EPPP practice test scores for those who passed

[deleted829826]

Took the EPPP this morning, got a 689. Glad to be done with studying!

I studied using psychprep's Premium C package. Exam scores were in the 50's and 60's first time, then got into the 90's on the 3rd time taking the tests. I scored a 132 (66%) on test E test mode (first time taking it) they say above 130 is indicative of passing. I took the retired questions exam (which I got access to from this forum) on Saturday, 2 days before the exam, and got a 77%.

The weekend workshop from psychprep was one of the more useful parts of the package for me. It's all about test-taking strategies and how to approach multiple-choice questions. I used the strategies regularly throughout the test. While the practice tests and reviewing answers as well as the audio on different sections were also very helpful, of all the stuff I did- I'd most suggest that workshop the most for time invested and how helpful it was.

Hello, where can I access the retired questions?

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[Mojito_15]

Hello, where can I access the retired questions?

It's in an earlier post somewhere on this thread- sorry I don't remember the exact page- you can find a link if you flip through.

 

[deleted829826]

It's in an earlier post somewhere on this thread- sorry I don't remember the exact page- you can find a link if you flip through.

Thank you

 

[neuropsych2023]

I found this thread super helpful so adding my two cents. I studied for 2 weeks using online PrepJet (extremely worth the $150) by reviewing all the section summaries, taking the section quizzes (took about 9 days to get through all of the sections, studying 3-6 hours/day) and then taking the practice exams and reviewing the answers. I supplemented with some old PsychPrep audio. My PrepJet scores started with 42% and generally were in the 60s and 70s. The test itself was extremely difficult, and studying more wouldn't have helped. I felt confident on 10% of questions, had to take very educated guesses on 80%, and guessed randomly on 10%. Ended up passing with a sizeable margin.

 

[deleted829826]

I found this thread super helpful so adding my two cents. I studied for 2 weeks using online PrepJet (extremely worth the $150) by reviewing all the section summaries, taking the section quizzes (took about 9 days to get through all of the sections, studying 3-6 hours/day) and then taking the practice exams and reviewing the answers. I supplemented with some old PsychPrep audio. My PrepJet scores started with 42% and generally were in the 60s and 70s. The test itself was extremely difficult, and studying more wouldn't have helped. I felt confident on 10% of questions, had to take very educated guesses on 80%, and guessed randomly on 10%. Ended up passing with a sizeable margin.

I really, really appreciate this insight. I’m taking mine in 10 days and have been studying for the past 5 months using aatbs and supplementing with psychprep audio files. My aatbs coach “recommended” that I reschedule my test to a later date, as I hadn’t scored their recommended 75% on any practice tests. 2 weeks later, and I finally made it to the high 70s-low 80s (of course with practice effects at play). Just not sure how realistic or sustainable these “recommendations” are; My hunch is that this is all a marketing strategy to back their “pass guarantee”. Either way, I’m still taking my test as scheduled and will continue to study as I’ve been. Come test day, I’ll surrender it all to the universe.

 

[Wintermute1975]

I really, really appreciate this insight. I’m taking mine in 10 days and have been studying for the past 5 months using aatbs and supplementing with psychprep audio files. My aatbs coach “recommended” that I reschedule my test to a later date, as I hadn’t scored their recommended 75% on any practice tests. 2 weeks later, and I finally made it to the high 70s-low 80s (of course with practice effects at play). Just not sure how realistic or sustainable these “recommendations” are; My hunch is that this is all a marketing strategy to back their “pass guarantee”. Either way, I’m still taking my test as scheduled and will continue to study as I’ve been. Come test day, I’ll surrender it all to the universe.

What state are you in?

I’m in NY (needed a scaled score 75, approx 550) and was scoring mid-high 80’s on retakes of aatbs practice tests (test mode) the week preceding my exam. The practice effects definitely factored in...I was mid-high 70’s on the last two tests in study mode. I suggest taking a test you haven’t taken before to see where you land.

My score on the exam was 611 (NY 83) and was maybe 5 points higher than the tests I had taken “fresh.” Seems like you’re on track with 8 days left. I would definitely sit for it....I found that aatbs tests were way more specific than the exam but that by studying the stuff I got wrong I was forced to learn the broader knowledge needed to pass.

Last tip: check out Prepjet’s free trial. DO NOT take the diagnostic: I scored 55% three days before I passed. Their material is excellent but they limit the amount you’re allowed to access during the free trial so check out the sections you’re iffy on.

Good luck to you!

 

[deleted829826]

What state are you in?

I’m in NY (needed a scaled score 75, approx 550) and was scoring mid-high 80’s on retakes of aatbs practice tests (test mode) the week preceding my exam. The practice effects definitely factored in...I was mid-high 70’s on the last two tests in study mode. I suggest taking a test you haven’t taken before to see where you land.

My score on the exam was 611 (NY 83) and was maybe 5 points higher than the tests I had taken “fresh.” Seems like you’re on track with 8 days left. I would definitely sit for it....I found that aatbs tests were way more specific than the exam but that by studying the stuff I got wrong I was forced to learn the broader knowledge needed to pass.

Last tip: check out Prepjet’s free trial. DO NOT take the diagnostic: I scored 55% three days before I passed. Their material is excellent but they limit the amount you’re allowed to access during the free trial so check out the sections you’re iffy on.

Good luck to you!

Thank you so much for the well wishes And tips. I’m in Florida.

 

[R. Matey]

Happy that I finally get to contribute to this thread. I took the EPPP and passed with a 595 (NY 82). I have a pretty generous PD fund in my current position so I used some of it for three months of academic review, which I primarily used for the exam. I also had friends give me their old (2015) Psychprep and (2008) AATBS materials, which I took a look at, but really just to compare to AR. I did take a few practice exams from other materials in an attempt to control for practice effects using the AR system.

I scored in the mid 50s on the diagnostic test and then read through the materials twice, reviewed the practice questions, and then took the domain quizzes one by one. First passes were in the low to mid 60s and first retakes were in the high 80s to low 90s. I didn't really appear to favor a specific area--it was more my experience that certain concepts across areas were harder to internalize. After going through the practice exams, I took an embarrassingly large number of tests in study mode with a range of scores falling the high 70s to mid 80s. I read through the rationales on all answers and then would do a retake. I occasionally went back to the reading materials if I kept making the same mistakes on similar types of questions. With about three weeks until test date, I switched to taking exams in test mode--one nearly every day with the last test about three days before the exam. There was A LOT more variability in this range of scores starting in the low 80s to the mid 90s with a slight trend downward. My last practice exam score was 86%. Like others, I think this happened because I had overestimated the time I needed to prepare for the exam and, in my case, I was fighting decay.

From reading this thread and talking to friends, I was prepared to feel like I didn't know anything when I got there. So I actually slept pretty well before the exam. There were quite a few items I didn't recognize from anything that I had studied, but I kept telling myself that it was probably a validation item and try not to panic. That helped. A smaller number of items were almost verbatim out of AR's materials, but these were fairly rare. Overall, I felt like I was making educated guesses on most of the items. I finished the exam with thirty minutes left to review flagged items. I changed very few answers and then submitted with 15 minutes left on the clock. I checked out with the person and got my report. I probably could've agonized over a few more of my answers, but it's basically pass/fail and I didn't think the changes I made would have substantially influenced my score.

 

[deleted829826]

Thank you so much for the well wishes And tips. I’m in Florida.

What state are you in?

I’m in NY (needed a scaled score 75, approx 550) and was scoring mid-high 80’s on retakes of aatbs practice tests (test mode) the week preceding my exam. The practice effects definitely factored in...I was mid-high 70’s on the last two tests in study mode. I suggest taking a test you haven’t taken before to see where you land.

My score on the exam was 611 (NY 83) and was maybe 5 points higher than the tests I had taken “fresh.” Seems like you’re on track with 8 days left. I would definitely sit for it....I found that aatbs tests were way more specific than the exam but that by studying the stuff I got wrong I was forced to learn the broader knowledge needed to pass.

Last tip: check out Prepjet’s free trial. DO NOT take the diagnostic: I scored 55% three days before I passed. Their material is excellent but they limit the amount you’re allowed to access during the free trial so check out the sections you’re iffy on.

Good luck to you!

Thank you so much for the well wishes And tips. I’m in Florida.

Im back to share the good news! I passed the EPPP yesterday with a 570 (NY 80).

 

[Ririrko]

Happy that I finally get to contribute to this thread. I took the EPPP and passed with a 595 (NY 82). I have a pretty generous PD fund in my current position so I used some of it for three months of academic review, which I primarily used for the exam. I also had friends give me their old (2015) Psychprep and (2008) AATBS materials, which I took a look at, but really just to compare to AR. I did take a few practice exams from other materials in an attempt to control for practice effects using the AR system.

I scored in the mid 50s on the diagnostic test and then read through the materials twice, reviewed the practice questions, and then took the domain quizzes one by one. First passes were in the low to mid 60s and first retakes were in the high 80s to low 90s. I didn't really appear to favor a specific area--it was more my experience that certain concepts across areas were harder to internalize. After going through the practice exams, I took an embarrassingly large number of tests in study mode with a range of scores falling the high 70s to mid 80s. I read through the rationales on all answers and then would do a retake. I occasionally went back to the reading materials if I kept making the same mistakes on similar types of questions. With about three weeks until test date, I switched to taking exams in test mode--one nearly every day with the last test about three days before the exam. There was A LOT more variability in this range of scores starting in the low 80s to the mid 90s with a slight trend downward. My last practice exam score was 86%. Like others, I think this happened because I had overestimated the time I needed to prepare for the exam and, in my case, I was fighting decay.

