In order to be licensed or certified as a psychologist in the United States or Canada, one must pass the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology.
This examination has been developed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards to help local boards evaluate the knowledge of candidate’s for certification or licensure. EPPP preparation can be difficult.
The EPPP exam has different sections:
- The Biological Bases of Behavior section assesses knowledge of biological and neural bases of behavior; psychopharmacology; and the methodologies supporting this body of knowledge.
- The section on Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior assesses knowledge of cognition and its neural bases; the theories and empirical bases of learning, memory, motivation, affect, emotion, and executive function; and the factors that influence cognitive performance and/or emotional experience.
- The Social and Multicultural Bases of Behavior section evaluates knowledge of intrapersonal, interpersonal, intragroup, and intergroup processes and dynamics; theories of personality; and issues in diversity.
- The section on Growth and Lifespan Development assesses knowledge of age-appropriate development across the lifespan; atypical patterns of development; and the protective and risk factors that influence developmental outcomes for individuals.
- The Assessment and Diagnosis section evaluates knowledge of psychometrics; assessment models and instruments; assessment methods for initial status of and change by individuals, couples, families, groups, and organizations/systems; and diagnostic classification systems and their limitations.
- The section on Treatment, Intervention, and Prevention assesses knowledge of individual, couple, family, group, organizational, or community interventions for specific concerns/disorders in diverse populations; intervention and prevention theories; best practices; and consultation models and processes.
- The section on Research Methods and Statistics evaluates knowledge of research design, methodology, and program evaluation; instrument selection and validation; and statistical models, assumptions, and procedures.
- Finally, the section on Ethical, Legal, and Professional Issues assesses knowledge of codes of ethics; professional standards for practice; legal mandates and restrictions; guidelines for ethical decision-making; and professional training and supervision.
Choosing EPPP prep and EPPP preparation materials can be a challenging task. EPPP flashcards are a good source of EPPP prep information.The EPPP consists of 225 multiple-choice questions; 25 of these are pretest questions, which are used to develop future versions of the exam and are not graded.
Score is determined by the number of questions answered correctly, so candidates should guess when they are unsure about an item. The raw score (number of questions answered correctly) is converted into a score on a scale of 200 to 800. The ASPPB has set 500 as the minimum passing score.
Scores are relayed by the test administrator to the relevant jurisdiction, which is then responsible for informing the candidate.
The EPPP is administered by Prometric at locations around the United States and Canada; prospective test-takers should visit the Prometric website. Although the exam is typically administered via computer, in areas where this format is not available it will be administered with pencil and paper.