12/17/2025
🚨 ASWB 2026 Exam Changes — Quick Breakdown
Starting August 2026, the ASWB will launch an updated social work licensing exam based on a national practice analysis of thousands of social workers. The goal: test readiness to practice, not memorization.
🔑 What’s Changing?
4 content areas → 3 content areas
Fewer questions overall
110 scored questions (down from 150)
12 pretest questions (down from 20)
More 3-option multiple-choice questions
Greater focus on application, reasoning, and problem-solving
4-hour time limit stays the same
📊 Old vs. New (At a Glance)
Before 2026: 4 domains, mostly 4-option questions, heavier recall
2026 onward: 3 domains, more 3-option questions, heavier clinical judgment
🗓️ Timeline
Changes take effect August 2026
More details and updated resources coming Spring 2026
💡 Bottom Line
The ASWB exam is shifting toward how social workers think in real practice. Less memorizing. More reasoning. More “what do you do next?”
We got this!! 💪🏿🙌🏿👊🏿
Arisza,
Your favorite coach!