EPPP practice test scores for those who passed

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QClinician

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Hello all. I am scheduled to take the EPPP in three weeks. I am scoring in the high 60s to mid 70s on all my practice tests (I have recently been taking two a week). What were other people scoring before they passed the real exam? Also, the practice tests I am using are academic review.

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Well if it encourages anyone.... I studied for about a week and a half intensely and didn't do much else to prepare....took the test two weeks ago. I have also been out of school for a LONG time...graduated in 2008. Got the email that online score was available so of course went and checked it... online it give no information but you name, date taken (for me March 5th 2012) and your scaled score. They say anything over 500 scaled score is passing.....I was well over 500. I have not got the letter in the mail yet...so am hoping that info in accurate (please tell me if its not!). Also....I was NOT passing any of the practice tests...took four...got in the low 60s on all of them. So I for one can say... the practice tests are not really the best indicator for if you are going to pass the actual exam...and don't be discrouaged if you are failing them (I know I was but took it anyway and I am glad I did). Also, don't be discouraged if you have not studied the insane amount of hours and MONTHS so many people claim they have. I can honestly say... I don't know that it would have made a bit of difference if I had studied for months.....or a week very intensely. I'm confused why people prepare for so long or put so much into the practice tests results. Don't get me wrong, its good to run through a few practice tests to get an idea of the questions...especially the ethics ones...but some people say they did 8 or even 10 of them and are passing them in the 80s....that seems a bit OVER KILL... so I wouldn't be intimadated if you are not near that level of OVER preparation. Just extra stress that is unecessary trying to achieve that.
 
Consistently, I have heard that the practice tests underestimate your score. I scored like you have been scoring on the practice tests and ended up with like an 84 on the real thing.

A side note...when you complete the test, it is likely that you will have no sense of how you did. That doesn't mean anything. :)

Lots of luck!
Dr. E
 
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-Max practice test score from the test company was 72%(first pass)
-Retired test questions was an 82%
-Online PEEP was a 550

Real score was higher than all of those. Practice materials definitely understimate true performance.
 
Wow! Congrats to all. This gives me hope. Seems like people got their scores 2 weeks after the test. That's quick.
 
It sounds like the EPPP seems "easier" than practice tests? I have to admit, scores on the practice tests are quite demoralizing upon the first go.
 
I've heard that it underestimates your EPPP score.
 
Nothing says fun like bombing the first practice exam....though it is good motivation to study. :D

yea! well i have one more week left, and I've been studying since January (psychprep) due to being insanely busy with postdoc.

I've heard that no one really knows if they pass after taking it, and that it always feels like you failed. Which is really great news! *insert sarcasm* :rolleyes:
 
I just took the EPPP at the end of March and had similar experiences to others on this thread. I used PsychPrep's materials, my highest practice test score (first pass) was 145/200 and I passed the EPPP with a considerably higher percentage than that.

For the record, I also walked out of the test feeling like I had *probably* passed (I spent the last hour and a half reviewing my answers and putting them into categories (a) I know this for sure, (b) I feel mostly confident about this, (c) got the answer down to 50/50, and (d) no clue). That said, the test was NOT fun and I was certainly not confident of my over all score.

Remember though, that on the real test there are 50 questions that don't count toward your score. I also found it really helpful that on the real test you could cross out answer choices that were definitely wrong.

Take a look at the ASPPB guide to the EPPP regarding scores. Scores are sent to each jurisdiction twice a month. People who take the test the 1st through the 15th have their scores sent by about the 20th, and people in the last half of the month have their scores reported by the 5th of the next month. That means if you want to get your scores back with the shortest time lag, take the exam on the 15th or the last day of the month. Also know that different jurisdictions report scores differently. Some release the scores online, others send a formal letter...that will influence the the time lag too.
 
