Standardized tests are as biased as the people who create them. Ethical social work practice requires each practitioner and organization to strive toward cultural humility and competence. The highest level of care incorporates individual and community culture in healing practices. Social work is a unique profession that requires mastery of a complex skill set including problem solving, investigation, assessment, analysis, written and verbal communication, and an understanding of how culture impacts human behavior. The ASWB exam pass rate report highlights how this standardized test has failed to capture the competence of all social workers by not centering the diverse cultures of those who take the test and recognizing their diversity is the strength of the profession.
For the full NASW statement on ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis, click here.
Author: Amelia Lochner Malavé
NASW-NYS