I graduated with an MASW from the University of Chicago in 1968 and worked in Social Work for 20 years. Due to a variety of factors, I left the Social Work field in 1988 and went into real estate.
Twenty years later, in 2008, my wife and I began to work as volunteers at a Joni-n-Friends summer camp for Families with People with Special Needs. I realized a reactivation of interest in Social Work. That and an introduction to the Enneagram, a Myers-Briggs predecessor by 1500 years, I also got interested in going back into clinical practice with a new perspective. BUT, I had to get licensed.
So, last summer I dusted off cobwebs and began the pre-licensing process.
Your site was extremely valuable. Your questions were very similar to the actual test questions. I especially liked the fact that they questions gave rational and helped think in the modality of the test. I also appreciated the fact that there were ready tabs to access the background and support material. When I was in graduate school, the DSM had a category "ego dystonic homosexuality", i.e. it was a treatable classification if the person thought they needed to be treated and Dialectical Behavior Therapy hadn't been invented yet. So, the readily accessible background info links to update my knowledge base were very helpful.
The first time I took an untimed test, I scored a 68%. I knew I wasn't a hopeless case, I was close to what I needed but close doesn't count. However, your study rationale and the quick links gave me a fantastic boost. The next time I took the test (timed and untimed), I scored in the 90s. I KNEW I COULD DO IT !
I also realized that I could take the 170 questions in 2 - 2 1/2 hours. That told me that I could approach the actual test with confidence that I could do it in the allotted 4 hours.
The testing site issues a dry erase tablet and marker. You can't write anything on the board until the exam begins, but once it does, you can. I had two mnemonic devices to help me. First, I hadn't used the DSM IV and wanted to quick way, especially under pressure, to remember the major categories. For that I constructed the following poem.
Benjamin BUTTON gulped his MED
(Button began old and became young: DSM 1 - youth; DSM II - dementia; DSM III - medical)
But DRUGged himself CRAZY in a MOOD instead
(DSM IV - sub abuse; DSM V - psychotic; DMS VI - mood disorders)
ANXIOUSly his BODY did an interesting FAKE
(DSM VII - anxiety; DSM VIII - somatoform ; DSM IX - factitious)
DISSOCIATEd itself from SEX and CAKE
DSM X - Dissociative; DSM XI - Sexual; DSM XII - eating)
Then went to SLEEP on an IMPULSE, tis true
(DSM XIII- sleep; DSM XIV-impulse)
And ADJUSTED his PERSONALITY just for you.
(DSM - XV - Adjustment; DSM - XVI - Personality)
Sometimes, poems work for me. Make up your own.
First, I go through the exam and answer all the questions I can with little or no analysis, conflict or reasoning out the probably answer.
I answer 1/2 the questions and check the time. If I've answered 85 questions in 1 hr (more or less), I know I'm on track. I take a 10 minute break.
Then I answer the rest of the questions. During this time, if I've answered a question that I was "hesitant" about or skipped a question, I just marked it
After going through the 170 questions, I took another break and then came back to the marked questions. In my case during the exam, there were approximately 50 questions that I had marked and 10 of those were unanswered. I was fairly confident that I had a good grasp and easily answered a 120. If on the questions that I had a grasp of, I got 90% right, that was 108. A passing score of 75% of 150 would be 112. If on the 50 I had questions about, I got 25% right, that was 12 and then I'd have a possible score of 120 and that works.
As it happened, after I completed the exam, took the survey and pushed the final button, I got the message I wanted "PASSED". I was told I needed 104 on this exam and I had scored 118.
Although I used a couple of different exam prep sites, your site was the most efficient and correct (I had one exam site that I had to challenge a number of the question answers and was then told I was right and they changed the answers. That site did marvels for my confidence and ego from a different perspective).
I would say, without hesitation, that your site was THE most helpful.
Thanks again for your site!
Sincerely,
Jack Given, ACSW AND LCSW read more
