How I Took (and Passed) the LICSW Exam
By Cameron Murdock
Sitting down in the quiet
room, I listened eagerly as the test proctor explained how to use the computer. He brought up the practice exam screen
and walked away. I inserted the
complimentary earplugs and the hum of background noises slowly resolved into
silence. As I carefully worked
through the practice exam, the only sound I could hear was my racing heartbeat.
I sat looking at the button that would start the actual exam. I needed to pass in
order to advance my career, to make the most of hundreds of dollars spent for
the exam and credential. I took a couple of deep breaths and willed myself to
calm down, then I clicked on a button, and the exam started and I answered the
first question.
In the field of social work,
becoming a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) is arguably the
ultimate goal. With those letters
after one’s name, a social worker can engage in private practice, provide
expert testimony in court, obtain supervisory jobs, etc. For many of us that have chosen social
work as a career, that word “independent” is a pretty important one. Independent clinical licensure
typically involves a certain amount of direct service hours, formal supervision
and sitting for the Association of Social Work
Board (ASWB) exam. The ASWB is the nonprofit association of social work
licensing boards in the United States and Canada. The exam is required for licensure in all provinces and states
except California (they have a separate exam).
The LICSW exam is the
lynchpin of the effort to obtain the coveted LICSW credential. While roughly three quarters of those
who take the exam pass on the first try, very few of those who make a second
attempt pass. The ASWB exam consists
of four areas of content: Human
Development, Diversity and Behavior in the Environment; Assessment, Diagnosis
and Treatment Planning; Psychotherapy, Clinical Interventions and Case
Management; and Professional Ethics and Values. In real terms, that means virtually any type of social work
practice, in any social work practice setting with any demographic and drawing
from any theoretical or practice framework.
I was daunted by the task at hand
and decided that I needed to do some research. What I discovered was that there are about as many different
products and services one could purchase to study for the exam as there are
potential exam questions. I
purchased some of these exam materials, including a set of study guides,
practice exams and flashcards, a couple of flashcard apps for my iPhone, some
handouts and I downloaded some podcasts (audio files) and subscribed to several
web based resources including blogs, groups and YouTube videos. In the end, I was overwhelmed,
frustrated and delayed taking the test.
My confidence was shaken.
Here is how I overcame that lack of
confidence and passed with a pretty high score in the end:
Number One Strategy: Study Group
I saw a lot of references to study
groups as being a crucial element to passing the exam. However, working in an ER where my
schedule changed weekly and where my co workers were really only interested in
study group until we were actually supposed to meet and study, I decided I
needed a different approach. I
started my own study group, but since I didn’t have enough local interest, I
went global. I explored different
options and settled on Google+ for the interface.
Google+ works like Facebook or Pinterest in so much as you can post
articles and status updates. More
importantly, it has a fantastic group conference feature, allowing users with a
computer equipped with a microphone and webcam to see and talk to each other in
real time with no typing required.
Even better, it’s a free conference service, unlike Skype.
I recruited members through LinkedIn and Facebook, sent out a message to all my coworkers and on the
local university’s SW listserv. I
got a lot of response, but as with any new idea, it sounded good to many, but
only five of us really engaged and met up. I met five really fantastic people, and the best part was
that I could study with them at work during my meal break and at home; even
sometimes on my treadmill! Google+
works on computers, iPods, iPhones and iPads. I ended up using all of these
devices to meet with my study mates.
Here’s the thing: we studied, but
we also got to know each other, we became supports to each other and grew to
care about each other. One might
think that studying on the Internet would be impersonal, but it was not at
all. Of the five of us, three of
us have taken and passed the exam!
I was the third to test, and it felt great to cheer on my mates and to
be cheered on by them. We did a
lot of laughing, and that seemed to help shape the way I looked at the exam.
Number Two Strategy: Change the Way You Look at the Exam
I have to admit that when I first
thought about sitting for the exam, I really didn’t think I needed to
study. I figured that I had worked
in the field long enough to answer most questions about it. A colleague showed me a set of
materials and that changed that confidence. I ordered my own set, they were cumbersome volumes and the
review questions focused on such minutia without structure, I quickly became
overwhelmed. The practice exams
that were part of the same bundle gave me low scores and answers seemed to
contradict each other and no patterns emerged. I have to admit, I grew to hate the exam and see it as a
form of hazing. It seemed too big,
not really tied to anything and focused on small items, not the big picture.
