Helen Crohn's Page

dear young colleagues
if you haven't been able to pass the lmsw or lcsw exam the first time, get some help before you take it again. (Getting some help will be cheaper than paying the fee many tim es)The social workers I see who take it many times get worried, anxious and feel demoralized. Remember this is a standardized test which some of us were not trained to do. It doesn't really test if you are smart or a great social worker....it tests how well you can answer standardized questions!

1. this studying takes alot of repetition; study 4-5 days a week an hour or two at a time (like riding a bike. this takes alot of repetition)
2. use flash cards that you write for information you dont know
3. During practice tests I prefer to mark the questions Im not sure of and only answer the ones I am positive I know (I find that more reinforcing than struggling and getting frustrated with a question thats hard for me.) Of course I return to the marked questions later

everytime you find a concept you dont know, make a flash card (including vocabulary)

Sign up for a web-based prep program...there are two that i know of socialworkexam.com and aatbs.com,
it is well worth the money to make sure you are ready! many of the people that I tutor have taken the test multiple times and havent used a web based study tool, but they have paid to take the exam over and over!
the aatbs is harder than the real exam....so if can get over 75 on their practice tests you should… Continue

change your attitude towards the lmsw exam
this exam doesnt prove how smart you are or what a good social worker you are
it tests some content but mostly it tests how well you can "psych out"standardized exams....you need to learn test taking techniques if you dont know them. Here is the first test taking technique:
1. read the question carefully and paraphrase it in your own words