10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The LMSW exam has 122 questions and runs 4 hours.
These 10 free LMSW questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Licensed Master Social Worker Examination (LMSW) blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
An outpatient social worker receives an attorney-issued subpoena demanding a client's complete psychotherapy record. The client has not authorized release, no court order accompanies the subpoena, and no emergency is alleged. What should the social worker do first?
Correct answer: C - Verify the demand and seek legal or supervisory review before disclosing anything
In a remote community, the social worker and client will inevitably see one another at the only grocery store, school events, and civic meetings. Neither has a second formal role with the other. The most appropriate boundary plan is to:
Correct answer: A - Discuss likely encounters and agree on how public contact will be handled
A capacitated adult with metastatic cancer declines further chemotherapy but requests treatment for pain and breathlessness. Her family argues that her DNR order means all treatment must stop and that they should decide for her. Which action best reflects social-work practice?
Correct answer: D - Support the client's informed refusal, clarify that DNR limits CPR only, and coordinate symptom-focused care
During a school interview, an 8-year-old says a caregiver hit him with a belt and shows a patterned bruise. The child asks the social worker not to tell anyone. How should the social worker respond?
Correct answer: B - Address immediate safety, obtain only essential facts, and promptly report to the designated child-protection authority
A Spanish-speaking client with limited English proficiency arrives for a trauma-focused intake with an adult daughter who offers to interpret. The client appears hesitant, and the daughter urges the worker not to "waste time" locating an interpreter. The worker should:
Correct answer: B - Use a qualified interpreter, address the client directly, and confirm understanding with teach-back
At the first meeting, a probation-referred client asks, "Whatever I tell you stays between us, right?" The social worker is required to submit attendance and progress reports to probation. Which response is most appropriate?
Correct answer: D - Explain the reporting requirements, confidentiality limits, and choices that remain
A social worker tells an Asian American client, "You speak English so well." The client replies that the comment felt othering and stereotyped. An effective repair begins by:
Correct answer: A - Acknowledging the impact, apologizing without defending intent, and inviting the client to identify what would help repair the interaction
An 82-year-old who is normally alert develops fluctuating confusion over 12 hours, cannot sustain attention, and reports seeing insects on the wall. The client recently started an anticholinergic medication and now has a fever. Which interpretation and disposition best fit?
Correct answer: C - Delirium; obtain urgent medical evaluation for reversible causes
A client scores 8 on the PHQ-9, which is in the mild range, but marks item 9 as occurring "more than half the days." He says he is "tired of everything" and has not yet been asked about plan or intent. What should the social worker do next?
Correct answer: B - Assess suicide risk directly, including plan, intent, means, history, and protective factors
For 5 consecutive days, a 26-year-old has elevated mood, markedly reduced need for sleep, pressured speech, increased goal-directed projects, and uncharacteristic spending. Friends notice a clear change, but there is no psychosis, hospitalization, or marked functional impairment. This presentation most closely meets criteria for:
Correct answer: A - A hypomanic episode
The LMSW exam also covers these domains. Drill them in the full free practice test:
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