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70 percents on practice tests. ~95% on actual test. This is somewhat typical of me. Like Allen Iverson, "We talkin' bout practice?"
I need a little more arousal on the old Yerkes Dodson curve

LOL @ the Allen Iverson reference. We need a little swag in psychology. ;-)

I also took several old practice tests from test companies scoring around 70-75%, retired questions at 85%, and did higher on the real thing.

The old practice tests are much harder than the real thing, so ignore them as a predictor. The retired questions should be a good guide.
 
LOL @ the Allen Iverson reference. We need a little swag in psychology. ;-)

I also took several old practice tests from test companies scoring around 70-75%, retired questions at 85%, and did higher on the real thing.

The old practice tests are much harder than the real thing, so ignore them as a predictor. The retired questions should be a good guide.

I am studying and am going to take it in a month or two. I got materials from a few different sources, and that has included some drastically different practice tests (in terms of difficulty). Some practice tests seem to be based on prior exam questions, and my scores sound similar to what others have gotten. Then I took some other practice tests that seem more of a study process and were brutally hard. I think the idea was to get people to study through taking the tests, but man, they asked questions like "what was the effect size from this 1968 meta analysis" and I hadn't even heard of the paper. It was demoralizing!
 
Some of the old practice tests are ridiculous. I think I was scoring around 60-65% on some of the older and more difficult ones, and I just quit taking them because the questions were so specific or not even covered in the prep materials. Don't use the practice exams as a prognostic indicator of your real score.

Just review the major areas, take a few practice exams to practice test-taking strategy, and if you're scoring well on the retired questions, take the real thing.
 
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You might check the EPPP yahoo site. I think selling access to the exams on online is highly discouraged by the test maker. On a side note, it is not only unethical but illegal to sell test items from the EPPP from the exam you take according to the study material.
 
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Just an update: I took the exam a few weeks ago and passed with flying colors :) I was scoring about 65-68% on the PsychPrep Practice Exams. I was able to snag a copy of the retired test questions that used to be sold for $75 and it was quite comparable to the score I received on that test. For me, I studied for 4 months and feel pretty satisfied with the time I spent...
 
yea! well i have one more week left, and I've been studying since January (psychprep) due to being insanely busy with postdoc.

I've heard that no one really knows if they pass after taking it, and that it always feels like you failed. Which is really great news! *insert sarcasm* :rolleyes:
yeah, i was pretty convinced i'd failed....

my practice test scores were consistently in the 60s and then eventually i broke the 70% barrier once or twice. my eppp score far exceeded that.
 
Just an update: I took the exam a few weeks ago and passed with flying colors :) I was scoring about 65-68% on the PsychPrep Practice Exams. I was able to snag a copy of the retired test questions that used to be sold for $75 and it was quite comparable to the score I received on that test. For me, I studied for 4 months and feel pretty satisfied with the time I spent...
congrats to you!
 
This information is super reassuring as I am taking the EPPP soon. I finally made above a 70% on psychprep. Anyone else using Taylor Method? Finding that my scores on these exams to be in the 80's and most of my scores on psychprep (first pass) are in the 60's.
 
] they asked questions like "what was the effect size from this 1968 meta analysis" and I hadn't even heard of the paper. It was demoralizing!

You've got to be ****ting me. Are there really questions like that on the EPPP itself?
 
You've got to be ****ting me. Are there really questions like that on the EPPP itself?

No, I think I just got some ridiculous study materials. Better to be overprepped, I guess?

I stopped using those tests and am mostly focused on the reading materials now. Some prep courses give you readings with short quizzes throughout and those are a little easier to digest in smaller doses over time.
 
My favorite question (now have seen it twice from two difference test companies) are about cataplexy and synthesia. Really? I think the prevalence of synthesia is 25,000 people-guessing will not be seeing that in my office anytime soon. It may take lots of time relaxing with a cold drink to return to my pre-EPPP brain.
 
I had a question that referenced the "significant literature on transgender issues in a Mexican population", and it asked about what was the most supportive scenario for family therapy. Nuts.
 
