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AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini have quickly become part of how many Social Workers study for the ASWB exam. But how are people actually using them, how much do they trust them, and what do they want from their study resources? We asked our community.
In November 2026, we surveyed Social Workers preparing for, or who recently took, the ASWB exam. Here’s what we learned, plus practical tips for using AI in your studying without putting your exam score at risk.
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Quick answer: what our AI and ASWB exam survey found
- The top choice was a combination: 40% would choose AI tools plus a structured test-prep program. Only 1 person would rely mainly on AI.
- Who creates the content matters: 83% rated knowing the qualifications of the people who create or review study materials a 4 or 5 out of 5 for importance.
- AI use is common: 2 in 3 respondents have used AI to study, and 80% of them use it weekly or more.
- Top uses: explaining concepts, creating practice questions, and working through similar answer choices.
- Trust, but verify: 78% of AI users feel confident in its answers, yet most still check them against other resources.
Jump to: About the Survey · AI Plus Structured Prep · Who Creates the Content · How People Use AI · Accuracy and Concerns · Tips for Using AI · AI You Can Trust · Practice Questions · FAQs
1) About the Survey
We shared the survey in the Agents of Change Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn communities, as well as several Reddit Social Work communities. We received 30 responses between November 2 and November 8, 2026.
| Where Respondents Are in Their ASWB Journey | Respondents |
|---|---|
| Studying to retake the exam | 10 |
| Previously took the exam and passed | 10 |
| Previously took the exam and did not pass | 3 |
| Studying for their first attempt | 3 |
| Considering the exam but haven’t started studying | 3 |
A note on the numbers: this is a small group of people who chose to respond, mostly from our own communities, so the results describe them rather than all ASWB test takers. We show counts alongside percentages so you can see the full picture.
2) The Most Popular Approach: AI Plus Structured Prep
When asked which study approach they would choose today, the most common answer was a combination of AI tools and a structured test-prep program.
| Preferred Study Approach | Respondents |
|---|---|
| A combination of AI tools and a structured test-prep program | 12 of 30 (40%) |
| Primarily a structured test-prep program | 7 of 30 (23%) |
| Primarily other resources, like books, study groups, or free content | 5 of 30 (17%) |
| Not sure | 5 of 30 (17%) |
| Primarily AI tools | 1 of 30 (3%) |
This was even clearer among people who already use AI to study. Of the 20 AI users, 12 (60%) would choose AI plus a structured program, and only 1 would rely mainly on AI. In other words, the people who know AI best don’t see it as a replacement for a structured program. They see it as a study partner.
We also asked which features of a structured program would be most valuable. Two features tied for the top spot:
| Most Valuable Program Features | Respondents |
|---|---|
| Practice questions and explanations reviewed by qualified Social Work educators | 20 of 29 (69%) |
| Guidance on reasoning through FIRST, NEXT, BEST, and MOST questions | 20 of 29 (69%) |
| A clear study sequence and schedule | 15 of 29 (52%) |
| Content organized around the exam content outline | 15 of 29 (52%) |
| Progress tracking and identifying weaker areas | 15 of 29 (52%) |
| Timed practice exams | 9 of 29 (31%) |
| Access to an instructor or study community | 8 of 29 (28%) |
| Accountability and encouragement | 6 of 29 (21%) |
Agents of Change packages include video and audio lessons, hundreds of practice questions, a personalized study plan, and 2 live study groups each month so you’ll be ready for test day!
3) Social Workers Want to Know Who Creates Their Study Materials
One of the clearest findings: 25 of 30 respondents (83%) rated being able to identify the qualifications of the people who create or review exam prep content as a 4 or 5 out of 5 for importance. Nineteen gave it a 5, and no one rated it lower than 3.
| Group | Rated It 5 out of 5 | Rated It 4 or 5 |
|---|---|---|
| People who use AI to study | 14 of 20 (70%) | 17 of 20 (85%) |
| People who don’t use AI to study | 5 of 10 (50%) | 8 of 10 (80%) |
| All respondents | 19 of 30 (63%) | 25 of 30 (83%) |
Interestingly, AI users cared about this even more than non-users. Using AI doesn’t seem to lower the bar for trustworthy content. If anything, it seems to raise it.
4) How Social Workers Are Using AI to Study
Two in three respondents (20 of 30) have used general-purpose AI tools to study for the ASWB exam, and for 5 of 29 (17%), AI is their main study resource. Most people who use AI use it regularly.
| How Often AI Users Study With AI | Respondents |
|---|---|
| Daily or almost daily | 6 of 20 |
| Several times a week | 4 of 20 |
| About once a week | 6 of 20 |
| Less than once a week | 2 of 20 |
| Tried it once or twice | 2 of 20 |
People retaking the exam leaned on AI the most: 9 of 10 retakers have used AI, and 8 of them use it weekly or more.
