SWAT is a written test, where questions require essay style responses. Some of the questions address your interest in, and preparation for, becoming a social worker. Other questions relate to social issues. They can take the form of case scenarios, in which you are asked how a social worker might handle a particular situation, or they can describe a social problem and you are asked to describe the major issues and your analysis of them.

It is difficult to study for this test as we are attempting to elicit the applicant’s cultural, political, economic and social awareness, their values and evidence of their self awareness. There will be choices provided for some of the questions.

Once admitted, the social work program will teach successful applicants ways to analyze and debate the types of questions we pose in the exam. In the entrance exam answers, we are only looking for a strong beginning understanding of the type of issues social work deals with, and a demonstration of a beginning ability to engage in the type of analytic and critical thinking that the McMaster social work program builds upon.