The ASWB Associate exam

For jurisdictions that license applicants without a social work degree. It shares its content outline and its question bank with the Bachelors exam and differs only in the passing standard.

Commonly leads to SWA, LSWA — though the title varies by jurisdiction. Check yours.

What this exam actually weights

• I. Values and Ethics35%
• II. Assessment and Planning33%
• III. Intervention and Practice32%

Associate and Bachelors share one content outline and one question bank. They differ only in the passing standard, so either choice studies the same material.

How many pass it first time

71.5%

Of the 407 people who sat the Associate exam for the first time in 2025 across all ASWB member jurisdictions.

ASWB notes that pass rates are most representative for groups of more than 200 candidates. This cohort is well above that.

Source: ASWB exam pass rates, last verified August 16, 2026. We publish no pass rate of our own — no preparation provider can honestly claim one.

What we cover for it

110

applied knowledge statements, each a written lesson

2,004

practice questions, each with a full rationale

12

full-length mocks, with no question repeated across any two

Scoped to this exam. Of the 124 applied knowledge statements across all four content outlines, 110 are on the Associate exam — the rest are not shown to you and are not counted against you.

A question from this exam

From Ethical Principles and Responsibilities, which you can read in full without an account.