What People Use AI For
| Use | AI Users |
|---|---|
| Explaining unfamiliar concepts | 11 of 19 |
| Creating practice questions | 10 of 19 |
| Practicing choosing between similar answer choices | 8 of 19 |
| Identifying areas that need more practice | 8 of 19 |
| Explaining why an answer is correct or incorrect | 7 of 19 |
| Encouragement or help with exam anxiety | 7 of 19 |
| Creating a study plan | 6 of 19 |
| Summarizing notes or making flashcards | 4 of 19 |
The Benefits People Reported
| Benefit | AI Users |
|---|---|
| Makes concepts easier to understand | 13 of 19 |
| Provides immediate answers or feedback | 11 of 19 |
| Lets me ask follow-up questions | 9 of 19 |
| Offers a free or lower-cost study option | 7 of 19 |
| Makes studying more convenient | 7 of 19 |
| Helps me feel more confident or motivated | 6 of 19 |
In short, people value AI because it explains things clearly, it’s fast, it’s always available, and they can keep asking questions until a concept clicks. As one respondent put it:
“It understands the exam and the psychology behind it and explains this well. It personalizes my study to what I need to know and practice.”
5) Accuracy, Verification, and Concerns
Most AI users feel good about the answers they get. Of 18 people who have received AI-generated practice questions, 14 (78%) were very or somewhat confident that the answers and explanations were accurate. Most also double-check their work.
| How Often AI Users Verify AI Answers Against Another Resource | Respondents |
|---|---|
| Always | 5 of 17 |
| Often | 3 of 17 |
| Sometimes | 6 of 17 |
| Rarely | 2 of 17 |
| Never | 1 of 17 |
That means 14 of 17 (82%) verify at least sometimes, but fewer than half (8 of 17) do so always or often. And confidence didn’t always match checking: 2 of the 7 people who were very confident in AI’s answers rarely or never verify them.
About 1 in 4 AI users (5 of 19) reported a specific problem, like an AI answer that conflicted with another study resource, difficulty determining whether information was accurate, or an explanation that changed when they questioned it.
“A couple of times I would argue an answer and it would agree, but mostly it defended its answers correctly.”
“I feel that I still need to research. AI pulls from reputable sites but there is a lot of information out there.”
Why Some People Don’t Use AI
Ten respondents hadn’t used AI to study. The most common reason was simply that they hadn’t considered it (6 of 10), followed by concerns about accuracy (4 of 10). A few objected to AI on ethical grounds, including concerns about bias and environmental impact.
“I do not really trust AI because it is not always accurate.”
“When I asked it to generate a story about two characters, it created an incredibly racially biased story, and when I called it out on it, it acknowledged that it had done so.”
These concerns are worth taking seriously. Social Work values like competence, integrity, and attention to bias apply to the tools we use, too.
6) Tips for Using AI to Study for the ASWB Exam
If you use AI in your studying, these habits can help you get the benefits while avoiding the risks.
| Tip | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Verify against a trusted source | General AI tools can sound confident even when they’re wrong. Check key facts and answers against your study materials or a reputable source. |
| Use AI to explain, not to decide | AI is great for breaking down a concept in plain language. Base your understanding of what the exam expects on materials built around the ASWB content outline. |
| Watch for answers that change | If an explanation flips when you push back, that’s a sign the tool may be agreeing with you rather than reasoning it through. Go back to a trusted source. |
| Make sure it knows the current exam | The ASWB exam changed in August 2026. General AI tools may describe the old format. See the August 2026 exam changes. |
| Practice with vetted questions | AI-generated questions can be useful, but practice with questions written and reviewed by Social Work educators to learn how the real exam thinks. |
| Practice the reasoning, not just the answer | For FIRST, NEXT, BEST, and MOST questions, ask why each option is right or wrong, and use a consistent method like our six-step answer strategy and question stem breakdown. |
| Protect privacy | Don’t enter identifying information about clients, colleagues, or yourself into general AI tools. |
7) AI You Can Trust: The Agents of Change ASWB Tutor
Our survey points to what Social Workers want: the speed and convenience of AI, backed by materials created and reviewed by qualified Social Work educators. That’s exactly why we built the Agents of Change ASWB AI Tutor.
| What You Get | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Grounded in Agents of Change materials | The tutor answers from Agents of Change course materials, not the open internet, so explanations align with the content you’re studying. |
| Built on expert-created content | Our materials are developed by qualified Social Work educators led by Dr. Meagan Mitchell, DSW, LICSW, and updated for the current ASWB exam. |
| Available 24/7 | Ask unlimited questions whenever you study, whether it’s a concept, a practice question, or an answer you missed. |
| Explanations and practice | Get topic explanations, practice questions, and study tips, and ask follow-up questions until it clicks. |
| Works with your study routine | The tutor works best alongside an Agents of Change course, combining AI support with a structured program. |
Meet the Educator Behind the Content
Dr. Meagan Mitchell is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with a Doctor of Social Work degree, a Registered Play Therapist, and a lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She has been providing individualized and group ASWB test prep for over 11 years, and she created Agents of Change to help Social Workers prepare for and pass the ASWB exam. Agents of Change has helped more than 100,000 Social Workers.
