So we're done with our item-by-item tour of the ASWB Exam Content Outline. Thanks for following along. The plan is to take all the content outline posts and put them into a book/pdf for easy studying. It should be a great study aide. Stay tuned...
That puts on on the starting line of a new effort: digging into the NASW Code of Ethics. A series we're calling "Ethics and the Exam." The Code is the foundation of countless social work licensing exam questions. It's really the heart of the exam. Even questions that aren't explicitly ethics based often are rooted in the Code's principles. To get you ready to pass the social work exam, we'll be posting a section-by-section walk-through.
What to expect:
Clear summaries of each section
Tips on what the exam really tests from each part
Practice questions based on each section with rationales to sharpen your skills
Focus on close-call questions, just like the real thing
Might as well get started. We begin at the beginning: the Preamble.
While it’s tempting to focus just on the standards, the Preamble deserves close attention. It’s more than an introduction—it’s the foundation for how social workers understand their mission, values, and role in society. And yes, the exam will test you on the themes it introduces.
The Preamble begins by stating the primary mission of the social work profession:
To enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.
This is the ethical compass of the profession. On the exam, when you're faced with close-call questions, returning to this central mission can help guide your thinking.
Another key concept is the profession’s dual focus:
The well-being of individuals
The well-being of society
Social workers aren’t only concerned with personal issues—they also work to improve the conditions that affect entire communities and systems. That’s where the idea of environmental forces comes in: housing, education, access to healthcare, discrimination, and public policy are all considered critical in shaping a person's situation. Social work looks both inward and outward.
The Preamble outlines a wide range of social work roles, all of which may appear on the exam. These include:
Direct practice
Community organizing
Supervision
Consultation
Administration
Advocacy
Policy development and implementation
Education
Research and evaluation
You might see questions that ask which of these activities reflect the mission of the profession. All of them do. What connects them is their shared focus on social justice and social change—with, and on behalf of, clients.
It’s also important to note that “client” is used broadly in the Code to include not only individuals, but families, groups, organizations, and communities.
The Preamble introduces six core values that have shaped the profession throughout its history. These are not just abstract ideas—they will show up in practice questions and should guide your reasoning when evaluating ethical scenarios:
Service – Helping people in need and addressing social problems
Social justice – Working toward equality and fairness, particularly for marginalized groups
Dignity and worth of the person – Recognizing and respecting each individual’s inherent value
Importance of human relationships – Understanding that meaningful connections are central to change
Integrity – Acting with honesty, transparency, and accountability
Competence – Practicing with knowledge, skill, and a commitment to continued growth
The exam will often test your understanding of these values indirectly. You’ll be asked to recognize which value is being expressed through an action or decision—not just to recite the list.
Here's how this material might look on the ASWB exam:
A school social worker advocates for a student experiencing food insecurity by both working with the family to access resources and proposing a new district-wide lunch program for low-income students. This BEST reflects which concept from the Preamble?
A. The importance of human relationships
B. The dual focus of individual and societal well-being
C. Competence in working with multiple systems
D. Service to the most vulnerable
Have your answer?
The social worker is addressing the individual needs of the student and family, while also working toward broader systemic change. This is the “dual focus” described in the Preamble. Human relationships (A) and service (D) are relevant, but B captures the unique perspective social work brings: supporting individuals in context of larger societal issues. Competence (C) is too general for what’s being tested here. B is the best offered answer.
When in doubt on the ASWB exam, come back to the Preamble. It reminds you why social work exists in the first place: to empower people, confront inequality, and improve the systems that shape people’s lives. Let that be your guide when the choices get close.
Next in this series: The Purpose of the Code—why it was created, how it's used, and what you’ll need to know for the test.
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