So I am writing this as a public service as there is little information out there and I so wished I had more info when I started. I passed the PEP yesterday with a 73% and my program was FDU. I also attended the Chicago Prep Course with Marlin Hoover and purchased the online version of the Alliant prep course with John Bolter. From my experience:
First, if you are deciding whether or not to become a prescribing psychologists jump over the MS program and consider the low pass rates for the PEP (rumor is 53% pass rate per administration and somewhere around 66% of folks who persist) which is the gate-keeper restricting access to the profession. Are you capable of passing and willing to spend copious amounts of time studying? If not, reconsider. Otherwise, the MS program is worth it by itself for the CE's, knowledge, and another degree on the wall...but no one will tell you that passing the program does NOT guarantee passing the PEP.
I actually believe I learned as much or more during my PEP prep than my program. First I attended the Chicago course and it was WELL worth it - if nothing else just for the study materials. I used his slides as a jumping off point and this is really where I got my structure/organization for studying. Also, I bought and went through the John Bolter prep course that is available for purchase online. This was ok, I would do it again but I'm not sure how much I learned. Then I read the Mark Muse book - Clinical Psychopharmacology for Psychologists which is good, not great, but worth it for the practice test. Also, trust me on this, rent/buy the psychiatry board prep book put out by Mass Gen called Psychiatry. This is amazingly helpful and succinct. Also, use the test questions they have in the back for another practice test. It is really VERY similar. Finally, I took the APA's online practice test at the beginning and toward the end of my study (I never passed it). Remember how with the EPPP, the practice tests were always harder than the real thing? I would say the real thing was just as hard - not a lick easier - which make the practice tests a good simulation.
My strategy was to write down EVERYTHING I didn't know off the top of my head and over the months learn it and ended the last few weeks by systematically memorizing every bit of it. Then I looked back at all of the disorders that I didn't have a ton of info on and googled them learning the distinguishing symptoms as well that might come up in a case scenario.
I wanted to move through my studying as quick as possible and so I went down to 3 days at work and studied full days 2 days/week, and a few hours on the weekend for 3+ months. I believe this is equivalent to the one hour/day for a year method others use. I shared the resources I used above and I believe I needed every bit of it. As the test answers are weighed differently you could pass or fail in the 69%-72% range and so shoot for 110 correct=73.3%. This is, thank goodness, what I got. I needed every bit of my study time. Maybe you have a psychopharm background or if you are a neuropsychologist you ABSOLUTELY have an advantage, but I want others to know that this is a very difficult test and you MUST study for it, in my opinion. Now that I am on the other side, I'm glad that this test restricts access to this very important profession. For those already in the program or studying, the PEP is the rate-limiting factor for prescribing. : )
Good luck all!
