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SWTP's free Study Guide for the Social Work Licensing Exam has been downloaded hundreds of times since it appeared just a few days ago. Thanks to all the early adopters and the folks who wrote in to thank us for it. Clearly, social workers want some simple guidance about what to expect on the LCSW exam. Here it is.

If you haven't had a chance to read our LCSW study guide yet, here's some of what you'll find inside:

LCSW Exam Basics. Spelling out the essentials about the exam. What's on it, what the exam process is, and how to find state-specific details.

LCSW Study Tips. Simple approaches you can take to each exam question in order to isolate correct answers. Lots of links to study resources both essential and recommended.

Test Anxiety Management.  An essential skill when it comes to professional licensing exams.

Free LCSW Practice Questions. Sample items to help you begin to get a sense of what to expect on the exam. Includes rationales which walk through how to get to the right answer and suggested study links for more in-depth knowledge building.

We've packed in everything we know to help you get underway and to have a calm, successful exam experience. Just sign up to get your copy. How much? Free. Enjoy! (LMSW-hopefuls and others, this guide will help you too!)

Good luck with the exam!

Some are shy about creating an account before they know what they're getting into. Not unreasonable! To help ease you in, here's some of what you're getting into when you sign up at SWTP:

First, you get our free, 23-page Study Guide for the Social Work Licensing Exam, which includes all sorts of details about what to expect on the exam, how to prepare for the exam, and offers up some practice questions to start getting you acclimated to the exam. Next, on your account page, you're given a drop-down menu full of exam purchasing options (see photo). Right now, there are four unique 170-question ASWB practice tests (all, of course, using DSM-5). Each is currently priced at $40 when bought a la carte. Buying more than one exam at a time saves money. Take Bundle #4 as an example; you save $25 when purchasing all four exams at once. Since most people purchase additional exams once they're underway on the site, this is a good way to go from the start. (See our pricing page for additional bundle-by-bundle savings details.)

Each of these exams contains a unique set of 170 questions, rationales, and suggested study links. Which should you buy? Any or all. Depends upon your budget and how much time you are taking to prepare for the exam. As a general rule, more practice equals better preparation.

Wait, you say, what are those BETA items? Here's what they are:

ASWB Ethics Booster *NEW*

For ASWB exam preppers who want some extra questions about social work ethics (a big part of the exam), this is a 45-question all-ethics practice test. Just $20. The Ethics Booster is suggested for those who have not taken our CA L&E practice test, since there's significant overlap between those two.

California Law & Ethics Exam *NEW*

Starting January 1, 2016, California switches to the ASWB exam plus a 75-question, 90-minute California Law & Ethics exam. Our practice test is $25

Both of these are brand new and currently in beta for a little while longer. We're asking users to let us know if they spot typos or other errors.

Hope that clarifies what happens once you sign up on the site. Try our FAQ page if there's something that didn't get addressed here. Or you can always just get in touch.  

Good luck with the exam!

[UPDATED]

Sign up at SWTP to receive our free Study Guide for the Social Work Licensing Exam. Contained in the guide, exam basics, study tips, exam anxiety management, seven free practice questions (complete with rationales and suggested study links), licensing board details, and on from there.  If there's something about getting started with the ASWB exam that isn't packed into our 23-page guide, we don't know what it is! Sign up to see!

Our California Law & Ethics Practice Test is up! If you're LCSW-bound in California, this is one of the two exams you need to pass. (Details from the BBS are here). The second is the ASWB exam. We've got five unique ASWB practice tests ready and waiting.

Get started by signing up.

Good luck!

Our California Law & Ethics Practice Test is now up! If you're in California and don't know what that means, here's some quick reading up via the BBS's exam news page:

HOW WILL THE EXAMS CHANGE AFTER JANUARY 1, 2016:

• A California Law and Ethics Exam will replace the Standard Written Exam for LMFT and LCSW applicants. For LPCC applicants this exam will not change. It is designed to assess the applicant's knowledge of and ability to apply legal and ethical standards relating to clinical practice. This will consist of 75 multiple-choice items administered over a 90-minute period. The re-exam waiting period for the exam is 90 days. The Law and Ethics Exam Plans outline further information about these exams.

• The National Clinical Exam administered by ASWB will replace the Clinical Vignette Exam for LCSW applicants. It is designed to assess an applicant's knowledge of psychosocial principles and methods in treatment and their application, and the ability to make judgments about appropriate techniques, methods and objectives as applicable to the profession's scope of practice. This exam consists of 150-item multiple choice questions administered over a four hour period. The re-exam waiting period for the exam is 90 days. When you have met the eligiblity requirements for the Clinical Exam, BBS will send your eligiblity information to ASWB, and will also notify you of your eligiblity to take the clinical exam. Once you receive the notification you may contact ASWB to register for their Clinical Exam. The ASWB Candidate Handbook for the Clinical Exam includes a variety of information as does the "Content Outline and Knowledge Skills and Abilities". 

Also, the last day of November marks the last day you can take the soon-to-be-old-fashioned BBS Standard and Vignette exams:

Effective January 1, 2016 the Board's examination process will be restructured. In order to ensure a successful transition, the Board will be implementing an examination blackout period for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) examinations to ensure the integrity of examination candidate data during the transition. The Examination Blackout Period provides more information as to what this means for you.

To become a beta tester for Social Work Test Prep's 75-question, two-hour California Law and Ethics practice test, sign up!