Licensure and Degree Verification

NOTE: As of January 1, 2022, the State of Illinois no longer requires an examination component to become a Licensed Social Worker (LSW). For more information, visit the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) website.

MSWs must work for 3,000 hours under the supervision of an LCSW to be eligible to apply for the LCSW examination.

The State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) requires the following forms when applying for the LCSW examination:

• Application for Licensure/Examination: 2024 IDFPR State of Illinois Packet (blank application). Write N/A for Part 7 on page 4 of the application. There is no exam code when applying for the examination. See page 1 and the reference sheet in the State of Illinois Packet, for more information.
• Verification of Employment/Experience Form (VE-SW Form): Page 19/20 in the State of Illinois Packet.
• LCSW Certification of Education form (ED form), below:
  • See sample with instructions: Sample LCSW application
  • Blank application form: Certificate of Education Form

Please fill out the following fields: name, date of birth, address, and signature. Please do not fill in: the graduation date, date the form or fill in your social security number until Loyola sends this form back to you. With all submissions, applicants should include instructions on where to mail the completed form and a contact number in case we have any questions during processing. If you have any questions about the Certification of Education process, please contact SSW-licensure@luc.edu.

It is highly recommended that you submit your form via email (SSW-licensure@luc.edu). The Certification of Education Form can also be submitted in person or by mail to the address below.

Mailing Address 
Loyola University Chicago, School of Social Work
Student Affairs Office
820 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611

Physical Address
1 E. Pearson, Maguire Hall, 5th Floor
Chicago, IL 60611

Please note: Once applicants have submitted their Certification of Education form, the Student Affairs office will process it within 30–45 business days. Staff cannot do same-day processing of submitted forms.

Once you have received your Certification of Education form back in the mail, follow the included instructions to complete it, add it to the rest of your application materials, and mail all materials to the IDFPR along with the $50 application fee to the following address:

Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
Attn: Division of Professional Regulation
P.O. Box 7007 Springfield, Illinois 62791

Get approved to sit for the LCSW exam

Once your application is approved by the IDFPR, you will receive a candidate handbook, a letter of approval, and a test code. (Turnaround time is approximately 5-6 weeks if all documentation is received).

Please note there are two additional fees as a part of the licensure process. The acceptance of the examination fee is $50, and the endorsement of the license fee following passing the examination is $200.

Once you receive the letter of approval from the IDFPR, you are eligible to sit for the exam and can contact the ASWB Candidate Registration Center at 888.579.3926 to schedule your examination.

If you are applying for a license outside of Illinois

• Visit the National Association of Social Workers website, select find your chapter, and find your state on the search option.
• Select the state from which you wish to get your license. Please locate the forms that Loyola will have to complete on your behalf if applicable, and submit them to the Student Affairs Office via email (SSW-licensure@luc.edu) or to the mailing address above.
• Out of State Licensure (video, CC)

LCSW Examination Preparation

Loyola University Chicago's School of Social Work offers an examination preparation course annually; please email SSW-licensure@luc.edu for more information. In addition, NASW-IL also offers examination preparation courses. Learn more about these courses. Additionally, the ASWB offers study guides and practice tests. The ASWB Guide to the Social Work Exams (print edition $20 and the e-book edition $15) is the only guide published by the creators of the social work examinations.

For hands-on practice, students can order the ASWB online practice test for $85. Another tool for exam candidates is the ASWB online practice tests for the Bachelor, Master, and Clinical exams. These full-scale, 170-question practice tests use retired test questions from past exams and are designed to simulate the actual testing experience.

As you complete the required SOWK 722, 621, and 622 courses, as well as the 500 hour CADC-Eligible internship, there are two final steps that Dr. Marcy Wilroy, LCSW, Director of the CADC-Eligible Training Program, will assist you with. 

Contact Dr. Wilroy (mwilroy@luc.edu) and she will verify your completion of course work and CADC-E internship. Pending verification, she will provide you with the ICB Application, which you must complete and return directly to the Illinois Certification Board (ICB). You may elect to take the CADC exam prior to completing your course and internship. 

The second item to fulfill CADC eligibility is for ICB to receive a formal “letter of completion” on your behalf drafted by the School of Social Work. According to SSW’s accreditation agreement with ICB, this letter cannot be sent until you have completed all courses and internship and your final grades have been posted. A formal letter of completion will be sent on your behalf once these steps are complete.

Once ICB has received your application, your letter of completion, and you've passed the ICB-administered CADC exam, you have fulfilled the requirements for the full and permanent CADC credential.

Please note the CADC credential is not portable. If you are leaving Illinois, you must investigate the credentialing requirements in the state or country you will be moving to. You can find all the boards via the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium.