IGNOU MSW · December 2026 term-end examination
One MSW Paper Layout Since 2018, and the Themes IGNOU Keeps Asking
IGNOU set the same five-question, 100-mark layout in every MSW paper compared here, from June 2018 to December 2025. Eighteen of those papers, across MSW-001, MSW-002, MSW-005 and MSW-007, show which themes came back and how often.
- MSW-001 to MSWE-010
- 18 IGNOU papers compared
- 5 questions of 20 marks
- English and Hindi
- December 2026 sheet dates
- Two free planning tools
Send your MSW course codes and your medium in one message; the rate is confirmed before you pay.
Quick answer. An IGNOU MSW guess paper is a revision set of important and recurring questions for one MSW course code, such as MSW-001, with model answers. The December 2026 term-end examination for the MSW runs from MSW-001 on Wednesday 2 December 2026 to the MSWE-002 elective on Saturday 26 December 2026, per IGNOU’s tentative date sheet dated 5 October 2026. Every MSW paper compared here is 3 hours and 100 marks: five questions of 20 marks each, an OR choice in questions 1 and 2, and any two, four and five parts in questions 3, 4 and 5. Sets cost ₹49 PDF · ₹100 printed, per subject code, and printed orders carry a one-time ₹100 courier charge per order. Sets are prepared in every medium IGNOU examines the course in, which for the MSW means English and Hindi, and the medium is confirmed on WhatsApp before payment. No one outside IGNOU knows the questions in advance, so a set is a revision aid, not a forecast.
When the December 2026 MSW Papers Begin and End
The first MSW paper of the December 2026 cycle is MSW-001 on Wednesday 2 December 2026, and the last is the MSWE-002 elective on Saturday 26 December 2026, according to IGNOU’s tentative date sheet dated 5 October 2026. The whole term-end cycle runs from 25 November 2026 to 14 January 2027, so MSW learners finish more than two weeks before the last paper of the cycle.
First MSW paper
Wed 2 Dec 2026
MSW-001, Origin and Development of Social Work
Last MSW paper
Sat 26 Dec 2026
MSWE-002, Women and Child Development (Year II elective)
Tentative · sheet dated 5 October 2026
The 5 October sheet replaced a 21 September 2026 version that ended the cycle on 13 January 2027 instead of 14 January; every MSW date is the same in both. A sheet marked tentative can still move, so recheck the date a week before each paper. The sheet prints two slots a day, 10 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 5 PM, and the IGNOU exam timing guide explains both; the slot for each code is printed on the sheet and on your hall ticket. The site’s December 2026 date sheet page covers every programme, and the exam centre guide explains how centres are allotted. If the examination form is still pending, the exam fee page lists the charges.
Year I: Three Compulsory Papers on Three Days Running
The three Year I compulsory papers fall on consecutive days: MSW-001 on Wednesday 2 December, MSW-002 on Thursday 3 December and MSW-005 on Friday 4 December. The electives follow straight on. MSW-003 is on Saturday 5 December, MSW-004 on Monday 7 December, MSW-006 on Tuesday 8 December and MSWE-010 on Wednesday 9 December, while MSW-032 stands apart on Friday 18 December.
Elective choice changes the strain. A learner who picks MSW-003 and MSW-004 sits five papers between 2 and 7 December with only Sunday 6 December free. One who picks MSWE-010 and MSW-032 has four papers in eight days and then a nine-day wait for the last one.
Year II: Five Papers Inside Six Days
Year II is tighter still. MSW-007 is on Saturday 19 December, MSW-008 on Monday 21 December, MSW-009 on Tuesday 22 December and MSW-017 on Wednesday 23 December. A learner who chose the MSWE-001 elective then sits it on Thursday 24 December, five papers in six days with Sunday 20 December the only break. The other electives are spread out: MSWE-003 on Friday 11 December, MSWE-007 on Wednesday 16 December and MSWE-002 on Saturday 26 December.
Clash check for the December 2026 sheet.
- No two MSW codes in the July 2026 list share a date, so nobody faces a same-day clash inside the programme.
- A learner carrying a Year I paper into Year II meets runs instead: MSW-032 on Friday 18 December sits the day before MSW-007.
- MSW (Counselling) learners sit MSW-008 and MSW-009 in their first year, which puts them on 21 and 22 December alongside MSW-001, MSW-002 and MSW-005 earlier in the month.
- Tool 1 below lists the gaps between whichever codes you tick and flags every pair on consecutive days.
A Ten-Day Countdown to MSW-001 on 2 December
For a Year I learner, the ten days from Sunday 22 November to Tuesday 1 December can be laid out against the themes in section 9 below. The order puts the themes IGNOU asked in every compared paper first.
