Taking the LCSW Exam

If you’re still an LMSW, I can help you get here.
Learn about LCSW supervision →

I’ve finished supervision. Now what?

Congratulations!!! 🎉 You’ve completed the most challenging part of earning your LCSW license. Now it’s time for your LCSW exam.

Hopefully, this process will eventually be streamlined and completely online, but as of now, it is still a fairly complex exercise.

First, you must apply to sit for the exam at aswb.org/texas. It costs $60 to apply. To be approved for the exam, ASWB requires that you snail mail them a sealed official MSW transcript and a copy of the Clinical Supervision Verification Form that I will send you. Your university might be able to email the official transcript to texas@aswb.org. If so, you can also email the Clinical Supervision Verification Form to that address. (If you’re using snail mail, it’s a good idea to request a few copies of your official transcript from the university because you will also need to send one to BHEC.)

After sending the supporting documents to ASWB, it takes about 7-10 days to be approved to sit for your LCSW exam. Once you’re approved, go to aswb.org to register for the exam. The fee to register is $260.

After you pass the exam, complete this LCSW upgrade application. Mail it and a check for $20 to BHEC. As a part of the application, you will need to send proof of Jurisprudence Exam completion, a copy of a government-issued photo ID, an official MSW transcript (sealed or emailed directly from the university to transcripts@bhec.texas.gov), and the NPDB Self-Query in a sealed envelope.

Once BHEC receives everything, they will email instructions telling you to go to a local IdentoGo location to be fingerprinted. This costs $40, and IdentiGo will send your fingerprint results directly to BHEC. Once they’re received, BHEC will upgrade your LMSW to LCSW.

This entire process from application to upgrade currently takes about six weeks.

Then, it’s official! You’ve done it! You’re an LCSW!!!!

You’re now invited to our group chat!

I host a monthly online session for licensed clinicians to discuss cases, navigate challenges, and grow professionally. This is a collaborative, small-group setting designed for camaraderie and to give you fresh perspectives and practical insight through an embodied, relational neuroscience clinical lens.

Book online: 75-minute LCSW Group Chat — $100

Need a little more help? I offer one-on-one consultations for licensed therapists, including case consultation, private practice guidance, and career support. Learn more and schedule a consultation →

That’s EVERYTHING that I know about the process, so if you have questions, you can call BHEC’s Texas State Board of Social Work Examiners at 512-305-7700. And yes, they are answering the phone again (for now). 🤞🙏