Social Work Test Prep » meta

Practice Tests Improve Memory

SWTP — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:39:00 +0000

So says a recent study.

“Taking practice tests — particularly ones that involve attempting to recall something from memory — can drastically increase the likelihood that you’ll be able to remember that information again later,” Rawson said.

New Look, New Location

admin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:24:45 +0000

Welcome to Social Work Test Prep.com. Used to be The Social Work Test Prep Blog, over at blogspot. No longer. Now: New look, new location. But same material, with everything prettier and hopefully easier to find. New here:

Free Practice Tests have their own page.
Social Work Test Prep Tutoring gets its own space as well.
Same Categories and Quick Links (see the left-hand sidebar). Same blogroll, same exam prep book store (see the right-hand sidebar).
Generally, easier to read and navigate. A less foreboding color scheme. Good test prep done here.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Fire away. The comments section awaits (all old comments, along with old posts, have been transferred over). The email address is (almost) the same: socialworktestprep [at] gmail.com.

New Blog: Where the Client Is

admin — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:16:00 +0000

This just up: Where the Client Is. Continuing the blog-as-you-go tradition of these pages, the new site will follow the figuring out of just what to do with a newly acquired LCSW. For me, it’s adding a nighttime private practice to my daily community mental health work. The blog will cover the basics (at least at first): finding an office, getting insured, letting people know you exist, etc. Then, in time, we’ll see. And yes, I’ll still post here. Licensed? Almost there? Just curious? Come check it out.

"Extra Knowledge"

admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Had concerns that some posts might be creating unnecessary anxiety in test preppers by labeling as “knowledge” some obscure, deep cut social work facts, giving the impression that the test is impossible. I’ve weeded some of the less necessary posts out by labeling them with an extra knowledge tag. Stuff to learn just for kicks during all of your plentiful, overflowing spare time. In the meantime, lots of regular knowledge also awaits. Enjoy.

Licensed!

admin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:38:00 +0000

The BBS said “allow 30 days.” It took less than a week. Tested Monday, licensed Friday. !

How to Get Your LCSW

admin — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:57:00 +0000

…in a bunch of not-necessarily-easy–but doable–steps.

I remember as I was first looking into the profession, nothing spelled out this process in a way that made much sense. Degree–which? Internships–what? Study–how? Hopefully this will help. (Heads-up: Links are mostly for California. Elsewhere, try the ASWB and/or Google (and, if you’re feeling generous, post helpful links in comments.)) So, here goes…

First, figure out that an LCSW’s really what you’re looking to get. Check out other options: MFT, PsyD, PhD. Note that MFTs need internship hours with kids, families, and adults–hard to get at one job. Note that a PsyD and PhD take a lot of money and time. Arrive at your decision: social work.

Find a school. (CA accredited list is here.) I went to USC. It was nearby, they didn’t require a GRE, didn’t have a statistics prerequisite, and they let me in.

Get your MSW. Maybe try learning something along the way. It’s nice to have challenging, inspiring teachers and internship supervisors, but…doesn’t always happen.

Got your Master’s? Congratulations! Celebrate good times. Done? Now, you need hours. 3200 of them in California. If you haven’t already, time to find a job. Try careerbuilder, try craigslist, try anything you can think of. Time to be a social worker. And don’t forget to register with the BBS (or whoever it is in your state) as an ASW (or whatever it is in your state).

Work. Accrue hours. Get supervised. Check with your licensing board and make sure you’re getting the right kind of hours supervised by the right kind of supervisor (some % has to be sup’d by an LCSW–at least in CA). Hint: Getting on top of signatures for hours and such early will save you panic later on. Most people wait and panic, though.

3200 working hours pass (about two years). Done? Wow, congratulations again. Get your CEs done. Now, time to get your application in. This is potentially nerve wracking. You’ve put years into this, and if they nix your hours, it’s a bummer. So…do it right. Check it with someone else. Don’t fuss getting it too, too perfect. But don’t fudge things either. Your licensing board wants to okay your app. Don’t give them a reason not to.

Approved? Celebrate some more. Now, it’s test prep time. This takes a while and can get really expensive. Survey what’s out there. Try out practice questions (listed on the side bar here). If you can afford it, choose a test-prep company. Probably worth it. People like AATBS, Berkeley Training Associates, Gerry Grossman, others. I went with AATBS.

Once you’ve picked a company, choose components–books, CDs, workshops, etc. Ebay and craigslist sometimes have used materials. Free and helpful audio is available on the web. Most crucial, I think, are the online test banks. Seems like it’d be tough to prep without them.

Study. Run the questions. Read through this blog. Gather in groups. Maybe hire a consultant. Keep in mind: the people putting together the test probably just want to make sure you don’t do harm to clients. That means you need to know the law, have a grasp of social work ethics, can do assessments (especially for danger and basic needs), and won’t try to work outside the scope of practice. If you’ve got that stuff down, you’re most (maybe all) of the way there.

You’ve also got to learn the test, which is why the practice questions come in handy. Run complete exams in real time. Four hours! Two hours! Take breaks just like you will for the actual, factual test.

And keep tabs on your anxiety. Maybe take advice you’ve been ignoring–exercise, eat a little better, meditate–at least till you get through the test. Maybe try to enjoy the learning process. The test result is just a result; but studying, you’re getting better at what you do every day.

Done all that? Feel ready? Great, then you’re ready. Book the test (in CA, call PSI). Take the test. Pass the test…

You’re done. Nice job. Celebrate again.

PASSED!

admin — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Vignette done and done. Call me LCSW (but wait till the BBS cashes my check). Done!

Test Prep Greatest Hits

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Looking back over blog in final-push-vignette-prep mode, a few postings and tags stick out as extra helpful:

The quick summary of teen reporting rules for CA is a winner.
Also, try the flash cards tag (for flash cards) and rules of thumb (for rules of thumb).
Plus plus, of course, the free practice tests for the standard and written exams (also on the sidebar).
Helpful too, audio links.
And then there are the practice questions–I’d forgotten the personality disordered hamster.

Ah, the memories. Enjoy.

Revolution

admin — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Join the Social Work Test Prep revolution!

@ amazon
@ facebook

@ blogcatalog

@ mybloglog
@ rss
@ stumble upon
@ technorati

@ twitter
@ your blog

See you there.

Overload

admin — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:43:00 +0000

Just read a bunch about delirium, dementia, amnesia, substance abuse, so taking a blogging break. It’s a habit I’m trying to catch: blog-as-study-break rather than blog-as-procrastination-tool.

Or tools–also made these: Therapy Worksheets (submit your worksheets!) and Therapy Books (bibliotherapy!). Plus each blog has its own Amazon store (test prep, worksheets, books). Plus there are Google Analytics traffic reports to chew on, plus share and subscribe buttons to add, plus…plus…plus.

Hitting pause. And, for better or worse, beginning to post more info, fewer links. In that new tradition, here’s a quick quiz. Define these:

Aphasia
Apraxia
Agnosia

Hint: Each turns up in dementia, a loss of something. But what? Answer in comments.