| Day | Date | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sun 22 Nov | MSW-001: one 600-word outline each for open and distance learning in social work, social action and social case work, the three themes in 5 of 5 papers. |
| 2 | Mon 23 Nov | MSW-001: 300-word answers on global standards, purpose and objectives, the Life Model, generalist practice and community organisation. |
| 3 | Tue 24 Nov | MSW-002: Gandhian social work, the question 2 theme in 5 of 5 papers, plus the policy formulation process. |
| 4 | Wed 25 Nov | MSW-002: Satyagraha, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Islam in social work, mostly at 150 and 100 words. |
| 5 | Thu 26 Nov | MSW-005: correctional social work and communication skills, both in 4 of 4 papers, then supervision models and styles. |
| 6 | Fri 27 Nov | MSW-005: practicum in the distance mode, criteria for a training institute and field work components. |
| 7 | Sat 28 Nov | First elective, from the official blocks. |
| 8 | Sun 29 Nov | Second elective, from the official blocks. |
| 9 | Mon 30 Nov | One full MSW-001 paper from IGNOU’s archive, written against the clock in 170 minutes. |
| 10 | Tue 1 Dec | Short notes only, 100 words each, for MSW-001, MSW-002 and MSW-005. |
Scroll the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
Why the 70 Per Cent Paper Carries an MSW Course
The term-end examination carries 70 per cent of the final course result and assignments carry the remaining 30 per cent. That split comes from IGNOU’s 2025-26 MSW first-year assignment booklet, which states that IGNOU gives assignments 30 per cent weightage in each course’s overall grade.
None of the eighteen MSW question papers compared here prints a weightage line of its own, so the 70 per cent figure is the remainder of the booklet’s 30, not a number IGNOU repeats on the paper. In practice the term-end paper decides most of each course: a learner with a strong assignment can still lose the course on a weak 100-mark paper.
Ten theory papers carry this split, five in each year. The 32 field-work credits are assessed separately and have no term-end paper. The pass rule for the MSW sits in the Programme Guide and is not restated here. To see how term-end marks and assignment marks combine into a percentage, the IGNOU percentage calculator does the arithmetic.
Guess Paper, IGNOU’s Own MSW Papers or a Solved Paper: What Each One Does
A guess paper is a revision set of important and recurring questions for one course code, such as MSW-002, with model answers, prepared by a publisher from past papers and the syllabus. Sellers also call it important questions, expected questions or a model paper; all four names describe the same kind of set.
A previous year question paper is the actual paper IGNOU set in an earlier term-end examination, free on IGNOU’s archive; the December 2025 MSW-001 paper is one example, and it carries no answers. A solved question paper is that actual paper with a publisher’s model answers added.
| Guess paper | Previous year paper | Solved paper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Recurring and likely-to-matter questions for one code, with model answers | IGNOU’s own paper from a past session | IGNOU’s past paper with model answers |
| Who makes it | A publisher | IGNOU | A publisher, on IGNOU’s paper |
| Cost | ₹49 PDF or ₹100 printed per code here | Free on ignou.ac.in | Varies by seller |
| Good for | Revising themes in priority order at IGNOU’s word lengths | Seeing the real layout and practising against the clock | Checking how one past paper could be answered |
| Cannot do | Tell you the December 2026 questions | Show you how to answer | Cover themes that paper did not ask |
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For the MSW, the free papers do much of the work, because the layout has not changed in years and the same themes keep returning. A set earns its place when time is short and a learner needs the recurring themes already written out at 600, 300, 150 and 100 words. Solved versions of past papers sit on the solved IGNOU question papers page, and the IGNOU guess paper hub covers other programmes.
What an MSW revision set is built around
Five-question layout. Every answer is sized to the 600, 300, 150 and 100-word limits IGNOU prints on MSW papers.
Recurring themes first. Themes that appeared in every compared paper of a course lead the set for that code.
One code per set. Each set covers a single MSW course code, so a learner pays only for the papers being sat.
Year I and Year II. Ask for any theory code in the July 2026 MSW list, from MSW-001 to MSWE-010.
English or Hindi. The set follows the medium IGNOU examines the course in; the MSW programme is offered in both.
December 2026 cycle. Each set targets the upcoming term-end examination, not an old session.
PDF on WhatsApp. The PDF is shared once payment is confirmed.
Printed copy option. A printed copy is dispatched the next day after payment, with courier details on WhatsApp.
Short-note bank. Question 5 offers eight topics and asks for five; recurring short-note topics are covered at 100 words.
Indian perspectives. MSW-002 sets cover the Gandhian, religious and reform-movement themes that run through its papers.
Case work vocabulary. MSW-007 sets cover recording, ventilation, supportive techniques and casework principles.
No forecast claims. The set is a revision aid; nothing in it is presented as a December 2026 question.
Sitting MSW-001, MSW-002 and MSW-005 from 2 December?
Three compulsory papers on three days in a row leave little room for catching up. Send the codes and medium on WhatsApp.
₹49 PDF · ₹100 printed, per subject code
Order Year I MSW setsMSW Course Codes, Exam Dates and the One Paper Layout IGNOU Uses
An MSW learner sits ten theory papers, five in each year, and every MSW paper compared here follows one layout: 3 hours, 100 marks and five questions of 20 marks. The July 2026 Common Prospectus lists the courses below for the MSW of the School of Social Work, a 72-credit programme with English and Hindi as the medium of instruction.
The credits add up as the prospectus states. Year I has three compulsory papers (12 credits), two electives (8 credits) and 16 field-work credits; Year II has four compulsory papers (16 credits), one elective (4 credits) and 16 field-work credits. That is 36 plus 36, or 72, of which the theory papers carry 40. The prospectus prints codes without padding, such as MSW 1; IGNOU’s papers print MSW-001 and the date sheet prints MSW001, and all three name the same course.
