How Many Times Can You Retake the ASWB BSW Exam If You Fail? (2025 Guide)

Introduction

Failing the ASWB BSW Exam can feel devastating—but the truth is, many excellent social workers don’t pass on their first attempt. It’s far more common than people realize. There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of content, and a lot riding on this one test. If you didn’t pass on your first try, it doesn’t say anything about your intelligence, your potential, or your ability to be a great social worker.

What matters now is understanding what happens next.

The good news?
 You absolutely can retake the ASWB BSW exam—and you can retake it as many times as you need. There are rules, timelines, and steps you must follow, but the path forward is clear, supportive, and completely manageable.

This guide walks you through everything you need to know about retaking the exam, including:

  • How many attempts you’re allowed
  • The mandatory waiting period
  • What fees you’ll pay
  • Whether you need board approval again
  • How to use your score report
  • How to rebuild confidence
  • How to prepare smarter for your next attempt

Let’s take away the fear and replace it with clarity. You can do this—really.

👉 Check out our ASWB BSW 2025 Study Guide + Interactive Practice Questions inside The Health Exams Portal — fully updated for the 2025 exam outline and built to help you strengthen your understanding of human behavior, social work practice, ethics, and core professional foundations. You’ll get realistic exam-style questions, instant answer explanations from your 24/7 AI Personal Tutor, and smart progress tracking to help you study with confidence and clarity. You got this!

1. How Many Times Can You Retake the ASWB BSW Exam?

Let’s start with the core question:
 How many retakes are allowed?

You can retake the ASWB BSW exam an unlimited number of times.

There is:

  • No lifetime limit
  • No yearly limit
  • No maximum number of attempts

As long as you follow the required waiting period and complete the registration steps, you can retake the exam as many times as you need to pass.

This alone should take some pressure off your shoulders. You’re not stuck. You’re not out of chances. You’re simply on the path—like thousands of others—to mastering the exam at your own pace.

2. The Mandatory Waiting Period: 90 Days Between Attempts

Even though you can retake the exam as many times as you need, there is a required waiting period:

👉 You must wait 90 days between each attempt.

This 90-day window gives you time to:

  • Review your score report
  • Identify your weak areas
  • Strengthen your study plan
  • Practice ASWB-style questions
  • Rebuild confidence
  • Prepare effectively

This is not a punishment. It’s protection. The ASWB wants you to have a real chance at learning what you need for the next attempt—not rushing into another test before you're ready.

3. Do You Have to Pay Again for Each Retake?

Yes, you do.

Every exam attempt requires:

  • $230 ASWB exam fee
  • Any board reprocessing fees your state requires
  • Any rescheduling fees (if applicable)

Even if you take the exam ten times, each attempt requires its own exam fee.

Is it frustrating? Yes.
 But it ensures fairness and consistency across all candidates.

Planning financially ahead of time can remove a lot of stress from the process.

4. Do You Need to Reapply With Your Licensing Board?

This depends on your jurisdiction.

Most states do NOT require you to reapply

…as long as your application is still active.

Some states DO require reapplication

…especially if:

  • Your authorization window expired
  • Your initial application period has closed
  • You waited too long between attempts

On average, most states give you a testing window that lasts between:

  • 6 months
  • 1 year
  • Or longer

Check your own state board’s policy to know exactly what applies to you.

5. Your Score Report Is Your Roadmap

One of the most helpful—and most overlooked—parts of failing the exam is the score report you receive afterward.

Your score report will show how you performed in each of the four domains:

  • Human Development & Behavior
  • Assessment
  • Intervention
  • Ethics & Professional Practice

This is GOLD.

Your score report shows exactly:

  • Where you struggled
  • Where you were strong
  • Which domain needs more work
  • Whether your reasoning or content knowledge was the issue

This is how you build your retake strategy intelligently.

6. What to Do During the 90-Day Waiting Period

Use this period to rebuild—not rush.

Here’s how to use your time wisely:

1. Review your score report

Start by identifying:

  • Your weakest domain
  • Your strongest domain
  • Which domains need more time
  • Which domains only need light review

This gives you a clear starting place.

2. Adjust your study plan

If Assessment was your lowest domain, focus more time there.
 If Ethics was strong, maintain it but don’t over-focus.

Let your performance guide your plan.

3. Use ASWB-style questions heavily

The exam tests:

  • Reasoning
  • Prioritization
  • Ethics
  • Applied knowledge

Practice questions train your brain to answer in the ASWB format.