Let’s face it, the exam is
expensive and important to one’s career.
It does not measure your ability to do the work, but it does ensure that
those doing the work have demonstratable knowledge of theory, best practices,
ethics, etc. I had to really come
to terms with the idea that failure was not the end of the world and that I
recognized the hard work I put into preparation and believed it to be
sufficient.
Slowly, I started to notice that
research I did using “Social
Worker’s Desk Reference” (which I highly
recommend for all social workers) started to influence my practice. It occurred to me that my study prep
was helping me to expand my abilities and helping me to be more effective with
the clients I was working with at the time. That helped me to get more excited about studying and sharing
the things I was picking up-or simply being reminded of- helped reinforce the
learning. I started to believe
that, regardless of the outcome of the exam, the studying improved my skills,
my practice and ultimately, my confidence.
Jonathan
Singer has busily been building a
fantastic library of short podcasts that focus on areas of social work theory, practice, special
populations, elements of working in the field and more. He is an excellent interviewer and his
guests have great experience and knowledge that he draws into a succinct
podcast. I made CDs of the
podcasts and played them in my car on my way to and from work. I listened to them as I did chores,
worked out and on meal breaks. That was a great way to get more information, tie it to personalities
and to do so while on a pretty strict time budget.
Number Four Strategy: Take the Class
The NASW offers a prep class (check
your local chapter’s web site). There were pros and cons to that experience, so
I am more hesitant to recommend it.
One study mate did order the book and skip the class (Nearly everything
said in the class was in the book).
For me, it was helpful to set aside 6 hours to sit in a classroom and
focus on the exam, but it is probably not a good use of time for everyone. Most important is that they stressed
that one has enough time to take the exam. On exam day, I did not turn on the clock feature, so I was
surprised to learn that I took the exam, reviewed questions and took a short
break in two hours and fifteen minutes.
NASW also stressed that the exam would not go into minutia and that the
material is structured so that you can break the questions down, eliminate at
least two possible responses and figure out the “best” response.
I took several practice exams, used
lots of flashcards, wrote my own practice questions, etc., and I cannot
recommend any of them. The exam
questions really are pretty clearly written and I took the ASWB practice exam a
week before my real exam and used the questions to study. The questions are the most like the
real thing, and that was a piece of advice I got from another of my study
mates!
Number Six Strategy:
Explore all Relevant Areas of the ASWB Website
The handbook is a must read, and I read every FAQ related to the Independent Clinical exam. The best part was the video about the day of the exam.
It actually looked like the test site and thoroughly walks the viewer
through the process from arrival to completion of the exam.
Number Seven Strategy: Get There Early and Don’t Try to Study
I drove to the test site, walked up
to and into the office, and left to eat something and drink something. I listened to soft music and I did some
relaxation exercises in my car. I
then went for a walk around the building to get some fresh air before I went
inside. I was warned not to try
and look at study materials because it could make me doubt my degree of
readiness and undermine my confidence.
Number Eight Strategy: Acronyms
There really is a structure ranking
potential exam answers. I looked
at several of them and went with FAREAFI (F: Feelings,
A: Assess, R: Refer, E: Educate, A: Advocate, F: Facilitate, I: Intervene). This seems to be attributed to Linton
Hutchinson, who sells a wide range of study products. As soon as I started the exam, I wrote that down so I
wouldn’t panic and forget it. I
realized later that I never looked at it again since I had really internalized
it!
Number Nine Strategy: Wear the Earplugs
I did not want to be distracted
during the test, and I knew there would be other people testing beside me and
they might say things under their breath, make noises or otherwise prevent me
from putting 100% focus on the exam.
I did hear my heartbeat, which reminded me to take deep breaths and calm
down.
Number Ten Strategy: Sally Social Worker
Another tidbit I learned was to not
answer exam questions with what I would do. I had to answer with a prediction about what my fictitious
coworker, Sally, would do in a given situation. The exam can’t take every possible scenario into consideration,
but when it asks for the “Best,” “First” or “Most Helpful” activity, the exam
is looking for a textbook response, and Sally, who knows everything and is just
a little rigid in her work style is the best example.
The result of all of these
strategies is that I passed on my first try with a pretty high score. While there were several other
activities I attempted, these are the most relevant- my top ten if you will-
ways to get through the process with a degree of enjoyment and the least amount
of worry and stress.
