Frequently Asked Questions
The Health Professions Act does not permit regulatory colleges to set professional fees, provide guidelines for professional fees, or negotiate professional fees on behalf of some or all of its regulated members.
(Health Professions Act, RSA 2000, c H-7 3(2))
On the ASWB website is a free exam guidebook that outlines what to expect on exam day. The guidebook also provides outlines of the content areas and sample questions. An online practice test is also available for a fee.
ACSW provides registrants with a practice permit. We are also required by the Health Professions Act to post a public register of registrants.
Your practice permit is available in the registrant portal for viewing and printing.
The public register and practice permit serve as proof for employers or clients. Please note the public register is more up to date than a printed practice permit.
Supervisors are expected to engage in ongoing competence development to support safe, ethical, and effective supervision practice. This reflects the complexity of supervision, including its ethical, relational, evaluative, and organizational dimensions.
Competence development may occur through a range of structured and self-directed professional learning activities. These are not prescriptive and may be selected based on practice context, learning needs, and supervisory experience. Examples include engagement in peer consultation or professional learning communities, participation in supervision-focused training or continuing education, reflective practice supported through structured dialogue with experienced supervisors, and self-directed learning informed by current literature, standards, and supervision frameworks.
The intent is to support reflective and responsive supervisory practice that evolves over time, rather than to require any specific format or activity type.
We accept criminal record checks produced within the last three months. It must be valid when your registration application is processed. If it is older than three months at the time your registration is approved, you must provide a new criminal record check. We accept electronic criminal record checks. A vulnerable sector check is not required for registration.
Log into the registrant portal and select the registration status change form. Complete the form and submit. You will be notified once the status change request has been approved.
You must arrange to receive practice supervision from a registered social worker to discuss your practice and ensure safe and competent social work practice. Your employer may be able to help you make these arrangements through a partner organization or elsewhere within your employer’s organization. The Social Workers Association of Alberta may be able to help you locate a supervisor if you are a member of the association.
ACSW permits external supervision but check if your employer has policies about this.
We recommend ASWB’s exam preparation materials. These include the free ASWB Exam Guidebook and exam content outlines. We strongly recommend their online practice test, available at an additional cost.
If you have the entry to practice exam requirement, ACSW will pre-approve you to take the exam and will submit your name with the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) for scheduling the date and location in which you will take the exam. All information and details about the exam are accessed through ASWB’s portal – ASWB Central.
Registrants are responsible for tracking their own continuing competence activities using the self-assessment and learning plan templates. You are not required to upload evidence of continuing competence activities to the registrant portal. You must retain evidence of continuing competence activities for a period of five years and be able to provide such evidence, if requested by the ACSW.