If you’re on your path to becoming a clinical social worker in California, you will need to take the state’s Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam in your first year of registration as an Associate. I’m proud to announce the release of our new study guide for that exam.
Preparing for the California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam includes a full study guide. It covers all of the knowledge areas the Board of Behavioral Sciences assesses you on during the test. The book also includes a full-length practice exam (75 questions), formatted like the real thing. We provide complete rationales for every question. So you can understand not just what you answered incorrectly, but why.
About the exam
The actual test is a 75-question, multiple-choice test administered via computer at testing locations around the country. Of those 75 questions, 50 are scored and 25 are experimental (meaning they are being tested for possible inclusion as scored items on future exams). Experimental items are included in random order, so you don’t know while you are taking the test which questions are scored and which are experimental.
Passing scores vary by test cycle, and typically have hovered around 70% (35 out of 50 scored items). The BBS posts current passing scores here.
You have 90 minutes to finish the test. The exam plan reviews the scope of knowledge that is tested. In the first quarter of 2017, approximately 71% of examinees passed and 29% failed. Passing rates in previous cycles ranged from 67% to 84%.
About the guide
Preparing for the California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam is divided into two parts. The study guide is a content review, covering each and every one of the task and knowledge statements in the exam plan. The practice test is formatted like the real thing and includes rationales for every question. Together, these sections provide a way to prepare for the exam that is at once fast and thorough.
Should you do a prep course?
A number of providers offer prep courses for the exam, either in person or online. A prep course can be useful if it helps you feel more prepared and confident going in to your exam. But the scope of knowledge on the law and ethics test is fairly limited. In addition, because you must take the test in your first year after registering as an associate, your legal and ethical knowledge is likely already fairly up to date. So many examinees will not need to spend hundreds of dollars on a prep course to prepare themselves for this test. Our study guide can be all you need.
To order
You can order through the blog here (scroll to the bottom), or on Amazon here.