ASWB Examination Program - 2021 Yearbook - Examination development program projects - Item writer training - Exam resources for educators - Diversity, equity, and inclusion

Sep 21, 2026

ASWB’s 2021 Examination Program Yearbook outlines how a volunteer and consultant network supports the social work licensing exams, keeping them fair, valid, and reliable. It describes 2021 development initiatives beyond item production, including practice analysis planning, the Social Work Workforce Coalition, and the upcoming Social Work Census. The yearbook also covers item writer recruitment and online training, educator-focused exam resources, and a sustained diversity, equity, and inclusion approach featuring bias prevention, microaggression training, and sensitivity reviews.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages47

Reading Time1 h 58 min

AccessFree to download

Examination Program

Examination development program projects

Item writer training

Exam resources for educators

Diversity, equity, and inclusion

2021 Examination Committee

Clinical

Examination Program 2021 YEARBOOK The success of the Association of Social Work Boards social work licensing examination program depends on the hard work of a diverse group of volunteers, consultants, and contracted item writers committed to public protection. Together, these social workers ensure that the ASWB examinations remain fair, valid, and reliable. Examination development program projects In addition to producing and approving items for the social work licensing exams, staf, committee members, and consultants launched several other projects in 2021. Practice analysis, Social Work Workforce Coalition, and Social Work Census Preparation is well under way for the next practice analysis, which will bean expanded efort and opportunity to collaborate with the social work community. ASWB has secured commitments from nine major social work organizations to form the Social Work Workforce Coalition and to launch a series of social work community input sessions. The work of the coalition, coupled with the community input sessions, will help inform the questions asked on the demographic and task statement portions ofthe survey, to be launched in 2023 as the Social Work Census. ASWB has already begun the work of leveraging our messaging around the coalition and census and are planning the next exam creation process to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to be deliberately discussed and considered at every step of exam development. Item writer training ASWB received 352 applications during new item writer recruitment in 2020. A diverse group of 23 new item writers was chosen. Typically, new item writers are trained during a two-day, in-person workshop. In August 2021, however, the training was presented using an interactive, online format. Exam resources for educators ASWB is producing a suite of exam resources for social work educators. This work, which will continue into 2022, will include a rework of the exam guide, an item writer training for educators, data release to schools of social work, and new resources for the Group Review Practice Test. Much of the work this year has centered around developing a core set of recommended exam references broken down by content area for each exam category. An advisory panel made up of outside educators and our item development consultants guided the creation of a survey of educators on the resources they use to teach social work. This data was synthesized with our item writer reference usage data. This new reference list will form a core component of the new exam guide to be released in 2022. Diversity, equity, and inclusion The ASWB Exam Development program embraces the social work profession’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion in every step of creating the social work licensing examinations. The program has always trained writers and Exam Committee members to guard against bias in items. To take this training a step further, video links containing general training about microaggressions were sent out to exam program participants, including item writers, Exam Committee members, form reviewers, and item development consultants. Staf discussed the topic further with item writers in the item writer/consultant forums and with the full Exam Committee. This focus on ensuring no potential microaggressions appear in items has been ongoing for the Exam Development department. Additional DEI work included a sensitivity review of our online practice test and a term usage discussion with our Exam Committee members to make sure items use the most sensitive language possible. All committee and item writer demographics are self reported. 2021 Examination Committee CLINICAL Sharon Cutts (Connecticut) White • she/her Co-chair, Clinical examination Sharon Cutts has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for more than 30 years. She holds a BSW from Pennsylvania State University and an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work. Shar

FAQs

What is the purpose of the ASWB Examination Program in 2021?

It outlines how ASWB relies on volunteers, consultants, and contracted item writers to ensure the social work licensing exams remain fair, valid, and reliable.

What additional projects were launched in 2021 besides producing and approving exam items?

Projects included preparation for the next practice analysis and work toward the Social Work Workforce Coalition and Social Work Census planning for 2023.

How did ASWB train new item writers during the 2021 recruitment cycle?

A selected group of new item writers was trained in an interactive online format in August 2021, rather than the typical two-day in-person workshop.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Bill Black