Demographic Pass-Rate Data Release Under Discussion

(Editor's Note: This article was published in the Fall 2021 issue of The New Social Worker as a sidebar to the article How Does ASWB Guard Against Bias on the Social Work Licensing Exams?)

    ASWB’s exam development program is guided by and reflective of social work’s mission, values, and ethics. The process embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion at every stage. Guarding against bias is a crucial element of the ASWB exam program to continue to ensure that competence is being measured fairly.

    Over the last 18 months, demographic data related to licensing exam pass rates has been a topic of discussion and increased scrutiny coinciding with a renewed worldwide focus on social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion. ASWB understands the desire to evaluate the social work exams’ pass-rate data to ensure there is no intrinsic bias, and therefore the ASWB Board of Directors is continually revisiting the question of demographic data release.

    As that decision is under consideration, ASWB is moving forward with changes to its exam development process to build on its existing framework to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. These changes include providing additional resources for educators to prepare their students for the exams, convening a Social Work Workforce Coalition with diverse organizations to provide input on the exam development process, hosting community input sessions, and launching a census in 2023 to understand who social work practitioners are and what they do.

—ASWB, September 2021