Social Work (DCD Abu Dhabi) Prometric exam questions with answers

1. Question 1Professional Knowledge and Theorieseasy

   A social worker describes a child's development using the family, school, neighbourhood and wider culture as nested influences. Which theory is she applying?

   1. APiaget's stage theory of cognitive development in childhood
   2. BSkinner's operant conditioning theory
   3. CMaslow's hierarchy of needs model
   4. DBronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: D. Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory

   Ecological systems theory views the person as embedded in layers of environment, from the immediate microsystem of family and school to the macrosystem of culture. The other theories concern cognitive stages, reinforcement of behaviour and the ordering of human needs rather than environmental layers.

2. Question 2Professional Knowledge and Theorieseasy

   A 4-year-old has lived with several carers and shows distress then indifference when her foster mother leaves the room and returns. Which theory best explains the pattern of attachment?

   1. ABandura's social learning theory
   2. BFreud's psychosexual development theory
   3. CKohlberg's moral development theory
   4. DBowlby's attachment theory
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: D. Bowlby's attachment theory

   Attachment theory proposes that early relationships with caregivers shape expectations about closeness, and disrupted caregiving can produce insecure or avoidant patterns of reunion behaviour. Social learning, psychosexual and moral development theories do not focus on this relational bond.

3. Question 3Professional Knowledge and Theorieshard

   A social worker with a young family chooses short-term work with clear goals, written agreement and a time limit of about 8 to 12 sessions. Which approach is this?

   1. ALong-term psychodynamic casework
   2. BNon-directive person-centred counselling
   3. CTask-centred practice
   4. DOpen-ended supportive case management
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: C. Task-centred practice

   Task-centred practice is a time-limited, structured model in which client and worker agree specific problems, set tasks and review progress within a fixed number of sessions. The other approaches are typically open-ended and do not rely on a fixed contract of tasks.

4. Question 4Professional Knowledge and Theoriesmedium

   A father says he will think about reducing his drinking but is not ready to stop yet. According to the transtheoretical model, which stage is he in?

   1. AContemplation
   2. BPrecontemplation
   3. CPreparation
   4. DMaintenance
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: A. Contemplation

   In the contemplation stage people recognise the problem and weigh up change but have not yet committed to action. Precontemplation would involve no acknowledgement of a problem, while preparation involves a concrete plan to act soon.

5. Question 5Professional Skillseasy

   A client says she feels angry and frightened since her husband lost his job. The social worker replies, "You are feeling worried about what will happen to the family." Which skill is being used?

   1. AClosed questioning
   2. BOffering practical advice
   3. CReflection of feeling
   4. DChallenging a belief
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: C. Reflection of feeling

   Reflecting feeling names the emotion the client has expressed so that the person feels understood and can explore it further. The reply asks no question, gives no directions and does not question the client's interpretation of events.

6. Question 6Professional Skillsmedium

   During a first interview a client with limited Arabic uses a family member as interpreter. Why is a professional interpreter usually preferred when sensitive issues are discussed?

   1. AA relative will always translate more slowly than a professional would, which wastes time
   2. BA professional interpreter can decide the client's care plan
   3. CThe relative is likely to charge the agency additional fees
   4. DA relative may distort or censor the content and cannot be bound by confidentiality
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: D. A relative may distort or censor the content and cannot be bound by confidentiality

   Family interpreters may leave out or soften sensitive information to protect the family, may have their own interests, and are not bound by the agency's confidentiality rules. A professional is neutral and trained to translate accurately without influencing decisions.

7. Question 7Professional Skillshard

   A client says nothing for almost a minute after being asked about her marriage. What is the most skilful response?

   1. AFill the silence at once with a series of suggestions and questions to keep her talking
   2. BStay quietly attentive for a while, then invite her to say what is on her mind
   3. CMove on to the next topic on the assessment form
   4. DRemind her that time is limited and ask for an answer
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: B. Stay quietly attentive for a while, then invite her to say what is on her mind

   Silence can allow a client to gather thoughts or manage strong feeling, and respectful waiting communicates patience and safety. Rushing to fill it, changing the subject or pressuring for an answer may close the discussion.

8. Question 8Valuesmedium

   A social worker is asked by a client's adult sister, who has no authority, for details of the client's mental health treatment. What should the social worker do?

   1. AShare the information since the sister is a family member and is worried about her
   2. BDecline without the client's consent and explain the limits of confidentiality
   3. CConfirm only the diagnosis to avoid appearing secretive
   4. DShare details if the sister promises not to tell others
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: B. Decline without the client's consent and explain the limits of confidentiality

   Information is shared with others only with the client's informed consent or when the law requires it, and being a relative does not create a right to information. Partial disclosure of a diagnosis is still a breach of confidentiality.

