These digital-only options give you access to all the same content in the book PLUS immediate access to ExamPrepConnect for additional study tools, community groups, games, instructor Q&A and more.
This presentation will provide critical information to social work students and exam candidates as they prepare for their ASWB licensing exams with an overview of the updated editions of Dawn Apgar’s bestselling study guides. Viewers will learn what it takes to pass the licensure exam; the challenges associated with the exams; and take a quick tour of the accompanying interactive ExamPrepConnect digital platform. Tips and tricks will be also be provided!
By the end of the session, you will earn how to prepare for your upcoming exam with confidence as you receive an in-depth overview of the tools and strategies necessary to pass.
Click here to download a copy of the presentation deck.
ExamPrepConnect puts learners in the driver's seat with courses designed for students. Developed by our team of expert nurses and educators, our best-selling exam prep products allow you to study smarter with features proven to help students pass their exams. Learn more by watching this in-depth product tour.
10 Things You Should Know About the ASWB Examinations
1. Know the exam outline and be familiar with topics, especially each of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) statements.
2. Identify the KSA and important factors of the topic first. For example, clients understanding the risks and benefits of services are essential to client consent.
3. Focus on the last sentence. Questions that contain a lot of information (like vignettes) are often structured like a funnel with the last sentence providing specific information that lead to the correct answer.
4. Remember mezzo and macro levels. It’s easy to focus on the micro level, which is often the emphasis in day-to-day work, but system changes to policies and interventions are at all levels.
5. Put the client at the center of the question. Correct answers do not simply comply with agency procedures — they directly benefit the client and allow for their full participation.
Dawn Apgar, PhD, LSW, ACSW, has helped thousands of social workers across the country pass the ASWB examinations associated with all levels of licensure. In recent years, she has consulted in numerous states to assist with establishing licensure test preparation programs. Dr. Apgar has done research on licensure funded by the American Foundation for Research and Consumer Education in Social Work Regulation and was chairperson of her state’s social work licensing board. She is a past President of the New Jersey Chapter of NASW and has been on its National Board of Directors. In 2014, the Chapter presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Apgar has taught in both undergraduate and graduate social work programs and has extensive direct practice, policy, and management experience in the social work field.
I just wanted to thank you for your help and support. Today I passed the LCSW exam in New York!! My exam required for me to get 103 questions correct and I answered 123 questions correctly -hooray! I found the online prep material along with the book very helpful and I am happy to have passed both of the social work licensure exams with the use of your materials.
I would recommend your test prep content and encourage any social worker to dedicate their time and effort to the studying process. This has been a journey for sure and I am privileged to have had you on my road to success.
Best,
Melissa Smith, LCSW
"Not only were Dr. Dawn Apgar's test preparation training courses and study guides instrumental in preparing me to take and pass the LSW and LCSW exams, but she was personally available to me to discuss content and anxiety management techniques. She took time out of her day to engage in an email exchange with me which resulted in me feeling confident to pass these tests. She went above and beyond what was expected and for that, I am so grateful!"
Katy Engel
"ExamPrepConnect and the accompanying study guide (Dr. Dawn Apgar) were invaluable to me as I prepared to take the LCSW exam. The material was concise, relevant, and well-organized. The program calculated daily study goals based on my exam date, which helped me stay on-track and made studying feel manageable. My strengths and weaknesses in each content area were charted so I could see where I needed to focus my learning, and the practice questions at the end of each section helped me gauge how well I learned the material. Thank you for providing such a comprehensive and reliable study resource--I passed the exam on my first try! "
Laura Zimmerman, LCSW
"Hello everyone. Yesterday I took my clinical exam and PASSED. So very excited about it. Thank you Dr. Apgar for your dedication and help in answering and assisting those of us using your clinical prep books and website. In my experience the vignettes provided during the real exam are similar to the ones in the study guide(s) but the options of answers are somehow unexpected or feel unfamiliar. Best advice is to study and dedicate the time to practice, practice and practice some more. Read the rationale as this will help to understand the scenarios and answers. Lastly, identifying the type of questions - Recall, Application or Reasoning - is also helpful."