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My favorite question (now have seen it twice from two difference test companies) are about cataplexy and synthesia. Really? I think the prevalence of synthesia is 25,000 people-guessing will not be seeing that in my office anytime soon. It may take lots of time relaxing with a cold drink to return to my pre-EPPP brain.
i had those two in my study materials too! luckily, i already knew what they were because i watch a lot of tv! lol...
 
Thanks!! one question that really annoyed me in the study materials was Cuento therapy. WTF? there are just ridiculous questions in that test...but hey, once it's over, it's OVER!
 
Taking EPPP tomorrow. Score on psych prep E 75% and TSM 81%. Repeat psych prep scores in the 90's. Really hoping I will pass the first time...
 
Taking EPPP tomorrow. Score on psych prep E 75% and TSM 81%. Repeat psych prep scores in the 90's. Really hoping I will pass the first time...
good luck! i bet you'll do great!
 
I studied 5 weeks about 2 hours daily during the week and every waking hour on the weekends using Academic Review books. I also used AATBS study flashmaster. I took the PEPPPO to assess my readiness and got a 550. I got much higher on the actual EPPP. Hope this helps.
 
What practice tests were you taking and how much did it cost to get access to them?
 
how much were the materials you used for psychprep
 
what practice exams did you use and how much did they cost?
 
AATBS, retired practice questions, and randoml practice exams that got passed down from prior years of interns and fellows. The full package of exam material seems like overkill, but some people do better with certain types of review. I found the most helpful aides to be the online and paper exams that provide test question rationale and are broken up into sections so you know exactly how you I'd in each subject area.

Some people take JSs cram/review approach, others do more for longer, and others do a combo. I did a peer study group that focused on self-study...the group was to keep everyone on track, but we did little more than score our exams and review a handful of tricky questions. Most of the time was spent breaking down sections to review, and also eating dinner (we rotated who hosted).
 
did you take it yet, t4c?
 
did you take it yet, t4c?

Yup...I finally got around to taking it. I am *not* a fan of the waiting game though. I'm trying to nail down a faculty position, handle my regular clinical duties, analyze some data I've been putting off for months, and squeeze in sleep every once in awhile. I would like to burn the large stack of study material that is currently sitting on top of my wine fridge, but I need to wait until I'm official. This is the downside of waiting ~2 yrs to do it....
 
oh man, that was the WORST part! i wanted to offload those materials and begin suppressing the memories! lol...im sure you rocked it!
 
I've been using a cheap little app on Android. You can set the range of questions depending on how much time you have. So if I have 10 mins here and there, I take a short 5-10 question test, and then whatever I get wrong I can see, register, and store for later review. A colleague used the same thing and did pretty well.

after about 2 weeks of using it, I'm averaging percentiles of 70s and 80s.
 
what's the app? i have a few friends that i think would LOVE something like that.
 
Score on PsychPrep E - 70, although I took it when I was exhausted
Score on TSM practice tests - varied between 73 and 80
Score on AATBS - hovered between 60 and 70
Score on the practice test you can order online from the EPPP people - 74
Actual score - close, but higher than highest TSM score
Time to receive scores - 26 days
Study time - about three months


GLAD IT'S OVER! If you're using TSM, that was the test that had the most predictive value for me and I felt had questions that were closest to what I actually saw on the exam. I think AATBS is a nerve-racking waste of time; I could have taken the test I think months before I actually took it but was freaked out by how poorly I did on those. I say scrap those and go with PsychPrep or TSM. I was lucky enough to get TSM paid for though my job, but I think it's worth it either way because it's well organized and easy to work though, and easy to see where your status is. It's even a bit fun, because of the web interface and the quiz questions. The cost in its own way, if it gets you to pass, is worth it because you'll end up paying that much to retake the exam.
good luck everyone!
 
