But ask just about any social worker who has made it through the process and they'll tell you they learned something along the way. Not just how to sit for a long, 170-question exam without melting down, but valuable social work content that they now put to use in their day-to-day social work practice.
For some, it's a thorough imbibing of social work ethical concepts and guidelines--material that may not have been well-covered in social work school. For others, it's digging into the nitty gritty of the DSM that sticks with them most. Other social workers may have stretched their understanding of the different ways social work can be practiced: attachment theory, family systems, CBT...
Unless you were in a rare social work program, chances are not everything that you learn to get ready for the social work exam was covered in class. You're left with gaps. There's new material to learn. Getting it learned maybe isn't half the fun, but, if you're curious and like to learn--true of most social workers--it can still be fun.
Just remember to celebrate the victories along the way. The concepts grasped, an increased score on a practice test. For every long study session, don't forget to give yourself a pat on the back. You did this. You're on your way. Soon you'll be licensed and you'll be able to put all of this away--except for what you've learned. That will stick with you. And that's a good thing.
Congratulations in advance!