EPPP practice test scores for those who passed

[belibala]

Hi everyone!

I also wanted to chime in on this thread now that I'm done. This thread helped me a lot in terms of gauging how much I needed to study and it was also helpful hearing about other people's success stories and study habits!

I ended up studying for roughly ~60 hours (i.e., 3 weeks) and I passed the NY cutoff of 75 with a sizeable margin. My main goal was to study for the least amount of time possible and still pass. I was lucky enough to have the psychprep audios, chapter notes, and both psychprep and ATTBS practice exams handed down to me, so I also did not spend much money on other materials- except for a EPPP app (~$30) that was based on the fundamentals book. Out of all of these materials, I would say the audio recordings were most helpful to me and especially the KEYTERMS audio where she spends two hours reviewing the main key terms. I listened and reviewed these key terms in the final few days leading up to the exam.

Background:
Ph.D in clinical psychology with high program pass rate (90%+)
Psyc GRE was an entrance requirement for my program. Personally, I felt that many of the EPPP material were the same foundational materials I studied for in my psych GRE. The main difference was that the EPPP focused more on application-type questions, rather than straightforward facts. Many of the mnemonics I used to learn the brain and developmental stages for the psych GRE were still useful for EPPP. I'm not sure if other people feel that the psych GRE was also similar in materials, so let me know if this was true for you!

1) ATTBS exam A: 64% (This was my baseline)
2) Psych prep A-E: I did these 'passively' (i.e., I was watching reruns and completing 50q at a time)- I DID NOT SCORE ABOVE 60% EVER.
3) Retired questions: 70% (I think this was an overestimate- there were several questions I answered correctly not because I knew the answer, but because I remembered them from the other practice exams). I completed this the last weekend before my EPPP.

Despite never passing a practice exam, I scheduled my EPPP based on the average scores people got in this thread. It seems like the general trend is 60-70% and my thought was that if I'm testing with you guys, and we are all getting similar scores, then the exam will be scaled to reflect this. I'm not sure if this was a correct thought, but it was definitely a helpful thought! Furthermore, it was helpful to remind myself that while psychprep (and other training programs) are helpful tools, they also want to make money off of this, so it makes sense that their practice exams are much harder and why people rarely hit the 70% pass rate comfortably on those exams.

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[thankfulpsych]

Hi everyone!!

I found this thread to be so helpful over the past few months as I have been studying and freaking out over this horrible exam and I’m SOOO BEYOND HAPPY AND RELIEVED to report that I passed this morning!!!

I used AATBS to study. My initial assessment score before studying was 40% (please do not be discouraged, people…there is hope!!) I read through all 6 AATBS books and took all quizzes and practice exams. I took all domain quizzes twice; once after reading each domain and the second time after I finished all the readings. The first time I think I only passed 2 or 3 out of the 11 with higher than 70%, the second time around I passed mostly all of them with higher than 70%. My practice exam scores were the following:

First time (test-mode), second time (test-mode with randomized questions):

Exam 1: 66%, 77%
Exam 2: 65%, 78%
Exam 3: 60%, 80%
Exam 4: 60%, 77%
Exam 5: 55%, 80%
Exam 6: 63%, 85%
Exam 7: 59%, 83%
Exam 8: 65%, 84%

I took the second round of exams (one every day for 8 days) and finished a few days leading up to the exam date. Each time I completed an exam, I would review all the questions and answer explanations no matter if I got them right or wrong.

I also took the EPPP retired questions exam and both of the ASPPB official practice exams online. First one was taken 3 weeks before exam date, second one was taken 2 weeks before exam date. I also used the Behavioral Health app for the last month leading up to the exam.

EPPP retired questions exam: 68%

PEPPPO1: Fail
PEPPPO2: Pass

I’m generally a good test-taker and was pretty nervous during the exam for obvious reasons. On the white board that is provided, I wrote “you will pass” and referenced it a few times during the exam when my anxiety increased. I also reminded myself how much I did not want to have to go through this experience again. Both of these things allowed me to get back to focusing.

I hope this was helpful and good luck to everyone!!! You WILL pass!

 

[hopespringseternal]

Hi y’all, I appreciate the depth of wisdom being shared. I plan to take the test 3 months from now and am wondering if anyone can give me the quick and dirty on what the best materials to use are given the variability in responses on here…

1. I have old PsychPrep exams (A-E) and some retired questions. Is this enough?
2. Do you suggest purchasing one of these expensive prep programs? I can’t afford it right now but also can’t afford to retake the exam. What company did you feel reflected the actual questions on the exam?
3. Are there any mobile apps you recommend? Do you feel these are similar to actual test questions?
4. A lot of you are saying studying text books and study guides full of content are less useful than taking actual practice tests. Is this a correct assumption?
5. Audio files … who is Sharon and is she better than the other audios people are referring to?
6. Am I understanding correctly that there are some versions on test day that are harder than others? For example, some of you are saying that the actual exam is easier than practice tests but others are saying it is way harder.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughtful responses. Any pearls of wisdom as I embark on this journey are so appreciated.

 

[earnadegree123]

Hi y’all, I appreciate the depth of wisdom being shared. I plan to take the test 3 months from now and am wondering if anyone can give me the quick and dirty on what the best materials to use are given the variability in responses on here…

1. I have old PsychPrep exams (A-E) and some retired questions. Is this enough?
2. Do you suggest purchasing one of these expensive prep programs? I can’t afford it right now but also can’t afford to retake the exam. What company did you feel reflected the actual questions on the exam?
3. Are there any mobile apps you recommend? Do you feel these are similar to actual test questions?
4. A lot of you are saying studying text books and study guides full of content are less useful than taking actual practice tests. Is this a correct assumption?
5. Audio files … who is Sharon and is she better than the other audios people are referring to?
6. Am I understanding correctly that there are some versions on test day that are harder than others? For example, some of you are saying that the actual exam is easier than practice tests but others are saying it is way harder.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughtful responses. Any pearls of wisdom as I embark on this journey are so appreciated.

I can pipe in on a couple.

2. I just saw on FB that Prepjet is doing a sale for the basic version of their program. Something like 33% off, which is $100 per month.
6. Yes, this is right. To adjust for this, easier versions of the exam require more correct responses to reach a scaled score of 500 and harder versions require fewer correct responses to reach 500.

