Some ASWB practice questions are relatively easy to narrow down. Others leave you choosing between two or three answers that all seem reasonable. Those are often the questions that reveal whether you are relying on content knowledge alone or can apply social work knowledge to a specific situation.
After tens of thousands of candidates completed the Agents of Change ASWB practice exams, we reviewed the data to identify the four questions from Practice Exam 1 that students struggled with the most. In this post, we will break down each of these challenging ASWB practice questions, explain the correct answer, and look at why the other options are weaker.
As you work through the questions, pay attention to more than whether you get the answer right. Focus on what the question is asking, which details matter most, and how the social worker should respond based on the specific situation. These strategies can help you approach difficult practice questions for the BSW, LMSW, and LCSW exams with a clearer process.
The questions in this post are Agents of Change practice questions, not official ASWB exam questions. Use them to test your reasoning, identify areas you need to review, and practice working through situations where more than one answer initially seems correct.
Taking the ASWB exam on or after August 3, 2026? You will take the new 122-question exam. The reasoning strategies in this post can still be useful, but make sure your full-length practice exams and study materials match the version of the exam you are scheduled to take. Agents of Change offers (4) 122-question practice exams that match the new exam structure: 122 Question Exam 1, 122 Question Exam 2, 122 Question Exam 3, 122 Question Exam 4.
The Hardest Questions on Exam 1
1) You are working with a 6-year-old boy in a school setting. During a play therapy session, the student reports that his sister has a boyfriend who he doesn’t like. When you inquire further, the boy acts oddly and states “I just don’t like him”. These comments make you feel uneasy. How do you best respond in this situation?
a. Make a CPS report, as there may be abuse or neglect occurring.
b. Document the boy’s statements and follow up with the parent regarding the statements.
c. Reframe the question for the child to get more information about the situation.
d. Ask the boy to act out or use toys to explain why he doesn’t like the sister’s boyfriend.
2) You are working at an agency and are involved in a task group regarding workplace sexual misconduct prevention. The group facilitator asks if anyone has any examples to share regarding misconduct. You have an example to share but don’t want to upset anyone as you know that it may reflect poorly on the agency. You choose not to disclose. What is this an example of?
a. Groupthink.
b. Group polarization.
c. Halo effect.
d. Bystander effect.
3) Which of the following is an example of malingering?
a. A parent withholding medication from a child so that they can play the caregiver role for the child.
b. A person with frequent hospitalizations and doctor visits although no known medical condition.
c. A person who falsifies medical documentation to go on paid medical leave.
d. A person who is fearful of having a serious mental or physical illness.
4) Which of the following is NOT true when treating patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa?
a. Treating anorexia nervosa should be done in conjunction with a medical professional.
b. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder.
c. Amenorrhea is common in women who are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa.
d. Women are at a higher risk of dying of anorexia than their male counterparts.
Answers and Rationales
1) You are working with a 6-year-old boy in a school setting. During a play therapy session, the student reports that his sister has a boyfriend who he doesn’t like. When you inquire further, the boy acts oddly and states “I just don’t like him”. These comments make you feel uneasy. How do you best respond in this situation?
a. Make a CPS report, as there may be abuse or neglect occurring.
b. Document the boy’s statements and follow up with the parent regarding the statements.
c. Reframe the question for the child to get more information about the situation.
d. Ask the boy to act out or use toys to explain why he doesn’t like the sister’s boyfriend.
Correct Answer: B (64% answered this question incorrectly)
Rationale: Documenting the situation and following up with the parent or guardian is the best response. We do not have any evidence of abuse or neglect at this time. Asking the client to act out the situation would be inappropriate and in play therapy, you are to take the child’s lead and should refrain from asking too many questions.
2) You are working at an agency and are involved in a task group regarding workplace sexual misconduct prevention. The group facilitator asks if anyone has any examples to share regarding misconduct. You have an example to share but don’t want to upset anyone as you know that it may reflect poorly on the agency. You choose not to disclose. What is this an example of?
a. Groupthink.
b. Group polarization.
c. Halo effect.
d. Bystander effect.