Watch the tutor demo to see how it fits into a study routine, or pair it with a personalized ASWB study plan.
8) Practice Questions
Respondents’ most-wanted features were vetted practice questions and help with FIRST, NEXT, BEST, and MOST questions. Try these three, written by our educators.
Question 1: A Social Worker is meeting with a new client who says she has been feeling hopeless since losing her job and recently gave away some of her belongings. What should the Social Worker do FIRST?
A) Assess the client for suicide risk
B) Help the client update her resume
C) Refer the client to a support group for job seekers
Correct Answer: A) Assess the client for suicide risk
Rationale: Hopelessness and giving away belongings are warning signs of suicide. Safety always comes first, so the Social Worker should assess suicide risk before addressing employment or referrals.
Question 2: A client tells the Social Worker that he has decided to move in with his brother, even though the Social Worker believes another housing option would be safer and more stable. The client has the capacity to make this decision. What is the BEST response?
A) Explore the client’s reasons and discuss options, while respecting his decision
B) Tell the client the Social Worker can’t support the move
C) Contact the brother to discourage the move
Correct Answer: A) Explore the client’s reasons and discuss options, while respecting his decision
Rationale: Self-determination is a core Social Work value. The Social Worker can explore the client’s reasoning and share information, but the decision belongs to the client. Contacting the brother would also violate confidentiality.
Question 3: A Social Worker realizes that a client’s parent is a close friend of the Social Worker’s family. What should the Social Worker do NEXT?
A) Assess whether the relationship creates a conflict of interest and discuss it with a supervisor
B) Continue services without mentioning the relationship
C) Immediately end services without explanation
Correct Answer: A) Assess whether the relationship creates a conflict of interest and discuss it with a supervisor
Rationale: The Social Worker should evaluate the potential dual relationship and consult with a supervisor before deciding how to proceed. Ignoring the relationship risks a conflict of interest, and ending services abruptly could harm the client.
Want more practice? Start with our free ASWB practice questions. Agents of Change packages also include hundreds of practice questions with rationales and four full-length, 122-question practice exams. Learn more about what’s tested in each content domain.
9) FAQs: Using AI to Study for the ASWB Exam
Can I use ChatGPT or other AI tools to study for the ASWB exam?
Yes. Many Social Workers use AI to explain concepts, create practice questions, and talk through answer choices. Because general AI tools can be inaccurate or out of date, verify what you learn against trusted, exam-focused materials.
Are AI-generated practice questions like the real ASWB exam?
They can be useful for practice, but they aren’t written or reviewed by Social Work educators and may not reflect how the exam is written or what it emphasizes. Balance them with vetted practice questions and full-length practice exams.
How is the Agents of Change AI Tutor different from general AI tools?
General AI tools draw on information from across the internet. The Agents of Change ASWB AI Tutor answers from Agents of Change course materials, which are created by qualified Social Work educators and updated for the current ASWB exam.
Should I rely on AI alone to pass the ASWB exam?
Our survey respondents didn’t think so, and we agree. Only 1 of 30 would choose AI as their main approach. Most preferred combining AI with a structured program that offers vetted questions, a clear study plan, and guidance on exam reasoning.
10) Conclusion
AI has become a real part of how Social Workers study for the ASWB exam, valued for clear explanations, fast feedback, and around-the-clock access. But our survey shows that Social Workers aren’t looking to replace expert-created materials. They want AI they can trust, backed by qualified educators and a structured plan. That combination is the approach our community preferred most, and it’s what the Agents of Change ASWB AI Tutor and course materials are built to provide.
► Learn more about the Agents of Change course here: https://agentsofchangeprep.com
About the Instructor, Dr. Meagan Mitchell: Meagan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been providing individualized and group test prep for the ASWB for over 11 years. From all of this experience helping others pass their exams, she created the Agents of Change course to help you prepare for and pass the ASWB exam!
Find more from Agents of Change here:
► Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aswbtestprep
► Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/agents-of-change-sw
Disclaimer: This content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or clinical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