Carolina Gonzalez
"I really enjoyed using the Exam Prep Connect site. The ability to mark confidence levels, highlight and bookmark areas to return to study was so helpful! I also enjoyed the practice questions at the end of each level to assess what I retained after reading. The countdown feature really helped me stay on track and I loved the games. I loved the option of using the games to review when I didn't feel like reading, but still wanted to study. Finally, the discussion forums are amazing! I was very impressed that Dr. Apgar responds to these messages in addition to responses from the community. It was so nice to feel supported and receive answers to questions that came up along the way. Highly recommend!!"
Thank you,
Deanna Herrmann
"I am thrilled and relieved to have PASSED the ASWB Clinical Examination! I must say Dr. Dawn Apgar’s resources are OUTSTANDING and EMPOWERING! I highly recommend the "Social Work Licensing Clinical Exam Guide" through ExamPrepConnect. I learned how to improve my test strategies, especially for those test questions that assess how one applies their knowledge, skills, and abilities in the field of Clinical Social Work. I followed Dr. Apgar’s guidance whole-heartedly and benefitted greatly! I felt confident to tackle this critical examination! Thank you so much Dr. Apgar!"
Best Wishes,
Adriana Molina-Schmuker, LLMSW-Clinical
National Association of Social Workers - Michigan Chapter
"Dawn Apgar's book guided my study for the social work licensing Masters Exam and I passed the exam on my first attempt! As a social worker with only macro practice experience, Dawn's guide helped me learn and review the well organized micro content that I needed to know for the exam. Taking the practice exam helped me tweak my final study sessions to focus on the key material. Thank you!"
Kate Kelly, MSW
"Such a great course and study guide. I passed my LICSW exam today, on my first attempt as well. Thank you so much Dawn. I am so happy, relieved and very appreciative of all your help! I too am recommending my co-workers to use your resources"
Anne Silverman, Student
"Just wanted to share that I took my test today and passed with a 113. Thank you so much Dr. Apgar for developing such a GREAT study guide and for facilitating such an informative licensing workshop. Engaging with you via both avenues was just what I needed to understand not only the rationale behind the question types, but also how to dissect the questions and choose the correct answers. I look forward to engaging with you in the near future as I pursue my LC and I will keep my eyes open for your future workshops. Best regards. :)"
Linda Lee, Student
"Thank you, Dr. Apgar for your help on both the site and your workshop. Took my test today and passed 134. I think your study guide is the best one available. I would say the questions on the LMSW were much more simplistic in knowledge than I anticipated and mostly focused on different roles of the social worker as a community worker in supervisory, organizational or leadership role. Understanding how to answer the questions helped a lot so I would suggest that kind of workshop for anyone taking the exam. On to my supervised clinical hours and will be back again for the LCSW. Thanks again."
Reva S Tokayer, Student
"I had an incredibly positive experience utilizing Dawn Apgar’s exam preparation resources for the ASWB Master’s level exam. I was able to pass on the first try, which I largely accredit to her extremely useful resources. Her book and review class provided a concise outline of exam material, while also offering effective strategies that I was able to utilize during the actual exam. As you prepare for your exam during these unprecedented times, I would highly recommend purchasing Dawn’s materials to help ease any test anxieties that you may have. On the day of my exam, I felt confident in knowing that I was fully prepared to sit for the test. I have already purchased Dawn’s LCSW study guide and will be using it to prepare for the next exam in the near future. If you’re looking for a confidence booster, Dawn’s materials are the perfect way to help reduce any apprehensions regarding test taking and ultimately help you to achieve your desired outcome. Dawn is incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and I have found her review materials to be highly applicable to the actual exam questions. Thank you again, Dawn!"
Kaitlyn Paulmeno, LSW
"When it comes to facilitating the master and clinical social work preparation courses, there are loads of facilitators out there; however, there is only one Dawn Apgar PhD, LSW, ACSW. Her positive attitude and energy are infectious. Additionally, her wealth of knowledge about the licensure exam and test taking skills engages prep course participants while putting them at ease. Most participants leave the course feeling confident because they now have the tools they longed for and needed to effectively prepare for and pass the licensure exam!
Dawn Apgar’s Social Work ASWB Masters and Clinical Exam Guides are also recognized by those who have attended our licensure prep courses. Many of the participants come to the course with her licensure prep guides already in tow. In fact, this has been the only prep guide I have seen participants ever carry. I can tell that many of the guides are being well used as the covers look very worn, and when I have asked to look inside the guides, multiple pages are either highlighted or bent! It appears that Dawn Apgar’s Licensure Prep Guides are the sacred texts of the social work licensure prep world!
