PhD/PsyD CPLEE Prep: AATBS or PsychPrep?

[red-panda]

I can't find an active thread specifically about preparing for the CPLEE, and I am in the market to throw more money I don't have at study material...

I used PsychPrep for EPPP and passed first time (Yay!) after 4 months of studying. I noticed that AATBS for CPLEE is 25 dollars cheaper. But more importantly than the cost difference, I want to pass this last test and be done with this. So if anyone could provide specifics on what they used and exactly why they did or didn't like it, that would really help me. Thanks!

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[Teacher07]

I can't find an active thread specifically about preparing for the CPLEE, and I am in the market to throw more money I don't have at study material...

I used PsychPrep for EPPP and passed first time (Yay!) after 4 months of studying. I noticed that AATBS for CPLEE is 25 dollars cheaper. But more importantly than the cost difference, I want to pass this last test and be done with this. So if anyone could provide specifics on what they used and exactly why they did or didn't like it, that would really help me. Thanks!

So I have failed the exam twice now despite easily passing the EPPP with PsychPrep.

However... I have now used Taylor, PsychPrep and AATBS for this stupid test. It turns out after doing an expensive consult with PsychPrep that I am just bad at multiple choice questions but I have the content knowledge just fine. Now I also have some really excellent test anxiety too!

Taylor: Too easy, way easier than the actual exam and oddly not as California specific in the content despite it being a CA test
AATBS: weekend workshop was great, printed material is awful - very dry and hard to read, online tests are fine, questions easier than psychprep
PsychPrep: Questions are similar to the actual test, written material is easy to digest

 

[red-panda]

So I have failed the exam twice now despite easily passing the EPPP with PsychPrep.

However... I have now used Taylor, PsychPrep and AATBS for this stupid test. It turns out after doing an expensive consult with PsychPrep that I am just bad at multiple choice questions but I have the content knowledge just fine. Now I also have some really excellent test anxiety too!

Taylor: Too easy, way easier than the actual exam and oddly not as California specific in the content despite it being a CA test
AATBS: weekend workshop was great, printed material is awful - very dry and hard to read, online tests are fine, questions easier than psychprep
PsychPrep: Questions are similar to the actual test, written material is easy to digest

Thank you for your input! I'm sorry you are having such a hard time with the test! I've heard how difficult it is which is why I'm trying to do my research on the best approach. Sounds like psychprep is the best route to take.

 

[foreverbull]

I passed the CPLEE with Psychprep hand-me-downs (but without any online test access). My colleague passed with CPLEE Psychprep (with test access). I don't know anyone personally who used another method, but Psychprep has been solid for me for the EPPP and CPLEE.

P.S. I'm selling the CPLEE Psychprep study materials at a good price here. I passed with these exact materials...

 

[Mansta]

I can't find an active thread specifically about preparing for the CPLEE, and I am in the market to throw more money I don't have at study material...

I used PsychPrep for EPPP and passed first time (Yay!) after 4 months of studying. I noticed that AATBS for CPLEE is 25 dollars cheaper. But more importantly than the cost difference, I want to pass this last test and be done with this. So if anyone could provide specifics on what they used and exactly why they did or didn't like it, that would really help me. Thanks!

Hi Taylor, do you have the psychprep eppp study materials still? I need them and can't afford to but it. Thanks!

 

[Neurojen03]

Hey! I used both for eppp and found aatbs to be more beneficial for the test itself. So I am not sure about cplee.

Moreover, I hope someone can help me I am lost! I will be moving to LA next year and I am starting the pre-licensure application and I noticed that they require 5 training courses( human sexuality, aging, child abuse, violence, and substance). Do you know where I can find a list of the pre approved online courses? Why is California so strict!!!!???

Thanks!!

 

[MetaMuse]

Hey! I used both for eppp and found aatbs to be more beneficial for the test itself. So I am not sure about cplee.

Moreover, I hope someone can help me I am lost! I will be moving to LA next year and I am starting the pre-licensure application and I noticed that they require 5 training courses( human sexuality, aging, child abuse, violence, and substance). Do you know where I can find a list of the pre approved online courses? Why is California so strict!!!!???

Thanks!!

