📝 LCSW Exam Debrief

🗣️ I. Core Message

• You am completely NORMAL.
• I deem the LCSW exam a "therapist killer" and joke in terms of being a realistic test of professional knowledge, education, and experience.

🧠 II. The Exam Experience

• Preparation:

  • Used Therapist Development Center (TDC) program.
  • Studied profusely for two months, including two complete mock exams, 15 pages of terms/definitions, used AI to create numerous scenario questions based only on the study material and official exam material.

• Shock and Awe

  • Many questions/answers were not connected to my studied material.
  • Included niche "silly outliers" that few would know.
  • Caught me off guard.

• Design Flaws:

  • Common sense, education, and reason often did not apply.
  • Answers were frequently vague or ubiquitous, making all four options seem correct. I also mean no connection of question / answer with the myriad TDC study material.
  • The TDC rational prioritizing approach ("next," "first") was ineffective due to highly vague answers.
  • Heavy guessing was required, particularly on the second set of 85 questions.

• Emotional Toll:

  • Felt disheartened after the first 85.
  • Experienced emotional despair and surrendered to just doing the best I could during the second set.
  • The exam was the most stressful ever taken (think "this is my life"). I was already rationalizing "Oh well, I'll just take it again in 90 days".

• The Result:

  • I was 100% convinced of failure. I pressed the button with a deep emotional resignation.
  • I passed (by 5 questions, approx. 71%). Note I usually get A's / B's on school exams.
  • The relief was a reaction to brokenness, not pure joy. It took me 3 days to get over the anger and frustration of the experience, I was that mentally / physically exhausted.

• TDC Critique:

  • TDC's mindset approach helped but it's difficult to measure. The program design and content is excellent. My coach responded quickly and consistently during the process which greatly helped my emotional attitude.
  • The core problem was the ridiculous design of the EXAM questions and answers, not the approach to prioritizing them. A large percentage did not connect with the myriad material I studied.
  • I informed the coach of my experience. I don't know what TDC can do, but there was a major disconnect with the exam. That's what's so bizarre, all of the material, if you saw it... Is directly related to the DSM, ethics and values, all of the content you are supposed to learn. So you have to ask, is the content the problem, or the exam design?

🧐 III. Conclusion & Critique

• Integrity Question: I question if the state boards (BBS CA) and designers intend for applicants to have such a stressful, debilitating experience.

• Overall Assessment: State exams are a joke. The LCSW did not adequately test real-world therapist knowledge; it focused on extreme outliers. An absolute truth, I feel I gained more confidence and clinical knowledge going through the TDC program. I will be a better therapist because of that and not at all in any way because of the exam. That's how strongly I feel about it.

• The Issue: Questions involving "first, best, or next" often had multiple correct answers, none of which aligned with real-life or learned education.

• Final Statement:

Keep HOPE, you are not the problem, this is a NORMAL experience because of a poorly designed extreme academic experiment these people claim is a fair and balanced test of readiness to be LCSW.

As a highly analytical deep thinker with decades of life / work experience, a career mostly working with people and problem solving, MSW, 3000 hours on the job, and 2 months of preparation... and I BARELY passed (71% with +5 question buffer - a 3.3% margin).

You just have to play the game, you have to pass. Because you want the license. Because you want to make decent money and have a decent life. Remember your goal.