9. Question 9Valueseasy

   A social worker supports a family from a different culture and religion and wants to avoid imposing her own assumptions. Which stance is most appropriate?

   1. ACultural uniformity, by treating all families in the same manner
   2. BCultural humility, by learning from the family about their own values
   3. CCultural assimilation, by encouraging the family to adopt local norms
   4. DCultural expertise, by assuming she already knows their beliefs
   Show answer and explanation▾

   Answer: B. Cultural humility, by learning from the family about their own values

   Cultural humility involves ongoing self-reflection and learning from clients about their own experience rather than assuming knowledge of a group. Treating everyone identically or expecting assimilation disregards individual needs and can reinforce discrimination.

10. Question 10Valuesmedium

    A social worker's friend asks her to take on his sister as a client and says she will be paid by him. Which is the main ethical concern?

    1. AA dual relationship that may impair judgement and objectivity
    2. BThe client will be unable to attend appointments on a regular basis
    3. CThe agency will lose income if payment is made privately
    4. DThe friend will not agree with the proposed intervention
    Show answer and explanation▾

    Answer: A. A dual relationship that may impair judgement and objectivity

    Dual relationships risk conflicts of interest and loss of objectivity, and professional standards advise avoiding them where possible and managing them transparently when they cannot be avoided. The other concerns are practical and do not go to the core ethical issue.

11. Question 11Professional Assessment and Interventionseasy

    A social worker draws a diagram showing the client at the centre and lines to family, school, employer and health services, indicating the strength of each connection. What is this tool?

    1. AA genogram
    2. BA timeline
    3. CAn eco-map
    4. DA sociogram
    Show answer and explanation▾

    Answer: C. An eco-map

    An eco-map depicts the client's relationships with systems in the environment and the flow of resources, and it is used in assessment to see sources of support and stress. A genogram records family structure over generations, and a sociogram maps relationships within a group.

12. Question 12Professional Assessment and Interventionshard

    Assessment of a family finds that a mother is exhausted and anxious but has strong support from her extended family and good attachment to her children. Which approach would build on these features?

    1. AA strengths-based approach using family resources to set goals
    2. BA deficit-focused approach centred on the mother's anxiety alone
    3. CImmediate removal of the children to reduce the mother's burden
    4. DA purely medical approach that treats her as a patient
    Show answer and explanation▾

    Answer: A. A strengths-based approach using family resources to set goals

    Strengths-based practice uses protective factors such as family support and bonding as a foundation for planning, and it recognises the client's capacity to solve her problems. Removal is disproportionate where children are safe, and narrow deficit approaches ignore resources.

13. Question 13Leadership and Managementmedium

    A social worker's notes contain personal opinions about a client's character and abbreviations known only to her. What is the main problem with this record?

    1. ARecords should always be kept short regardless of what happened
    2. BRecords should be factual, clear and understandable to other readers
    3. CRecords should include all personal impressions as helpful context
    4. DRecords should never be shared with the client under any circumstances
    Show answer and explanation▾

    Answer: B. Records should be factual, clear and understandable to other readers

    Case records are used by colleagues, supervisors and sometimes courts, so they must be accurate, objective and written in clear language. Subjective judgement and private shorthand make them unreliable and hard to interpret.

14. Question 14Leadership and Managementhard

    A social worker has a caseload of 60 families, and several urgent cases are overdue. Which action by the worker is best?

    1. ADiscuss priorities with the supervisor and agree a plan based on risk
    2. BClose the files of the families who seem to be doing well
    3. CWork extra unpaid hours until all the cases are caught up
    4. DPass the least urgent cases to colleagues without telling anyone at all
    Show answer and explanation▾

    Answer: A. Discuss priorities with the supervisor and agree a plan based on risk

    Supervision is the proper route for managing workload, because the supervisor can help prioritise by risk and arrange resources. Unplanned closure or informal transfers endanger clients, and unmanaged overwork increases burnout.

15. Question 15Fitness to Practicemedium

    After months of working with abused children, a social worker feels numb, irritable and has intrusive images of the children's stories. Which term describes this?

    1. AProjective identification
    2. BCognitive dissonance
    3. CVicarious traumatisation
    4. DRole conflict
    Show answer and explanation▾

    Answer: C. Vicarious traumatisation

    Repeated indirect exposure to clients' trauma can alter the worker's own beliefs and emotional responses and produce intrusive imagery and numbing. It is addressed through supervision, peer support, reflection and appropriate self-care.

Last reviewed September 2026. Questions are original and written to the published exam blueprint; they are not taken from any real paper.