A client denies feeling angry but repeatedly “forgets” important meetings with a person they say they like. This is most consistent with:

Repression and indirect expression of affect

Identification with the aggressor

Sublimation into work performance

A client begins sharing very personal details early in treatment and asks the social worker to share similar experiences. What is the most appropriate response?

Redirect the focus to the client’s goals and needs

Share personal experiences to build trust

Discourage all emotional expression

End the session to reset boundaries

From a Neo-Freudian perspective, which factor is emphasized more than instinctual drives?

Social relationships and cultural context

Which pattern most clearly reflects disengagement?

Limited communication and emotional distance

High emotional involvement and dependency

Overlapping roles and blurred boundaries

A client asks the social worker to attend a personal celebration outside of sessions. What is the most appropriate response?

Decline and explain professional boundaries

Attend briefly without discussion

Masters Social Work Exam

Free Masters Social Work Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the Masters Social Work Exam, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: Erikson's Psychosocial Stages, Systems Theory, Freudian and Neo-Freudian Approaches, The Psychosocial Approach, Clinical Practice, Anxiety Disorders, Approaches to Social Work Practice, Family Systems Theory, Research in Social Work, Therapeutic Relationships, Important Terms and Concepts.

Question 1 · Erikson's Psychosocial Stages
A 7-year-old repeatedly seeks teacher approval and becomes upset when corrected in front of peers. Which Erikson stage conflict is most relevant?
- A.Trust vs. mistrust
- B.Initiative vs. guilt
- C.Industry vs. inferiority
- D.Identity vs. role confusion
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Industry vs. inferiority
Industry vs. inferiority (school-age) centers on competence, learning, and evaluation by adults and peers. Public correction may trigger feelings of inferiority.
Question 2 · Freudian and Neo-Freudian Approaches
A client denies feeling angry but repeatedly “forgets” important meetings with a person they say they like. This is most consistent with:
- A.Conscious avoidance
- B.Identification with the aggressor
- C.Sublimation into work performance
- D.Repression and indirect expression of affect
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Repression and indirect expression of affect
Repression pushes unacceptable feelings out of awareness, while behavior may still express conflict indirectly (missed meetings).
Question 3 · Freudian and Neo-Freudian Approaches
A client reports persistent worry, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, and inability to control anxious thoughts for more than six months. Which condition is most consistent with these symptoms?
- A.Panic disorder
- B.Acute stress disorder
- C.Specific phobia
- D.Generalized anxiety disorder
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder involves excessive, uncontrollable worry across multiple domains for at least six months, often with physical symptoms such as tension and sleep disturbance.
Question 4 · Freudian and Neo-Freudian Approaches
A family consistently blames one child for most problems, diverting attention from broader family issues. This pattern is known as:
- A.Coalition building
- B.Scapegoating
- C.Differentiation
- D.Role reversal
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Scapegoating
Scapegoating assigns responsibility for family problems to one member, often to avoid addressing systemic issues.
Question 5 · Freudian and Neo-Freudian Approaches
A client begins sharing very personal details early in treatment and asks the social worker to share similar experiences. What is the most appropriate response?
- A.Redirect the focus to the client’s goals and needs
- B.Share personal experiences to build trust
- C.Discourage all emotional expression
- D.End the session to reset boundaries
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Redirect the focus to the client’s goals and needs
Therapeutic relationships are client-centered. Self-disclosure should be limited and used only when it clearly benefits the client.
Question 6 · Erikson's Psychosocial Stages
A 15-year-old reports experimenting with different peer groups and belief systems and asks, “How do I know who I really am?” Which Erikson conflict is most central at this stage?
- A.Intimacy vs. isolation
- B.Initiative vs. guilt
- C.Identity vs. role confusion
- D.Industry vs. inferiority
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Identity vs. role confusion
Adolescence is marked by identity exploration. Erikson’s identity vs. role confusion focuses on developing a coherent sense of self.
Question 7 · Freudian and Neo-Freudian Approaches
From a Neo-Freudian perspective, which factor is emphasized more than instinctual drives?
- A.Biological impulses
- B.Social relationships and cultural context
- C.Conditioning history
- D.Neurochemical processes
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Social relationships and cultural context
Neo-Freudian theorists emphasized social, cultural, and interpersonal influences on personality development.
Question 8 · Anxiety Disorders
A client reports excessive worry about work, health, and family that occurs most days and is difficult to control. Which diagnosis is most consistent with this presentation?
- A.Panic disorder
- B.Generalized anxiety disorder
- C.Social anxiety disorder
- D.Adjustment disorder
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Generalized anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder involves persistent, excessive worry across multiple domains that is difficult to control and present most days.
Question 9 · Family Systems Theory
Which pattern most clearly reflects disengagement?
- A.High emotional involvement and dependency
- B.Limited communication and emotional distance
- C.Overlapping roles and blurred boundaries
- D.Frequent triangulation
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Limited communication and emotional distance
Disengagement involves rigid boundaries, emotional distance, and limited interaction among family members.
Question 10 · Therapeutic Relationships
A client asks the social worker to attend a personal celebration outside of sessions. What is the most appropriate response?
- A.Decline and explain professional boundaries
- B.Attend to strengthen rapport
- C.Attend briefly without discussion
- D.Ask the client to decide
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Decline and explain professional boundaries
Maintaining professional boundaries protects the therapeutic relationship. Declining with a clear, respectful explanation is appropriate.

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