From reading this thread and talking to friends, I was prepared to feel like I didn't know anything when I got there. So I actually slept pretty well before the exam. There were quite a few items I didn't recognize from anything that I had studied, but I kept telling myself that it was probably a validation item and try not to panic. That helped. A smaller number of items were almost verbatim out of AR's materials, but these were fairly rare. Overall, I felt like I was making educated guesses on most of the items. I finished the exam with thirty minutes left to review flagged items. I changed very few answers and then submitted with 15 minutes left on the clock. I checked out with the person and got my report. I probably could've agonized over a few more of my answers, but it's basically pass/fail and I didn't think the changes I made would have substantially influenced my score.

What is the AR system?

 

[Mercury in Taurus]

What is the AR system?

Academic Review

 

[Mercury in Taurus]

Dear all,

This forum has been so helpful for me throughout the long journey of studying EPPP, and I wanted to pay forward. I just took the EPPP today and passed on the first try (meeting the NY licensure requirement too although I don't live in NY).

I am a slow processer with a short attention span and poor retention of information unless it is repeated to me at least 3 times, and I have never been a good test taker. So I studied for 6 months. Here are my scores. I used Preject for 6 months (Plus plan with 6 full practice exams + video lectures = $149/month) and Academic Review for the last 45 days (EPPP Questions only program with 8 full practice exams + 10 domain exams = $199/month). I also took some AATBS practice exams here and there in between, but never finish a full set to get a real score. From all the materials that I have used, I personally found Academic Review's practice exams are most similar to the real EPPP.

PrepJet Scores

1/23/21​	Assessment	33%​
1/30/21​	#4	54%​
2/6/21​	#1	60%​
2/13/21​	#2	63%​
2/20/21​	#3	56%​
2/27/21​	#5	60%​
3/6/21​	#4	69%​
3/14/21​	#1	74%​
3/27/21​	#2	68%​
4/4/21​	#3	68%​
4/11/21​	#5	66%​
4/24/21​	#6	63%​
5/8/21​	#1	76%​
5/18/21​	#2	71%​
5/26/21​	#3	69%​
5/29/21​	#5	78%​
6/5/21​	#6	66%​
6/20/21​	#6	84%​
6/26/21​	#4	74%​

Academic Review scores

 

[Creative-thinker]

Dear all,

This forum has been so helpful for me throughout the long journey of studying EPPP, and I wanted to pay forward. I just took the EPPP today and passed on the first try (meeting the NY licensure requirement too although I don't live in NY).

I am a slow processer with a short attention span and poor retention of information unless it is repeated to me at least 3 times, and I have never been a good test taker. So I studied for 6 months. Here are my scores. I used Preject for 6 months (Plus plan with 6 full practice exams + video lectures = $149/month) and Academic Review for the last 45 days (EPPP Questions only program with 8 full practice exams + 10 domain exams = $199/month). I also took some AATBS practice exams here and there in between, but never finish a full set to get a real score. From all the materials that I have used, I personally found Academic Review's practice exams are most similar to the real EPPP.

PrepJet Scores

1/23/21​	Assessment	33%​
1/30/21​	#4	54%​
2/6/21​	#1	60%​
2/13/21​	#2	63%​
2/20/21​	#3	56%​
2/27/21​	#5	60%​
3/6/21​	#4	69%​
3/14/21​	#1	74%​
3/27/21​	#2	68%​
4/4/21​	#3	68%​
4/11/21​	#5	66%​
4/24/21​	#6	63%​
5/8/21​	#1	76%​
5/18/21​	#2	71%​
5/26/21​	#3	69%​
5/29/21​	#5	78%​
6/5/21​	#6	66%​
6/20/21​	#6	84%​
6/26/21​	#4	74%​

Academic Review scores
View attachment 339608

Did you take it at Pearson?
Because in my state only Pearson offers it.
Also, would it be beneficial to get Pearson's practice material ?

 

[WisNeuro]

Did you take it at Pearson?
Because in my state only Pearson offers it.
Also, would it be beneficial to get Pearson's practice material ?

The Pearson testing centers may administer the test, but the test itself is not created by them. Any of the materials for studying will be fine (AR, PsychPrep, etc). If you have significant test anxiety, it can help to take the practice test in the software platform to familiarize yourself with it. But, if it's the same as when I took it, it's fairly intuitive.

 

[Mercury in Taurus]

Did you take it at Pearson?
Because in my state only Pearson offers it.
Also, would it be beneficial to get Pearson's practice material

WisNeuro is correct. Pearson testing centers administer the EPPP. If you are asking about the Practice Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (PEPPP), it is also offered at the Pearson locations. There are two versions, and I think that they might be testing items that are no longer in use. I took version 1 PEPPP online at home in January and scored 493. I took version 2 at a testing center about two weeks before my EPPP and scored 590. My actual EPPP score was between the 2 scores. It was extra $$$ you could have saved if you are doing practice exams and don't have test anxiety. In my case, I really needed that extra reassurance to reduce my anxiety. In case you will take a PEPPP at a testing center, just be aware that the amount of time you are given may not be an accurate reflection of the actual exam. For the PEPPP, I was given almost two hours to complete 100 questions and I submitted my answers when I had 30 minutes left. The EPPP exam appointment letter stated: Appointment Length 270 minutes. When I started my test, the computer started counting down 255 minutes. I had 3 minutes and a half left when I finished 225 questions. So do not misinterpret that you have 270 minutes for 225 questions. Here is the breakdown of the 270-minute appointment:

• 5 minutes to agree to the terms of the Candidate Acknowledgement Statement

• 5 minutes for completion of the tutorial

• 4 hours and 15 minutes for completion of each part of the EPPP

• 5 minutes at the end of the exam allotted to complete a brief survey

 

[Creative-thinker]

WisNeuro is correct. Pearson testing centers administer the EPPP. If you are asking about the Practice Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (PEPPP), it is also offered at the Pearson locations. There are two versions, and I think that they might be testing items that are no longer in use. I took version 1 PEPPP online at home in January and scored 493. I took version 2 at a testing center about two weeks before my EPPP and scored 590. My actual EPPP score was between the 2 scores. It was extra $$$ you could have saved if you are doing practice exams and don't have test anxiety. In my case, I really needed that extra reassurance to reduce my anxiety. In case you will take a PEPPP at a testing center, just be aware that the amount of time you are given may not be an accurate reflection of the actual exam. For the PEPPP, I was given almost two hours to complete 100 questions and I submitted my answers when I had 30 minutes left. The EPPP exam appointment letter stated: Appointment Length 270 minutes. When I started my test, the computer started counting down 255 minutes. I had 3 minutes and a half left when I finished 225 questions. So do not misinterpret that you have 270 minutes for 225 questions. Here is the breakdown of the 270-minute appointment:

• 5 minutes to agree to the terms of the Candidate Acknowledgement Statement

• 5 minutes for completion of the tutorial

• 4 hours and 15 minutes for completion of each part of the EPPP

• 5 minutes at the end of the exam allotted to complete a brief survey

Thank you THank you Thank you. This was SOOO HELPFUL!!!!!!

 

[Creative-thinker]

The Pearson testing centers may administer the test, but the test itself is not created by them. Any of the materials for studying will be fine (AR, PsychPrep, etc). If you have significant test anxiety, it can help to take the practice test in the software platform to familiarize yourself with it. But, if it's the same as when I took it, it's fairly intuitive.

THANK YOU THANK THANK YOU!!!

 

[kimikaze]

Hello! I also found this forum to be incredibly helpful especially late at night when I was feeling sad about my practice test scores, so I figured I'd share my story to whoever needs it at the moment. I recently passed with a 550 scaled score.

My study journey was a bit weird:
-I was procrastinating so hard before joining a study group--my 1 year deadline to pass the EPPP was almost up! The pandemic hit though, which allowed me a 6 month extension.
-Started studying via zoom in February 2021 (casually) with a group formed by recruiting my coworker and another person from a facebook group. The group slowly grew to 5 people. We reviewed test questions together 2x/week for about 2-3 hours each time. We were studying using a mix of AATBS, Psychprep, and Prepjet questions. I missed a few study sessions due to things going on with family.
-Started studying more intensely after two of my groupmates passed their EPPP in April 2021. I was incredibly jealous and wanted to pass too! So, in April 2021, I set a date to sit for the exam at end of June 2021, which really helped put a fire under my butt.
-During the weekdays, I studied on Wednesday afternoons and Friday afternoons. On the weekends, I studied both Saturday and Sunday (of course with breaks for lunch and dinner). Luckily, I don't have children that take up my time (for now), and I work 32 hours a week at a community clinic.
-I used hand-me-down AATBS (study materials), Psychprep (practice exams and domain quizzes only), and Prepjet (the package with the video lectures). I would skip out on AATBS unless you're an avid reader. It was much too dense and dry, and sometimes overwhelming for me which contributed to my procrastination. Psychprep practice exams and domain quizzes, I felt, were more complex than the actual EPPP questions. I still found Psychprep to be helpful in offering different wording than Prepjet practice exams. I found that I started to memorize the Prepjet exams because the wording is so simple, but I wanted to make sure that I was really learning the material instead of memorizing it. I would highly suggest Prepjet for the study materials and exams (and the price), but don't bother with the video lectures. The Prepjet video lectures were just shorter summaries, and it was of a person's voice going over a powerpoint lecture. Prepjet practice exam 6, in particular, was eerily similar to some of the questions I saw when I took the EPPP. I felt lucky taking that exam the weekend before the EPPP!
-Every weekend for 2 months, I holed myself up in quiet room in my house and took the Prepjet practice exams in test mode. I timed myself for the 4+ hours, and wore my mask. I didn't retake any practice exams except the Prepjet diagnostic exam.

