NASW-NC Response: ASWB Demographic Data Release

On August 5, the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) released a long-awaited report on the demographic pass rates for social workers who have taken the ASWB licensure exams. Because ASWB was not initially willing to disseminate this information, the release of this report is the result of a long process of advocacy by social work organizations including the National Association of Social Workers, the National Association of Deans and Directors, schools of social work, and advocates.

Please see North Carolina data here:

The data is shocking but not surprising. The data presented shows the disparity in pass rates for people who have been historically oppressed. The ASWB report exposes the inherent bias within the test while showing the harm being done to the profession and oppressed communities. For decades, ASWB has stated that the information that was included in this report did not exist (along with refusing to issue the exam in other languages).

ASWB offers no solution in the report to the racial and age disparities in the exam pass rate, only pushing the blame back on “marginalized communities” and their “hardships” and calling for additional research and investigating the internal and external factors that may contribute to variation in participation and pass rates.

All aspects of the social work community must now come together and propose meaningful changes on how social work licensure in North Carolina is acquired. We believe the voices of our entire social work community should be heard.

Please join the NASW-NC Equity and Inclusion Committee for a North Carolina ASWB Exam Listening Session on September 7 at 7pm Eastern. We invite all North Carolina social workers for this virtual discussion about how we might address the inequities in the ASWB exam. Please register here: https://www.naswnc.org/event/ASWBExamListeningSession

NASW's Response to the ASWB Exam Data: https://www.socialworkers.org/News/News-Releases/ID/2531/ASWB-social-work-licensing-exam-pass-rate-data-confirm-concern-over-racial-disparities