Score on PsychPrep E - 70, although I took it when I was exhausted
Score on TSM practice tests - varied between 73 and 80
Score on AATBS - hovered between 60 and 70
Score on the practice test you can order online from the EPPP people - 74
Actual score - close, but higher than highest TSM score
Time to receive scores - 26 days
Study time - about three months


GLAD IT'S OVER! If you're using TSM, that was the test that had the most predictive value for me and I felt had questions that were closest to what I actually saw on the exam. I think AATBS is a nerve-racking waste of time; I could have taken the test I think months before I actually took it but was freaked out by how poorly I did on those. I say scrap those and go with PsychPrep or TSM. I was lucky enough to get TSM paid for though my job, but I think it's worth it either way because it's well organized and easy to work though, and easy to see where your status is. It's even a bit fun, because of the web interface and the quiz questions. The cost in its own way, if it gets you to pass, is worth it because you'll end up paying that much to retake the exam.
good luck everyone!
congrats on passing!

but hold on...you didnt get your score for 26 days?!?! good lord, i wouldve gone insane!!
 
I did feel insane - every day at the mailbox. I took it on the 2nd, so that was my mistake, if you want your scores faster take the test just before the first or just before the fifteenth. Because I had to wait until the fifteenth for them to release the scores and then the time it took the board to turn them around to me... ugh
 
I'll be the first to say that I didn't really prepare as hard as I should have, but I still passed. I'm generally a good test taker, and got pretty high scores on the SAT/ACT/GRE.

Took 3 practice tests, never got to a 70. Passed with an 80.

I listened to old audio files for a couple of months while commuting, then studied Academic Review materials intensely for about two weeks. "intensely" means maybe about 2 hours per day, and probably 6 hours per day on weekends. Writing out notes and their materials have mini quizzes for each section with simulated exam questions.

Now I must say, I was nervous as heck afterwards, but my preparation was adequate. I probably would have felt more confident about passing (and done better) if I had studied harder, but I have no regrets and was able to keep teaching/publishing on top of my postdoc instead of worrying about this pointless test. In fact, teaching was really helpful and I felt it helped prepare me for the test.

I suggest taking it right before the 1st or 15th if you don't want to wait long. I waited 3 weeks for my scores, but did know I passed before I got the scores as I was listed on my state's website as licensed.
 
I wanted to mention one other thing that I noticed about the EPPP. There are 50 experimental questions on there (and 175 real ones). I'm not sure if they were real items or experimental items, but I noticed a couple of typos within questions on the form I was administered.

It was pretty distracting to me, actually. While it didn't necessarily change the answer I would give, it did require me to re-read a couple of times to ensure I comprehended the question correctly. After-the-fact, I find it kind of insulting considering how much money we spend on the stupid test. Their rates are also going up in the near future, I think by another $200 per administration (currently $450 plus other associated testing and state fees).
 
i also noticed a few typos and am still quite indignant about how much money the whole ordeal cost....

i also recall a question or two that i honestly could not link to the practice of psychology. there were at least two questions that i stared at for like 5 minutes because i couldnt even place it in one of the categories! i assume those were experimental questions...
 
Hello, all! I would love to revive this thread, because I'm right in the middle of this EPPP waiting game! I'm 18 days post-exam and I haven't received a thing yet from the state (NY) as far as reporting back my score. I, too, have heard of state websites posting licensed psychologists, but what if you haven't finished post-doc hours yet? Would the state post you on that website yet, even if you passed eppp? I haven't been listed on there yet, so I'm trying to find reasons why I wouldn't be on there to give me hope! Can't believe it takes this long!
 
Hello, all! I would love to revive this thread, because I'm right in the middle of this EPPP waiting game! I'm 18 days post-exam and I haven't received a thing yet from the state (NY) as far as reporting back my score. I, too, have heard of state websites posting licensed psychologists, but what if you haven't finished post-doc hours yet? Would the state post you on that website yet, even if you passed eppp? I haven't been listed on there yet, so I'm trying to find reasons why I wouldn't be on there to give me hope! Can't believe it takes this long!