Practice exam percentages:
-Prepjet: I took them out of order.
Diagnostic exam 1st time: 39% (As you can see, I was definitely NOT ready at this point.)
Diagnostic exam 2nd time: 91% (See what I mean by memorization?)
Practice exam 2: 62%
Practice exam 1: 81% (I don't count this because I reviewed these questions with my group mates and so I believed I memorized the answers.)
Practice exam 4: 70%
Practice exam 5: 70%
Practice exam 3: 76% (I don't count this one too because I reviewed these questions with my group mates and took the exam 1-2 weeks later.)
Practice exam 6: 67%
-Psychprep: I took most of the exams in study mode, as well as the domain quizzes. I don't think I got more than a 60% though.

Week of:
-Definitely got enough rest and sustenance (maybe too much in terms of comfort/stress-eating lol)
-Did some cramming too, which I was told was not a good idea. Whatevs. It helped me feel like I was doing something to help myself. LOL
-Attended the Psychprep 7-hour workshop (and earlier that month, one of Prepjet's workshops. Isn't Scott intense?!). Both were helpful for the test taking strategies but not so much for anything else. They were basically just selling their respective programs.

Day of:
-I chose an afternoon time which I felt was helpful because I'm not a morning person and I wanted plenty of time to lounge before heading to the exam site.
-Had some coffee for breakfast and yummy Chinese food (carbs and fish) for lunch which got my energy up and Omega-3's in.
-On the ride there, I highly recommend listening to some classical music or whatever music you like that is going to set you in a relaxed mood.
-I got there 20 minutes early which gave me some time to look at some study visuals. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea because my Apple Watch indicated that my heart rate was going 100+ bpm.
-Definitely did some deep breathing throughout the entire process, and my mantra was, "I am going to pass the EPPP. I am going to pass the EPPP."
-DO NOT wear jewelry that can't easily be taken off. I had to painfully squeeze a jade bracelet off using hand sanitizer right before entering the exam room for their fear that I would use it to cheat. I had to pat myself down too. Stupid.
-DO wear a comfortable mask if you're going to be testing during this pandemic. I used a KN95 mask that helped me breathe a little easier.
-I didn't end up taking any breaks outside of the exam room. I didn't want to regret losing out on time. I took my breaks by deep breathing every once in a while. I also made sure to not drink as much water and then pee before the exam.
-I came into the exam thinking that I wouldn't flag anything (because I didn't do that for any of my practice exams). However, after reading the first 10 questions, I think I freaked out a little. My mind drew a blank, so I just decided to flag and go back to them. This was helpful because I was able to get into the flow of things toward the middle of the exam, got more confident, and then went back to the flagged items.
-I really liked being able to cross out answers that I knew were wrong and highlighting the key words "except, most likely, least likely, etc."
-I believe I had 30 minutes left to go over flagged questions. I was only able to get through 75% of the flagged questions, and I did change some answers. I used every last drop of my 4+hours at the exam site. Definitely didn't feel like I was going to pass, but I tried to stay positive throughout. Some of the wording of the questions was so bizarre!

I received my official score by email exactly 10 days later. I definitely feel a sense of relief, and hope the CPLEE is going to be much easier. Happy studying and good luck!

 

[Creative-thinker]

Hello! I also found this forum to be incredibly helpful especially late at night when I was feeling sad about my practice test scores, so I figured I'd share my story to whoever needs it at the moment. I recently passed with a 550 scaled score.

My study journey was a bit weird:
-I was procrastinating so hard before joining a study group--my 1 year deadline to pass the EPPP was almost up! The pandemic hit though, which allowed me a 6 month extension.
-Started studying via zoom in February 2021 (casually) with a group formed by recruiting my coworker and another person from a facebook group. The group slowly grew to 5 people. We reviewed test questions together 2x/week for about 2-3 hours each time. We were studying using a mix of AATBS, Psychprep, and Prepjet questions. I missed a few study sessions due to things going on with family.
-Started studying more intensely after two of my groupmates passed their EPPP in April 2021. I was incredibly jealous and wanted to pass too! So, in April 2021, I set a date to sit for the exam at end of June 2021, which really helped put a fire under my butt.
-During the weekdays, I studied on Wednesday afternoons and Friday afternoons. On the weekends, I studied both Saturday and Sunday (of course with breaks for lunch and dinner). Luckily, I don't have children that take up my time (for now), and I work 32 hours a week at a community clinic.
-I used hand-me-down AATBS (study materials), Psychprep (practice exams and domain quizzes only), and Prepjet (the package with the video lectures). I would skip out on AATBS unless you're an avid reader. It was much too dense and dry, and sometimes overwhelming for me which contributed to my procrastination. Psychprep practice exams and domain quizzes, I felt, were more complex than the actual EPPP questions. I still found Psychprep to be helpful in offering different wording than Prepjet practice exams. I found that I started to memorize the Prepjet exams because the wording is so simple, but I wanted to make sure that I was really learning the material instead of memorizing it. I would highly suggest Prepjet for the study materials and exams (and the price), but don't bother with the video lectures. The Prepjet video lectures were just shorter summaries, and it was of a person's voice going over a powerpoint lecture. Prepjet practice exam 6, in particular, was eerily similar to some of the questions I saw when I took the EPPP. I felt lucky taking that exam the weekend before the EPPP!
-Every weekend for 2 months, I holed myself up in quiet room in my house and took the Prepjet practice exams in test mode. I timed myself for the 4+ hours, and wore my mask. I didn't retake any practice exams except the Prepjet diagnostic exam.

Practice exam percentages:
-Prepjet: I took them out of order.
Diagnostic exam 1st time: 39% (As you can see, I was definitely NOT ready at this point.)
Diagnostic exam 2nd time: 91% (See what I mean by memorization?)
Practice exam 2: 62%
Practice exam 1: 81% (I don't count this because I reviewed these questions with my group mates and so I believed I memorized the answers.)
Practice exam 4: 70%
Practice exam 5: 70%
Practice exam 3: 76% (I don't count this one too because I reviewed these questions with my group mates and took the exam 1-2 weeks later.)
Practice exam 6: 67%
-Psychprep: I took most of the exams in study mode, as well as the domain quizzes. I don't think I got more than a 60% though.

Week of:
-Definitely got enough rest and sustenance (maybe too much in terms of comfort/stress-eating lol)
-Did some cramming too, which I was told was not a good idea. Whatevs. It helped me feel like I was doing something to help myself. LOL
-Attended the Psychprep 7-hour workshop (and earlier that month, one of Prepjet's workshops. Isn't Scott intense?!). Both were helpful for the test taking strategies but not so much for anything else. They were basically just selling their respective programs.

Day of:
-I chose an afternoon time which I felt was helpful because I'm not a morning person and I wanted plenty of time to lounge before heading to the exam site.
-Had some coffee for breakfast and yummy Chinese food (carbs and fish) for lunch which got my energy up and Omega-3's in.
-On the ride there, I highly recommend listening to some classical music or whatever music you like that is going to set you in a relaxed mood.
-I got there 20 minutes early which gave me some time to look at some study visuals. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea because my Apple Watch indicated that my heart rate was going 100+ bpm.
-Definitely did some deep breathing throughout the entire process, and my mantra was, "I am going to pass the EPPP. I am going to pass the EPPP."
-DO NOT wear jewelry that can't easily be taken off. I had to painfully squeeze a jade bracelet off using hand sanitizer right before entering the exam room for their fear that I would use it to cheat. I had to pat myself down too. Stupid.
-DO wear a comfortable mask if you're going to be testing during this pandemic. I used a KN95 mask that helped me breathe a little easier.
-I didn't end up taking any breaks outside of the exam room. I didn't want to regret losing out on time. I took my breaks by deep breathing every once in a while. I also made sure to not drink as much water and then pee before the exam.
-I came into the exam thinking that I wouldn't flag anything (because I didn't do that for any of my practice exams). However, after reading the first 10 questions, I think I freaked out a little. My mind drew a blank, so I just decided to flag and go back to them. This was helpful because I was able to get into the flow of things toward the middle of the exam, got more confident, and then went back to the flagged items.
-I really liked being able to cross out answers that I knew were wrong and highlighting the key words "except, most likely, least likely, etc."
-I believe I had 30 minutes left to go over flagged questions. I was only able to get through 75% of the flagged questions, and I did change some answers. I used every last drop of my 4+hours at the exam site. Definitely didn't feel like I was going to pass, but I tried to stay positive throughout. Some of the wording of the questions was so bizarre!

I received my official score by email exactly 10 days later. I definitely feel a sense of relief, and hope the CPLEE is going to be much easier. Happy studying and good luck!

Supper helpful, quick question what was the name of the facebook group so I could maybe get someone to study with. I have heard from many people that AATBS was helpful. Because they also offer a person you can pay to study with and they have a 9months worth of questions that you can keep accessing.

