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license exams

Report: Clinical exams in mental health licensing are structural racism

January 12, 2023October 31, 2022 by Ben Caldwell

Empty track with hurdles in one lane. Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels, used under licenseThe California Board of Behavioral Sciences will discuss clinical exams this Friday. My colleague Tony Rousmaniere and I decided to dig into these exams, beyond just the horrifying report ASWB released this summer. (TLDR: Wildly disparate passing rates by race/ethnicity.) While I’m previously on record as not a fan of clinical exams, they’re widely accepted. We figured we would follow where the data leads us. And so here it is:

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CSWE recommends all states pause use of social work licensing exams

January 12, 2023October 18, 2022 by Ben Caldwell

students studying for a test // photo by Matthew Henry, used under licenseFollowing the release of a horrifying report from the Association of Social Work Boards acknowledging significant racial disparities in license exam performance, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has written to social work boards across the country urging them to pause the use of ASWB social work licensing exams.

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When should you take your California Law & Ethics exam?

August 29, 2018August 29, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

used under licenseOnce you register as an Associate MFT, CSW, or PCC with the Board of Behavioral Sciences, you have a year to attempt the California Law and Ethics Exam for your profession. There are basically two schools of thought about when you should take that exam. One of them is wrong.

If you’re in your first year as an associate, you should take the exam right now.

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Why is license exam prep material so expensive?

July 9, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

Sarah Pflug via Burst / Licensed under Creative Commons ZeroBecoming a therapist is ridiculously expensive. There’s grad school, which costs about five times as much even in inflation-adjusted dollars today than it did 30 years ago. There’s the time between graduation and licensure, which is often filled with low-paying employment. And then at the end of all of that, you take your final license exam. (Some states have bumped up some exams to be earlier in the process.) Given all the expense that leads up to it, it’s common to wonder why that last major hurdle is itself so expensive. If your education and experience should have prepared you for licensure, why should you have to do license exam prep courses in addition? And if you do go the test-prep route, why is it so expensive?

Let’s take those questions in order.

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Announcing our guide to the California Clinical Counselor Law & Ethics Exam

January 22, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

Preparing for the California Clinical Counselor Law & Ethics Exam (c) Copyright 2018 Ben Caldwell LabsIf you’re on your path to becoming a clinical counselor in California, you will need to take the state’s Clinical Counselor 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.

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Preparing for the 2025 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam

Preparing for the 2025 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam - front coverThe easiest way to get ready for California’s MFT Law & Ethics exam. This paperback includes a study guide and more than 100 practice test questions with rationales.

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  • Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Clinical Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LCSW Law & Ethics Exam Prep
  • CE Courses
    • California Law and Ethics 6-Hour for LMFTs, LPCCs, & LCSWs
    • California Law and Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, & ASWs) – 2025
    • Telehealth for California LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs
    • Supervision of California BBS Associates
    • Supervision for Clinical Effectiveness
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (11th ed)
    • Preparing for the 2025 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2025 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
    • Saving Psychotherapy
  • Resources
    • Think Like the Test™ Podcast
    • Exam Prep Articles
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy