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The LCSW is an advanced clinical license, so eligibility goes beyond a degree — it requires
supervised clinical experience and state board approval before you sit the ASWB
Clinical exam.
What you need
- An MSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
- Supervised clinical hours after your MSW — the amount is set by your state
board, but commonly around two to three years and 3,000+ hours of supervised clinical practice. - State board approval to test — you apply to your state board, which verifies
your degree and hours and then authorizes you to register for the Clinical exam.
The usual order
MSW → (often LMSW and a clinical-supervision period) → complete supervised hours →
state board approval → pass the ASWB Clinical exam → LCSW licensure. Because the hours and
details vary by state, your board’s requirements are the final word.
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Sources & references
The exam facts on this page are drawn from official certifying-body materials, reviewed 2026-06-18 by the DrCertifications exam-prep team (10+ years in exam preparation and publishing).