 

[Creative-thinker]

WisNeuro is correct. Pearson testing centers administer the EPPP. If you are asking about the Practice Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (PEPPP), it is also offered at the Pearson locations. There are two versions, and I think that they might be testing items that are no longer in use. I took version 1 PEPPP online at home in January and scored 493. I took version 2 at a testing center about two weeks before my EPPP and scored 590. My actual EPPP score was between the 2 scores. It was extra $$$ you could have saved if you are doing practice exams and don't have test anxiety. In my case, I really needed that extra reassurance to reduce my anxiety. In case you will take a PEPPP at a testing center, just be aware that the amount of time you are given may not be an accurate reflection of the actual exam. For the PEPPP, I was given almost two hours to complete 100 questions and I submitted my answers when I had 30 minutes left. The EPPP exam appointment letter stated: Appointment Length 270 minutes. When I started my test, the computer started counting down 255 minutes. I had 3 minutes and a half left when I finished 225 questions. So do not misinterpret that you have 270 minutes for 225 questions. Here is the breakdown of the 270-minute appointment:

• 5 minutes to agree to the terms of the Candidate Acknowledgement Statement

• 5 minutes for completion of the tutorial

• 4 hours and 15 minutes for completion of each part of the EPPP

• 5 minutes at the end of the exam allotted to complete a brief survey

Thank you . But I was asking if the pearson prep questions were similar to exam you took.

 

[Mercury in Taurus]

Thank you . But I was asking if the pearson prep questions were similar to exam you took.

They were similar to the EPPP in wording and content.

 

[Creative-thinker]

Passed my EPPP yesterday with a 680 on my third attempt, wanted to thank all of you for the support through this journey. I used a combination of AATBS in my first two attempts but thankfully was able to get funding from my employer for 1:1 tutoring through Dr. Jordyn's program and that really made the difference for me. This is a test that is as much about learning content as it is learning about the test itself. Definitely have had some anxiety related to this thing over the last couple years but so so happy to cross this final hurdle. Best of luck to all, you can do it!

What is the website for Dr. Jordyn's program?

 

[NonTradProf]

Greetings! I found this thread to be very helpful as I studied for the EPPP, so wanted to share what I can to contribute. Knowing practice assessment scores that you all earned as well as your actual eppp score was helpful to me. Thank you!

I am so happy to report that I scored a 694 today (NY scaled score of 90). My situation may have been a bit unique in that I finished a clinical PhD (clinical scientist model) more than a decade ago, and under the DSM-IV. It was the pandemic that opened my eyes to the dearth of (and demand for) services in my region, so I am pursuing licensure just now in hopes of bridging some gaps for families where I reside.

I used about 3 hand-me-down PsychPrep exams at first (paper-pencil), and continually scored around 60%. These were older, using DSM-IV terminology. The continued scores below 70% coupled with the older terminology led me to purchase some materials through AATBS. I first purchased the Assessment Exam (I scored 64%). After reviewing those results and studying with whatever I could get my hands on, I started taking regular assessments via the 30-day access package through AATBS. They have 8 unique tests, and my first-attempts were 64%, 60%, 64%. I figured I needed more reliable materials to get my scores higher, so I purchased digital access to AATBS study materials. My first-attempt practice tests were then: 64%, 70%, 69%, 65%, then on my last attempt one week ago today I scored 75% and finally started feeling better. In the final week I retook domains on which I struggled and reviewed all of my notes from the previous months (emphasizing domains on which I struggled).

As some others have stated, I found the EPPP to be broader in terms of question-type (not as specific material as the AATBS practice tests). I was surprised that some things were not covered on the EPPP I took, and also that some questions on the EPPP were about things I never heard of.

I'll share a strategy that I found to be very helpful. I calculated the minimum number of questions I would want to get correct, knowing that remaining questions I would get - by chance alone - about 25% of those questions correct. So, if I felt that I got 135 correct (60% of 225), I knew I would gain around 22.5 additional points by chance on remaining items, which would yield 157.5, or 70% (approximately passing). My approach was to answer all questions first time through, flagging those I wasn't confident about. After my first time through, my self-assessment of performance had me right around upper 50's to 60%. I then reviewed all flagged questions and that put my self-scoring up to about 70%. I also crossed out answers on most remaining flagged questions that I knew were incorrect, so my odds likely increased on most questions. This helped me know that I could confidently end the exam and hope for the best.

This self-monitoring might not be good for everyone, but it's something I found worked for me in terms of anxiety management and pacing during practice tests, and it seemed to help me today. Perhaps it will be helpful to someone else. Good luck to all who are studying, and thanks to all who have shared information here.

 

[MillyM]

Passed the EPPP first time today with a score of 650 so just wanted to share my experience in case it's helpful for anyone!

I trained and registered as a psychologist outside of North America where the EPPP is not a thing, so I was coming into this after 6+ years of practicing as a licensed psychologist in a specialized (not clinical psychology) field, many years since my original degrees, maybe 15 years since I'd had to take a multiple choice exam! I definitely went through a lot of emotions as it was so different to the processes I was used to, and felt very arbitrary. To that end I gave myself plenty of time to prepare - around 4 months, which was more than needed really, but I ended up scheduling the exam around when I could take a week off work to relax and prepare. Working full time, initially I studied maybe 15-20 hours a week mostly on weekends, and slowed down a bit once I'd booked my exam and knew how much time I had to prepare. In the week before I studied largely in the mornings, maybe 2-3 hours per day.

I bought a 6 month subscription to Psychprep online study materials and practice tests (no audio or workshops), I also had some super old (pre DSM-5) hand-me-down Academic review audio and printed materials with some paper exams. I also bought a months access to the newer Academic review questions only where I could take practice tests or do questions from specific areas. It was helpful to have some different questions and information about topics not covered in the Psychprep materials but with hindsight, not really necessary. I mainly focused on reviewing materials and making some brief notes, taking practice tests and identifying/reviewing areas I was missing. I did listen to the audio intermittently on my commutes and watched some youtube videos on unfamiliar areas.

Psychprep practice tests A-C: 54-57% first time study mode, 85-93% retake mode
Psychprep practice test D: 66% first time study mode, 88% retake mode
2 x old paper Academic review tests: 60 & 65%

After a couple of weeks break to review materials and retake practice exams:
3 x new online Academic review tests: 70-74% (quite a bit of overlap with the older exams I had)

In the week before my exam:
Psychprep Test E (test mode): 78%
PEPPO: Pass
Retired questions: 84% (pretty sure a number of these were also on the other practice tests I took)

I felt a lot better after those three practice exams, probably means technically I 'over prepared' but I much prefer that than feeling under prepared or unsure. While taking Test E and the PEPPO I had no idea whether I was doing enough to pass, it was actually helpful to experience that and get a passing grade each time as I felt the same way during the actual exam.

I scheduled my exam for the morning as I wanted to get it out of the way. Luckily I don't have a huge amount of test anxiety to manage, the EPPP took me less than 2.5 hours in total, I flagged only about 10 questions. That was pretty typical of my practice exams too, they were generally taking me between 1.5 and 2.5 hours even in study mode with reviewing answers. I'd estimate 25% I knew the answer to, 50% I was reasonably confident and/or could eliminate two options and 25% pure guessing. If I was making a complete guess or narrowing down to a couple of options I really had no idea how to choose between I felt it wasn't that helpful to flag and review, that would be unlikely to change anything. I took a brief break after answering all the questions, and went back to review the flagged ones and finish up although that didn't take long.

Anyway, glad that's over with! Good luck!

 

[rgillogly]

I found this formum to be so helpful in me feeling prepared to pass my EPPP this past May. I have a lot of test materials to support others in this journey if anyone is interested. I have Psychprep, academic review, AATBS subject matter booklets and MANY printed practice exams. If anyone would benefit from these, please reach out and I'd be happy to pass on.

 

[psychout0731]

I passed the EPPP on 6/1/21 with a 722 (92 converted scaled score for New York). I used the AATBS EPPP Comprehensive Study Volumes and PrepJet to prepare. I studied for about 6-7 weeks. I studied probably the majority of the days during the week, even if it was just reviewing flashcards/previous material while sitting in front of the TV. I don't think I was studying excessively bc I still went out, spent time with family, worked full time, binged a few TV shows, etc. I started with the material I knew nothing about (I/O psych) and worked my way towards the material I felt most comfortable with (abnormal and clinical). I created many, many flashcards and then filled in the study guides that come in the comprehensive study volumes. I tested knowledge via the quizzes and practice tests on prepjet. I think the study material on prepjet is an earlier version of the material in the comprehensive volumes, as they were structured almost identically. If you have to choose between the two (bc they're both kinda pricey) I would say go with PrepJet, bc the practice tests were very helpful. I didn't even go through my flashcards/study guides that much, and didn't even finish two of my study guides until the night before the test. But I reviewed material and rewrote material almost everyday for about six weeks, so it sunk in somehow. I felt really nervous until about 1.5 weeks before the exam, as I was averaging in the 70s on the PrepJet practice exams; however, something clicked in that final week and my practice scores went up to high 80s - low 90s. Probably a big practice effect in there as you definitely start to memorize those questions.

I found the actual EPPP easier than the PrepJet practice exams. It seemed I need less specific knowledge than what I had been studying for. I finished with an hour of time left, which included reviewing probably ~50 questions I had flagged during my first run through.

