Since 2022, Illinois (LSW, plus an LCSW alternative), Minnesota (a provisional route at every level), Colorado (LSW), Utah (CSW and SSW), the District of Columbia (LGSW), Rhode Island (LCSW, its master's level) and, temporarily, Connecticut (LMSW) removed or suspended the ASWB exam for some licenses. Clinical licenses still mostly require it, and the Social Work Compact requires it.
For most of the last thirty years, passing an ASWB exam was simply part of getting a social work license. That changed after 2021. Illinois dropped the exam for its master's-level license, ASWB published pass-rate data in August 2022 showing large gaps by race, age and primary language, and a series of states followed with their own changes. (Background on the data: the pass-rate data and why states reacted.)
The changes are narrower than headlines suggest. Almost all of them apply to bachelor's or master's licenses. The clinical license still runs through the Clinical exam nearly everywhere, and the exceptions that exist demand a lot more supervised time instead. What follows is what we confirmed as of October 2026.
Which states changed the rules?
Illinois
LSW: no exam since January 1, 2022. Senate Bill 1632, Public Act 102-0326, signed August 6, 2021, removed the ASWB exam for the Illinois LSW. NASW's Illinois chapter notes that licenses issued after that date do not distinguish between people who passed the exam and those who did not.
LCSW: an exam alternative since January 1, 2024. Under Public Act 103-433, an applicant who has attempted the clinical exam at least once since 2019 can instead document 3,000 hours of supervised professional experience on top of the 3,000 clinical hours, for 6,000 in total. Since January 1, 2026 those extra hours must be earned while holding an Illinois LSW or a school social work credential.
Minnesota
A provisional route at every level, since October 1, 2024. Minnesota's provisional license lets an applicant practice without having passed the exam; completing 2,000 hours of supervised practice with a final supervisor attestation then qualifies them for the standard license, whether LSW, LGSW, LISW or LICSW (Minn. Stat. 148E.0551 and 148E.055). This is the broadest change anywhere, because it reaches the clinical license.
Colorado
LSW: masters exam removed. Senate Bill 24-115, signed May 22, 2024 and effective August 7, 2024, "removes the requirement for an individual to take and pass" the masters examination for the licensed social worker. The Colorado LCSW still requires the Clinical exam.
Utah
Certified social worker and social service worker. House Bill 250 (2023) removed an examination requirement for both. Utah's clinical license was not covered by that bill. A 2025 amendment to Utah Code 58-60-205 later added an alternative for clinical applicants: after one failed attempt, an applicant may qualify with 500 additional hours of direct care and two letters of recommendation instead of a passing score. Check the current statute and the Division's rules for the effective details.
District of Columbia
LGSW: exam or hours, since June 10, 2025. Under D.C. Law 26-7, a new LGSW can be licensed without the exam but must, before the first renewal, either pass a national exam or complete 1,500 hours of supervised practice under an LISW or LICSW. A licensee who has done neither by the expiration date must stop practicing.
Rhode Island
LCSW: exam suspended. Rhode Island's LCSW is its entry master's-level license, not its clinical one, and the exam requirement for it is suspended. Sources disagree on when the suspension ends, so confirm the current date with the Department of Health. The LICSW still requires the ASWB Clinical exam.
Connecticut
LMSW: a suspension that has ended. Connecticut suspended the Masters exam for the LMSW from June 7, 2023 through January 1, 2026, and the suspension did not cover endorsement applicants. A 2026 bill to extend it (HB 5166) passed the House but its last recorded action was in the Senate in April 2026, and we found no public act. Treat the exam as required again unless the board tells you otherwise.
Who went the other way?
- Ohio tightened its rules. From July 10, 2026 its LISW can be obtained only with the Clinical exam; the Advanced Generalist no longer qualifies. The board said the reason was alignment with the Social Work Compact.
- Texas repealed its old Alternate Method of Examining Competency, which once let near-miss LBSW and LMSW candidates substitute a supervised year. Texas says the only path now is passing the ASWB exam.
- Maryland did not drop the exam. A 2025 bill to eliminate it for BSW and MSW graduates was not enacted. Instead, from November 1, 2026, first-time LBSW and LMSW applicants who have not passed can get a provisional license of 12 to 24 months under a board-approved supervisor; the exam is still required for the full license.
What is the catch if I skip the exam?
Three of them.
Other states may still want the score. An endorsement application usually asks for an ASWB score transfer. Massachusetts, for example, licenses out-of-state applicants without retesting only if they earned their license by passing the ASWB exam for that level. NASW Illinois's advice to graduates planning to move was blunt: look into the other state's requirements, because they may still require the exam.
The Social Work Compact requires an exam. Every multistate license category requires a qualifying national exam, which the Commission has defined as the ASWB exam for that category. The alternatives are a legacy provision for people licensed before their home state required an exam, with continuous licensure since, and a substantial-equivalency route that would take a Commission decision. Someone licensed after a state dropped the exam does not appear to fit the legacy wording. Illinois is not a compact state, but Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Utah all are. See the compact's exam rules.
You may face the exam later anyway. Most of these changes stop at the bachelor's or master's level. If you want the clinical license, the Clinical exam is still the standard route, and the alternatives that exist (Illinois's 3,000 extra hours, Minnesota's provisional route) cost time.
So should I take the exam if my state does not require it?
If there is any chance you will move, or want a multistate license once the compact opens, a passing score is cheap insurance: US$230 for the Masters, plus a 90-day wait if you need a second try. If you are certain you will stay put in a non-compact state and never pursue clinical licensure, the case is weaker.
Either way, our ASWB Exam Approval & Registration service handles the board approval and registration; see pricing.
Common questions
- Which states don't require the ASWB exam?
- For some licenses: Illinois (LSW), Colorado (LSW), Utah (CSW and SSW), D.C. (initial LGSW), Rhode Island (LCSW, the master's level) and Minnesota through a provisional route. Connecticut's LMSW suspension ended January 1, 2026.
- Does any state let you get a clinical license without the ASWB exam?
- Minnesota's provisional route reaches the LICSW, Illinois lets LCSW applicants who attempted the exam substitute 3,000 extra supervised hours, and Utah added a 500-hour alternative after one failed attempt. Elsewhere the Clinical exam is still the rule.
- Can I get a Social Work Compact multistate license without the exam?
- Generally no. Each category requires the ASWB exam for that category, apart from a legacy provision for people licensed before their state required an exam. No multistate licenses are being issued yet.
- Should I take the ASWB exam even if my state doesn't require it?
- If you might move or want a multistate license later, usually yes. Many states and the compact still require a passing score, and a score you already have can be transferred for US$40.
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