 

[foreverbull]

Hi y’all, I appreciate the depth of wisdom being shared. I plan to take the test 3 months from now and am wondering if anyone can give me the quick and dirty on what the best materials to use are given the variability in responses on here…

1. I have old PsychPrep exams (A-E) and some retired questions. Is this enough?
2. Do you suggest purchasing one of these expensive prep programs? I can’t afford it right now but also can’t afford to retake the exam. What company did you feel reflected the actual questions on the exam?
3. Are there any mobile apps you recommend? Do you feel these are similar to actual test questions?
4. A lot of you are saying studying text books and study guides full of content are less useful than taking actual practice tests. Is this a correct assumption?
5. Audio files … who is Sharon and is she better than the other audios people are referring to?
6. Am I understanding correctly that there are some versions on test day that are harder than others? For example, some of you are saying that the actual exam is easier than practice tests but others are saying it is way harder.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughtful responses. Any pearls of wisdom as I embark on this journey are so appreciated.

This is a lot to try to answer. I have answered many EPPP study questions over time that are similar to your questions, so I’d suggest searching my profile and posting history in this thread for most of the answers to your questions, although I can’t speak to apps.

 

[texanpsychdoc]

My degree was conferred 08/14/2021, I studied from 08/01/2021 to 11/11/2021 and took the EPPP on 11/12/2021. At first, I used the Academic Review program for like 2 weeks but found out my university purchased a 9-month subscription to ATSSB's materials, so I switched with that instead. Interestingly, my internship DCT forwarded me some ad-hoc materials they used to study from PsychPrep, including some really good audio files. Basically, I would listen to the audio files on my drive to work in the mornings for 40 minutes, then came home and did a lot of practice quizzes every day in the ATSSB program. I took probably 10-15 practice tests along the way trying to improve my score (I think my baseline was a 60). I also took both versions of the PEPPO and passed both. I studied mostly every day throughout the week but had some slip-ups where I was just so exhausted from work. I rarely studied on the weekends (maybe spent an hour on a Sunday once or twice). I took my EPPP and got a 580. I remember the week prior I took a practice exam while I was at work (I blocked out my schedule to do this) so that I could mimic the testing condition as much as possible (my exam was scheduled for 8AM). The morning of my exam I kept to my routine like I always did,; I usually had a cup of coffee in the mornings, so I stuck with that, I also would eat my breakfast sandwich exactly at 6:55AM, so I kept that to ensure my stomach felt the same way it had been in times past. I focused my efforts on areas that had the most weight on the exam, especially areas I was out of touch with and was scoring consistently below 70 on the quizzes and tests. I did not approach this test attempting to re-hash 5 years of graduate school; I used a lot of good test-taking strategies to eliminate improbable answer choices and took some best guesses on several. I also set a reasonable expectation for myself and gave myself permission to bomb certain domains.

 

[hum1]

Hi, I have a question about the practice exams results.

From reading this thread it sounds that most people are ok with results in the 60s % and bellow 70%.

However, isn't it necessary to have at least 70% in the EPPP to pass the exam? So why are people passing with test exams results in the 60s %? Are the practice tests more difficult than the EPPP?

 

[WisNeuro]

Hi, I have a question about the practice exams results.

From reading this thread it sounds that most people are ok with results in the 60s % and bellow 70%.

However, isn't it necessary to have at least 70% in the EPPP to pass the exam? So why are people passing with test exams results in the 60s %? Are the practice tests more difficult than the EPPP?

Some, I used Academic Review and found the actual exam to be much easier than the practice tests. This was like a decade ago, so, not sure how materials have changed in the meantime.

 

[foreverbull]

Hi, I have a question about the practice exams results.

From reading this thread it sounds that most people are ok with results in the 60s % and bellow 70%.

However, isn't it necessary to have at least 70% in the EPPP to pass the exam? So why are people passing with test exams results in the 60s %? Are the practice tests more difficult than the EPPP?

The practice exams tend to be extremely difficult from some companies like AATBS, Psychprep, etc. People generally tend to report scores in the 50s-60s and occasionally in the 70s while still passing the EPPP afterward. Raw scores on the practice tests aren’t necessarily an indicator of readiness—-improvement in scores at all over time is a better indicator. Retired questions are probably a better indicator of readiness, which practice material companies don’t provide.

Test/practice material companies make a lot of money off of anxiety; something to keep in mind as a possible factor involved in making sure scores on practice exams stay lower than what would be expected for high achievers.

 

[Futurephd101]

I am a few days away from taking the exam. I have been doing well on the AATBS practice tests, passed the retired test (74%), and passed the PEPPO last week. I was feeling pretty good about my abilities until I took Test E which I completely bombed (did not meet the target). That completely destroyed my confidence. While I’m trying not to let that one test impact my motivation and overall confidence, but I cannot help but look at others results from these threads and think I am not where I need to be. I plan on taking PEPPO 2 just to boost my confidence tomorrow, review my notes, and look at why I keep missing items. Anyone else have any feedback or words of encouragement?!

 

[foreverbull]

I am a few days away from taking the exam. I have been doing well on the AATBS practice tests, passed the retired test (74%), and passed the PEPPO last week. I was feeling pretty good about my abilities until I took Test E which I completely bombed (did not meet the target). That completely destroyed my confidence. While I’m trying not to let that one test impact my motivation and overall confidence, but I cannot help but look at others results from these threads and think I am not where I need to be. I plan on taking PEPPO 2 just to boost my confidence tomorrow, review my notes, and look at why I keep missing items. Anyone else have any feedback or words of encouragement?!

Yes, you got this! Don’t let your anxiety make you doubt yourself. If you passed the PEPPO, you can’t get any closer to the EPPP test item language than that so that’s a good indicator of readiness. Do whatever you can to relax and remind yourself that you are going to do fine.

 

[Futurephd101]

Yes, you got this! Don’t let your anxiety make you doubt yourself. If you passed the PEPPO, you can’t get any closer to the EPPP test item language than that so that’s a good indicator of readiness. Do whatever you can to relax and remind yourself that you are going to do fine.

Thank you so much! I appreciate your encouragement. It’s definitely reassuring to hear your feedback about the PEPPO in comparison to the EPPP.

I am feeling ready to take this test and to be done with it all!

 

[hum1]

Hi, just my personal experience with the EPPP.

I took the EPPP today and passed (527). I studied for 6 months, more focus on the last 3 weeks which I took away from work just to prepare for the exam. Used the AATBS books, which I read 3 times and wrote extensive notes on them, AATBS quizzes, AATBS audio lectures, and did the AATBS exams once and revised my wrong answers (between 65-75%). I also used the retired questions (75%), listened to the Psychprep audio lectures, some once, others twice, and completed 6 old Psychprep exams that were handed down to me (still using the DSM IV).