Year I Theory Papers
| Code | Course title | Credits | Type | December 2026 paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSW-001 | Origin and Development of Social Work | 4 | Compulsory | Wed 2 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-002 | Professional Social Work: Indian Perspectives | 4 | Compulsory | Thu 3 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-005 | Social Work Practicum and Supervision | 4 | Compulsory | Fri 4 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-003 | Basic Social Science Concepts | 4 | Elective | Sat 5 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-004 | Social Work and Social Development | 4 | Elective | Mon 7 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-006 | Social Work Research | 4 | Elective | Tue 8 Dec 2026 |
| MSWE-010 | Social Work in African Context | 4 | Elective | Wed 9 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-032 | Social Work and Criminal Justice | 4 | Elective | Fri 18 Dec 2026 |
Scroll the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
Year I learners take all three compulsory papers and any two of the five electives.
Year II Theory Papers
| Code | Course title | Credits | Type | December 2026 paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSW-007 | Case work and Counselling: Working with Individuals | 4 | Compulsory | Sat 19 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-008 | Social Group Work: Working with Groups | 4 | Compulsory | Mon 21 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-009 | Community Organisation Management for Community Development | 4 | Compulsory | Tue 22 Dec 2026 |
| MSW-017 | Contemporary Methods and Values of Social Work | 4 | Compulsory | Wed 23 Dec 2026 |
| MSWE-001 | HIV/AIDS: Stigma, Discrimination and Prevention | 4 | Elective | Thu 24 Dec 2026 |
| MSWE-002 | Women and Child Development | 4 | Elective | Sat 26 Dec 2026 |
| MSWE-007 | International Social Work | 4 | Elective | Wed 16 Dec 2026 |
| MSWE-003 | Disaster Management | 4 | Elective | Fri 11 Dec 2026 |
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In Year II, learners take all four compulsory papers and one of the four electives.
How Every Compared MSW Paper Is Laid Out
Every MSW paper compared here has the same five blocks of 20 marks. Questions 1 and 2 each offer one long answer or its OR alternative, capped at 600 words; question 3 asks for any two of four answers of about 300 words; question 4 for any four of six of about 150 words; and question 5 for any five of eight short notes of about 100 words.
| Code | Latest IGNOU paper | Time and marks | Questions 1 and 2 | Question 3 | Question 4 | Question 5 | Medium of the paper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSW-001 | December 2025 | 3 hours, 100 | 20 each, one of two, up to 600 words | Any 2 of 4, 10 each | Any 4 of 6, 5 each | Any 5 of 8, 4 each | English and Hindi in one paper |
| MSW-002 | December 2025 | 3 hours, 100 | 20 each, one of two, up to 600 words | Any 2 of 4, 10 each | Any 4 of 6, 5 each | Any 5 of 8, 4 each | English and Hindi in one paper |
| MSW-005 | December 2025 | 3 hours, 100 | 20 each, one of two, up to 600 words | Any 2 of 4, 10 each | Any 4 of 6, 5 each | Any 5 of 8, 4 each | English and Hindi in one paper |
| MSW-007 | December 2025 | 3 hours, 100 | 20 each, one of two, up to 600 words | Any 2 of 4, 10 each | Any 4 of 6, 5 each | Any 5 of 8, 4 each | English and Hindi in one paper |
| MSW-017 | MSW-017, June 2024 | 3 hours, 100 | 20 each, one of two, in about 600 words | Any 2 of 4, 10 each | Any 4 of 6, 5 each | Any 5 of 8, 4 each | Confirmed on WhatsApp |
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The same layout appears in the MSW-001 paper of June 2018, so the format has held for at least seven years. Every paper opens with the note “Answer all the five questions”, which means all five question numbers; the choices sit inside each question. For other MSW codes, the format is confirmed against the latest IGNOU paper on WhatsApp.
The word limits fix the writing pace. Five questions of 20 marks in 180 minutes, less 10 minutes for reading and checking, leave 34 minutes a question. The arithmetic below shows what that means for each block.
| Block | Answers written | Words asked | Time per answer | Words a minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | 1 | up to 600 | 34 min | about 18 |
| Question 2 | 1 | up to 600 | 34 min | about 18 |
| Question 3 | 2 | about 300 each | 17 min | about 18 |
| Question 4 | 4 | about 150 each | 8 min 30 sec | about 18 |
| Question 5 | 5 | about 100 each | 6 min 48 sec | about 15 |
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A full paper therefore asks for about 2,900 words in 170 minutes at a near-steady 18 words a minute; only the short notes allow a slower pace. Learners who write slowly lose marks in question 4, where four separate answers have to start and finish inside 34 minutes.
MSW, MSW (Counselling) and the Online MSW Share Papers
The MSW and the MSW (Counselling) share five course codes, so one paper serves both programmes. The July 2026 Common Prospectus lists MSW-001, MSW-002, MSW-005, MSW-008 and MSW-009 in the first year of the MSW (Counselling), and IGNOU’s 2025-26 MSW (Counselling) first-year booklet covers the same five codes. The prospectus also lists an online MSW, MSWOL, among its online-mode programmes.
| If you are in | Codes you sit | What this page covers |
|---|---|---|
| MSW, Year I | MSW-001, MSW-002, MSW-005 and two electives | All codes in the tables; theme counts for MSW-001, MSW-002 and MSW-005 |
| MSW, Year II | MSW-007, MSW-008, MSW-009, MSW-017 and one elective | All codes in the tables; theme counts for MSW-007 |
| MSW (Counselling), Year I | MSW-001, MSW-002, MSW-005, MSW-008, MSW-009 | The same papers and dates as MSW learners |
| MSW (Counselling), Year II | MSW-012 to MSW-016 | Not in the tables here; send the codes on WhatsApp |
| MSWOL (online) | Course codes as printed in the MSWOL booklets | Confirm the exam format on WhatsApp first |
Scroll the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
Old Codes, Name Slips and Other Conflicts to Watch
Conflicts and outdated material found in the MSW record
- Codes outside the current list are still examined. IGNOU’s December 2025 question-paper list includes MSW-010, MSW-011 and MSW-031, and the December 2026 sheet schedules MSW-011 on 1 December and MSW-031 on 9 December. None of the three appears anywhere in the July 2026 Common Prospectus. A set sold for one of these codes is not a set for the current MSW.