Some of my demographics: I attended a funded PhD program, completed a VA internship 2019-2020, and am currently working as a staff psychologist with the VA

 

[PedPsychPhD]

In my bouts of extreme anxiety, I came across this thread the other night. I was originally slated to take EPPP tomorrow, however, I failed the PEPPPO (I don't know the score, just the word "fail" came up) over the weekend, and thus I panicked. It's rescheduled for next Friday, so I gave myself an additional 9 days to prep. I have been doing PsychPrep, and my scores are as follows on the exams in Study Mode: A (47%), B (61%), C (57%), D (62%). Have not yet taken E. I *think* my issues are anxiety, doubting myself and changing my answers, test fatigue and not reading clearly enough as I go on, and just the fact that there is so much info. Any insight or thoughts? I had been communicating with someone from PsychPrep but first they told me to postpone the exam 1 month after the score on Test C (which I think screwed with my confidence a lot) and then told me to do the weekend workshop, which no...I don't have extra funds and I've listened to it already on audio. Also, I plan to take Test E in Test Mode and another PEPPPO. Thoughts? I am sincerely wondering if my "fail" on the PEPPPO was by 1 or 2 questions since I appear to be not horribly far off where I should be on the practice exams. That being said, I could still fail. Any and all advice/thoughts welcome. Definitely reassurance seeking.

 

[szymk1sm]

In my bouts of extreme anxiety, I came across this thread the other night. I was originally slated to take EPPP tomorrow, however, I failed the PEPPPO (I don't know the score, just the word "fail" came up) over the weekend, and thus I panicked. It's rescheduled for next Friday, so I gave myself an additional 9 days to prep. I have been doing PsychPrep, and my scores are as follows on the exams in Study Mode: A (47%), B (61%), C (57%), D (62%). Have not yet taken E. I *think* my issues are anxiety, doubting myself and changing my answers, test fatigue and not reading clearly enough as I go on, and just the fact that there is so much info. Any insight or thoughts? I had been communicating with someone from PsychPrep but first they told me to postpone the exam 1 month after the score on Test C (which I think screwed with my confidence a lot) and then told me to do the weekend workshop, which no...I don't have extra funds and I've listened to it already on audio. Also, I plan to take Test E in Test Mode and another PEPPPO. Thoughts? I am sincerely wondering if my "fail" on the PEPPPO was by 1 or 2 questions since I appear to be not horribly far off where I should be on the practice exams. That being said, I could still fail. Any and all advice/thoughts welcome. Definitely reassurance seeking.

I have a lot of test taking anxiety too. My approach during the exam:

- spent first 5 minutes using the scrap paper to draw the normal curve, any mnemonics I had learned, key concepts, etc. Essentially word vomited important information so that I didn't have to think about it later when my anxiety was amped up.
- as I worked through the exam, i highlighted any key words in the question (i.e., always, never, names, etc.), as I tend to read quickly and gloss over those details.
- I also went with my first gut reaction for answers, but flagged any questions that I felt unsure of or was taking too long on and then returned to them after I had finished answering the remaining questions. This allowed me to chug through the test and I found I gained more confidence maybe 20 questions in (as in, I wasn't flagging every one).
- I also took a bathroom break (with some deep breathing) after I had finished answering all the questions but before tackling all the flagged items

obviously these aren't guaranteed to work, but these are what helped me to manage my anxiety and focus on what I was there to do. I had also accepted that if I failed, I could just take the exam again.

 

[borne_before]

I have a lot of test taking anxiety too. My approach during the exam:

- spent first 5 minutes using the scrap paper to draw the normal curve, any mnemonics I had learned, key concepts, etc. Essentially word vomited important information so that I didn't have to think about it later when my anxiety was amped up.
- as I worked through the exam, i highlighted any key words in the question (i.e., always, never, names, etc.), as I tend to read quickly and gloss over those details.
- I also went with my first gut reaction for answers, but flagged any questions that I felt unsure of or was taking too long on and then returned to them after I had finished answering the remaining questions. This allowed me to chug through the test and I found I gained more confidence maybe 20 questions in (as in, I wasn't flagging every one).
- I also took a bathroom break (with some deep breathing) after I had finished answering all the questions but before tackling all the flagged items

obviously these aren't guaranteed to work, but these are what helped me to manage my anxiety and focus on what I was there to do. I had also accepted that if I failed, I could just take the exam again.

Get some beta blockers!

 

[szymk1sm]

Get some beta blockers!

I passed the EPPP and written neuropsychology boards first pass using these strategies (along with lots of preparation) and without beta blockers. So for me, I'll pass - but for anyone reading this thread, know that beta blockers (as this poster said) may also be a suitable option!

 

[borne_before]

I feel like psychologists critically underestimate how useful a little propranolol is for many performance based issues.

 

[PedPsychPhD]

I have a lot of test taking anxiety too. My approach during the exam:

- spent first 5 minutes using the scrap paper to draw the normal curve, any mnemonics I had learned, key concepts, etc. Essentially word vomited important information so that I didn't have to think about it later when my anxiety was amped up.
- as I worked through the exam, i highlighted any key words in the question (i.e., always, never, names, etc.), as I tend to read quickly and gloss over those details.
- I also went with my first gut reaction for answers, but flagged any questions that I felt unsure of or was taking too long on and then returned to them after I had finished answering the remaining questions. This allowed me to chug through the test and I found I gained more confidence maybe 20 questions in (as in, I wasn't flagging every one).
- I also took a bathroom break (with some deep breathing) after I had finished answering all the questions but before tackling all the flagged items

obviously these aren't guaranteed to work, but these are what helped me to manage my anxiety and focus on what I was there to do. I had also accepted that if I failed, I could just take the exam again.

This was super helpful, thank you so much! My next practice exam I am going to try to only go with my first gut reaction for those questions I tend to overthink. I was also wondering if anyone had any additional insight on readiness to take the exam based on PsychPrep and PEPPPO scores?

 

[pck29]

I frequented this thread like most of you, largely because of my anxiety. I passed today with a ss of 705 and NY as of 91. Definitely more uncertainty regarding answers on the real eppp, with me flagging about 1/3 of the questions. Found it helpful to do the two simulated practice exams at the test centers because it at least exposed me to how I’d feel on test day. I got a mod 600s score on one and a high 600s score on the other the week before taking the real thing.

I mainly reviewed audio files and completed online questions through academic review with minimal flash card review.

82% on the retired questions about three weeks prior and low to mid 80s on first pass practice exams a couple of weeks before real test.

I started in the high 50s on the first assessment practice exam. Studied for two months about 35 hours per week.

 

[foreverbull]

In my bouts of extreme anxiety, I came across this thread the other night. I was originally slated to take EPPP tomorrow, however, I failed the PEPPPO (I don't know the score, just the word "fail" came up) over the weekend, and thus I panicked. It's rescheduled for next Friday, so I gave myself an additional 9 days to prep. I have been doing PsychPrep, and my scores are as follows on the exams in Study Mode: A (47%), B (61%), C (57%), D (62%). Have not yet taken E. I *think* my issues are anxiety, doubting myself and changing my answers, test fatigue and not reading clearly enough as I go on, and just the fact that there is so much info. Any insight or thoughts? I had been communicating with someone from PsychPrep but first they told me to postpone the exam 1 month after the score on Test C (which I think screwed with my confidence a lot) and then told me to do the weekend workshop, which no...I don't have extra funds and I've listened to it already on audio. Also, I plan to take Test E in Test Mode and another PEPPPO. Thoughts? I am sincerely wondering if my "fail" on the PEPPPO was by 1 or 2 questions since I appear to be not horribly far off where I should be on the practice exams. That being said, I could still fail. Any and all advice/thoughts welcome. Definitely reassurance seeking.

Overthinking exam questions is common if you have a lot of anxiety about the test. Psychprep exams tend to be difficult, as do many of the other practice exams. My scores on practice exams ranged from 59.5% up to the 70s, but they were hand-me-downs. I would suggest focusing on anxiety-reduction strategies (and/or beta-blockers, as someone else suggested if your anxiety is very extreme) and then take a final practice exam (E) to see if your strategies are working. If you have some problem areas in terms of test topics, make sure you focus on them as well, but generally, if you've studied at least 75-100 hours close to the exam with multiple methods (audio, reading, etc.), you are likely well-prepared. I took notes as I read and listened to audio, then took a practice exam every so often to see how I was doing. Seemed to work well for me because reading alone wasn't going to cut it.

Hope that helps!

 

[psychtrauma]

Passed my EPPP yesterday with a 670 on my third attempt, wanted to thank all of you for the support through this journey. I used a combination of AATBS in my first two attempts but thankfully was able to get funding from my employer for 1:1 tutoring through Dr. David's EPPP Tutoring Service and that really made the difference for me. This is a test that is as much about learning content as it is learning about the test itself. Definitely have had some anxiety related to this thing over the last couple years but so so happy to cross this final hurdle. Best of luck to all, you can do it!

 

[pspsych]

I passed the EPPP on the first try two days ago, barely with a score of 511 😬. I wanted to share my experience with others as I’ve found this thread very helpful.

My PEPPP score last week was 613. I found the PEPPP much more reasonable and reflective of the prep course material. On the EPPP itself, I found that only 30 percent of it corresponded to the PsychPrep / AATBS reading material—(I paid for a PsychPrep package and also had a copy of the AATBS books). This was rather disconcerting as I went into the EPPP exam believing the material would be similar to the PEPPP. So, there were many questions on the EPPP that I had to 50/50.