I felt prepared and knew the material covered in the books quite well. I was nervous going to the test because in my state one is required to wait 3 months before a new attempt. Also, I could not imagine myself studying the EPPP contents for longer as there are much more interesting things to read and learn about, and quite honestly I am quite burned out after all my training.

I would say that approximately 40% of the test questions and contents were not covered by my used study materials. I found the EPPP to be much harder than the preparation tests! Not a lot of the classical studies and information covered by the preparations guides. Perhaps it was my anxiety, but I found the questions to be very specific and asking for detailed information. Although I had good previous results from the ethics sections and enjoyed that area of knowledge, I swear I could not find a good answer in some of the ethical questions.... I completed the exam in my usual time, 2h30m, took a 10 minute break and returned until the 4h time limit to revise my answers. Although I usually have good intuition and promised myself to be careful about not changing many of my first answers, I changed some since they appeared wrong. Some of the questions that I changed I realized afterwards that were right in the first place.

Although am a lifelong committed learner I did not enjoy many of the contents that I had to study for the EPPP. I found a couple of things interesting but I am definitely glad to move on to better things in life.

 

[phd987654]

I took the EPPP last week and failed (494). I had taken the 2 peppos and passed, retirement exam and had made high 60s on my last practice exams. I think what really messed me up was time. I got too bogged down with the first half of the test and didn’t realize I had been spending way too much time on the exam. Near the end of the exam, I had to rush to complete it all before time ran out and when I did have the last minute, I went and second guessed some of my flagged responses. So, I basically did everything you are told not to do while taking a test! I know I missed by 1-2 questions so I am planning on retaking in another 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, I plan on going through practice tests again and really focusing on decreasing my time. Any other pointers you all have to manage time on your tests? How long do people on average take before reviewing their responses? Any guidance would be helpful!!

 

[Shiori]

I took the EPPP last week and failed (494). I had taken the 2 peppos and passed, retirement exam and had made high 60s on my last practice exams. I think what really messed me up was time. I got too bogged down with the first half of the test and didn’t realize I had been spending way too much time on the exam. Near the end of the exam, I had to rush to complete it all before time ran out and when I did have the last minute, I went and second guessed some of my flagged responses. So, I basically did everything you are told not to do while taking a test! I know I missed by 1-2 questions so I am planning on retaking in another 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, I plan on going through practice tests again and really focusing on decreasing my time. Any other pointers you all have to manage time on your tests? How long do people on average take before reviewing their responses? Any guidance would be helpful!!

I don't recall how long I took, but I know I had a lot of breathing room at the end. During the practice tests, I got really comfortable with the idea that there were answers I just didn't know. I would give it my best guess after eliminating the answers choices I knew were wrong and moved on. I flagged the ones that I felt would be helpful to puzzle through a little longer, but many were an educated guess based on what I did know. It seems like you were doing fine on the practice. Were you using a different strategy that tripped you up during the test or maybe the actual test was a little harder?

 

[phd987654]

I don't recall how long I took, but I know I had a lot of breathing room at the end. During the practice tests, I got really comfortable with the idea that there were answers I just didn't know. I would give it my best guess after eliminating the answers choices I knew were wrong and moved on. I flagged the ones that I felt would be helpful to puzzle through a little longer, but many were an educated guess based on what I did know. It seems like you were doing fine on the practice. Were you using a different strategy that tripped you up during the test or maybe the actual test was a little harder?

That’s good to know. I think my strategy during the practice tests (aside from PEPPO) was to take frequent breaks and I honestly didn’t time myself during the exams. I was focused more on accuracy rather than speed. I remember on the PEPPOs, it took me almost a full two hours to complete 100 questions but I also recall not worrying so much if I didn’t pass. I told myself if I didn’t pass, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t pass the actual eppp which helped with my nerves.

 

[Shiori]

That’s good to know. I think my strategy during the practice tests (aside from PEPPO) was to take frequent breaks and I honestly didn’t time myself during the exams. I was focused more on accuracy rather than speed. I remember on the PEPPOs, it took me almost a full two hours to complete 100 questions but I also recall not worrying so much if I didn’t pass. I told myself if I didn’t pass, it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t pass the actual eppp which helped with my nerves.

That makes sense. I think now that you've seen it, you'll be more familiar with it. You were really close! With a little more refining, you'll cross the finish line. You've got this!

 

[hum1]

I had a couple of thoughts that are perhaps worth sharing. Reflecting on my preparation for the exam I believe I could have benefited from starting taking the practice exams earlier in my preparation and I believe that taking the PEPPPO exams would have been helpful to get better acquainted with the language/style of the EPPP. I wanted to make sure that I knew the contents before starting doing the exams so I spent several months just reading, memorizing, and taking extensive notes on the AATBS books, and also listening to the AATBS and Psychprep audio workshops. I wanted to make sure that I knew all the material very well before taking any practice exams. So, I started doing the practice exams only 3 weeks before the test date and was doing approximatly one exam a day, revising answers, plus still reading the book contents . I became burned out very quickly. Although I had knowledge of the material, I lacked the EPPP mindset and practice which are needed to succeed in the exam and I believe I could have achieved these by starting to take the practice exams earlier in my preparation. Good work and luck for the exam!

 

[moveablefeastings]

I just passed two days ago. I was scoring mid-70s on the AATBS practice tests (I also took one Academic Review test and the two online EPPP practice exams). I ended up doing MUCH better on the actual exam (727 out of 800). So I would say that the practice tests are a bit harder than the real thing

 

[AAC814]