In my opinion, Dawn Apgar brings a unique combination of expertise, vigor, and care to test preparation! She really wants test prep participants to succeed!"
Cheryl Bonneau, JD, MSW
Executive Director
National Association of Social Workers – Georgia Chapter
"Dawn Apgar’s social work exam guides have helped thousands of social workers pass the ASWB exam. The focus on content strategy, test anxiety, and sample exam leave new social workers confident in their skills and ability to navigate the bachelors, clinical, and advanced generalist exam (one of the few resources available out there for macro practitioners). The new addition of an app also makes studying for the exam accessible at any time from the comfort of your phone."
Duane Breijak, LMSW - Macro
Director of Member Services & Development
National Association of Social Workers - Michigan Chapter
"I was really impressed with Dawn’s presentation and knowledge on exam preparation for the ASWB test. I was also impressed with Dawn’s ability to deal with individual students’ concerns. Aside from her presentation skills and knowledge, the books she provided at the workshops were very helpful in guiding the participants. They were a very helpful resource for the students and I can see them being used in the future. I have read through the books and can confidently say the books present important information for students who are looking to pass the exams-and are written in a way that is accessible to a diverse range of students."
Taylene Watson, ACSW, LICSW
Executive Director
NASW Washington State Chapter
"Our NASW Chapter has been using Dawn Apgar’s Master and Clinical Social Work exam guides in conjunction with our test preparation courses since they were first published, and we continue to receive rave reviews. Our course attendees have thanked us repeatedly for providing them a user-friendly guide that makes their study process a whole lot less stressful and they love now having access to the mobile app version as well! There are many reasons that these guides are the go-to for our social workers – they’re helping thousands of our New Jersey social workers become licensed and be ready for the professional world."
Jennifer Thompson, MSW
Executive Director
National Association of Social Workers – New Jersey Chapter
"In desperation to study to pass the LCSW exam, I used web sites that promised to help one study to pass the test, practice tests from who knows where and then finally Dawn Apgar’s books for the Clinical and Masters exams. Her logic and explanations for testing/content were spot on and the practice test with explanation on why the answer was the correct answer helped me pass the LCSW exam the first time. Her content and wording of the practice questions were the most like the actual ASWB LCSW exam. My suggestion: Don’t mess around with web sites offering help to study/pass the test; read Dawn’s books and that’s all you need."
Christine Mize
Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Bereavement Counselor
Hospice of Southern Illinois
"I purchased Dr. Dawn Apgar’s Social Work ASWB Clinical Exam Guide and Practice Test Set: A Comprehensive Study Guide for Success after purchasing and studying from other study guides and with friends who already passed the exam. I wish I had purchased it first, since it was the most up-to-date and complete of the materials I used to study. It was also the most affordable. She presented the material in a narrative, while explaining the thinking/philosophy of a clinical exam. The introduction was very important as were all the 350 pages. If you are a social worker who needs to complete your clinical, get these materials, relax and spend time immersing yourself in what you need to know. You won’t have to be concerned about jumping from book to book or internet sites. Good luck!"
Mercy Austen - Student
"I just took the LCSW exam, and passed - on my first try! Thanks Dr. Apgar, for the prep course (at NASW), and for teaching valuable test-taking strategies. After the course, I studied by preparing index cards with key points from the information in your comprehensive guide, and then reviewing those cards. It was a winning combination to pass the exam, which I’d feared for so long!"
Chaya A. - Student
"I am a social worker that graduated almost 30 years ago from graduate school and was grandfathered into the LMSW so I never had the experience of taking an ASWB exam. I obtained the second edition of the LCSW study guide. The material is exactly what one needs to prepare and it also led me to look at my test anxiety. After working through my test anxiety I successfully passed the LCSW exam. Dawn Apgar played such an important role in the workshop and the clinical guide that was such an integral part of my success. I will recommend her materials to all future social workers and am so grateful to Dawn."
Mrs. Blanche M. Centeno-Hatwood, LCSW
Program Manager and Clinical Supervisor
"No struggle, no progress"
"Prior to taking the one day intensive prep course with Dawn Apgar I felt unprepared and incredibly anxious about the LCWS exam. After several supervised years in the field I knew that my clinical skills were sufficient but I also remembered from the LMSW exam that my real world experience would not necessarily be reflected in the exam. After taking Dawn’s course I was more confident in my ability to discern what the questions were actually asking and not getting caught up in the sometimes confusing wording. The course workbook also provided a great way to organize my study plan and have a course of action to minimize the preparation time. Overall I would say that it was Dawn’s ability to imbue confidence and calm that decreased my test anxiety and allowed me to be prepared for the exam in a timely manner."