- IGNOU prints the programme name four ways. Most papers say Master’s Degree in Social Work; the December 2023 MSW-002 paper says Master’s Degree of Social Work, the June 2024 MSW-005 paper says Master of Social Work, and the June 2024 MSW-017 paper says Master in Social Work.
- The MSW-002 title drifts. The prospectus says Professional Social Work: Indian Perspectives, while the December 2022, December 2023 and June 2024 papers print Indian Perspective.
- IGNOU’s own papers carry slips: Biestak for Biestek in the June 2023 MSW-007 paper, Cestin for Costin in the December 2025 MSW-005 paper, and the Immoral Trafficking Act, 1956 for the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act in the June 2024 MSW-005 paper.
- Third-party sites disagree with IGNOU. Some list an MSW paper for June 2026 as the latest, but IGNOU’s June 2026 question-paper list showed no MSW file on 19 October 2026, so December 2025 is the latest MSW session on IGNOU’s site.
- This site has its own gaps. Its guess paper hub does not yet list any MSW code, and it still quotes the 21 September sheet’s end date of 13 January 2027 instead of 14 January. The MSW handwritten assignment page shows a next-review date of 1 September 2026 that has passed. Both are being corrected.
What Eighteen MSW Papers Asked, December 2022 to December 2025
Three MSW-001 themes appeared in all five papers from December 2022 to December 2025, and MSW-002 put Gandhian social work in question 2 all five times. Across the four codes compared, eleven themes appeared in every paper of their course.
MSW-001: Social Action, Distance Learning and Case Work Every Time
Social work education through open and distance learning, social action and social case work each appeared in all five MSW-001 papers from December 2022 to December 2025. Case work came as a 20-mark long answer or its OR alternative every time, and the June 2024 and June 2025 papers both asked for the historical development of case work in the West and in India.
Six more themes appeared in four of the five papers, among them global standards in social work education and the ecological Life Model. The short-note block changes more from session to session, though friendly visitors turned up three times. The June 2024 paper even asked for the objectives of social work twice, once as question 1 and again as a short note.
| Theme | Dec 2022 | Dec 2023 | Jun 2024 | Jun 2025 | Dec 2025 | Seen in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social work education through open and distance learning | Q1 (OR) | Q4(b) | Q3(b) | Q3(a) | Q1 | 5 of 5 |
| Social action: meaning, components or growth in India | Q2 (OR) | Q2 | Q4(c) | Q4(c) | Q2 (OR) | 5 of 5 |
| Social case work: its place, scope or history | Q2 | Q1 (OR) | Q2 | Q1 (OR) | Q2 | 5 of 5 |
| Global standards in social work education | Q1 | Q4(a) | Q1 (OR) | – | Q3(c) | 4 of 5 |
| Purpose and objectives of social work | – | Q3(a) | Q1 | Q1 | Q1 (OR) | 4 of 5 |
| Ecological systems theory and the Life Model | Q5(e), Q5(g) | Q3(d) | Q4(b) | – | Q4(a) | 4 of 5 |
| Generalist practice | Q5(f) | – | Q5(h) | Q3(c) | Q3(a) | 4 of 5 |
| Community organisation compared with community development or community work | – | Q3(b) | Q3(d) | Q2 (OR) | Q4(b) | 4 of 5 |
| Charity, voluntary action and professional action | Q4(b) | – | Q5(d) | Q4(a) | Q5(g), Q5(h) | 4 of 5 |
| Friendly visitors | – | Q5(e) | – | Q5(d) | Q5(c) | 3 of 5 |
| Social welfare administration | Q3(d) | Q2 (OR) | Q2 (OR) | – | – | 3 of 5 |
| Qualitative and quantitative research | Q4(d) | Q4(e) | Q4(d) | – | – | 3 of 5 |
| Ethical decision-making | Q5(a) | – | Q3(c) | Q4(d) | – | 3 of 5 |
| Social movements | Q5(b) | Q5(h) | – | – | Q5(d) | 3 of 5 |
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IGNOU papers compared: MSW-001, December 2022 · MSW-001, December 2023 · MSW-001, June 2024 · MSW-001, June 2025 · MSW-001, December 2025.
MSW-002: Gandhi in Question 2, Five Papers Running
Question 2 of every MSW-002 paper from December 2022 to December 2025 was about Gandhian social work: his ideal society in December 2022, Gandhian work in the voluntary sector in December 2023, untouchability, leprosy and alcoholism in June 2024, the 19-point constructive programme in June 2025 and its relevance today in December 2025. The policy formulation process also appeared in all five papers, usually as a 10-mark answer.