Echoing so many above (before) me...I found this thread to be so helpful during my down-to-the-wire prep time. I recently (this past weekend) took the EPPP for the first time and passed it, 565 (NY 80). I used PsychPrep exclusively and credit them with my success...I studied evenings and weekends (putting in full weekend days) for about 10 weeks. I am a mom of 3 young kids and I had to make a lot of sacrifices to make this work. I graduated in 2009, and put this off for many years due to worry and also life happening (babies, and a full life and felt this could wait). Ultimately, I wanted to get this behind me so I went full steam ahead. I used the content binder, the audio-files (sometimes x2 or even x3) and the practice tests. I also attended the virtual weekend workshop which I returned to (videos) a few times for areas I was shaky on. I followed the PsychPrep format of steps (which test to take when, pacing, etc) and greatly benefited from my coach they assign you to give feedback and tailor your program. My initial scores on practice tests (A, B and C) were so low (44% consistently on first pass for all 3) so I hope I serve as a hopeful story for anyone in the same boat. PsychPrep assured me with work on the content, honing my test taking skills and managing my anxiety...I would be able to persevere. I invested in 3 1:1 sessions with Dr. Jablon and I found them to be worth their weight in gold. My time with her is really what took my practice tests from 44% consistently (A, B and C) to 63% (D) and 71% (E). Each time I would re-take the tests, I would be in 90% range but that, as we know, is just memorization and practice, etc. But truly...44% to 63-71%. Just from spending time with Sharon (Jablon) and learning how to be a better test taker, I was able to pull myself from a point of "absolute struggle" to "capable" - they were never pushy and always wanted to make sure I only invested in services that made sense. I moved my test date up by 3 weeks once I saw my 71% on E and despite the test looking so out of left field on test day (as everyone seems to say) I felt equipped because I had a solid content foundation for the freebie type questions and a honed test taking strategy for the esoteric (majority) of the exam that relied on my ability to draw from experience and critical thinking skills. I found the EPPP itself felt like the content and style I was used to from PsychPrep. I felt incredibly well prepared and feel that every penny of my investment was well worth it for a really thoughtfully designed test prep system to help me. To anyone struggling with the practice tests, it can get better - just means - something needs to shift. For me, it was learning how to be a better test taker and being diligent and focused to use my strategy with each and every question. I am so happy this is now behind me, and I hope my experience might put someone at easy to know...you've got this. It really is doable. FWIW, like everyone, I felt I had failed the test while taking it. I stayed calm, wrote my affirmations on my white board (not kidding, I really did) and persevered - only to find out I had, in fact, passed...and I promise you...you can, too. If anyone is looking for a comprehensive program that will offer you as little or as much as you need with theory and stats to prove their method (it works) PsychPrep will not steer you wrong.

 

[jnt89]

Hi all, I've read a few references to the EPPP retired test questions. Where can I get my hands on these?

 

[bluecolourskies]

Hi all, I've read a few references to the EPPP retired test questions. Where can I get my hands on these?

EPPP Retired Questions

FREE: 250-EPPP Retired Questions...

payhip.com

 

[jnt89]

EPPP Retired Questions

FREE: 250-EPPP Retired Questions...

payhip.com

Oh great, thank you!

 

[jnt89]

Hi all, I need some support/advice. I've been studying with the AATBS books for the past few months; had access to the AATBS domain quizzes for several weeks (using a friend's login before it expired). I was scoring 60s-90s on those. I was advised to purchase psychprep's online tests, which I am finding helpful, but they set target scores per test that I'm not meeting (i.e., Test C's target score is 125+ for the first go-around; Test D's target score is 130-135). Their method is to take, retake, and retake again the same 5 tests, so naturally, my scores are going up each time. Now I'm all in my head - sure, I'm scoring in the 90s, but only because I recognize the correct answers. I plan on purchasing the PEPPP1 and PEPPP2 exams and waiting to take them the weekend before my exam (June 28th). Thoughts/suggestions/prayers/smoke signals? I'm worried!

 

[bluecolourskies]

Hi all, I need some support/advice. I've been studying with the AATBS books for the past few months; had access to the AATBS domain quizzes for several weeks (using a friend's login before it expired). I was scoring 60s-90s on those. I was advised to purchase psychprep's online tests, which I am finding helpful, but they set target scores per test that I'm not meeting (i.e., Test C's target score is 125+ for the first go-around; Test D's target score is 130-135). Their method is to take, retake, and retake again the same 5 tests, so naturally, my scores are going up each time. Now I'm all in my head - sure, I'm scoring in the 90s, but only because I recognize the correct answers. I plan on purchasing the PEPPP1 and PEPPP2 exams and waiting to take them the weekend before my exam (June 28th). Thoughts/suggestions/prayers/smoke signals? I'm worried!

have you tried the AATBS full exams? how are you doing on those?

 

[jnt89]

have you tried the AATBS full exams? how are you doing on those?

I just started one last night and plan to work through the set of 8 I have in the coming weeks.

 

[neurotic_cow]

I just started one last night and plan to work through the set of 8 I have in the coming weeks.

I found the AATBS practice exams to be the most helpful. Most of the people I know who passed (including myself) scored in the 70s on those practice exams. You do not need to be aiming for a perfect score on these practice exams. I personally found the actual exam to be very different from all practice exams and I think a lot of it came down to managing anxiety in the moment regarding questions about unknown topics and using good test taking strategies.

 

[psycho1391]

The PEPPP1 and PEPPP2 exams are a waste of money if you're doing so well (60-90s) on other exams.

 

[foreverbull]

The PEPPP1 and PEPPP2 exams are a waste of money if you're doing so well (60-90s) on other exams.

I agree. This really seems like overkill.

@jnt89 Why both PEPPP exams? You have now been exposed to two different exam companies’ practice exams, which is plenty of preparation. As long as you actually studied along with the exams, why do you think you need more exams beyond that? Usually folks don’t tend go this far unless they’ve failed the EPPP in their past or they have extreme test anxiety above and beyond most EPPP-takers.

 

[jnt89]

I guess that's what all those around me have been doing. I recently took and passed the PEPPP. Since I've felt way more relaxed and am only passively reviewing old practice test questions while watching TV. I guess I'm nervous as hell! Not due to ego but because the test is so damn expensive. I don't want to risk having to retake.

 

[foreverbull]

I guess that's what all those around me have been doing. I recently took and passed the PEPPP. Since I've felt way more relaxed and am only passively reviewing old practice test questions while watching TV. I guess I'm nervous as hell! Not due to ego but because the test is so damn expensive. I don't want to risk having to retake.

You already passed the PEPPP? Sounds like you’re ready for the real thing as long as you can manage your nerves come test time! Why not get it over with?

 

[psycho1391]

I guess that's what all those around me have been doing.

Yes, but different strategies work for different folks. I say spend your money on some self care/relaxation. You'll find that will take you a long way.

I also advise creating a mantra. Stopping every 15-20 questions and taking a few deep breaths and repeating that positive affirmation. Being relaxed will do amazing things for you brain!

 

[bluecolourskies]

I bought PrepJet study materials and exams. I think I did most of their exams in study mode, and 1 or 2 in exam mode. Even with me doing study mode (I had my own timer) and reading rationales, etc, I would still finish with like an hour to spare. Most of the time, I hated how long it took and pushed through, but would get between 48% to 66%.