I used this: Pre-Licensure-Licensing Online CEs for CA psychologists, MFTs, counselors, LPC & social workers

 

[Ilovebagels123]

Hello

 

[red-panda]

Just wanted to thank everyone for your advice. I passed the CPLEE this past Saturday on the first try using the Psych Prep comprehensive package and I have no regrets. I would highly recommend it despite the expense. It's a really hard test IMHO, and the thing I found most helpful in the end wasn't the written material but the workshop audio files and the practice exams, which come with the package. There were questions on the actual test that looked almost exactly like questions in the practice exams. I felt really prepared and it made it less painful to go through. Just my two cents to others interested in getting licensed in Cali!

 

[IBG]

I tried two programs to prepare for the CPLEE. Taylor Study method was a terrible program for the CPLEE. I passed the EPPP comfortably when I used that program and was getting consistent passing scores on the practice exams. I purchased the program for the CPLEE considering my experience with the program for the EPPP. The study material is very repetitive and the bank of questions if very small. I discussed my concern via their chat function and was assured that the material was repetitive because there was less information to learn and that it was representative of what was on the test. I was averaging 88% on practice exams prior to taking my test which is 10%+ higher than I was averaging for the EPPP practice tests. I also spoke with the tutor for the free tutoring session and she also assured me that the material was representative and that if I was averaging 10+% higher on the practice exam, that should be good enough. I did not pass the exam. I got a 74% and 76% was passing = 14% lower than my practice exams (percentages are rounded off.) I passed the EPPP comfortably with a 550+ with passing score of 500. The tutor also provided incorrect information about the UI of the CPLEE. I asked specifically if you would be able to highlight parts of questions like on the EPPP and she said that you could. That is not correct. I contacted Taylor Study Method about a refund and they have a very rigid policy. It doesn't matter to them how you were scoring on the practice test, if you don't follow a very rigid format, they will not provide a refund or extend your time. I studied in the exact same manner for the EPPP using their program as the CPLEE. It seems like if you are scoring so highly on their practice tests, that should be sufficient otherwise what is the point of their program and practice tests. I was informed by a staff member that they have a 99% pass rate for first time exam takers. It is hard to imagine that with 88% average on practice test, I am in the 1% that did not pass.

I have since purchased the PsychPrep program which provided close to 150 pages of reading and approximately 4 hours of audio. Their bank of questions is much better and I have already encountered material that was on the exam, but not covered in the Taylor Study Method. Their program is much more challenging. I got a 52% on their initial assessment which means that there is a lot of material to learn that Taylor Study Method didn't touch. I will hopefully pass this time and will update the forum about the results.

 

[foreverbull]

Sorry to hear that Taylor Method was so off-the-mark with the study materials and inaccurate. This is a good warning for other folks who are about to purchase CPLEE materials. The frustrating part about it is also that there are no practice tests freely available to folks as hand-me-downs like the ones you can find with the EPPP (the CPLEE is a newer test, so there's less material out there for it in general).

Good luck with the Psychprep materials; I passed with my Psychprep hand-me-downs, so I'd agree that they were adequate, although I too was caught off guard by the test difficulty. Best of luck on your second try!

 

[calimich]

good luck. I used hand-me-downs from AATBS and purchased a month subscription to their current practice tests. Agree with foreverbull that the lack of free practice tests makes the CPLEE a bit more mysterious than the EPPP.

 

[mountainsandrivers]

I studied with PsychPrep and felt pretty comfortable with the material, but I got a 55 and failed, passing was 57. I did worst on "Professional Issues", I just wish that I knew what that really met. I wish that I knew how to study better. I wonder if PsychPrep has updated their questions, as the test seemed to have a lot more hypothetical situations than what I studied, but maybe I just became so comfortable with what I studied.

 

[serenitynow123]

I tried two programs to prepare for the CPLEE. Taylor Study method was a terrible program for the CPLEE. I passed the EPPP comfortably when I used that program and was getting consistent passing scores on the practice exams. I purchased the program for the CPLEE considering my experience with the program for the EPPP. The study material is very repetitive and the bank of questions if very small. I discussed my concern via their chat function and was assured that the material was repetitive because there was less information to learn and that it was representative of what was on the test. I was averaging 88% on practice exams prior to taking my test which is 10%+ higher than I was averaging for the EPPP practice tests. I also spoke with the tutor for the free tutoring session and she also assured me that the material was representative and that if I was averaging 10+% higher on the practice exam, that should be good enough. I did not pass the exam. I got a 74% and 76% was passing = 14% lower than my practice exams (percentages are rounded off.) I passed the EPPP comfortably with a 550+ with passing score of 500. The tutor also provided incorrect information about the UI of the CPLEE. I asked specifically if you would be able to highlight parts of questions like on the EPPP and she said that you could. That is not correct. I contacted Taylor Study Method about a refund and they have a very rigid policy. It doesn't matter to them how you were scoring on the practice test, if you don't follow a very rigid format, they will not provide a refund or extend your time. I studied in the exact same manner for the EPPP using their program as the CPLEE. It seems like if you are scoring so highly on their practice tests, that should be sufficient otherwise what is the point of their program and practice tests. I was informed by a staff member that they have a 99% pass rate for first time exam takers. It is hard to imagine that with 88% average on practice test, I am in the 1% that did not pass.