4. Study ethics every week

Ethics appears across all domains.

You should review:

  • Confidentiality
  • Mandated reporting
  • Boundaries
  • Cultural humility
  • Informed consent
  • Duty to warn/protect
  • Supervision

5. Build confidence gradually

Confidence doesn’t come from perfection.
 It comes from:

  • Understanding your mistakes
  • Studying with clarity
  • Seeing progress week after week

Confidence grows with consistency.

7. Why Many People Pass on Their Second Attempt

You may be surprised to learn how many social workers passed the exam on their first try:

👉 A huge percentage passed on their second attempt—not their first.

Why?

Because the first attempt teaches you:

  • How the exam phrases questions
  • How to navigate the testing environment
  • What ASWB-style reasoning looks like
  • How to manage nerves
  • What to expect in each domain
  • How the time feels
  • What your personal weak areas are

Once you’ve taken it once, you’re no longer walking in blind.
 You’re experienced now—and experience is powerful.

8. Common Reasons People Fail the First Time (And How to Fix Them)

Not passing on the first attempt doesn’t mean you weren’t capable. Usually, it means one of the following:

1. Not studying according to domain weights

Solution:
 Focus heavily on Assessment and Intervention, which equal 55% of the exam.

2. Not practicing ASWB-style reasoning

Solution:
 Use realistic practice questions, not random quizzes.

3. Memorizing instead of understanding

Solution:
 Focus on applied reasoning, decision-making, and ethics.

4. Not reviewing ethics deeply enough

Solution:
 Study the NASW Code of Ethics weekly.

5. Rushing the first exam

Solution:
 Use the 90-day window to build stamina and confidence.

6. Studying clinical-level material

Solution:
 Stay focused on generalist-level knowledge.

7. Not taking full-length practice exams

Solution:
 Complete at least two full-length simulations.

Your second attempt is almost always stronger because you know how to correct these issues.

9. How to Rebuild Confidence After Failing

The emotional side of retaking the exam matters just as much as the academic side.

After a failed attempt, here’s how to reset mentally:

1. Remind yourself that this exam does not define your value

Your ability to be a great social worker isn’t measured by a score.

2. Give yourself space to feel upset

Failed attempts hurt—but they are temporary.

3. Talk to supportive people

Lean on people who believe in you.

4. Look at your score report as information, not judgment

It’s a tool, not a verdict.

5. Focus on the progress you’ve already made

You’ve passed courses, internships, and real-world work.

6. Remember your purpose

You’re entering a profession built on service, compassion, and resilience.

7. Build a steady, supportive study routine

Consistency breeds confidence.

You’re stronger than you think.
 You’re capable of passing.
 And this time, you’ll be prepared with more clarity than ever.

10. Tips to Pass on Your Next Attempt

Once you’re ready for your retake, use these strategies to maximize your success:

1. Treat the next attempt like a fresh start

Not a replay of the first.

2. Redo your study plan

Based on your score report.

3. Practice ASWB-style questions daily

Reasoning grows with repetition.

4. Schedule your exam strategically

Choose a date that aligns with your readiness—not fear or pressure.

5. Use supervision logic

Remember: bachelor-level social workers should consult often.

6. Study ethics every week

Ethics can save you on tough questions.

7. Build stamina with full practice tests

Your endurance matters.

8. Stay patient and persistent

Passing is about consistency—not perfection.

👉 Check out our ASWB BSW 2025 Study Guide + Interactive Practice Questions inside The Health Exams Portal — fully updated for the 2025 exam outline and built to help you strengthen your understanding of human behavior, social work practice, ethics, and core professional foundations. You’ll get realistic exam-style questions, instant answer explanations from your 24/7 AI Personal Tutor, and smart progress tracking to help you study with confidence and clarity. You got this!

Final Thoughts

Failing the ASWB BSW exam is not the end of your journey. It’s simply a step on the path toward becoming a licensed social worker—a path many people take more than once. What matters is embracing what you’ve learned, adjusting your study plan, and moving forward with renewed determination.

You now know:

  • You can retake the exam as many times as needed
  • There is a 90-day waiting period
  • You must pay again for each attempt
  • Your score report is your roadmap
  • Most people pass on their second attempt
  • Confidence grows with clarity and preparation
  • Your career is still fully within reach

Take a breath. Reset your mindset.
 You’re not behind—you’re learning, growing, and moving closer to your goal.

You’ve got this.

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