ASWB Masters Ethical Service Delivery Practice Questions
Ethical Service Delivery makes up 7 of every 50 questions on a Tigertest ASWB Masters practice test. Here are 10 of the 28 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 invites her social worker to her wedding. What should the social worker do FIRST?
- A.Ask her supervisor to attend in her place
- B.Explore what the invitation means
- C.Attend it to build rapport
- D.Refuse without any discussion
Answer: B. The invitation carries meaning for the relationship. Exploring it with the client, then considering boundaries and consulting as needed, comes before any decision to attend or decline.
2. A social worker in a small rural town finds that a new client is her child's teacher. What is the BEST approach?
- A.Ignore the outside relationship
- B.Treat the client as a friend
- C.Refuse to serve the client at all
- D.Discuss boundaries and consult
Answer: D. In rural practice some overlapping relationships cannot be avoided. The social worker sets clear boundaries with the client, consults and documents, and refers only if the risk of harm or exploitation is too great.
3. Which self-disclosure by a social worker is MOST likely to be appropriate?
- A.A brief one that serves the client
- B.Stories about her other clients' progress
- C.Details of her own divorce
- D.Her views on the client's partner
Answer: A. Self-disclosure is appropriate only when it is brief, purposeful and focused on the client's needs, never to meet the worker's needs or to share other clients' information.
4. According to the NASW Code of Ethics, sexual activity with a current client is:
- A.Permitted after one month
- B.A matter for the agency
- C.Never permitted
- D.Permitted with consent
Answer: C. The code says social workers should under no circumstances engage in sexual activities or sexual contact with current clients, whether consensual or forced.
5. A former client contacts a social worker to start a romantic relationship. Under the NASW code, who bears the burden of showing there is no exploitation?
- A.The licensing board
- B.The agency director
- C.The social worker
- D.The former client
Answer: C. The code says social workers should not have sexual relationships with former clients, and if they claim an exception, the social worker, not the client, assumes full responsibility for showing no exploitation.
6. A client gives a social worker a hand-drawn card at the last session. What is the MOST appropriate response?
- A.Accept it and explore its meaning
- B.Report it to the licensing board
- C.Give the client a gift of similar value
- D.Return it to avoid a dual role
Answer: A. A small token of little monetary value is usually acceptable, especially when refusing would hurt the client. The social worker considers agency policy and cultural meaning and may explore the gesture.
7. A competent adult client refuses a recommended nursing home placement. What should the social worker do?
- A.Close the case at once
- B.Arrange the placement anyway
- C.Ask the family to override her
- D.Respect it and plan for safety
Answer: D. A competent adult has the right to refuse services. The social worker respects the choice while exploring supports that make living at home as safe as possible.
8. When may a social worker limit a client's right to self-determination?
- A.When the agency would prefer it
- B.When there is serious, imminent risk
- C.When the family strongly disagrees with it
- D.When the choice seems unwise
Answer: B. The code allows limiting self-determination when the client's actions pose a serious, foreseeable and imminent risk to themselves or others. An unwise choice alone is not enough.
9. A school social worker suspects a student is being physically abused at home. What should she do?
- A.Tell only the school principal
- B.Report it to child protection
- C.Interview the parents first
- D.Wait until there is clear proof
Answer: B. Social workers are mandated reporters, and reasonable suspicion is the threshold for a report. Investigating or waiting for proof is the job of child protective services, not the reporter.
10. A client tells his social worker he plans to shoot a named neighbor tonight and has a gun. The social worker should FIRST:
- A.Ask the client to reconsider
- B.Document it and do nothing more
- C.Wait until the next scheduled session
- D.Take steps to protect the neighbor
Answer: D. A specific, imminent threat against an identifiable person triggers the duty to protect, which may include warning the person, notifying police or seeking hospitalization. The exact legal duty varies by state.
Practice all 28 ethical service delivery 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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