If you have test anxiety, I would recommend taking the PEPPP to gain exposure and familiarity to the test center. It definitely helped my anxiety; my PEPPP score gave me some confidence—even though this confidence was not well-founded 😯. I think if I had been sleep-deprived that that would have been quite a hinderance, so I recommend trying to figure out how to get a decent night’s sleep the day before. I used melatonin and only slept a few hours the night previous so that I would be sufficiently tired. I scheduled my exam for the afternoon in case I wasn’t able to fall asleep.

I finished the actual EPPP with 18 minutes to spare and was able to check flagged questions. I found that I needed more time on the actual exam than on the practice tests due to the large number of unfamiliar topics. I was not able to take a break as I feared running out of time. On practice exams I often finished with an hour to spare.

So, my impression was that the PEPPP was reasonable and similar in difficulty to the PsychPrep and PrepJet questions (I paid for a month of PrepJet tests after four months of PsychPrep). But I found the actual EPPP to be much more difficult as the content areas tapped were not well-reflected in the prep course reading. Therefore, I would recommend learning the content in the prep course readings (just to get the 30 percent correct) and honing your test-taking strategies to narrow down the selections on the rest of the questions. Of course, keeping in mind the 50 questions that are really “out there” are probably trial questions not counted.

A colleague of mine who took the test last month (and barely passed too) who also went through the same PsychPrep package had virtually the same opinion about her experience. I don’t know if that means ASPPB has recently changed the contents of the questions but as my scores on the EPPP and PEPPP varied considerably, it made me wonder.

Here are my scores for reference:

All below scores are tests taken without ever having seen the questions before (“test mode”)
PsychPrep
Test A (Study Mode) 63%
Test B (Study Mode) 67%
Test C (Study Mode) 71%
Test D (Test Mode) 63%
Test E (Test Mode) 66%

PrepJet
Exam 1 (Test Mode) 76%
Exam 2 (Test Mode) 78%
Exam 3 (Test Mode) 74%
Exam 4 (Test Mode) 75%
Exam 5 (Test Mode) 79%
Exam 6 (Test Mode) 67%

PEPPP score 613 (76%) – taken one week before the EPPP

Best of luck to everyone and thanks to all who posted and replied to comments!

 

[voidv2]

Greetings all,

I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

I recently passed the EPPP on my first attempt with a 588 scaled score (CA). I wanted to share my experience as I found this thread to be a valuable informational resource for me, and also because I have a rather unique story compared to many I have read previously.

About me: I graduated with my doctorate in summer 2018 and finished my postdoc in summer 2019. I have ADHD and an autoimmune thyroid condition that greatly impacts my memory and retention. I made it through undergrad unaware of my ADHD condition and survived by taking classes strategically and avoiding classes that weighted exams heavily because I am the DEFINITION of a "bad test taker." I was formally diagnosed with ADHD in 2010 and have used accommodations ever since to make it through my courses. I am also the parent of a spunky toddler that has never liked to sleep at night. I currently work part-time at a private group practice where I carry a small caseload.

How I did it: My journey to passing is not a pretty one, but I hope it brings hope and is of some help to others who are struggling with this exam.

I started to study in winter 2018 as my postdoc paid for AATBS materials and gave us time to study in groups. I also attended the AATBS workshops. However, I was commuting over 3 hours to work every day and was in the process of moving. Right before my post-doc ended, my son was born, and that slammed the breaks on any study prospects for some time.

I picked back up with studying in fall/winter 2019 and got connected with an AATBS coach. However, many things happened in my life including the pandemic so my studies were stalled a great deal. I re-engaged with my coach again in summer 2020. I had major doubts about my ability to pass the exam as someone who struggled significantly with memory and retention of information. Taking the AATBS practice exams did not help my confidence (I will list my scores at the end). I read all of those dense AATBS books but seemed to retain very little. My coach was also rather unhelpful, mostly repeatedly insisting I use the AATBS study methods even though they were clearly not working for me. After taking my fourth exam and getting a lower score than the previous 2 exams, even though I reread and studied 2 whole domains over again, I fell into despair and began to seriously doubt I would ever pass this exam.

After doing some research and joining some dedicated EPPP forums, I came across a tutoring program that was advertising unique training for the EPPP. I started with the tutor who taught me some interesting techniques to prep for the exam. However, it became clear that his techniques were not exactly working for me either. He was also concerned about my content knowledge and my ability to comprehend complex questions. He too was not sure I was "ready."

Great.

At this point, I was somewhat desperate and lost. On a whim I reached out to some colleagues I remembered had LD/ADHD issues and asked for help. This was a turning point for me, I think. I was encouraged to use audio materials in conjunction with written material and to study as soon as my stimulant medication took effect as much as possible to maximize retention. I went over every domain again using Sharon Jablon's audio lectures, sometimes reading along. I also scheduled my exam date, which gave me the last extra push I needed to really prioritize studying. My wife essentially took over 90% of the child-rearing duty and for nearly 3 months I studied at an increasingly intense pace. I continued to meet with the tutor and take his version of practice exams. He continued to have doubts about my preparedness, but I persisted until I finally started getting "better" practice exam scores. After taking the PEPPP practice exam and passing, I sat for the real thing (with accommodations) and passed. Mind you, in the 3 weeks leading up to taking the exam my son was sick twice, our plumbing was ****ing up, and 3 of my clients were falling apart with one even becoming acutely suicidal! Oh, and a friend of my wife and I's mother passed away and he decided to have the funeral on my exam day! So, life does not stop, but you can still pass!

Important Take-Aways: 1) If you have LD/ADHD issues, many of the study techniques advertised by coaches and study materials may not work as well or at all for you. Audio can be helpful, especially if it's clear and concise. You have to break things down, even though our tendency is to absorb the whole picture, it's just not possible with this exam. Keep connected with friends and colleagues for encouragement, especially those who "get it." Mnemonics can also be a lifesaver and Sharon shares many in her audio files.

2) If you have LD/ADHD GET ACCOMMODATIONS. I cannot stress this enough. It's a pain in the ass but worth it. It took me over 6.5 hours to complete the EPPP and I needed every second. I would not have passed without them.

3) If you have kids, find a way to manage child care. I realize a good many parents in this field are women and in my anecdotal research many of the people who do not pass the EPPP have children. It's a tremendous burden to prepare for this exam while trying to parent our little ones and it can feel like an impossible choice to have to pick being with them or studying. The only comfort I can give is that it's a time-limited choice. Pull in every favor or debt owed to get child care for the time you need to study.

4) In my experience, coaches and tutors will always err on the side of caution when asked about "readiness" as a form of risk management. So if you are not in the 70-80% score range on prac exams they may not feel comfortable saying you are ready. This does NOT mean you are not ready, it just means they are not ready to say you are for what I have to assume are liability reasons.

5) Take several practice exams and review rationales for wrong answers intensely. Get VERY familiar with the at times convoluted and tortured wording of questions meant to trick/divert you away from the right answers.

6) The EPPP, in my experience, was not as hard as the practice exams I took, esp AATBS which were brutal. You will never have TOTAL familiarity/mastery of all of the material and that's okay. I felt I knew confidently maybe 30% of the questions on the EPPP exam, the rest was just figuring it out. Whatever mystical algorithm tally's your final score is a complete mystery that will likely never be known so you just have to do your best. I think a good chunk of people who fail end up panicking part way through because they don't recognize the questions. Stay calm and KEEP GOING.

7) Take the "official" Practice EPPP. I think it's a decent barometer for your progress. HOWEVER, a colleague reported that she and 5 other colleagues took the practice exam and 3 "failed" including my colleague. However, all 6 passed the EPPP. Take that for what you will. If anything, taking the practice exam can familiarize you with the exam wordings and if you take in person, the ridiculous procedures Pearson uses so they don't throw you off on exam day.

Here are my scores for reference:


AATBS:

Assessment: 47%
Test 1 (study mode) 44%
Test 2 (study mode) 54%
Test 3(stydy mode) 54%
Test 4 (study mode) 50%

Tutor Practice Exams:

Test 1: 50% Retest: 64%
Test 2: 53% Retest: 76%
Test 3: 48%
Test 4: 68%
Test 5: 60%

PEPPP (In Person):
560. Taken 3 days before the exam.

As you can see, they are not stellar. I never broke 70% on any first attempt but I passed the EPPP with a score that was 28 points higher than my Practice EPPP score. If I can pass this god-forsaken exam with these scores and my learning difficulties, then trust me when I say you can too. Good luck!

 

[dr.al.79]

Hello! I have been following this thread for awhile. Taking this test did not go as planned. I paid my fees about a year ago and didn’t realize that there was a deadline to take the test by. So Thursday I realized I had to take the test by Friday or I’d lose all the fees I paid. So I figured ready or not might as well take a shot at it since either way I lose my fees. Well I didn’t pass but got a 494 which was much closer than I thought. I’m trying to stop myself from thinking about how many more questions I needed to pass cuz I’ll drive myself crazy lol

I’m wondering what you guys recommend as far as ways to go back and study and how long to wait before trying again. Is it helpful to review the material especially the sections I scored lower in or would it be best to continue to focus on the practice exams? I am using PsychPrep and have been scoring below what they recommend. I took test E Thursday night and got 57% so like I said I did not expect to be as close as I was. Any help would be awesome!