I have since purchased the PsychPrep program which provided close to 150 pages of reading and approximately 4 hours of audio. Their bank of questions is much better and I have already encountered material that was on the exam, but not covered in the Taylor Study Method. Their program is much more challenging. I got a 52% on their initial assessment which means that there is a lot of material to learn that Taylor Study Method didn't touch. I will hopefully pass this time and will update the forum about the results.

I recently took the CPLEE studying with the AATBS materials and missed passing by 2 points. The exam was more difficult than I anticipated and I feel that I entered the exam confident in knowing what AATBS offered. Have you taken the exam again after using psychprep? Wondering if would be worth my while to use their materials?? It's so pricey as I already spent money on AATBS materials, so looking to see if it would be worth it? Any feedback would be appreciated

 

[IBG]

I recently took the CPLEE studying with the AATBS materials and missed passing by 2 points. The exam was more difficult than I anticipated and I feel that I entered the exam confident in knowing what AATBS offered. Have you taken the exam again after using psychprep? Wondering if would be worth my while to use their materials?? It's so pricey as I already spent money on AATBS materials, so looking to see if it would be worth it? Any feedback would be appreciated

I apologize for the delay. I did pass after using psychprep program, but don't know by how much. They only give you a score if you fail. I felt a lot more prepared. There were some of the same questions also so if you were really thrown off in certain areas, it is worth getting a handle on those areas.

 

[absurdistan]

I had the exact same experience with Taylor Study Method - avoid at all costs. I was scoring 95% on all practice tests and have NEVER failed any other test without scoring 95th percentile and above (EPPP, Psych GRE, GRE, SAT, etc). I'm not staying that to brag but to demonstrate that TSM prep is wholly insufficient (WAY too easy, repetitive and too easy practice questions, does not reflect much of the content on the test).
AVOID AVOID AVOID.

Sounds like PsychPrep is the way to go?

 

[ClinicalTears]

Passed the CPLEE yesterday

I studied the psychprep material religiously and reviewed the questions I got wrong.

They seemed more nuanced in nature, and I had to think critically when answering them. Scored 75ish% on all tests I took initially. The downside is that you can only take the same test over, so you remember the questions/answers.

I found the actual CPLEE to have similar questions. Biggest advice, all the information is in the question/vignette, do not apply any assumptions.

 

[deleted713351]

I am about to starting studying for CPLEE. It's scary to hear that this exam is so difficult.
Any tips/advice when taking this exam, please?

 

[StellaB]

I studied for it using PsychPrep but no practice tests and passed on the first try, but I felt like I might be failing it while taking (and I do not get test anxiety). It's definitely a hard test, mostly because the questions are poorly written. I agree wholeheartedly with ClinicalTears' advice above: do not add any assumptions to the prompt. If the prompt says a client is X years old, the question is probably asking about an age-cutoff rule of some kind (e.g. mandated reporting, informed consent, etc). Although I don't typically do this, after I answered each question on the CPLEE, I went all the way back to the start and re-read each question and my selected answer, to make sure I was only going off of the information in the prompt. My other piece of advice is to be mindful of the calendar when scheduling the test - they update the exam every 3 months and will not allow you to re-take the same one. So it may be better to plan your exam near the end of a particular test's run, because you won't have to wait as long to re-take if necessary. That said, getting approval to take the exam is a nightmare process with the Board of Psych in CA, so get all your approvals ASAP because they do not get processed overnight. Good luck!

 

[foreverbull]

I would agree with other folks to not ever make any added assumptions that the vignette/questiondoesn’t state directly.

I would add the following: make sure you know which ethical principle trumps the others in any given situation, whether it be confidentiality, reporting abuse, safety/risk, EAP’s own rules, etc.