I decided to buy two AATBS exams. I took both in exam mode and tried to really take my time, scored 66 on one and 68 on another (a week ago)

Passed today with 640.

I think doing the AATBS helped me because 1) it had a lot of information that was not in PrepJet study materials. Thus, I had to figure out the right answer based on what I DID know and question contextual clues. Just like the real EPPP. This is the skill that will make all the difference.
The AATBS exams were great at explaining why an answer was right and also others why it were wrong. (prepjet didn’t have this. it would be like x is correct because x is the right definition)

AATBS was more of “well even if you didn’t know these facts, these are the contextual clues or other knowledge you could have used to figure this out.”
I felt like AATBS was closest to the real thing and some questions were even eerily close!! I was like “how did AATBS know these questions??”

Two weeks before my date, I also signed up for free trials to all the study companies, to get as much exposure to different “types” of question styles as possible.

I would say I went through once and answered all the ones quickly that I could. If i felt a Q would take some time to reason out, I flagged it and skipped it. I finished with 2 hrs left and 67 flagged questions. Answered all with 20 minutes left. I did take 2-3 mini breaks.

 

[moggwaii]

EPPP Scaled Score: 666
PEPPPO1: Pass
PEPPO2: Pass
Released Test Questions: 76%

Psychprep
A: 50%
B: 54%
C: 51%
D: 51%
E: 67%

Prepjet
1: 63%
2: 62%
3: 68%
4: 61%
5: 70%
6: 67%
7: 64%

AATBS
Average Mid 60s

Most Helpful

• Official Practice Exams and Released Questions
  • Really helpful and close to the actual exam
• Psychprep Audio
• Prepjet -
  • Section Quizzes and Score Breakdowns
• Practice Tests -
  • take full exam all the way through; score at the end;
  • break down domain scores — focus study on one or two domains - prioritize higher weighted and lowest scored domains;
  • Take another test; rinse and repeat
  • incorrect item level analysis and studying seemed better suited towards the end
• Flashcards - made during domain studying or for missed questions studying closer to the actual test date.
  • More for recognition/automaticity

 

[EmmaBobemma]

Hi everyone! I found this thread so helpful, informative, and comforting as I was preparing for the EPPP, so I made an account to post my stats, hoping it can be helpful to someone else! I'm happy to report that I passed yesterday on my first try, with a score of 694.

I studied for about three weeks (a combination of very limited testing dates, anxious procrastination, and dealing with life stuff). While I wouldn't recommend it since I was super stressed the whole time, obviously it worked out. I estimated that I squeezed in about 100 hours of studying, with nights and weekends, including a long weekend where I studied pretty much the whole time. So again, not fun, but it was enough in the end. If you're short on time, don't lose hope!

I used handed down material (thank goodness), so I did all of the PsychPrep tests, listened to the PsychPrep audio files, and did a handful of old ATTABS practice tests, as well as the 2008 retired test. On the practice tests, I mostly did ten questions at a time and then checked the answers. There would sometimes be repeated concepts on the same test, so checking as I went along let me test my knowledge of the concept I just learned. The audio files were a really nice supplement. I think for me though, the practice tests were the most important thing. The audio helped confirm/solidify/expand what I had picked up from the practice tests, rather than the other way around, at least for me. You'll see that I never cracked 70% on the practice tests, yet still passed the real thing very comfortably. Like a lot of other people mentioned, my performance on the retired test was the best predictor for my real score.

ATTABS:
2 = 48.5
3 = 59.5
4 = 64%
5 = 66%

PsychPrep
A = 55%
B = 64%
C = 66%
Workshop "quiz" (I think this was PsychPrep? Like I said, I had a mix of stuff) = 58%
D = 66.5%
E = 64.5%

Retired Test = 79.6%

On the actual test, the confidence ratings I had for the items were about: 30% I felt good about, 30% where I was like "I think this is right?", 25% where I really wasn't sure and had to do my best to make an educated guess, and like 15% "I have never seen this idea in my life." The whole time, I figured I was MAYBE getting half of them right. So if you feel uncertain during the test, don't panic! I'd say about 70% of the things on the test were things I had studied at least to some extent, but 70% of what I studied wasn't on the test. But that's the way it goes I guess.

Thank you everyone!!

 

[AryaOfWinterfell]

I passed today with a 622 (NY 84)!! It's been a while since I've seen a post here, but this was so helpful to me I thought I'd submit my own. I took my first practice exam 5 months out but didn't start really studying until 2 months before my date when I started using AATBS. i also had a few old Academic Review exams. I mostly took practice exams, listened to the PsychPrep audio, and read up on domains I was less comfortable with. I have a law degree (so the ethics section was my strongest) and I have to say this brought me more anxiety than the bar exam (probably because I didn't have a contingent job offer on the line, but also you can come to logical answers when you know the law...)

Here were my practice test scores. As with literally every other standardized test I have taken, I have a 10-15% performance improvement on test day so I was hoping the same hold up for this exam since my practice scores weren't where I wanted them to be:

1. (Old AR): 48%
2. (Old AR): 54%
3. (Old AR) 59%
4. AATBS Diagnostic: 52%
5. AATBS #2: 60%
6. PEPPO: PASS (Exactly 1 month out from test day)
7. AATBS #3: 60%
8. AATBS #4: 57%
9. (Old AR): 56%
10. AATBS #5: 72% (with a study buddy)
11. AATBS #6: 60%
12. PEPPO2: PASS (Exactly 1 week out from test day - here if I didn't pass I was going to push my date away)
13. AATBS #1: 69%
14. AATBS #7: 72% (with a study buddy)
15. AATBS #8: 59%
16. 250 Retired Questions: 77%

The night before the exam, I reviewed a list of topics that weren't quite "settled" in my mind yet (ages related to stages of development, prevalence and concordance rates, definitions of validity, identity development models).

Most of what I studied was not on the exam. I found I had to translate the questions since a lot of it was not how I was used to the questions being written, so I used the comment feature to type out what I was thinking, what the terms meant, and what I knew on the topic. My first pass I flagged anything I doubted (~70 questions) while crossing out answers I could eliminate and highlighting key words in the question. Then, I went back through my flagged questions once I finished. At this point, I still had an hour left so I reviewed all my answers for reassurance and peaced the heck out.

 

[psychologypancake]

Hi everyone,

I passed today with a 705 and wanted to share how studying went for me and practice test scores.