 

[foreverbull]

Hello! I have been following this thread for awhile. Taking this test did not go as planned. I paid my fees about a year ago and didn’t realize that there was a deadline to take the test by. So Thursday I realized I had to take the test by Friday or I’d lose all the fees I paid. So I figured ready or not might as well take a shot at it since either way I lose my fees. Well I didn’t pass but got a 494 which was much closer than I thought. I’m trying to stop myself from thinking about how many more questions I needed to pass cuz I’ll drive myself crazy lol

I’m wondering what you guys recommend as far as ways to go back and study and how long to wait before trying again. Is it helpful to review the material especially the sections I scored lower in or would it be best to continue to focus on the practice exams? I am using PsychPrep and have been scoring below what they recommend. I took test E Thursday night and got 57% so like I said I did not expect to be as close as I was. Any help would be awesome!

That’s pretty close. I’d suggest cramming for two months and taking practice tests along the way to see if there’s any improvement in scores. Be as active as you can when you study—take notes, actively engage if you have audio and answer questions in your head. Towards the end, focus on problem areas and more unfamiliar material, I would suggest. Two months seems reasonable—not so short that you feel like you’re risking too much, but not so long that you’re pushing it out too far when the exam questions are still fresh in your mind. I’d make sure to put in several hours between reading, listening, and practice exams. Best of luck!

 

[bluecolourskies]

Can someone please tell me when the EPPP exam usually takes place in the year? (like certain months?)
I tried looking on the website but it looks like you can't see any exam dates until you actually register.

 

[WisNeuro]

Can someone please tell me when the EPPP exam usually takes place in the year? (like certain months?)
I tried looking on the website but it looks like you can't see any exam dates until you actually register.

Not sure if testing centers have any pandemic restrictions, but back when I took it, you could pretty much take it year round on the days that the testing center was open.

 

[Mercury in Taurus]

Can someone please tell me when the EPPP exam usually takes place in the year? (like certain months?)
I tried looking on the website but it looks like you can't see any exam dates until you actually register.

Except for Covid-related temporary closures, testing centers are open all year round in according to each center's operating hours. Depending upon where you live, you might want to register sooner rather than later. In densely populated locations, exam dates are booked far in advance. If wait until close to your readiness, you might ended up having to schedule for a location far away, wait for a couple of months or longer, or check frequently to see if any opening due to cancellation. If you are in a rural area, then maybe you don't need to sweat it and can take your time.

 

[bluecolourskies]

Except for Covid-related temporary closures, testing centers are open all year round in according to each center's operating hours. Depending upon where you live, you might want to register sooner rather than later. In densely populated locations, exam dates are booked far in advance. If wait until close to your readiness, you might ended up having to schedule for a location far away, wait for a couple of months or longer, or check frequently to see if any opening due to cancellation. If you are in a rural area, then maybe you don't need to sweat it and can take your time.

I am still waiting for the state licensing board to process my paperwork (( but that is a good tip as I am in a high population area.

 

[bluecolourskies]

Not sure if testing centers have any pandemic restrictions, but back when I took it, you could pretty much take it year round on the days that the testing center was open.

Ha I had no idea! I thought it was like the SAT's or something, where it was only offered at very few specific dates each year. Thank you

 

[quickpsych]

Happy to say just got home and can post that I passed the EPPP on my second attempt this week with a 522! Lurked on this thread in the weeks leading up to the retake. Wanted to share a little about my practice scores, my strategy, what helped/what didn't first vs second time.

Have to say there is a TON of solid advice/strategy tips in this thread, a lot of people post about practice tests being a key part of their study strategy, I firmly am in that camp. Practice tests were probably THE most significant factor.

Sorry if this is long but pumped and hope others can get a little from my experience to help guide their success on this beast of an exam!

- Materials :

First time:

2009 old hand me down PsychPrep audio and books, PocketPrep Behavioral Health app, PEPPPO

Second time:

2020 hand me down AATBS books, 2020 updated AATBS audio, AATBS quiz and practice test bundle (only got to take 2 of 3 "tests" as one expired), 2021 PsychPrep Practice Test A-E bundle (that came with extra quizzes and some recorded seminar video about strategies), PocketPrep Behavioral Health app, hand me down flash cards from Mometrix Media.

- Study Strategy:

First time:

Read the written materials cover to cover twice after taking PEPPO. Had multiple start/stops due to pandemic. Listened to PsychPrep audio. I kind of jumped around and was not as consistent as I should have been.

Second time:

Started reading AATBS books while also going through some flash cards and quizzes. Alongside listening to AATBS audio on commutes and when cleaning. Kind of a haphazard approach. I mostly did this for 2 months before burning out, taking 2 weeks off and pushing the exam back about 6 weeks. Once back on the grind, I took the AATBS "first assessment" exam, got around a 59%. I also took the quizzes alongside continued reading material. About 3 weeks before the exam I bought the PsychPrep Test Bundle and began taking those quizzes and tests. I should note on quizzes I didn't always do them in one sitting (and had done some over the summer before the aforementioned break) and on the AATBS after first run throughs my lowest "domain" was 37% and highest was like 62%. I did not read through written materials (ie the books) more than once and hadn't looked at in months. Reading is very passive and I learned real quick the benefits of active vs passive learning.

I really hit the practice exams hard from about 20 days before the exam to 2 days before the exam (scores below). I did NOT follow the "recommended" order of the PsychPrep tests but took most in Study Mode and some in Retake Mode or Test Mode. My scores improved each time. When taking practice exams with Study/Retake mode on I wrote down the right answer and why - for any item I got wrong. Not necessarily to re-review but to use different methods of drilling this down. About a week before the exam I wrote a small study guide covering key "must know" type of things like standard curve, basic stats tests and calculations, stages of important theories (i.e. race identity, attachment, developmental), etc. I cross referenced this with looking things up online when I needed visual representations of concepts. Basically whenever I felt I wasn't "grasping" something I spent a few minutes online reviewing it more. Also watched a VERY helpful 2 hour video from PsychPrep (bonus with their Practice Tests) on how to actively THINK through a question.

Study considerations second time around that probably also helped:

- Time: I was working full time (from home due to pandemic) during first attempt. Second attempt I was working a flexible schedule where I would have some days of week with less or no work. If I could do it over again I would have spent less months out preparing because this time felt like most of my drilling down of what I studied happened in last 3-4 weeks leading up to exam. So most people could probably put in 2-3 months with last few weeks intensely. But you HAVE to make sacrifices and make the time to be consistent about the study. I put in so much more time this time around into my studying.

- Money : I hate this but I spent more money the second time around. I bought up to date audio, I bought practice exams. If money is an issue I would spend it on practice exams to be honest instead of books and other materials but that's just me.

- Confidence boosts and Mindset : I was watching more of my colleagues from my program crush this thing. Knowing they could do it (and across multiple cohorts) and knowing my program has a very high first time pass rate (maybe like 90% and 100% eventual pass rate for all who take it). This really helped me feel good about what I already knew from the materials. Also ditch the negativity. Many of us think this exam is a pointless hoop or that it doesn't really measure or reflect well clinical skills or competency to practice psychology, but at the end of the day you cannot avoid it. You have to pass it to get your license. So you can either go into it thinking it's stupid or you can look past it and see all you have to gain by getting though the damn thing with a 500 or higher. Not going to lie: knowing that income potential shoots up pretty significantly after licensure was a BIG motivator for me.

- Multiple ways of "taking it all in" and also talking out loud through examples I could relate to in remembering key information or situations in the questions.

- Study smart: The domains aren't "weighted" per se. So unlike your comps, you don't need to "pass X of X number of domains," you just need to answer enough items correctly. Some say study weak areas but I'd advise only doing that if the weak area is "heavily emphasized." ASPPB posts updates occasionally to the domains and rough percentage each makes up on the exam. For example, I really "got" I/O study for whatever reason and also have a lot of experience in neuropsychological (bio), diagnosing, and developmental stuff. All those are pretty heavily emphasized. I suck at Stats, Research, and Test Construction but fortunately they tend to be less emphasized. Leading up to the exam I MADE sure I KNEW my stuff in the areas I knew best that happened to be heavily emphasized. It's not about passing each domain, it's about passing the overall exam.

- Practice Quizzes: Seeing a trend here? I hit these HARD in the final few weeks.

Scores on Practice exams:

PEPPPO #1 - PASS
PEPPPO #2 - PASS (both taken weekend before exam took #2 first for some reason)

AATBS:

"Assessment first exam" - 59% taken about 3 months before exams

Exam Simulator Exam #1 (second one expired before I could use it): 67% taken about 1 month before exam

Domain Quizzes: All over the place, never broke 70% on any of them I don't think.


PsychPrep: (in order of Study, Retake, Test Modes): *

Exam A: 49%, 73%, 81%

Exam B: 50%, N/A, 89%

Exam C: 61%, 73%, 70%

Exam D: 55%, 76%, N/A

Exam E: 56%, N/A, 78%

Domain Quizzes: Never broke 67% except on the Retake and Test Mode (of all domains in one test (70% and 94% but likely huge practice effect)

* On these I did not take in order, I tried to space out retakes/test modes to dull practice effects and I'm sure I glanced at stuff on the internet during Exam A and B until I realized that would give me false hope on scores.

