Association of Social Work Boards

What Association of Social Work Boards does

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1979 and headquartered in Culpeper, Virginia. It is composed of and owned by the social work regulatory boards of all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and all 10 Canadian provinces — 64 regulatory bodies in total. ASWB's core function is to develop and maintain the standardized social work licensing examinations (Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical levels) used by these boards to verify that candidates are competent to practice ethically and safely. The exams are administered through a partnership with Pearson VUE at secure test centers in the U.S., Canada, and abroad, and candidates register, purchase practice tests, and manage score reporting through ASWB's proprietary ASWBCentral online platform.

ASWB's product portfolio extends beyond examinations into continuing competence, regulatory support, and interstate mobility. The ACE (Approved Continuing Education) program accredits CE providers, individual courses, and conferences. The Public Protection Database and Laws and Regulations Database enable license verification and cross-jurisdictional regulatory research, while the Spotlight on Regulation resource presents requirements by jurisdiction. ASWB also processes licensing applications directly for Massachusetts and exam preapprovals for Colorado, Maine, Texas, and Utah. The flagship multi-year initiative is the Social Work Licensure Compact, co-developed with the Council of State Governments under a U.S. Department of Defense cooperative agreement, which has been adopted in 30 U.S. states as of 2026 and enables multi-state practice. ASWB's Social Work Registry, established in 2004, is winding down by 2027 as its function is absorbed by the Compact.

ASWB is governed by a Delegate Assembly with one delegate and one alternate from each member jurisdiction, which elects the Board of Directors and amends bylaws. The leadership team, led by CEO Stacey Hardy-Chandler, Ph.D., J.D., LCSW, includes senior directors for Member Engagement & Regulatory Services, Examination Services, and Finance & Operations. ASWB is funded by member assessments, candidate exam and practice test fees, ACE approval fees, licensing application processing, and (until 2027) Social Work Registry subscriptions; it is not investment-backed and has no parent company or subsidiaries.

Name

Association of Social Work Boards

Legal name

Association of Social Work Boards

Website

https://aswb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ASWB is a nonprofit, member-owned association of 64 social work regulatory boards across the U.S. and Canada that develops and administers standardized social work licensing exams, approves continuing education, and operates the Social Work Licensure Compact now adopted in 30 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Licensing and Regulation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Occupational Licensing Examination Authorities (EDADAFAD)

Keywords

• Professional licensing exams
• Social work regulation
• Credentialing services
• Continuing education approval
• Interstate licensure compact

Headquarters

HQ city

Virginia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Examination Services: ASWB develops and administers social work licensing examinations. Candidates pay registration fees to take exams and can purchase online practice tests. The organization processes exam registrations and score reporting for social work boards across all US states and Canadian provinces.
2. Licensing Application Processing: Processes licensing applications for Massachusetts and exam preapprovals for Colorado, Maine, Texas, and Utah
3. ACE Approved Continuing Education: Approves continuing education providers and individual courses. CE providers pay application and approval fees for provider approval, course approval, conference approval, and joint accreditation
4. Social Work Registry: Repository for credentials and license verification, established 2004, winding down operations in 2027

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ASWB develops and administers standardized social work licensing examinations at Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical levels, delivered through the ASWBCentral online registration platform and administered at Pearson VUE test centers across the United States, Canada, and abroad. Beyond examinations, ASWB provides continuing education approval through its ACE program, operates the Social Work Registry for credential verification, maintains regulatory databases (Laws and Regulations, Public Protection), develops board training programs, and administers the Social Work Licensure Compact enabling multistate practice for licensed social workers.

Product overview

The Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) operates as a nonprofit organization composed of social work regulatory boards across all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and all 10 Canadian provinces. ASWB's product portfolio centers on its core examination services—the ASWB Social Work Licensing Exams and ASWBCentral candidate portal—supplemented by licensure management tools (Social Work Registry, Public Protection Database), continuing education approval (ACE program), regulatory resources (Laws and Regulations Database, Spotlight on Regulation), and professional development (Board Training, Meetings and Events). The flagship product is the social work licensing examination program, complemented by the Social Work Licensure Compact for multistate practice. All offerings serve the unified mission of public protection through professional regulation of social workers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ASWB Social Work Licensing Exams Standardized social work licensing examinations at Bachelors, Masters, and Clinical levels administered at secure Pearson VUE test centers throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad, used to test a social worker's competence to practice ethically and safely.
• ASWBCentral One-stop online system for exam candidates to register for the social work licensing exam, purchase an online practice test, send exam results to other states, and manage their exam records.
• Online Practice Test Practice tests available for purchase that allow exam candidates to familiarize themselves with the exam format and question styles before taking the actual licensing exam.
• ASWB Examination Guidebook Comprehensive guidebook to the social work licensing exams covering registration, scheduling, preparation, and scoring information for candidates.
• ASWB ACE (Approved Continuing Education) Program that approves continuing education providers and individual courses, allowing social workers to find high-quality CE courses accepted by most U.S. and Canadian jurisdictions for licensure renewal.
• Social Work Registry Repository for credentials and license verification for social work boards, established in 2004 to support professional mobility, with operations ending in 2027 as functions transfer to the Social Work Licensure Compact.
• Social Work Licensure Compact Multi-state licensure system enabling social workers to practice across participating states under a single compact license; developed through collaboration with the Council of State Governments and adopted in 30 U.S. states.
• Board Training and Support Specialized services including New Board Member Training, Executive Leadership Training, and workshops for social work regulatory board members to support public protection work.
• Regulatory Research Resource documents, regulatory research compilation, and specialized training including the annual Workforce Study that help licensing boards protect the public and inform regulatory policy.
• Model Social Work Practice Act Model law offering regulators and lawmakers a guide to best practices in social work regulation, promoting consistency across jurisdictions.
• Licensing Application Processing Services ASWB processes licensing applications for Massachusetts and exam preapprovals for Colorado, Maine, Texas, and Utah directly on behalf of those regulatory boards.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Council of State Governments (CSG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2021CSG partnered with ASWB to develop the Social Work Licensure Compact through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense. CSG's National Center for Interstate Compacts provided technical assistance and is shepherding social work through the compact development process alongside psychology, nursing, and physical therapy compacts.
• Clinical Social Work Association (CSWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSWA participates as an ex officio member on the Executive Committee of the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission alongside ASWB and NASW. Contributed to compact development and stakeholder review process.
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASW participates as an ex officio member on the Executive Committee of the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission alongside ASWB and CSWA. CEO Angelo McClain engaged in discussions about licensure by endorsement and compact development.
• Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSWE represented on the Technical Advisory Group for compact development alongside regulators, legislators, attorneys, and other stakeholders. Contributes educational perspective to compact policy recommendations.
• Pearson VUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationPearson VUE administers ASWB licensing exams at secure test centers. Annual exam technical reports are reviewed by ASWB Board. Exam candidates schedule appointments at Pearson VUE test centers worldwide.
• Nonprofit Risk Management CenterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeesburg, Virginia-based consulting group conducted risk assessment of ASWB Candidate Services Center including observation, interviews, policy review, and independent research to support staff handling emotionally charged calls.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ASWB
• Facebookfacebook.com/aswbonline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association of Social Work Boards