 

[psychologistgirl]

Hi all! Wanted to chime in here as someone who took the CPLEE yesterday (and by some miracle passed!). I used AATBS (I also used this for the EPPP) during the Black Friday sale in November. So my materials were technically a year old by the time I took the test, but not a huge deal for the discount (20% or so?). I will say that the materials helped somewhat but I marked about 20 questions out of the 100 to go back to as I could not say without a shadow of doubt those were the correct responses. In the event it helps, I took online exam 1 four times and exam 2 three times. I started out in the 73% range and ended around 100% (but I'm also quick to memorize). I know some people had mentioned CPLEE was harder than the EPPP on other forums; while this test was certainly challenging (and I took it 5 years post licensure from another state), I can't imagine studying the 10 or so content areas the way I did back then for the EPPP. I read the AATBS book (about 100 pages) maybe 5 times through, highlighted, used flashcards I found for free online, and actually read sections of Decoding the Ethics Code as I realized the test materials were referencing that quite a bit in their response rationales. If anyone wants my materials, happy to sell at reasonable price.

 

[veliao]

Hi all! Wanted to chime in here as someone who took the CPLEE yesterday (and by some miracle passed!). I used AATBS (I also used this for the EPPP) during the Black Friday sale in November. So my materials were technically a year old by the time I took the test, but not a huge deal for the discount (20% or so?). I will say that the materials helped somewhat but I marked about 20 questions out of the 100 to go back to as I could not say without a shadow of doubt those were the correct responses. In the event it helps, I took online exam 1 four times and exam 2 three times. I started out in the 73% range and ended around 100% (but I'm also quick to memorize). I know some people had mentioned CPLEE was harder than the EPPP on other forums; while this test was certainly challenging (and I took it 5 years post licensure from another state), I can't imagine studying the 10 or so content areas the way I did back then for the EPPP. I read the AATBS book (about 100 pages) maybe 5 times through, highlighted, used flashcards I found for free online, and actually read sections of Decoding the Ethics Code as I realized the test materials were referencing that quite a bit in their response rationales. If anyone wants my materials, happy to sell at reasonable price.

Are your materials still available as I'm interested in purchasing them!

 

[thatwasreal]

are you still looking for recent eppp study materials? If so, I have full psychprep avail. Let me know.

 

[Psych1118]

Passed the CPLEE yesterday

I studied the psychprep material religiously and reviewed the questions I got wrong.

They seemed more nuanced in nature, and I had to think critically when answering them. Scored 75ish% on all tests I took initially. The downside is that you can only take the same test over, so you remember the questions/answers.

I found the actual CPLEE to have similar questions. Biggest advice, all the information is in the question/vignette, do not apply any assumptions.

Hi
About how long did you study for before taking it?

 

[foreverbull]

Hi
About how long did you study for before taking it?

I took mine a few years ago and studied about 20 hours total. Read and took notes on written psychprep materials and listened to the audio cd that came with it, but had no practice tests.

 

[Psych1118]

Thank you !

 

[FreudianSlippers]

I passed using Psychprep. I also spent some time browsing through the Board's Rules and Regulation, just looking through the index and going to pages that seemed relevant and interested. This was actually really helpful. People here are right that the CPLEE is no joke. I would have all the psychprep material memorized (not that had to do, especially compared to EPPP studying) and really push yourself to understand the test taking strategies.

 

[Dr. Fairness]

I passed the CPLEE with Psychprep hand-me-downs (but without any online test access). My colleague passed with CPLEE Psychprep (with test access). I don't know anyone personally who used another method, but Psychprep has been solid for me for the EPPP and CPLEE.

P.S. I'm selling the CPLEE Psychprep study materials at a good price here. I passed with these exact materials...

Hi!
I have made several attempts to access your CPLEE study materials but always without success.
I would appreciate your making them available to me whenever you can.
Kindly,
Fairness

 

[Dr. Fairness]

Hi!
I have made several attempts to access your CPLEE study materials but always without success.
I would appreciate your making them available to me whenever you can.
Kindly,
Fairness

 

[foreverbull]

Hi!
I have made several attempts to access your CPLEE study materials but always without success.
I would appreciate your making them available to me whenever you can.
Kindly,
Fairness

I sold my materials a few years ago on the wanted/for sale thread in this forum. You might that for used Cplee materials...occasionally someone will sell them there.