Free Practice Questions for ASWB Bachelors

Since August 3, 2026, the Bachelors exam follows a three-area blueprint: Values and Ethics (35%), Assessment and Planning (33%), and Intervention and Practice (32%). The exam went from 170 total items (150 scored + 20 pretest) to 122 (110 scored + 12 pretest), the four-hour time limit is unchanged, and a higher proportion of items have three options and test applied professional judgment.

Candidates need a BSW from a CSWE-accredited program (or a substantially equivalent international program) and approval to test from the social work licensing board in the jurisdiction where they will be licensed. Most states require a completed application, background check, and any state-specific jurisprudence material before approving the candidate to register with ASWB and schedule at a Pearson test center.

The ASWB exam fee for the Bachelors category is $230 in 2026 (Advanced Generalist and Clinical are $260; the Associate exam is also $230). State or provincial application fees and background-check costs are separate. Retakes also cost $230 after a waiting period of at least 90 days; some licensing boards limit the number of retakes.

Results are pass/fail. ASWB uses several exam forms, so the number of correct answers needed depends on the form; it generally falls between 66 and 78 of the 110 scored questions, and every jurisdiction recognizes the same passing standard. The 12 unscored pretest questions are mixed in at random. You see an unofficial result on the testing computer, an unofficial score report appears in ASWBCentral about 24 hours later, and official results go to ASWB and your licensing board.

Plan roughly 100-150 hours of structured study over 10-14 weeks. Weight your time by the 2026 blueprint: about 35% on Values and Ethics, 33% on Assessment and Planning, and 32% on Intervention and Practice, with at least two full-length timed practice exams in the final two weeks. Spaced repetition for NASW Code standards helps retention.

In 2025, 70.4% of first-time Bachelors test-takers passed (2,741 exams), and 71.5% of first-time Associate test-takers, who take the same questions. In August 2022, ASWB published an analysis showing pass-rate differences across demographic groups.

The Bachelors exam covers basic generalist practice of baccalaureate social work; the Masters exam covers master's-level practice, including specialized knowledge and advanced practice skills. Both use the same three 2026 content areas with the same weights (Values and Ethics 35%, Assessment and Planning 33%, Intervention and Practice 32%); both outlines have the same competencies (IA–IC, IIA–IIC, IIIA–IIID), and the Masters outline adds applied knowledge statements such as family therapy models.

No. The ASWB Bachelors exam is taken at Pearson test centers. ASWB ran an online-proctoring pilot from March 23, 2026 and suspended it as of July 31, 2026. Candidates who need nonstandard testing arrangements request them from ASWB.