Think like a Social Worker: Interactive Prep for the LMSW Exam

Overview

Format

Through a blend of guided instruction, small-group problem solving, and real-time feedback, you’ll learn how to:

• Decode test items and identify exactly what each question is asking
• Apply critical thinking skills to select the best answer under pressure
• Develop and effective study plan that fits your schedule and learning style 
• Manage test anxiety with practical, proven techniques
• Build confidence through hands-on practice with real exam-style questions
  

With breakout sessions, interactive polls, and collaborative debriefs, you won’t just study for the exam-you’ll practice thinking through it, step-by-step. 

Course Objectives

Workshop participants will walk away with a personalized study strategy, a clear understanding of the exam structure, and the mindset to succeed! Learning goals include:

Understand the LMSW Exam Process
Gain a clear understanding of the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) licensing exam structure, including registration steps, question formats, scoring methods, and test-day procedures. Learn how the exam blueprint is developed and how it reflects core social work competencies.

Learn to Break Down and Answer Test Items
Develop strategies to dissect complex questions, identify keywords, eliminate distractors, and select the best possible answer—even under time pressure. Explore common question types and practice applying critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills to each.

Practice Collaboratively and Build Confidence
Engage in small-group and whole-class exercises where you’ll solve sample exam questions together, discuss reasoning, and learn from diverse perspectives. This supportive, interactive environment will help you strengthen your analytical skills and increase your confidence in tackling the exam.

Develop a Personalized Study Plan
Create a structured, realistic study schedule tailored to your learning style, timeline, and life commitments. Incorporate proven study methods, self-assessment tools, and progress checkpoints so you can stay on track and feel prepared by exam day.

Study Habits and Test Anxiety
Identify effective study habits that align with your personal learning style and schedule. Explore techniques for organizing your study time, retaining information, and avoiding burnout. Learn practical strategies to manage test anxiety before and during the exam, including breathing exercises, mindset shifts, and confidence-building routines.

Practice Rounds  
Participate in timed practice sessions that simulate real exam conditions. Work through sets of LMSW-style questions, then review answers and reasoning as a group to strengthen critical thinking and refine your test-taking strategies. These “practice rounds” give you the chance to apply new skills, build stamina, and track your progress in a low-stakes environment.

Resources and Next Steps
Receive a curated list of study tools, reference materials, and exam prep resources to continue your learning beyond the workshop. Leave with a clear action plan for your next steps—whether that’s scheduling your exam, deepening your study in specific areas, or connecting with peer support networks.

This course offers five (5) CEUs.

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About the Presenter

Beatriz Alaniz, LCSW-S has been a practicing social worker for over 18 years and teaching in higher education as an adjunct and full-time professor for a total of 8 years. She attained her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University in 2006 and began working as a social worker conducting home visits, medication management, case management and providing mental health services in the RGV community with clients recently discharged from the psychiatric hospital. She then pursued her MSW degree at NYU and graduated in 2008 entering the field soon after graduation, as a forensic social worker. As a forensic social worker, she collaborated with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and CPS, interviewed and/or provided services for children, young adults, and their families affected by sexual, physical abuse as well as labor and sex human trafficking. In 2010 she studied and passed her LMSW licensure exam and eventually moved from New York back home to Texas to eventually pursue her clinical licensure requirements.