EPPP - second attempt

[psy4621]

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Recently took the EPPP and failed with a 494. Extremely frustrating knowing that it was so close (basically 2 questions). To make it more frustrating, all my content sections were similar, showing no discrepancies. Curious how long people have waited in between re-taking the exam and any tips for taking it a second time. Thank you in advance for any tips!

 

[psych.meout]

It depends on why you think you didn't pass. Tips and recommendations will vary based on the reason(s).

1. Did you feel anxious, overwhelmed, etc. while taking the EPPP? Is this something that tends to happen to you during high stakes testing?
2. How well did you do on practice tests? Did you consistently get near or above passing scores or was there more variability or were you consistently scoring well below a passing score?
3. Maybe there weren't discrepancies in the test data, but what percentage did you tend to score across these domains? Not every domain is weighted equally on the EPPP. Even if you performed similarly across domains, if you didn't score consistently high across domains then there is room for improvement. The ceiling is higher on intervention, assessment, ethics, and other areas that comprise greater proportions of the test, so focusing your studying on those would be the biggest bang for your buck.
4. Related to the #3, even though you scored similarly across domains, it's important to know yourself and your strengths. Are there certain domains in which you are normally more knowledgeable and proficient, but you did not perform as well as you would have expected?
   1. E.g., my strongest areas are in intervention, assessment, ethics, and biological bases of behavior. I didn't do as well in these as I thought I would on practice tests. I figured out that I was overthinking the questions and answers. They aren't very nuanced or even good answers, so I had to switch my mindset to looking for the least bad answer and somewhat ignoring my knowledge and skill in these areas.
5. How much did you focus on test taking skills vs. content area studying?
6. What were your test taking strategies like? Did you take advantage of the test software features like highlighting, strikethrough, and flagging?

 

[cara susanna]

What were your practice exam scores?

 

[Spydra]

I've encountered several people that scored similarly, scheduled a retake for a week later, and then passed. That high of a score suggests you know quite a bit of content. You didn't run out of time which suggests you didn't have trouble with pacing or anxiety. The missing six points could literally have boiled down to misreading a couple of questions. Now if you'd missed it by 50 points I'd say spend a month brushing up on some areas, but six points? Retake as quickly as you can.