Test Day and Approach to Managing the Test:

Made sure I was prepped and planned night before. Outfit picked out ( comfortable layered clothing), everything I needed for day of packed and ready (two forms of ID, masks, snacks, water, magazine to read in case long wait, more snacks, eye drops, mints).

Did only a quick maybe 30 minute review day before the exam of some key info and multiple choice test strategy then spent most of day before relaxing and some gaming. Avoided alcohol day before.

Went to bed early but slept like crap. Woke up multiple times in and out of sleep (made sure had caffeine on way to test center). Also ate a GOOD breakfast. Oatmeal is a great source of sustained slow burn energy.

Drove to test center and got there 20 minutes BEFORE recommended arrival time. Glad I did. Chose a different test center from first time and there was a good chunk of people taking various exams. Didn't sit down to the computer until about 30 minutes after the scheduled "exam start time." - This doesn't necessarily matter as you will get the full exam time as long as you arrived reasonably on time. In this case THEY were swamped with test takers, but bottom line: get there EARLY!

Positive talk and reminders: I actively reminded myself when getting ready, as well as reminders on my phone before exam. During the exam I actively reminded myself I will pass, it's ok to flag questions, it's ok if I hit a string of questions I have no idea on, it's ok to not know how I'm doing during the exam. But kept reminding myself I was prepared and deep breathing moments as needed. And took time to talk through a question if it was confusing. When I got frustrated on some questions I'd ask myself "do you really want to go through all that studying again or are you going to focus and work through to the answer to the question?"

Breaks: Someone on here talked about the strategy of a break AFTER you get through most of the questions then review flagged items. I tried this and it felt good. Took a bathroom break, ate a snack and had some water, stretched, came back.

A problem emerges: Nothing goes as planned. And this time I felt like I had plenty of time and i did not. I flagged too many items and to my horror, realized in the flow of focus I had left a bunch blank. Don't do that. I actually ran out of time before all the items were answered (I think 6-10 were unanswered). But I stayed positive and when I saw the timer under 12 minutes with like 30 questions to review , I shifted focus right to the unanswered ones instead of just flagged ones. Don't panic if you are short on time: you got through grad school, high pressure interviews, high stakes exams, extremely difficult clinical situations...you can think on your toes and shift strategy under time pressure to get what you need finished....finished.

The Test Itself:

Multiple versions of this thing. Can say that I felt my first failed one had question designs more comparable to what practice tests look like; this second one had very few bizarrely worded questions but a lot more strangely worded answer choices. Definitely changes from 2020 to 2021 in this thing. I strongly recommend against using old material (especially DSM-IV era stuff). This time around I felt my mind relying more heavily on my own clinical experiences and my own academic experiences, so I think a VERY helpful tip here is to ensure when studying you make meaningful connections in your mind to the content itself. Also as others said, it is totally normal to feel like you have no idea where you're at score wise on the exam. There were some really oddball things on there I had never heard of. DO NOT PANIC if the questions seem "very different" from practice exams and materials. Key: Be able to connect many of these questions to key psych info you learned in studying and if not then it's probably a "experimental not counted" question.

Test Prep Companies:

I represent none of them and this is just my own personal experience with them. In general I found written materials less helpful than audio and practice tests and quizzes.


AATBS vs PsychPrep:

Written materials:

Both kind of overly detailed. The depth was appreciated but not necessary.


Audio:

PsychPrep'a audio I had before was too long, too meandering (it was recorded at their live seminars). I enjoyed AATBS audio better. It was concise, cheaper, and short enough to listen to multiple times.


Practice Quizzes and Tests:

AATBS had more quiz questions but their rationales for correct answers were wordy and sometimes confusing. Their Exam Simulation was a little more like the real thing than PsychPrep. BUT overall liked PsychPrep Practice Tests better. Study mode was a huge help, the explanations were short and sweet, a good mix of "real" type exam questions and more helping you learn content, and the bundle of tests was a better value.


Also worth it take PEPPPOs. While they don't give a score they give a visual breakdown of strong versus less strong areas. Many of the questions have the same wonky wording and phrasings as the real thing. And just like the real thing, I often had no idea where I was at in terms of score or passing/failing. So a pass on them is a huge confidence boost to trust the process.

Misc materials:

Some written notes to firm up key concepts was helpful. Flashcards I was given were too dense and wordy but ok for early prep. Quiz app on phone was decent for learning basic stuff , but the questions were rarely even close to the real thing.



TL;DR:

Practice exams are immensely helpful. For me they created an interactive and multi-method approach to studying. They made the experience more active. Not only did I feel like I knew more going into the EPPP, I felt ready for some really bizarrely worded questions and answers.

Good luck for those who haven't taken or passed yet, and to those who have, thank you for the tips and motivation!

 

[neurotic_cow]

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 typically scored in the high 70s to 80s (AATBS practice exams) and scored well-above passing, even though I felt like I was failing the test the entire time I was taking it. I studied for about 3 months.

 

[ap1313]

Hi all! I sat for the EPPP this past week and scored a 490 (74). I was very disappointed, to say the least. I studied the AATBS' full shebang package (gifted from my internship site), studied for three months, ~20hrs/week on average, for a total of 220 hours. Worked with my AATBS coach throughout. Listened to all of the audio lectures, read through all of the books twice, took every last quiz and domain quiz. My initial assessment test was a 50%, I passed the PEPPPO 1 a few weeks ago, and scored a 70% on an AATBS exam in test mode a week prior to sitting (also scored 75%, 81%, and 89% re-taking practice exams from earlier within a few weeks of the test date).

While some of the AATBS practices exams were tougher than others (especially 4 and 5), I found the EPPP to be MUCH more difficult than any of the practice exams. This was shocking, as many on this thread have found the opposite to be true. I went into the exam feeling very prepared and I was stunned for most of the three hours taking the exam. Almost mouth on the floor stunned.

I have a meeting scheduled with my AATBS coach in two weeks. Any thoughts/recommendations?

 

[foreverbull]

Hi all! I sat for the EPPP this past week and scored a 490 (74). I was very disappointed, to say the least. I studied the AATBS' full shebang package (gifted from my internship site), studied for three months, ~20hrs/week on average, for a total of 220 hours. Worked with my AATBS coach throughout. Listened to all of the audio lectures, read through all of the books twice, took every last quiz and domain quiz. My initial assessment test was a 50%, I passed the PEPPPO 1 a few weeks ago, and scored a 70% on an AATBS exam in test mode a week prior to sitting (also scored 75%, 81%, and 89% re-taking practice exams from earlier within a few weeks of the test date).

While some of the AATBS practices exams were tougher than others (especially 4 and 5), I found the EPPP to be MUCH more difficult than any of the practice exams. This was shocking, as many on this thread have found the opposite to be true. I went into the exam feeling very prepared and I was stunned for most of the three hours taking the exam. Almost mouth on the floor stunned.

I have a meeting scheduled with my AATBS coach in two weeks. Any thoughts/recommendations?

It sounds like you got a harder version of the exam than some of the other folks in here, especially if you passed the PEPPPO with flying colors. There are easier and more difficult versions of the EPPP, just with different scoring methods to balance out the difficulty level (otherwise it wouldn’t be fair). For some folks, I suspect that the increased difficulty may throw them off enough to doubt themselves and underperform just enough to fail.

My main suggestion is to really work on anxiety-reducing strategies. Only a brief review/refresher is needed at this point given that you’ve studied for 220 hours. You may try another set of hand me down practice exams from other companies if you have access, but my guess is, this is a matter of managing anxiety and the shock of unfamiliar questions. Breathing, CBT, beta-blockers—-whatever works for you, but make sure you are doing whatever you can to reduce your anxiety.

Best of luck!

 

[ap1313]

It sounds like you got a harder version of the exam than some of the other folks in here, especially if you passed the PEPPPO with flying colors. There are easier and more difficult versions of the EPPP, just with different scoring methods to balance out the difficulty level (otherwise it wouldn’t be fair). For some folks, I suspect that the increased difficulty may throw them off enough to doubt themselves and underperform just enough to fail.

My main suggestion is to really work on anxiety-reducing strategies. Only a brief review/refresher is needed at this point given that you’ve studied for 220 hours. You may try another set of hand me down practice exams from other companies if you have access, but my guess is, this is a matter of managing anxiety and the shock of unfamiliar questions. Breathing, CBT, beta-blockers—-whatever works for you, but make sure you are doing whatever you can to reduce your anxiety.

Best of luck!

Thank you for your response! I greatly appreciate the input. I agree. The anxiety (plus the testing room was uncomfortably warm ) threw me. I made sure to take one break halfway through and use squared breathing throughout. My guess is I missed passing by 3-4 questions.

 

[bluecolourskies]

Hello! I hope this is appropriate to ask here. If not, I can create my own thread.

I finally got approved to take the EPPP! I am in a state that does not require a post doc but I don't think I want to live here, so I want to complete my 2000 hours for when I eventually decide to move to another state so there is no issues down the line. In terms of timing...lets say I took the test tomorrow and passed. My scores get sent automatically to the licensing board, and thats it, I am licensed?

Or can I take the test, wait until I complete my post doc hours, and THEN do the final steps to finish the licensing process? Because if I get licensed, then it's no longer a post doc right?
It could be this is a state specific process but I would appreciate to hear from anyone else who has maybe dealt with this.

Edit: just fyi my post doc is in a private practice, and my supervisor got licensed forever ago, and he admitted he probably would not have the most up to date info and has blocked the EPPP from his mind haha