The faith-and-social-work questions are spread thin. Jainism and Buddhism each appeared in four of the five papers, Islam and Sikhism in three, and in most sessions two or three faiths were asked at once. Revising one faith only covers one item in a block that has drawn on four.
| Theme | Dec 2022 | Dec 2023 | Jun 2024 | Jun 2025 | Dec 2025 | Seen in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gandhian social work as question 2 | Q2 | Q2 | Q2 | Q2 | Q2 | 5 of 5 |
| Process of policy formulation | Q3(d) | Q4(d) | Q3(c) | Q3(d) | Q3(d) | 5 of 5 |
| Satyagraha: techniques, code or features | – | Q4(c) | Q4(a), Q5(h) | Q4(f) | Q4(c) | 4 of 5 |
| Jainism and social work | – | Q4(b) | Q4(b) | Q4(e) | Q1 (OR) | 4 of 5 |
| Buddhism and social work | Q3(b) | Q3(b) | Q5(g) | – | Q4(f), Q5(f) | 4 of 5 |
| Settings and fields of social work practice | Q4(e) | Q3(d) | Q4(f) | – | Q2 (OR) | 4 of 5 |
| Gandhian constructive programme | Q3(c) | Q3(c) | – | Q2 | – | 3 of 5 |
| Gandhi’s ideal society | Q2 | – | Q4(c) | – | Q3(c) | 3 of 5 |
| Tabligh movement | Q4(a) | – | Q5(d) | – | Q4(a) | 3 of 5 |
| Bhoodan and Gramdan | Q4(c) | – | Q3(b) | – | Q4(e) | 3 of 5 |
| Stages of social work education and literature | Q2 (OR) | Q5(h) | – | Q4(c) | – | 3 of 5 |
| Islam and the Muslim community’s welfare work | – | Q1 (OR) | Q3(a) | Q1 (OR), Q5(b) | – | 3 of 5 |
| Sikhism and social work | – | Q5(b) | – | Q3(b), Q5(f) | Q5(b) | 3 of 5 |
| Social policy | – | Q5(d) | Q4(d) | – | Q5(d) | 3 of 5 |
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IGNOU papers compared: MSW-002, December 2022 · MSW-002, December 2023 · MSW-002, June 2024 · MSW-002, June 2025 · MSW-002, December 2025.
MSW-005: Correctional Work and Communication Skills in Every Paper
Correctional social work and communication skills each appeared in all four MSW-005 papers from December 2023 to December 2025, but neither was ever a 20-mark question; both sat in the 10, 5 or 4-mark blocks. The 20-mark slots moved around more, between supervision models, practicum in the distance mode and the components of field work.
| Theme | Dec 2023 | Jun 2024 | Jun 2025 | Dec 2025 | Seen in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Correctional social work | Q5(d) | Q4(f) | Q4(d) | Q5(d) | 4 of 4 |
| Communication skills, verbal and non-verbal | Q4(c), Q5(g) | Q3(d) | Q3(b) | Q5(a) | 4 of 4 |
| Criteria for a social work training institute | Q4(a) | Q3(b) | Q4(e) | – | 3 of 4 |
| Practicum and supervision in the distance mode | Q2 | Q2 (OR) | Q5(a) | – | 3 of 4 |
| Styles, strategies or modes of supervision | Q5(b) | – | Q4(f) | Q3(c), Q5(f) | 3 of 4 |
| Development and task models of supervision | Q2 (OR) | – | – | Q2 (OR) | 2 of 4 |
| Components of the field work practicum | Q3(a) | – | – | Q2 | 2 of 4 |
| Competencies required in practicum | Q3(b) | – | – | Q3(a) | 2 of 4 |
| Practicum in the corporate sector | Q3(d) | – | – | Q3(b) | 2 of 4 |
| Stress and burnout in professional work | Q3(c) | Q3(a) | – | – | 2 of 4 |
| School social work, after Lela B. Costin | – | Q1 (OR), Q4(c) | – | Q4(d) | 2 of 4 |
| Principles of social work practice | – | Q1 | – | Q1 (OR) | 2 of 4 |
Scroll the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
IGNOU papers compared: MSW-005, December 2023 · MSW-005, June 2024 · MSW-005, June 2025 · MSW-005, December 2025.
MSW-007: Recording, Counselling and Casework Principles
Four MSW-007 themes appeared in all four papers from June 2023 to December 2025: recording and documentation, counselling, communication, and the principles of case work. Recording was a 20-mark option in three of the four papers, in June 2023, June 2025 and December 2025, and counselling held a question 1 or question 2 slot every time.
