Proficiency Tests

[LittleDarlings]

My school has proficiency tests before classes start, basically you can test out of certain classes if you pass and if you don't pass it doesn't count against you.  I really want to test out of Research Methods (does anyone have experience with past research methods in SW classes? I took it for criminal justice but obviously this is totally different) do you think I should buy books and study or should I just find the information online and study?  They have a guide as to what we need to know, they also have the books we can use to study.  I just don't want to buy the books yet because I am a little low on funds and maybe I can find the info in other places. Any advice? 

[nugget]

Buy a copy (credit card, if you have one) and make sure it stays in excellent condition. If you don't need it anymore, drop the price by a few dollars and sell it to another student.

Edited June 13, 2014 by jenste

[Lifesaver]

Make sure that research methods is a class you can actually test out of before you get all excited and buy books. A lot of schools put a lot of effort into their research classes (meaning they make you take more than one), and I can't imagine it being on the list of test-out classes. Especially since it doesn't come naturally to a lot of people and if you have a stickler for a professor, it's easy to do it very wrong.

[Kristopher]

I'm surprised there is even an option to test out of classes for a MSW program. I would be skeptical this is possible.

[LittleDarlings]

http://msass.case.edu/registrar/proficiencyexams2.html

[TLC]

Perhaps ask an advanced year student if you could borrow their Rubin and Babbie? I rented mine but several folks in my cohort kept it. I don't know of other resources to help you. Like Jentse said, if you buy it now and study, you can sell it come August when other students are looking for it

[LittleDarlings]

Perhaps ask an advanced year student if you could borrow their Rubin and Babbie? I rented mine but several folks in my cohort kept it. I don't know of other resources to help you. Like Jentse said, if you buy it now and study, you can sell it come August when other students are looking for it

Did this book help you a lot? I found it on Amazon for 4 bucks and I think I'm going to order it. I know they suggest another book but do you think I can get away with just studying out of this one for right now?

[TLC]

I think you can get away with only Rubin and Babbie. We had that one and another one and I cant remember what it was. I do remember that we didn't open it once. Does your program have a class called Evaluation in SW Practice (or something similar) or do you test out of both of them?

"Building on the concepts and principles from SW 441 this course prepares students in basic principles of practice and program evaluation and their application to social work practice in agency settings. Using their agency settings as laboratories, students learn the major approaches to evaluation (needs assessment, process, and outcome) with attention to the struggles, tensions, and ambiguities related to current evaluation models and agency demands for evaluation"