SW to invite the SW on a date at a restaurant 3 months after treatment has been terminated. What is the SW’s best response?

• cognitive level: application

C (review the client’s goals to determine any needed changes)

A previously motivated client seems ambivalent during recent meetings with the SW. The SW attempts to discuss the ambivalence, but the client responds with anger and denial. After exploring the client’s emotions, what should the SW do next?

A. refer the client to an anger management group

B. refer the client to a different SW

C. review the client’s goals to determine any needed changes

D. recommend termination to the client

• cognitive level: application

B (assess whether the adolescent has a specific plan for harming the teacher)

A SW meets with an adolescent who is in an emergency department for a dog bite. During the mental status exam, the adolescent discloses abusing the dog and reports hearing internal commands to hurt a teacher. What should the SW do first?

A. assess the adolescent’s understanding of cause and effect

B. assess whether the adolescent has a specific plan for harming the teacher

C. determine whether the adolescent has told the teacher about these thoughts

D. determine whether the parents are aware of the adolescent’s impulses

• cognitive level: reasoning

C (obtain supervision)

A SW who provides family therapy realizes that one of the children in a family receiving services reminds him of his own child who died. The SW notices that he aligns with the child in the family sessions. What should the SW do next?

• cognitive level: reasoning

D (determine each member’s capacity to participate in the roleplay)

A SW facilitates a treatment group for clients with dual diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) and substance use disorder. The SW wants to use roleplay to help clients recognize triggers for depressive symptoms. What action by the SW is most likely to engage participants in roleplay?

A. meet with the significant others to obtain informed consent before using roleplay

B. ask reluctant group members to not attend group when roleplay is used

C. plan extra time in the schedule to explain roleplay to group members

D. determine each member’s capacity to participate in roleplay

• cognitive level: reasoning

A (help the client develop a safety plan)

A SW meets with a client in a domestic violence shelter. The client tells the SW that a decision has been made to return home to an abusive partner. What should the SW do first?

C (depressant)

Alcohol is a:

A. Hallucinogen

B. Stimulant

C. Depressant

D. Hypnotic

D (alcohol)

What drug is classified as a depressant?
A. cocaine

B. caffeine

C. LSD

D. alcohol

B (assess the family’s needs)

A SW meets with a family experiencing stress because one member recently became unemployed. What should the SW do first?