My background: graduated from PhD program in Counseling Psychology a year ago, currently in a non-practicing teaching role in a university (honestly, I believe teaching undergrad classes was really helpful in preparing)

Resources I used to study:
-that $30 EPPP quiz app: This was nice whenever I wanted to fit in a little studying when doing other things without doing a whole practice test
-a bunch of hand-me-down exams, notes, and PDF's of material from various companies (don't know all of them), the vast majority of which were DSM-IV era. This also included some of the Psycprep audio recordings, which were great.
-rereading the DSM-5
-various youtube videos of concepts that I didn't know much about (e.g., marriage and family therapy) or were general EPPP overview
-a developmental psych book because I was weaker in that area
-rereading APA ethics code

Study timeline:
-Casually studying over the spring by occasionally listening to the audio recordings on drives
-Actually studying in late May through the day before the test, with some breaks for vacations and other work

Date	Test	Score
5/24/22	2010 Psycprep Test C	60%
6/8/22	2010 Psycprep Test D	60.5%
6/21/22	Retired exam questions	79.6%
7/13/22	PEPPO 1	Pass
7/15/22	Test 7	68%
7/21/22	Test 5	60%
7/22/22	AATBS Ethics Questions	86%
7/25/22	AATBS Clinical Questions	76.9%
7/25/22	AATBS Lifespan Questions	77.3%
7/26/22	Exam 6	73%
7/27/22	AATBS Learning and Behavior Questions	86.7%
7/27/22	AATBS Physio and Psychopharmacology Questions	73.3%
7/28/22	AATBS IO Questions	63%
7/28/22	AATBS Assessment Questions	66.7%
7/28/22	AATBS Statistics Questions	42.9%
7/28/22	AATBS Test Construction Questions	72%
7/29/22	Quiz Psych Assessment Questions	72.9%
8/1/22	Quiz Statistics Questions	74.3%
8/2/22	2010 Psychprep Test B	78.5%

I kept track of which domains I was weaker in and tried to focus on studying those. I found that reading the reasons why test questions were correct vs. incorrect was more engaging and useful than just reading information. I didn't do any of the study mode vs. practice mode or whatever on the tests--I just took them like a regular test and scored them at the end.

In my opinion, the actual exam was easier than many of the companies' practice tests--it was more reminiscent of the retired exam questions. However, I think doing the practice tests was the best study strategy, as long as you're not freaking yourself out about your scores. I finished the exam and reviewed all of the test questions with plenty of time left (like maybe 2 hours), but I'm a fast test taker. Also, I was getting more and more nervous between finishing answering questions and clicking the final "submit" button, so I just wanted to get it over with. Finally, the highlight and strikethrough features were really helpful, especially as I went back through to review my answers.

Where I am, there are several testing centers within a hour's drive. I decided to drive a bit further out to take the exam at a center that would let me start at 12:30 PM (instead of others that started at like 8 AM) because I am not a morning person, and it's consistent with my summer sleep schedule. This also helped to prevent a caffeine overload lmao

Anyways, I did well and probably didn't need to study as much as I did. However, I didn't want to take this exam more than once and had a relatively low-workload summer, so I don't regret it. Good luck!

 

[Whatsherface]

I passed yesterday with a 625! I’ll share my background and experience with studying. I came from a smaller behaviorally based PhD program and graduated in 2021. I’m coming close to the end of my fellowship. I’m a pretty bad poor taker and slow at processing information. I used AATBS printed and online materials and studied for 5 months. I studied for around 2 hours every weeknight and around 10 hours on the weekend, with 2 weeks off when I got COVID and a family situation. I made a huge amount of flash cards (around 1500). Flash cards were how I got through grad school and feel familiar to me. I switched to practice exams around 2 months out from the test and reviewed all my answers while taking notes on concepts I got wrong. The week before the exam I re-read the heavily emphasized chapters and took notes. My practice test scores were as follows:

Assessment: 47%
Practice Mode:
Test 1: 67%
Test 2: 72%
Test 3: 70%
Test 4: 68%
Exam Mode:
Test 5: 74%
Test 6: 76%
Test 7: 70%
Test 8: 71%
Exam Sim 1: 68%
PEPPPO: Pass
Retired Exam: 76.8%

I crammed the day before the exam but regret that I did. None of what I studied the day before was on my exam. I made sure I got a good night of sleep 2 nights before to make up for any sleep I would miss the night of the exam. I ate a big breakfast with lots of protein and brought too many snacks. I was surprised by the content of the exam itself. I felt like I KNEW the answers to around 30-40 questions tops. So much of it was content I had not seen before. I would say the questions were much shorter than the AATBS questions, however, some were much more confusing. I guessed on a lot and ended up taking a ton of time. I usually ended practice exams at around 2 hours and 46 minutes. I finished the actual exam with 10 minutes to review and did not take a break (although I wish I could have). I did not change any answers to my flagged questions. When I was completing my survey, I was confident that I had failed.

I did not like this experience. I let studying take over my life. I regret that, but I’m also glad that I passed and it's just over! This forum really helped me throughout the process, especially to see that you did not have to be getting 75-80% on all practice exams. Thank you everyone for your insight!

 

[MadHatter1640]

Just wanted to make an account to pass along as I found this thread very useful. I passed today with a 585 (NY 81).
I graduated from a PsyD. program several years ago in 2018 and had already been procrastinating even before the pandemic hit, so was pretty far removed from my studies, and was at a PsyD program, which I know in some of my research made me concerned whether or not my side of things may be different from other people reporting in this thread.
I studied for about two full months for the exam, using exclusively AATBS materials. I started with the assessment exam, scoring a 43% on it at about two months out. I had books from 2017 and spent the first month reading through them, highlighting pretty liberally and doing the little 'fill in the blank' sections at the end. I took the domain quizzes on the AATBS site after finishing a book, and the first time around for each was scoring in about the 60-70 range, with a few of the later domains like Social and, surprisingly, IO being in the low 80s.
After a little vacation half time, I went into the online tests more thoroughly, and scored the following:

Exam 1: I consider this one a DNF, as the AATBS site recommended taking this after only finishing the first three major sections on their 'accelerated' path, but that was dumb. Don't do that lol.
Exam 2: 54%
Exam 3: 62%
Exam 4: 60%
Exam 5: 58%
Exam 6: 63%
Exam 7: 58%
Exam 8: 64%
Retired Questions: 78%
PEPPO1: Pass
PEPPO2: Pass (and also felt much more comfortable than the first one, for whatever that's worth)

