It Means Everything…and It Means Nothing
New Social Worker Views on Taking the Master’s Licensure Exam
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/28618Keywords:
licensure exam, new social workers, qualitativeAbstract
In order to call oneself a social worker in the United States, an individual must not only complete the required coursework and degree program, but also, in many states, pass a licensure exam. Recent discussion has centered around the efficacy of using an examination as a regulatory tool for licensure, particularly following the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) report identifying bias with the licensure exam itself, and indicating specific demographic characteristics including race, age, and English as a second language, as having an impact on the pass rate of test-takers (ASWB, 2022). This qualitative study specifically highlighted the experiences of 22 MSWs who were preparing for or had taken the licensure exam. Five themes emerged through an analysis of the data: meaning everything and nothing, hoops and barriers, emotional responses, learning the tricks, and setting aside practice wisdom. Our study reflects the ambivalence of new social workers toward the licensing exam and the disconnect between education and practice in what the test is actually measuring. Recommendations and implications for social work educators include advocating for a re-evaluation of social work licensure exams as proof of competence.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Susan Glassburn, JoEllen Henson, Robin Miller, Pamela Saylor, Shannon Staton, Matthew A. Walsh, Summer Wilderman
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