| Theme | Jun 2023 | Jun 2024 | Jun 2025 | Dec 2025 | Seen in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recording and documentation in case work | Q2, Q3(d), Q4(e), Q5(f) | Q3(d), Q5(h) | Q1 (OR), Q4(b) | Q1 (OR), Q3(c) | 4 of 4 |
| Counselling: concept, stages or framework | Q1 (OR) | Q2 | Q1 | Q1 | 4 of 4 |
| Communication: elements, features or barriers | Q5(e) | Q4(a), Q4(f) | Q2 | Q4(a), Q4(e) | 4 of 4 |
| Case work principles: confidentiality, self-determination, acceptance | Q1 | Q3(b) | Q4(e), Q5(g) | Q4(f) | 4 of 4 |
| Interviewing skills | Q3(c) | Q1 (OR), Q2 (OR) | – | Q4(a) | 3 of 4 |
| Fields and settings of case work in India | – | Q3(a) | Q3(d) | Q2 (OR) | 3 of 4 |
| Supportive techniques | Q5(h) | – | Q4(f) | Q5(e) | 3 of 4 |
| Ventilation | – | Q5(f) | Q5(a) | Q5(g) | 3 of 4 |
| Behavioural techniques | – | – | Q4(a) | Q3(d) | 2 of 4 |
| Stages of the problem-solving process | – | – | Q3(c) | Q4(b) | 2 of 4 |
| Tools of case work | Q3(a) | – | – | Q3(b) | 2 of 4 |
| Goals of counselling | Q4(b) | – | – | Q4(c) | 2 of 4 |
| Characteristics of a case work agency | Q4(a) | – | – | Q4(d) | 2 of 4 |
| Defence mechanisms | – | Q5(a) | – | Q5(f) | 2 of 4 |
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IGNOU papers compared: MSW-007, June 2023 · MSW-007, June 2024 · MSW-007, June 2025 · MSW-007, December 2025.
The Counting Method Behind These Tables
The theme tables count eighteen IGNOU papers: five each for MSW-001 and MSW-002, from December 2022 to December 2025, and four each for MSW-005, from December 2023, and MSW-007, from June 2023, both up to December 2025. ignouproject.com compared each paper in full on 19 October 2026, English half first and Hindi half where the file allows. Matching is at topic level and is a judgement: “describe the stages of counselling” and “practical arrangements for counselling” both count as counselling.
A cell shows the question number where a theme appeared, and a count such as 4 of 5 means four of the five papers for that code. The theme tables cover MSW-001, MSW-002, MSW-005 and MSW-007; for other codes, the format is confirmed against the latest IGNOU paper on WhatsApp. Counts describe past papers only. A theme seen in every paper is a strong revision priority, not a December 2026 question.
The Hindi Half Is Not Always a Mirror
The Hindi half of an MSW paper is a translation of the English half, and in the December 2025 MSW-007 paper the two did not match. The English question 5 lists paraphrasing as part (b); the Hindi half, as IGNOU’s file reads, prints अति-अहंकार (super-ego) as both part (क) and part (ख), and has no paraphrasing item. A Hindi-medium candidate in that session had seven distinct short notes to choose five from, not eight.
Every other Hindi half that could be compared matched its English half item for item. Hindi-medium learners should still read both halves of a past paper when practising, because the English half settles what a garbled Hindi item was meant to ask.
How an MSW Revision Set Is Put Together
- Start from IGNOU’s papers for the code. The latest session comes first, which is December 2025 for the four codes in the theme tables, then the papers before it.
- Count the themes, not the wording. A theme asked in every compared paper leads the set; a theme seen once is treated as seen once.
- Check the code against the July 2026 list. Material written for MSW-010, MSW-011 or MSW-031 is kept out of a set for a current code.
- Write to IGNOU’s lengths. Model answers follow the 600, 300, 150 and 100-word limits the MSW papers print, so practice matches the clock.
- Prepare the medium the learner sits. Hindi sets are written in Hindi and checked against the English wording of the papers.
Where an MSW Guess Paper Helps and Where It Stops
A guess paper is a revision aid built from past IGNOU question papers and the syllabus. No one outside IGNOU knows the questions in advance, and no claim is made that any question in this set will appear in your examination.
What It Can Do for an MSW Paper
- Put the themes IGNOU asked in every compared paper, such as social action in MSW-001 or recording in MSW-007, at the front of a short revision window.
- Show what a 600-word answer and a 100-word short note look like, so a learner can pace 2,900 words in 170 minutes.
- Gather the Gandhian, religious and reform-movement material of MSW-002, which the blocks spread across many units.
Where It Stops for MSW
- It cannot say which themes IGNOU will set in December 2026; the counts above describe the past.
- It does not replace the official blocks, especially for electives such as MSWE-010 or MSW-032, which have no theme table here.
- It does not cover field work, which carries 32 of the 72 credits and has no term-end paper.
Revise it free first
Much of MSW revision costs nothing. IGNOU posts every MSW question paper free, and the official MSW blocks, MSW-007 among them, are posted on eGyankosh. The eGyankosh guide explains how to find a course’s blocks, the Gyankosh search route helps when a block will not open, the IGNOU books download page covers printed blocks, and the IGNOU study notes collection adds short summaries. A learner with time can build the theme tables above alone from the free papers.
Two Free MSW Tools: December Run Planner and Word-Budget Clock
Both tools run in the browser and use only the dates and patterns shown in the tables on this page. The run planner turns the December 2026 sheet into a personal countdown; the clock turns the MSW word limits into minutes.
Free tool 1
MSW December Run Planner
Tick the MSW codes you are sitting in December 2026, enter your daily study hours and choose a format. The planner returns the price, the days left, your papers in date order and every run of consecutive days.
A number from 0.5 to 16, such as 3.
₹49 PDF · ₹100 printed, per subject code
Send this MSW plan on WhatsAppThis tool is guidance from ignouproject.com, not an IGNOU rule. Using it creates no obligation to order anything.
Free tool 2
MSW Word-Budget Clock
Pick an MSW code and the minutes you want to keep for reading and checking. The clock shows the paper layout, the time each answer gets and, for the four codes in the theme tables, the themes IGNOU asked most.
