The ASWB Exam: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Monday, October 26, 2020
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One of the biggest hurdles for new social work professionals across the United States is passing the ASWB exam. This 170 questions test is one of the mandatory requirements in order to gain full licensure and to be able to practice independently. In Michigan, new professionals may take one of three exams (the Bachelors, Clinical, or Advanced Generalist), depending on their area of practice.
Over the summer NASW-Michigan was able to obtain the data from ASWB about the pass rates for Michigan test takers in 2019. There were some key take-aways when reviewing Michigan’s numbers, both good and not-so-good news.
The Good News:
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Michigan Bachelors level test takers do slightly better than the national average with a 67.7% first time pass rate (the national average was 67.4%). In 2019, there were 105 social workers from Michigan schools that took the Bachelors exam.
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Michigan is one of only a handful of states to have a separate Macro license, but our macro graduates had a much higher first time pass rate for the Advanced Generalist exam (71.4%) than the national rate (66.9%). While this was from a small sample size (28), we expect to see the number of Macro licensed new graduates grow as there is an increased emphasis on macro tracks and content throughout social work education.
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Around four years ago, NASW-Michigan met with national licensure training and exam prep book author Dawn Apgar regarding study materials for exam takers. One of the primary conversations at the time was the complete lack of resources for Advanced Generalist test takers and at that time the extremely low pass rates (57%) for the macro exam.
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With our advocacy, Dawn committed to developing an Advanced Generalist study guide
at that meeting; and that guide is now in its second edition.
The Bad News:
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Michigan’s pass rate for the Clinical exam is significantly lower than the national average, at 63.3% for first time test takers compared to a 74.2% national average. What makes this number particularly troubling is that the bulk of Michigan limited licensees are working towards their clinical license (at least at first), with over 1,100 first time test takers in 2019 alone. Only one out of Michigan’s eleven schools of social work averaged a higher pass rate than the national average in 2019.
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The biggest concerns however surround those who need to take the exam more than one time.
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For the clinical exam, that pass rate dropped even further down to 31% , with only 259 out of 836 repeat test takers passing.
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Repeat test takers for the Bachelors exam had an even smaller pass rate, with a 30.6% rate in 2019.
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Advanced Generalist repeat test takers struggled even more, with only a 13% pass rate.
While there is some positive news for Michigan test takers, clearly there is much more work to be done to better prepare our newest professionals.
Over the summer, NASW-Michigan staff met with several of the schools of social work to discuss the potential issue of racial biases and inequality on the exam questions, ultimately impacting the pass rate for social workers of color. NASW has brought this concern up with ASWB for several years now, but with little movement, as ASWB does not track racial demographics in their exam data. Because of the lack of data it is impossible to know if racial disparity thrives within the exams. Historically standardized testing has been a tool to reinforce structural racism, both in education and employment opportunities, and social work needs to make sure any standards for our field are equitable and anti-racist. As a predominantly white field, social work needs to both recruit more people of color into the field AND make sure our licensure and hiring processes are not discriminatory.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Over the next year, NASW-Michigan will continue to host regular statewide conversations around racism and anti-racist practice within the field to hear directly from social workers about their experiences. Our newly formed Social Justice and Anti-Racism Committee is also committed to looking at issues impacting the field and helping to develop resources or policy recommendations as needed. Any NASW member is invited to join the committee.
As it relates to the exam, NASW-Michigan is planning to pull together a meeting of Michigan schools of social work soon to create a statewide game-plan for addressing our low pass rates.
We are looking to hear from Michigan social workers who needed to take the ASWB exam more than one time to pass. We are hoping to hear what some of the biggest barriers to passing were and what specific resources were the most helpful to finally passing. With this information we hope to build better resources for future limited licensees and to equip the schools of social work with more resources to assist their graduating students.
To complete the survey, click https://forms.gle/udABbWJmVRYmBE4YA
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NASW-Michigan is additionally planning a series of events over the next year to better prepare our graduates to pass their exam. We are offering two virtual sessions for graduating students on the licensure process, as well as two virtual exam preparation courses for limited licensees.
How to Get Licensed in Michigan (Webinars)
NASW-Michigan Director of Member Services Duane Breijak, LMSW invites social work students to attend a webinar that will walk you through some of the immediate obstacles you may face when entering the profession. This workshop will provide an overview of the licensure process in Michigan, supervision requirements, the ASWB exam, as well as give new professional tools for salary negotiation and career advancement.
Licensure Exam Institutes (Virtual)
Be prepared. Learn the content and strategies to pass the Bachelor's, Clinical, or Advanced Generalist exam for social work licensing in Michigan!
This one day virtual workshops will walk limited licensed social workers at both the BSW and MSW levels through the necessary steps to pass the ASWB exam and reduce test anxiety. Additionally, all attendees will be provided with a comprehensive study guide (with sample exam), access to a study app, and 6 months of access to an exam online learning platform (which includes additional quizzes, a digital copy of the study guide, and virtual study group)!
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