I am not familiar with how it goes in NY, but I waited 3 full weeks. Considering it is the 7th of the month, I'd contact the state licensing board to see if you can get an answer. But it may be in the mail right away. Some states used the online system for score reporting as well.

If your state requires postdoc hours and they aren't done yet, you probably won't show up on their site as licensed (some states i hear show components on your own personal account login such as "EPPP - passed" "Jurisprudence - Not complete"). But you should still get your scores.
 
Waiting game sucks! I'm way too hypervigilant with my smartphone right now, checking for emails.

In response to the original question... I think that the practice tests are a good way to start studying content information; however, when I took the test, I did not feel as though the actual EPPP was well represented by the practice tests. There was a good chunk of the actual test that I did not see anywhere in the study materials. I was, however, using materials from 2009-2010.

The first few practice tests you take will feel very demoralizing, but what I did was made flash cards of every question I missed with the question on the front and the explanation on the back. I reviewed all those flash cards until I got them 100% correct and then went to the next test. Some of the tests and some of the items are completely contradictory to other items - don't be too discouraged by that. After taking more practice tests than I'd like to admit (well into the double digits), I was scoring between 89.5 and 99.5% consistently. Even so, I did not feel confident after I finished the actual test.
 
Waiting game sucks! I'm way too hypervigilant with my smartphone right now, checking for emails.

In response to the original question... I think that the practice tests are a good way to start studying content information; however, when I took the test, I did not feel as though the actual EPPP was well represented by the practice tests. There was a good chunk of the actual test that I did not see anywhere in the study materials. I was, however, using materials from 2009-2010.

The first few practice tests you take will feel very demoralizing, but what I did was made flash cards of every question I missed with the question on the front and the explanation on the back. I reviewed all those flash cards until I got them 100% correct and then went to the next test. Some of the tests and some of the items are completely contradictory to other items - don't be too discouraged by that. After taking more practice tests than I'd like to admit (well into the double digits), I was scoring between 89.5 and 99.5% consistently. Even so, I did not feel confident after I finished the actual test.

If you did that well on the practice tests, I'd imagine that you are just fine. I don't think anyone leaves the test feeling confident :cool:

Heck, I passed and I never even passed a practice test!
 
Just an update to anyone following this thread, I passed with a score well well above 500. I was definitely not that confident after the test... I am guessing that a lot of my concerns were probably related to the 50 experimental items!

My main source of studying was reading the PsychPrep (once through) materials and taking a lot of practice tests from AR. I studied all of the explanations for the questions that I missed or wasn't sure of. I studied hard for 4 weeks. Don't be discouraged by poor performance on practice tests, just use those to learn concepts and theorists and you'll improve.

Highest score on practice test: 99%
Score on Practice EPPP Online taken 11 days before actual EPPP: 520
EPPP Score: Well well above that!
 
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Just an update to anyone following this thread, I passed with a score well well above 500. I was definitely not that confident after the test... I am guessing that a lot of my concerns were probably related to the 50 experimental items!

My main source of studying was reading the PsychPrep (once through) materials and taking a lot of practice tests from AR. I studied all of the explanations for the questions that I missed or wasn't sure of. I studied hard for 4 weeks. Don't be discouraged by poor performance on practice tests, just use those to learn concepts and theorists and you'll improve.

Highest score on practice test: 99%
Score on Practice EPPP Online taken 11 days before actual EPPP: 520
EPPP Score: Well well above that!

I got my score online 9 calendar days after the test. I only used PsychPrep. I never reviewed the entire binder but found the practice tests to be very helpful. I think PsychPrep alone is definitely enough if you're aiming for a 500+. My score was 700+.
 
Just took the EPPP. I thought the test items were worded poorly and ambiguously. We'll c how I do. I think I had a caffeine induced panic attach about 2/3 way through as well. Haha. Ayyy.
 
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