There are as many approaches to passing the social work licensing exam as there are licensed social workers. Social Work Test Prep started as a personal study site with public blog posts substituting for private flash cards. For the tech-happy, it’s not a bad way to get studying done. Since those early blogging days, SWTP has grown into a full-fledged exam prep destination, complete with online practice exams.
Why practice exams? They’re the single best way to get prepared. No amount of book reading, study grouping, or even one-on-one tutoring can match the effectiveness of sitting down for a four-hour practice exam that echoes the experience of the real ASWB & BBS exams.
A well-written practice exam allows learning not just about content of the exam, but about the process of taking it. Sitting for a four-hour exam is something like running a marathon. Knowing ahead of time how best to pace yourself–when and if to take a bathroom break, a stretch break, a snack break, or simply a deep breath—can have a huge impact when you get to the real thing.
Of course, taking practice exams isn’t necessarily preparation enough. Going back over exams and deepening your knowledge in areas that you’ve struggled with is crucial. SWTP’s practice exams include detailed rationales that help you see why the right answer is the right answer. Additionally, each question includes a link for suggested study—a free site that will help you quickly learn what you don’t know and freshen up on what you’ve forgotten.
In addition to the free ten-question practice test on Social Work Test Prep and everything else long included on the site, there are links on the blog (yep, there’s still a blog) which allow you to attack the exam from still more angles. Some recent favorites:
- Free quizzes via AllPsych.com
- More free psych quizzes from About.com
- Flash cards at Quizlet.com
- Video on SWTP’s YouTube channel
