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KCUR-Kansas City news and NPR  \nA social work licensing exam that people of color fail more often is under scrutiny in Kansas  \nKCUR | By Blaise Mesa  \nLISTEN • 4:27  \nBlaise Mesa / Kansas News Service  \nSome have called the social worker licensing exam racist because of the racial disparities seen in first-time pass rates.  \nWhite test takers are far more likely to pass the licensing exam than people of color or older test takers.  \nTOPEKA, Kansas — The test to become a licensed social worker is hard. It takes years of schooling, test prep — and depending on the exam — hundreds of hours of working in the ¦eld.  \nKCUR fourth candidate the of ook the  \nAll Things Considered  \n[https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-08/a-social-work-licensing-exam-that-people-of-color-fail-more-often-is-under-scrutiny-in-kansas](https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-08/a-social-work-licensing-exam-that-people-of-color-fail-more-often-is-under-scrutiny-in-kansas) 1/13  \n6/1/23, 3:38 PM A social work licensing exam that people of color fail more often is under scrutiny in Kansas | KCUR-Kansas City news and NPR  \nprepared.  \n“There are questions that I thought if I could sit down with the person who wrote the questions, I could explain to them why I was right, and they were wrong,” she said  \nDiaz is no slouch, she won national academic scholarships and passed the test by a comfortable margin.  \nShe isn’t alone in her criticisms. The Association of Social Work Boards exam faces calls from across the country to pause the one test all social workers in the U.S. take to become licensed. It’s been called §at-out racist and a barrier to getting people in social work who look more like many of their clients.  \nOlder test takers and Kansans of color fail the test more often than white applicants. In Kansas, the test comes in three different forms for bachelor’s, master’s and clinical certi¦cation. In most cases, white test takers passed 20% more often on their ¦rst try when compared to people of color or older Kansans.  \nBachelors level ¦ rst time pass rates from 2011-2021: White – 78. 5%  \nBlack – 55.3%  \nHispanic/Latino – 46.7%  \n50 and older – 59. 6%  \nNon-English speakers – 30.9%  \nMasters level ¦ rst time pass rates from 2011-2021: White – 88.9%  \nBlack – 59. 1%  \nHispanic/Latino 70.4%  \n50 and older – 77.7%  \nNon-English speakers – 55.2%  \nClinical level ¦ rst time pass rates from 2011-2021: White – 88%  \nBlack – 56. 1%  \nHispanic/Latino – 75 6%  \nKCUR  \nAll Things Considered  \n[https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-08/a-social-work-licensing-exam-that-people-of-color-fail-more-often-is-under-scrutiny-in-kansas](https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-08/a-social-work-licensing-exam-that-people-of-color-fail-more-often-is-under-scrutiny-in-kansas) 2/13  \n6/1/23, 3:38 PM A social work licensing exam that people of color fail more often is under scrutiny in Kansas | KCUR-Kansas City news and NPR  \n50 and older – 72. 6%  \nNon-English speakers – 47. 1%  \nThe test can leave even people who’ve been studying, training and watching pros in the ¦eld in action intimidated.  \n“For people who are trying to pass the exam, I would just tell them don't think about the what-ifs,” Diaz said.  \nTest takers aren’t allowed to share questions from the exam. Doing so would give other people an unfair advantage. But Diaz said some questions might ask what a social worker should do ¦ rst. In reality, the answers were all things that should be done anyway, making the correct answer debatable.  \nThe questions are multiple-choice, but she says some are better suited for short-answer responses.  \nWhy the disparities?  \nThe Kansas News Service spoke with multiple social work students, teachers, national and local advocacy groups. They were all puzzled by the disparities. Even though they agreed it produced problematic results — a better test would show little correlation between race, fo","cbCaijTSbChxXXtB","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaijTSbChxXXtB","pdf",5219850,23,"English","# Racial disparities in first-time pass rates\n## Exam structure and restrictions\n## Theories behind the gaps and potential barriers","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the article highlight about the social work licensing exam in Kansas?\",\"answer\":\"It highlights racial disparities in first-time pass rates, with White test takers passing far more often than people of color, and older applicants also failing more frequently.\"},{\"question\":\"How is the exam administered for different credentials in Kansas?\",\"answer\":\"In Kansas, the test is offered in three forms for bachelor’s, master’s, and clinical certification.\"},{\"question\":\"Why do critics say the exam may be racist or discriminatory?\",\"answer\":\"The article notes calls to pause the exam because of racial disparities and describes concerns that some questions may be rooted in how material is taught, with outcomes potentially shaped by unequal preparation and barriers.\"}]","A social work licensing exam that people of color fail more often is under scrutiny in Kansas | PDF",1789980836,58]