The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) Exam

In order to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) you will need to fulfill a variety of requirements. These include earning various levels of Social Work degrees, earning field experience and taking a LCSW exam. The Licensed Clinical Social Worker exams vary from state to state although in most cases you will be required to pass the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical Level exam. In some states you must pass additional exams such as a Jurisprudence examination for the state and certain ethical or state specific exams.

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) provides practice exams and study guides for a cost. Taking the official exam itself will also require that you pay the ASWB regardless of whether you pass or fail. Depending of the level of licensure you seek, you may be required to take different tests such as the Master Level exam, the Bachelor Level exam and the Advanced Generalist Level exam.

As you will need to attain permission to take the exam from your state or provincial licensing board, in most cases you will need to have earned a certain degree in Social Work to take the exam. For example to take the Master’s Level, Clinical Level and Advanced Generalist Level exams you must have a Master of Social Work or Ph. D. in Social Work. It is extremely wise to take the time to research and prepare for your examination as many states require a long waiting period in-between a failed exam and a retake of the exam. Some states also have higher benchmarks for what score is considered a passing score on the ASWB test. You will want to review the specific step-by-step censurer instructions for any state you wish to attain license.