As you can see, not only was I not scoring in the 70s but was pretty low on that line even for the 60s. I am certain that there are similar stories throughout this long, long running thread but to appeal to someone who may be in a similar situation to mine, hang in there. As part of your studying don't just get the information down (there are so many things that are not in the materials no matter how much you study) but use the practice tests as an opportunity to find out a little more about what works for you. I didn't really go into studying with this with an idea of 'what kind of test taker' I was, I kinda just knew I passed tests through undergrad and grad school haha. It was if nothing else a good opportunity for me to learn that 95% of the time changing an answer was a bad idea and working backwards to eliminate bad answers was much better than trying to just nail a bullseye off the bat. I finished the exam with about 100 minutes to spare and felt pretty on the mark for what I thought my score was gonna be.
Oh, one more thing, and I hope this isn't too far into the weeds, but the AATBS exams were WAY harder with regards to psychopharm/neurology/bio-basis-stuff-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-psychology-even-tangentially than their quizzes and what I felt I needed to know for the actual exam. A distinct point I noticed was I probably WOULD have been dancing closer to that 70s line on the practice tests if my Psychopharm section wasn't lit up like a christmas tree every single time. There's a ton of excessive material they ask for that isn't even in their own books or their own lectures or their own section and domain quizzes on specifically that section, more than any other. So, that's part rant and part warning, lol.
Good luck to everyone going forward!

 

[Lauren717]

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.

I know this was long ago so I hope it’s behind you!!! I’m posting because I made a few study guides as I was preparing for the test and found quite a few online free resources that I have linked! I priced it to be quite affordable. I love helping others and hope it’s useful - you can find it here EPPP Study Materials EPPP Study Guide Examination for - Etsy

 

[WisNeuro]

I know this was long ago so I hope it’s behind you!!! I’m posting because I made a study guide and resource library for those undertaking this big test! I love helping others and hope it’s useful - you can find it here EPPP Study Materials EPPP Study Guide Examination for - Etsy

These kinds of posts go in the classified section. Please do not advertise here. Also, if you are including materials from test prep publishers, this is highly illegal.

 

[neurotic_cow]

These kinds of posts go in the classified section. Please do not advertise here. Also, if you are including materials from test prep publishers, this is highly illegal.

I second WisNeuro’s concerns. This seems super icky to me. If you truly want to “help” why are you selling this stuff for $40 to your future colleagues?

 

[WisNeuro]

I second WisNeuro’s concerns. This seems super icky to me. If you truly want to “help” why are you selling this stuff for $40 to your future colleagues?

I suspect that they believe that "giving it away" (which they are not really doing) makes it ok. But, if you are distributing copyrighted material, particularly in a sale, it's still illegal. We could always test this by buying the materiel and forwarding it to the legal departments of the companies.

 

[Lauren717]

I second WisNeuro’s concerns. This seems super icky to me. If you truly want to “help” why are you selling this stuff for $40 to your future colleagues?

I totally appreciate your point- I have always given my stuff away for free in the past but with recent health problems a friend suggested that I post my helpful guides that I’ve made for different things across my time in graduate school to etsy. I did lower the price and would happily consider lower offers as well.

 

[WisNeuro]

I didn't see a problem with selling a study guide in and of itself. But, before you changed your description of the product, it sounded as if you also included copyrighted material from other test prep publishers. That is illegal, even if you are including it as a "free" gift.

 

[Lauren717]

I didn't see a problem with selling a study guide in and of itself. But, before you changed your description of the product, it sounded as if you also included copyrighted material from other test prep publishers. That is illegal, even if you are including it as a "free" gift.

I understand how it sounded like that. My intent was to include only student generated material that was not copyrighted, but to be safe I’ve taken that library part off until I can determine what files are not copyrighted. A lot of the files that have been shared with me don’t have the name of AATBS or PsychPrep anywhere so I’m not sure who made it. I’m going to do some digging before I add any other free content. Thanks for for your comment, I definitely want to be doing everything on the up and up ethically and legally. I’d rather be safe than sorry!

 

[Szaszerac]

This thread was extremely helpful and made me feel better about just taking the EPPP. My experience may be helpful to those following a less traditional path. I graduated from a PsyD program with a captive APA internship (which I wrapped at the end of June). Earlier in the year I decided to not apply to a formal post-doc (for a several reasons) with the goal of getting licensed asap and then applying for jobs as a licensed clinician/seeing pts independently. The state in which I completed my program recently made the change to allow all supervised hours to count towards licensure so I was able to apply immediately after graduation. I procrastinated through most of the first month but signed up for the basic version of prepjet after the one week trial at the end of July and spent about 5 full weeks studying.

I found prepjet to be generally helpful content-wise but the questions are frequently poorly worded which makes them more difficult. I struggled to focus for entire practice exams and generally took them in test mode. In retrospect I would recommend others take them in practice mode. I rarely went back to review all the questions I answered incorrectly because of how exhausted I was. If i could do it over, I would complete the topic area questions until you score 100% and then take most of the practice tests in study mode, saving a couple for simulating the actual exam day.

For those of you who are nervous about taking the EPPP based on your practice test scores, I never scored above a 60% on any of the prepjet practice exams and still passed the actual EPPP on the first try. This is obviously no guarantee of your similar success but may be helpful to those like me who feel they are able to perform better during the actual exam. Historically I have done well on standardized tests and feel confident in my test taking skills. However, I also have rampant ADHD and am a major procrastinator. As much as I tried I simply could not focus for an entire practice exam when I knew the score didn't really count.

PrepJet Exam Scores:
Diagnostic Exam: 37
Exam 4: 52
Exam 1: 59
Exam 3: 55
Exam 5: 50
Exam 6 (simulation): 59
Exam 2: 55

Retired Questions: 70%
PEPPPO1: Pass

One week before the exam I did a simulation. I prepared to drive to the testing facility at the same time of day that I would on the actual exam and took a full practice test at my scheduled exam time at a Wegmans that was literally next to the testing center. Subjectively, I felt a lot more calm on test day because of this. During that last week I had a lot of doubts due to my practice test scores. I felt that I knew the material but I was second-guessing myself and changing a lot of answers when taking the practice tests. For those of you frustrated by the wording on the practice exams, I found the questions on the actual exam to be much more straightforward and it was easier to eliminate bad answers. I took the PEPPPO1 2 days before my exam date and passed. I told myself that I would reschedule if I didn't pass. I felt the PEPPPO questions were very similar to the actual exam and the 100 questions was much more digestible than the full-length practice exams.

