The Basics
About ASWB
ASWB is the Association of Social Work Boards, a regulatory body created in 1979 which provides social work licensure exams for all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and all 10 Canadian provinces. It is a 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Culpeper, Virginia and their most recent 990 tax form indicates annual revenue of over $24 million. The organizational structure consists of a a Board of Directors, staff and delegate assembly including one delegate and one alternate from each member jurisdiction.
The first social work licensing exam was given in 1983. ASWB owns and manages the only social work licensing exams for the mentioned regions. In the US, the Associate, Bachelors, or Masters exam cost $230 to take and the Advanced Generalist or Clinical exam costs $260 to take. In 2021, over 20,000 individuals took an ASWB exam for the first time.
In August 2022, ASWB published the 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis.
The 2022 analysis highlighted racial disparities as well as age disparities in exam pass rates.
During the 2018–2021 time period,
First-time pass rates for Black test-takers averaged 45%,
First-time pass rates for Native American/Indigenous test-takers averaged 62.9%,
First-time pass rates for Hispanic/Latino test-takers averaged 65.1%,
First-time pass rates for Asian test-takers averaged 72%,
First-time pass rates for multiracial test-takers averaged 79.9% and
First-time pass rates for white test-takers averaged 83.9%.
First-time pass rates for test-takers 50 years and older averaged 62.8%,
First-time pass rates for test-takers between the ages of 40 and 49 averaged 68.5%,
First-time pass rates for test-takers between the ages of 30 and 39 averaged 77.7% and
First-time pass rates for test-takers between the ages of 18 and 29 averaged 80.1%
DWSW also wishes to note that disability demographic data are not publically collected or analyzed by ASWB.
About Licensure
There are multiple levels of social work licensure and the names and requirements are different in each state, territory or province. Most US states include 3 to 5 of the licenses listed below.
It is important to note that in conversations regarding 'removal of the exam ', it is not always clear which levels of the exam are being referred to. To some, this means removal of all social work licensing exams and to others it refers to removal of only non-clinical exams.
Master’s Level or Higher Licenses:
Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Certified Independent Practice Social Worker (CIPSW)
Certified Advanced Practice Social Worker (CAPSW)
Independent Social Worker (ISW)
Licensed Social Worker-Administration (LSW-ADM)
Licensed Social Work Associate and Advanced (LSWAA)
Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker (LAPSW)
Licensed Social Work Associate and Independent Clinical (LSWAIC)
Bachelor’s or Associate's Level Degree Required Licenses:
Licensed Baccalaureate/Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)
Licensed Social Work Associate (LSWA)
Social Work Associate (SWA)
Responses from NASW
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) national office has stated that they 'oppose the ASWB exams' and more specifically, oppose the inclusion of the ASWB exam in the Social Work Interstate Compact Legislation being developed.
National
NASW News Release. February 03, 2023 - NASW Opposes Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Exams
Chapters
NASW-CA News Release. October 03, 2023 - NASW-CA Supports Eliminating the ASWB Social Work Licensing Exam
NASW-IL News Release. May 27, 2022 - NASW-IL Advocacy at Work: Governor Signs SB1632, Removing Testing Requirements for LSWs (See also: their August 15 statement)
Responses from States, Territories and Provinces
Many of these articles also include statements from NASW Chapters. In August 2023, Illinois became the first state to include an exam alternative in their regulations (see article below).
Michigan. BridgeMi.com News Article. October 06, 2023 - In Michigan mental health crisis, a tug-of-war over too few social workers
Washington DC. NBC News Segment. October 03, 2023 - DC considers tossing social work exam over concerns it fails too many people of color (Video and Article)
Illinois. Illinois Senate Democrat News Release. August 07, 2023 - Villa law creates new path to licensure for social workers
Maryland. Baltimore Sun News Article. March 17, 2023 - Maryland Senate committee approves temporarily waiving national exam for nonclinical social workers
New Jersey. NJ.com News Article. March 21, 2023 - Want more Black, Latino licensed social workers in New Jersey. This is what you need to do. | Opinion
Kansas. NPR News Article. November 8, 2022 - A social work licensing exam that people of color fail more often is under scrutiny in Kansas
Responses from Individuals and Groups
Revolutionary Hoodrat by Kim Young Podcast, November 16,2023 - Season 1, Episode 16, Reclaiming Stolen Dreams w/ Cassie Walker, LCSW, discussing the the Stop ASWB movement
Stop Racist Testing Initiative. Washington DC. 2023 - Stop Racist Testing website
National Association of Black Social Workers. December 15, 2022 - NABSW Open Letter to Association of Social Work Board (ASWB)
California Board of Behavioral Services Memo. October 17, 2022 - California Board of Behavioral Services, Board Member Memo (PDF)
#StopASWB Petition, August 13, 2022 - #StopASWB ASWB: End Discriminatory Social Work Licensing Exams
Responses from ASWB
In general, ASWB continues to make statements related to their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and their view that the exam is needed for social work regulation and public protection.
ASWB Website. View the 2022 report, see exam pass rates by state/province and exam performance reports for social work schools and programs - Contributing to the conversation: 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis
ASWB Website - News. ASWB's news blog. ASWB News
ASWB Maintained Website. A separate website from ASWB related to social work licensure mobility. Social Work Practice Mobility website
Associated Data and Research
Alameda et al v. Association of Social Work Boards Lawsuit Details PacerMonitor legal docket listing for the Alameda et al v. ASWB lawsuit.
2023 - Assessing Measurement Invariance in ASWB Exams: Regulatory Research Proposal to Advance Equity (Preprint) Bean, G., & DeCarlo, M. P. (2023, September 16). Assessing Measurement Invariance in ASWB Exams: Regulatory Research Proposal to Advance Equity. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/dk5at
2023 - The Methodological & Ethical Bankruptcy of the Association of Social Work Boards Examination Program (Preprint) DeCarlo, M. P. (2023, July 27). The Methodological & Ethical Bankruptcy of the Association of Social Work Boards Examination Program. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/3cxdy
2022 - Editorial: Does Racial Bias Exist in the ASWB Social Work Exams? Marson, S. M. (2022). Editorial: Does racial bias exist in the ASWB social Work exams? International Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics, 19(2), 8–20. https://doi.org/10.55521/10-019-203
2022 - Racial bias and ASWB exams: A failure of data equity. DeCarlo, M. P. (2022). Racial Bias and ASWB Exams: A Failure of Data Equity. Research on Social Work Practice, 32(3), 255-258. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315211055986
The #StopASWB Petition also includes significant historical information and 17 citations.
What do you think? Should the ASWB exam be removed?
Yes, all the exams should be removed
Yes, all except the clinical exams should be removed
No, the exams should not be removed
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