Correct Answer: A (63% answered this question incorrectly)
Rationale: The correct answer is “groupthink,” the concept that individuals stifle their ideas in the group to achieve consensus. Group polarization is not the correct answer, because it means that groups might select options that are more extreme than individual members of that group might select. The other concepts are concepts of psychology and are not related to group processes.
3) Which of the following is an example of malingering?
a. A parent withholding medication from a child so that they can play the caregiver role for the child.
b. A person with frequent hospitalizations and doctor visits although no known medical condition.
c. A person who falsifies medical documentation to go on paid medical leave.
d. A person who is fearful of having a serious mental or physical illness.
Correct Answer: C (62% answered this question incorrectly)
Rationale: This requires knowledge of the term malingering. Malingering is intentional feigning of physical or psychological symptoms motivated by an external incentive or benefit (going on paid medical leave). Answer A is an example of factitious disorder by proxy, Answer B may be an example of somatic symptom disorder or medically unexplained symptoms. Answer D is an example of illness anxiety disorder.
4) Which of the following is NOT true when treating patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa?
a. Treating anorexia nervosa should be done in conjunction with a medical professional.
b. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder.
c. Amenorrhea is common in women who are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa.
d. Women are at a higher risk of dying of anorexia than their male counterparts.
Correct Answer: D (57% answered this question incorrectly)
Rationale: Answer choices A, B and C are all true. Males represent around 25% of individuals diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. However, due to stigma and cultural pressures they are often not diagnosed and are less likely to seek out treatment leading to higher mortality rates from the disease.
Getting Ready for Test Day
Working through difficult ASWB practice questions is useful because it shows you how you respond when the answer is not immediately obvious. As test day approaches, the goal is to turn that practice into a process you can use when you face a challenging question on the actual exam.
Use Your Final Weeks to Find Patterns
During the last few weeks before the exam, spend less time trying to learn everything and more time reviewing the types of questions you consistently miss.
Ask yourself:
- Do I move to intervention before completing enough assessment?
- Do I miss important safety concerns?
- Do I confuse FIRST, NEXT, BEST, and MOST APPROPRIATE?
- Do I change correct answers because I start overthinking?
- Are there specific content areas I still need to review?
A full-length practice exam can help you identify these patterns. Review the rationales for both correct and incorrect answers rather than focusing only on your final score.
For more structure, use our 14-day ASWB exam study plan to organize your final review.
Practice What You Will Do When a Question Feels Hard
You will probably encounter questions on test day that feel confusing or unfamiliar. That does not mean you are failing the exam.
When you reach a difficult question:
- Read the final sentence carefully and identify exactly what is being asked.
- Look for task words such as FIRST, NEXT, BEST, or MOST APPROPRIATE.
- Check for an immediate safety or ethical concern.
- Determine where the social worker is in the helping process.
- Eliminate answers that happen too early, go beyond the social worker’s role, or are not supported by the scenario.
- Choose the strongest answer and keep moving.
One hard question should not take over the rest of your exam. Use the same reasoning process you practiced while working through the questions in this post.
Take Care of the Test-Day Logistics Early
A few days before your exam, confirm your testing time, location, route, and required identification. ASWB currently requires candidates to bring two forms of ID and recommends arriving at least 30 minutes early.
The night before, avoid trying to relearn large sections of content. Prepare what you need for the morning, eat and sleep as normally as possible, and give yourself enough time to arrive without rushing.
Review the official ASWB exam-day requirements and use our Pearson VUE Test Day Checklist for the ASWB Exam to plan ahead.
Make Sure You Know Which Exam You Are Taking
Candidates testing before August 3, 2026, will take the exam based on the 2018 blueprint. Candidates testing on or after August 3, 2026, will take the new exam based on the 2026 blueprint.
Before test day, make sure you understand the format that applies to your exam and have practiced with materials that match it.
Most importantly, remember that you do not need every question to feel easy. The goal is to have a clear process for slowing down, identifying what the question is asking, and choosing the strongest answer based on the information provided.
Video Summary of Hardest Questions on Exam #1
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► 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
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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.