A number from 0 to 30; 10 is the figure used in the word-budget table.
₹49 PDF · ₹100 printed, per subject code
Check my MSW code on WhatsAppThis tool is guidance from ignouproject.com, not an IGNOU rule. Using it creates no obligation to order anything.
Year II Run From 19 December Coming Up?
MSW-007, MSW-008, MSW-009 and MSW-017 fall on four exam days in a row. One message on WhatsApp covers every code.
₹49 PDF · ₹100 printed, per subject code
Order Year II MSW setsFinding IGNOU’s Own MSW Papers and the Official Sheet
IGNOU’s own MSW papers are free on ignou.ac.in, listed by session on its question-paper page, and the date sheet is posted under the Student Evaluation Division notices. Four checks keep a learner on the right file.
- Pick the session. The December 2025 list carries 24 MSW-related files, nineteen MSW codes from MSW-001 to MSW-032 and five MSWE electives. The June 2026 list held no MSW file on 19 October 2026.
- Read page 1. Confirm the session and the course code printed at the top; older papers sit in archive folders named MSW-MSW-C, which hold MSW and MSW (Counselling) papers together.
- Expect two languages. MSW papers print the English half first and the Hindi half after it, in one file of eight to ten pages.
- Check the sheet’s printed date. The December 2026 sheet now in force is dated 5 October 2026 and is still marked tentative.
The IGNOU last year paper guide walks through the download screens, and the IGNOU date sheet explainer shows how to read a sheet’s morning and evening columns.
Hall Ticket Before the Run, Marks and Re-evaluation After It
The hall ticket is the document to check first, because it prints the centre and the slot for every paper. The IGNOU hall ticket guide explains what it shows, and the hall ticket download steps cover the enrolment-number screen.
After the last paper, three records matter. Assignment marks appear on the IGNOU assignment result and grade card page; term-end results are covered on the IGNOU result page, and the June 2026 result page shows how the last cycle’s results were released. A learner unhappy with a term-end mark can follow the re-evaluation process. When both years are done, the final grade card guide and the IGNOU CGPA calculator help with the degree record.
Beyond the Revision Set: Assignments, Books and Notes for MSW
Most MSW learners also need assignments and reading material, and each has its own page. IGNOU solved assignments cover the ten theory papers, the MSW handwritten assignment page explains the handwritten service, and IGNOU guide books online and IGNOU help books suit learners who prefer a printed summary.
Learners taking the dissertation in place of a Year II elective will find it on the MSWP-001 project page.
Hindi or English for MSW, and the Cycle Each Set Targets
English and Hindi are both examination media for the MSW: the July 2026 Common Prospectus lists both as the medium of instruction, and every MSW paper compared prints an English half and a Hindi half in one file. Each set is prepared for the upcoming term-end examination, in every medium IGNOU examines that course in, and the medium for your course code is confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay.
That matters most for the electives. Where a learner is unsure whether IGNOU sets a particular elective, such as MSWE-010 Social Work in African Context, in Hindi, the medium is confirmed against IGNOU’s paper on WhatsApp before payment. Hindi-medium learners writing assignments as well can use the IGNOU assignment in Hindi guide.
Sets on this page are for the December 2026 term-end examination. A learner sitting in June 2027 should ask for the June 2027 set, which is prepared against the papers IGNOU publishes after December 2026.
Rates, Courier and the WhatsApp Steps for an MSW Order
₹49 PDF · ₹100 printed, per subject code
The rate is ₹49 per subject code for a solved guess paper as a PDF, or ₹100 per subject code as a printed copy. Printed copies carry a one-time courier charge of ₹100 per order, whatever the number of subject codes; the PDF has no courier charge.
The PDF is shared on WhatsApp once payment is confirmed. A printed copy is dispatched the next day after payment is confirmed, and the courier details are shared on WhatsApp. No arrival date is promised, because transit time depends on the courier and your location.
There is no minimum order: one subject or ten, same rate per format. Three Year I compulsory codes therefore cost ₹147 as PDFs, or ₹300 printed plus the one-time ₹100 courier charge, ₹400 in all.
- Send your MSW course codes, such as MSW-001 and MSW-002, to +91 93546 37830 on WhatsApp.
- Say whether you sit the paper in English or Hindi, and whether you want the PDF or a printed copy.
- Receive the total, including the one-time courier charge for a printed order, and pay.
- Receive the PDF on WhatsApp, or the courier details once the printed copy is dispatched.
Rates for every other service on the site are on the services and charges page.
Sources, Dates and Limits Behind This MSW Page
This page keeps three kinds of material apart. IGNOU’s documents supply the facts: the July 2026 Common Prospectus for codes, titles, credits and medium, IGNOU’s question papers for patterns and themes, the tentative December 2026 date sheet for dates, and the 2025-26 assignment booklets for weightage. The theme counts, the word-budget arithmetic and the ten-day plan are ignouproject.com’s own analysis of those documents. The rates, formats and dispatch terms are the publisher’s commercial terms and are not IGNOU’s.
Limits, stated plainly: the theme tables cover four codes, not all sixteen; topic matching is a judgement; the date sheet is tentative; and IGNOU had not posted June 2026 MSW papers by 19 October 2026. The prospectus is summarised on the IGNOU prospectus page.
