Tuesday, March 06, 2018

ASWB Exam Outline Changes

If you didn't know, you wouldn't notice, but the Association of Social Work Boards (the ASWB)--the people who write and administer the social work licensing exam--have made some changes. The minor tweaks to the old exam content outlines kicked in with the new year (2018).

The more with-it exam prep companies have adjusted their offerings to fit the new guidelines (SWTP, for example). But if you're prepping using older material, don't sweat it. The outline changes are minimal. Some areas of the exam are being stressed a little bit more, others a little bit less. And some of the areas in the outline have been merged or renamed. No matter. You still have to study all the content areas (which is what you're doing when you take a practice test, review your old social work notes, or run through the posts in this blog). If one area comprises 17% instead of 19% of the exam, does that mean you study it 2% less? If you're able to gauge such things...then, maybe. But, really, no.

If you want to know the details of the changes, the ASWB has spelled them out with nice graphs on their site: https://www.aswb.org/exam-candidates/about-the-exams/exam-development/2018-exam-blueprints/how-are-the-exams-changing/

For everyone else, just know that something changed a little and it doesn't really matter.

As you were. Prepping and, soon, passing the LCSW exam. Good luck!