Sitting for the actual EPPP was a bit of a rollercoaster. I went through spurts where I felt the questions were extremely easy, and then would have to make a complete guess for a long series of questions. One thing that helped me stay on track was telling myself that the hard questions were experimental and would not count towards my final score and the easy questions would. Obviously there is no way of knowing this but I found it helpful when taking the exam. After answering all of the questions I still had about an hour left. I started going over my flagged questions and noticed that I was changing a lot of answers. This is discouraged by the test prep companies. After changing maybe 5-10 questions I decided to stop myself and just submit the exam. In the end I don't know if this helped or hurt my score but given that I passed with a 550 i'm glad I stopped changing answers when I did because a few more questions could have brought my score below passing.

Lastly, I hope that my gripes about the practice exams do not give you a bad impression regarding prepjet. I felt the actual content covered was extremely close to the actual exam. I cannot say whether it is better or worse than any other test prep services but it is definitely cheaper than most.

 

[RainbowCat]

Hi everyone,

I have been scouring this thread for help and support as I study for the EPPP. Very thankful for the information others have shared! I am using hand me down psychprep materials and my latest scores on the practice exams are in the 60-70 range. I've been studying for about two months consistently. I still have a few practice exams to take, but thought since I was scoring in this range that I should go ahead and take the PEPPO to assess readiness. I took the PEPPO this week and failed. Has anyone else encountered this? I have a game plan of reviewing materials that I felt unsure of on the test and finishing my practice tests + reviewing incorrect answers. I also recently got a hold of psychprep audio and plan to focus on my weaker areas. Any advice or tips? Failing the PEPPO freaked me out and now I feel like my psychprep scores may just be flukes.

Thanks!

 

[thedownwardspiral]

Feeling grateful for this thread. Read through these posts a few times throughout my journey of test prep. This always felt like an uphill battle, having attended a psychoanalytic institute for my Ph.D. program--I knew to expect nearly all new material for the EPPP and it was a bear to learn all this in a matter of months. It was helpful to me to see others' practice test scores and hear your stories, so here are a few things I'd like to share for those getting ready to test. I chose AATBS for my primary study material and found, surprisingly, that soooo little of it actually appeared on the exam. I would estimate between 30-40% of EPPP questions reflected AATBS material (though I'm having difficulty remembering what was actually on the exam just hours ago). Here were most of my exam scores (took about 15 full-length practice exams):

Initial exam: 41%
Study mode: 63, 60, 56, 70
Test mode: 69, 63, 63, 75, 71, 76
Exam simulation: 65, 68

Expired questions: 70
PEPPPO: Pass

Most of the time I was scoring in the low-60s (AATBS), with improvement in scores occurring about 5 weeks or so from the test date. Again, I was really surprised to find so little of what I had studied was actually on the exam. In a way, it didnt matter nearly as much as building my ability to answer questions and stay engaged and focused for hours on end (took me 4 hours/10 minutes for EPPP, was completing AATBS tests in about 2.5 hours). Were I to try another strategy, I would have spread out my review of material among a few test prep courses, but they're all so damn expensive that I just picked one and ran with it. I did do a trial with PrepJet and found their material streamlined and the questions more easily read than AATBS--in hindsight, this may have been a better fit for me. I may also have taken the PEPPP in person to acclimate to the testing environment as I used all of the time and felt somewhat rushed toward to end. I also chose not to change many answers for flagged questions (only 2 and it may still have been incorrect).

Albeit, I did pass today with a 522 (NY 76). So stoked to have this behind me.

Taking practice exams and becoming better at discerning the most correct answer possible was the best way for me to prepare.

Good Luck!

 

[sg1645]

I'm so happy to be able to contribute to this thread now! Like others have said, reading through these threads helped me immensely so I want to return the favor.

I took the EPPP today and passed with a 516! (yes, it was close but I passed so that's all I care about! LOL) Sidenote: I do have a small grudge against the guy that handed me my score sheet though. He handed me two pieces of paper and I almost got sick thinking I failed. However, I saw my score and jumped up and down in the testing center lobby from pure excitement. So, I'm a little salty because the second piece of paper he handed me was actually blank and gave me an unneeded dose of anxiety. Yes, I'm a little petty Anyway, back to the EPPP prep.

I exclusively used Prepjet to study and prepare for the exam, simply because of the affordability and the conciseness of the material. I also wanted an online program because I just don't retain info as well using traditional textbooks and such. The material covered in Prepjet's courses was very accurate to what was on the EPPP (at least the version I got), but the questions on the real EPPP were more tricky and weirdly worded. Knowing the content and truly understanding the concepts is what really saved me, and I do feel Prepjet prepared me successfully. Lesson learned: Knowing the content and understanding the concepts is way more important than memorizing answers for sure.

As for my practice exam scores, they were as follows:

1st attempts (in order of completion)
Diagnostic Exam: 31% (YIKES)
Exam 4: 36%
Exam 1: 52%
Exam 6: 50%
Exam 2: 56%
Exam 3: 56%
Exam 5: 66%
Exam 7: 52%

Last completed attempt (in exam mode):
Exam 1: 95%
Exam 2: 92%
Exam 3: 93%
Exam 4: 87%
Exam 5: 91%
Exam 6: 95%
Exam 7: 81%

PEPPO: Passed

I retook each exam about 2-4x each. After taking each exam for the first time, I retook the exam in study mode and then each attempt after in exam mode. I also read all of the Big 6 subjects and then took the section quizzes multiple times until I was achieving 100% on each quiz. I didn't have time to read the non-Big 6 subject areas. I studied for about 3 months total, but I really didn't buckle down until about one month before my scheduled test. I'd say I studied overall about 70-80 hours, give or take a few hours. My readiness score on the Prepjet website was a 72%.

Additionally, what really helped me was relaxing the day before the exam. I reviewed some material for maybe an hour or so, but I mostly spent it eating some good food, watching TV, and just relaxing all day. I didn't feel stressed going into the exam, and truly only felt a sense of "panic" about 3/4ths of the way through because I started second guessing myself. I stuck to the recommendations and only changed answers I flagged if I truly saw an error (and not just because of panicking).

I will echo what my fellow psychologists have said before. The most helpful things was learning test strategy to pick the most likely answer possible, especially when there seem to be multiple correct answers. The EPPP is truly a test of knowledge but it even more so tests your ability to take a test.

I wish everybody good luck!