Arezou Paksima - Student
"I took Dawn Apgar’s LSW prep course, studied using her latest edition, along with the app, for about 6 weeks. During the course Dawn highlighted great studying techniques along with reviewing the materials in the book. I passed my first try with a great score! It was a great generalist review of the Social Work profession. During testing, I was able to vividly recall material straight from this book. I highly recommend both the course and the book."
Dwanee Carter - Student
"I used Dawn Apgar's Clinical Exam Guide and took her LCSW prep course at NASW to study for my LCSW exam. I recently passed my LCSW exam and I could tell it was due to Dawn Apgar's expertise that I passed. I highly recommend using her resources to study, especially the exam guide. As I read through all of the guide's chapters, I rather quickly gained the knowledge and confidence I needed as the material in the book corresponded directly with all of the relevant topics on the exam. Thank you, Dawn Apgar, for your dedication to students engaging with this material and for your approachable, tailored, and right on target way to study and pass."
Jodi Smith - Student
"Social Work ASW Master Exam Guide is one of the best tools one can utilize, when preparing for the LSW exam. One of my favorite things about this comprehensive study guide for success is that you also get the same material through digital access to study on the go. It is a great tool and a must have from Dr. Apgar's library to yours. Taking you well into the future with your LSW or LCSW clinician exams. "
Sarai Huertas, MSW
"I just want to say thank you. I used your prep book and finally passed my exam on yesterday. I know it doesn’t matter to you but it means the world to me because I have used other material and failed before. Your book is the BOMB!!"
Veronica Peoples - Clinical Health Coach
"I took the NASW test prep course with Dawn Apgar and found her Master's Exam Guide Textbook to be incredibly useful. Even more useful was Dr. Apgar's approach to teaching how to take the exam. Her instructional focus on how to use test taking strategies as a guide to understanding the structure of the exam questions, was more helpful then any studying of material that I had done. While it is important to have a solid foundation in the material, I found that the test taking strategies carried me through the lengthy exam more than any information I knew or could recall. It is very easy to become overwhelmed with the questions and second guess what you know, however Dr. Apgar's strategies and guide to understanding how to navigate the exam really helped me to use what I know when it did or did not apply. I passed my exam on the first try! Thank you Dr. Apgar for your continued dedication to preparing students and future Social Workers for success in the exam room and in the field."
Sharonn Dinkins
"I passed the ASWB LMSW the first time, after having read/studied Dawn Apgar's book, Social Work ASWB Masters Exam Guide: A Comprehensive Study Guide For Success. I found it to be clearly written and comprehensive. Most helpful, in addition to the test material covered, was the "Test Taking Strategies and Tips" section, in which Dawn walks the reader through the test, and teaches you how to approach various types of questions. She covers not just "what" is on the test, but “how” to take the ASWB tests. I highly recommend the book, and will be purchasing the LCSW version in the future."
Carol Austin, LMSW
Savannah, Georgia
"I experienced failure of LCSW several times. After feeling discouraged I emailed Dr Apgar for assistance. She assessed my areas of weakness and provided me with tools to enhance my preparation for the exam. This advice, coupled with the information from her book, prayer, and an intensive study group, resulted to me passing my LCSW exam October 2019."
Treniece Jones
"After multiple attempts of taking the ASWB LCSW test, I had failed and was not finding a solution! My main question was: "Why is no one teaching LCSW candidates to pass the test with the ASWB components broke down?" I was questioning the methodology of the tests that were marketed. I felt that I was being duped. I then went to Dawn Apgar's Clinical Exam Book and Test manual. I worked through it; was able to implement her process and find EXACTLY what area of the ASWB components that needed my attention! It was a critical analysis that lead me to "lean into" the areas to pass the exam the FIRST time after using Ms. Apgar's direction. I also spent the time and money to attend her class in NYC. She was direct, clear, and had common sense. No frills, no tricks, just good direction. I appreciate her and recommend her program and materials at whatever level you will test at. She is a gifted teacher and mentor."
Carolyn Oliphant Suniga, MSW, LCSW