Questions MSW Learners Send Before the Exam
Yes. ignouproject.com prepares IGNOU MSW guess papers per course code for the December 2026 term-end examination, which runs for the MSW from 2 to 26 December 2026 on the tentative sheet. Each set covers one code, such as MSW-001, at ₹49 for the PDF or ₹100 printed, plus a one-time ₹100 courier charge per printed order.
From December 2022 to December 2025, MSW-001 asked about open and distance learning in social work, social action and social case work in all five papers, and MSW-002 put Gandhian social work in question 2 all five times. MSW-007 asked about recording and counselling in all four papers from June 2023. Repetition guides revision; it is no promise.
IGNOU posts MSW question papers free on ignou.ac.in, listed by session on its question-paper page. The December 2025 list carries 24 MSW-related files, from MSW-001 to MSWE-010, with older papers on IGNOU’s webservices archive. On 19 October 2026 no June 2026 MSW paper was listed, so December 2025 is the latest MSW session.
Use both, in that order. MSW previous year papers are free and show the real five-question layout, which has stayed the same since at least June 2018. A guess paper adds model answers for the recurring themes at 600, 300, 150 and 100 words, which saves time when the exam is close.
Every IGNOU MSW paper compared, from MSW-001 to MSW-017, is 3 hours and 100 marks with five questions of 20 marks. Questions 1 and 2 offer an OR choice and allow up to 600 words; question 3 asks any two of four, question 4 any four of six, and question 5 any five of eight short notes.
The MSW papers of the December 2026 term-end examination run from MSW-001 on Wednesday 2 December to MSWE-002 on Saturday 26 December 2026, per IGNOU’s tentative date sheet dated 5 October 2026. Year I compulsory papers fall on 2, 3 and 4 December, and Year II compulsory papers on 19, 21, 22 and 23 December.
Yes, for codes IGNOU examines in Hindi. The July 2026 Common Prospectus lists English and Hindi as the MSW medium, and the MSW papers compared print an English half and a Hindi half in one file. The medium for each code is confirmed on WhatsApp before payment, and no medium IGNOU does not examine is offered.
An IGNOU MSW guess paper is priced per course code. The rate is ₹49 per subject code for a solved guess paper as a PDF, or ₹100 per subject code as a printed copy. Printed copies carry a one-time courier charge of ₹100 per order, whatever the number of subject codes; the PDF has no courier charge.
No one outside IGNOU knows the December 2026 MSW questions, and no claim is made that any question in a set will appear. A set is built from IGNOU’s past MSW papers and the syllabus, so it helps a learner revise the themes IGNOU has asked before, at the right length.
IGNOU’s MSW papers set the lengths themselves: up to 600 words for questions 1 and 2, about 300 words for each question 3 answer, about 150 for each question 4 answer and about 100 for each short note in question 5. That is roughly 2,900 words in a 3-hour paper.
For five codes, yes. The July 2026 Common Prospectus lists MSW-001, MSW-002, MSW-005, MSW-008 and MSW-009 in the first year of both the MSW and the MSW (Counselling), so learners of both programmes sit the same papers on the same dates. MSW (Counselling) Year II codes are separate.
Start with the themes IGNOU asked in every compared paper of your codes, write one outline for each 600-word theme, then practise the 150-word and 100-word blocks. Write one full past paper in 170 minutes. Year I papers on 2, 3 and 4 December run back to back, so finish MSW-005 early.
Printed MSW copies go out the day after payment. The PDF is shared on WhatsApp once payment is confirmed. A printed copy is dispatched the next day after payment is confirmed, and the courier details are shared on WhatsApp. No arrival date is promised, because transit time depends on the courier and your location.
No; MSW codes can be ordered one at a time. There is no minimum order: one subject or ten, same rate per format. Codes cost ₹49 as PDFs or ₹100 printed, plus one ₹100 courier charge per printed order.
The tables here follow the July 2026 Common Prospectus, which does not list MSW-010, MSW-011 or MSW-031. IGNOU still sets papers for them: MSW-011 is on 1 December and MSW-031 on 9 December 2026 on the tentative sheet. Ask on WhatsApp whether a set exists before paying.
No. ignouproject.com is an independent IGNOU study-support publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or authorised by Indira Gandhi National Open University. Facts here come from IGNOU’s own linked documents, but only ignou.ac.in and your Regional Centre can confirm your position.
Send the MSW course codes, your medium and your choice of PDF or printed copy to +91 93546 37830 on WhatsApp. The total is confirmed before payment; the PDF is shared once payment is confirmed, and a printed copy is dispatched the next day after payment.
Important Notice
ignouproject.com is an independent IGNOU study-support publisher. It is not the official website of Indira Gandhi National Open University, is not affiliated with, endorsed by or authorised by the university, and no page on this site should be treated as an official IGNOU communication.
Programme structures, course codes, examination dates, question-paper patterns and rules change, and only ignou.ac.in and your Regional Centre can confirm the current position for your enrolment.
A guess paper is a revision aid built from past IGNOU question papers and the syllabus. No one outside IGNOU knows the questions in advance, and no claim is made that any question in this set will appear in your examination.
Study the official IGNOU material for every course you are sitting; a guess paper supplements that material and does not replace it.
No claim is made about the marks you will receive, about how an evaluator will assess your answers, or about your result. Examination and evaluation are entirely a matter for IGNOU.
MSW-001 Opens the Cycle on 2 December 2026
Ten theory papers, one layout, and themes IGNOU has asked again and again. Send your codes and medium to start.
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