ASWB Masters Assessment Methods & Planning Practice Questions
Assessment Methods & Planning makes up 8 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest ASWB Masters practice test. Here are 10 of the 32 questions on it, each with the answer and the reason.
Updated by the Tigertest team. Based on the ASWB Masters content outline (2026 Examination Guidebook). Original questions; 50 per test, weighted like the real exam. Not affiliated with ASWB.
1. A client says, "I just can't take it anymore." Which response is the BEST clarifying question?
- A."Have you tried exercising?"
- B."What do you mean by can't take it?"
- C."Why do you feel that way?"
- D."Everyone feels that way sometimes."
Answer: B. Clarifying asks the client to explain a vague statement, which here may reveal suicidal thinking. Why questions can sound judgmental, and reassurance shuts down the topic.
2. Which interviewing technique restates the client's feelings to show understanding?
- A.Interpretation
- B.Summarization of content
- C.Confrontation
- D.Reflection of feeling
Answer: D. Reflection of feeling names the emotion behind the client's words. Summarization pulls together several points, often at the end of a session.
3. When working with an interpreter, the social worker should:
- A.Speak directly to the client
- B.Sit beside the interpreter
- C.Speak only to the interpreter
- D.Ask the interpreter to summarize
Answer: A. The social worker addresses the client in the first person and keeps eye contact with the client, while the interpreter conveys everything accurately and completely.
4. A client who has been severely depressed for months suddenly seems calm and cheerful and has started giving away her prized possessions. These changes MOST likely signal:
- A.A hypomanic episode
- B.A side effect of medication
- C.A higher risk of suicide
- D.Recovery from depression
Answer: C. A sudden lift in mood after deep depression, together with giving away possessions, can mean the person has decided on suicide. The social worker asks directly about suicidal thoughts and plans right away.
5. Asking a client directly whether she is thinking of killing herself:
- A.Should be left to physicians
- B.Is unethical without consent
- C.Does not raise suicide risk
- D.Plants the idea in her mind
Answer: C. Research shows that asking directly about suicide does not increase risk and may bring relief. Clear language helps the social worker assess risk accurately.
6. Which is the strongest single predictor of future violence?
- A.A history of violent behavior
- B.Living alone
- C.Recent unemployment and debt
- D.A diagnosis of anxiety
Answer: A. Past violence is the best single predictor of future violence. Substance use, access to weapons and current threats add to the risk.
7. A social worker asks a family to name the problem they most want to work on. This reflects:
- A.Court-ordered case planning goals
- B.Expert-driven assessment
- C.Diagnostic labeling
- D.Client-led problem identification
Answer: D. Engaging clients in defining the problem respects self-determination and increases their commitment to the plan.
8. Which tool maps a client's relationships with outside systems such as school, work and church?
- A.Timeline
- B.Ecomap
- C.Genogram
- D.Sociogram
Answer: B. An ecomap shows the client in relation to external systems and the strength of each connection. A genogram maps family structure and patterns across generations.
9. A genogram is MOST useful for showing:
- A.A client's daily schedule
- B.Family patterns across generations
- C.Links to community agencies
- D.Seating patterns of members in a group
Answer: B. Genograms map family members over at least three generations, with relationships, illnesses, losses and repeated patterns such as substance use.
10. A strengths-based assessment would MOST likely ask:
- A."Who caused this problem for you?"
- B."Why can't you change?"
- C."What is wrong with you?"
- D."How have you coped before?"
Answer: D. Asking about past coping draws out resources and resilience the client can use now. Deficit questions focus on pathology and blame.
Practice all 32 assessment methods & planning questions, and the rest of the 200-question bank, in the free ASWB Masters training sets. Questions you miss come back until you have mastered them.
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