I need advice on what to study for the EPPP. I've had trouble passing it. Many of the questions are not in study guides.

[gprobst]

I need help passing the EPPP. Many of the questions on the test are not covered in the study materials I purchased. Ideas? Who has passed and how?

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[bluecolourskies]

see my post here EPPP practice test scores for those who passed

 

[Psych20122]

I need help passing the EPPP. Many of the questions on the test are not covered in the study materials I purchased. Ideas? Who has passed and how?

Hey I sent you a private message.

 

[borne_before]

What did you purchase?

 

[psycho1391]

Many of the questions on the test are not covered in the study material

This is because the point is not to memorize the questions. It seems like you need to work on your understanding of the material and how to apply it in a general sense across different scenarios.

 

[cara susanna]

The best advice I ever received is to just take practice tests. That's the best way to study.

 

[foreverbull]

If you studied the domain content and know it well but don’t recognize the content in the questions, the expectation by test makers is that you make an educated guess based on what you do know generally about the research or domain. Could anxiety be impairing performance as a possibility?

You might try different study materials if content is the problem, or a different method like audio, notetaking rather than passively reading, etc. Or work on test-taking strategies or anxiety-reduction strategies rather than domain content if you know it inside and out.

But these are just off the cuff given that we don’t know much about your situation.

 

[VirginiaIsForLovers]

The best advice I ever received is to just take practice tests. That's the best way to study.

THIS. THIS. THIS. I initially read all the AATSB books... nope. I just took old practice exams, one after the next, and it worked. The questions will not be exactly the same, but some will look similar.

 

[JeyRo]

THIS. THIS. THIS. I initially read all the AATSB books... nope. I just took old practice exams, one after the next, and it worked. The questions will not be exactly the same, but some will look similar.

Yeah reading the materials (even repeatedly) is of limited value. Getting your hands on as many practice tests as humanly possible and then practicing those is gold.

I took every last practice test I could find and then converted the test items into flashcards and then practiced them that way. When I ran out of practice test content, I scoured the AATBS books for content that I could conceivably turn into fake practice test questions, and then increased my flashcard stack that way.

I ended up with a stack of flashcards that literally approached a half a foot in height when I was done. Passed on the first try with a comfortable margin.

 

[Dr.Snowyplover601]

Would agree with everything that everyone else said. Practice questions over and over again, and if you get one wrong, look into what you missed. Did you read the question wrong? Did you pick the second-best answer instead of the best? Do you still, after 10 years of school just not understand when to use a multiple regression? (it's me.)

I just took the EPPP last week, thought I was failing the whole time, and ended up passing comfortably.

 

[deleted1129370]

I took my EPPP 4 months after graduating and passed with a good margin. I studied routinely for a little over 3 months. I practiced to take a test, not to re-learn 5 years of graduate school. I viewed the test as 60% psychology knowledge and 40% test-taking skills. Take as many practice quizzes, tests, and PEPPPO exams that you can. Really get good at selecting between either the best vs. worst, or bad vs. worst choices.

 

[borne_before]

Of course the questions are not in the study guide! Is it possible you just aren't studying effectively?

1) Listen brother or sister, some people can half ass this. They just don't really have to put all that much effort into it. They probably pass because of exceedingly developed testwiseness. You and I aren't that guy or gal - we've gotta grind it out. You're also gonna spend however much it takes on the AATBS practice materials. Sucks bro, but your future is on the line.

2) On Monday thru Friday, spend one hour from 7am to 8am studying content. Spend one hour at night reviewing flashcards you've made on Anki or Quizlet. The med students use Anki.

3) On Saturday, recreate the testing enviorment and practice taking the test. For every question, you need to figure out why you got it RIGHT and figure our why you got it WRONG. You also need to figure out questions for the other possible prompts. (e.g., "it cant be this answer because x is always associated with Y theory, if the question was talking about Y, then it would work).

4) Take Sunday's off.

5) If you cannot have the discipline to do this, then...

 

[deleted1129370]

Of course the questions are not in the study guide! Is it possible you just aren't studying effectively?

1) Listen brother or sister, some people can half ass this. They just don't really have to put all that much effort into it. They probably pass because of exceedingly developed testwiseness. You and I aren't that guy or gal - we've gotta grind it out. You're also gonna spend however much it takes on the AATBS practice materials. Sucks bro, but your future is on the line.

2) On Monday thru Friday, spend one hour from 7am to 8am studying content. Spend one hour at night reviewing flashcards you've made on Anki or Quizlet. The med students use Anki.

3) On Saturday, recreate the testing enviorment and practice taking the test. For every question, you need to figure out why you got it RIGHT and figure our why you got it WRONG. You also need to figure out questions for the other possible prompts. (e.g., "it cant be this answer because x is always associated with Y theory, if the question was talking about Y, then it would work).

4) Take Sunday's off.

5) If you cannot have the discipline to do this, then...

This is a good approach. Somewhat similar to mine.

I started my job as a staff psychologist with the VA just 1 month after finishing internship. I started my job on August 1st of 2021, I made a game plan to do the following from August 1st to November 12th:

1. Listen to audio files from PsychPrep and AATBS on my 40 min drive into work each morning.
2. Get home from work, have 30 min. to unwind, take dogs out etc., then take a practice quiz in a given content area for the first 10 min of studying.
3. Review relevant digital book content for 15-20 min., then take another practice quiz.
4. I would typically study no more than 1 to 1.5 hours each evening after work throughout the week, and I did not really do much on the weekends but maybe a practice test every couple of weeks.
5. I took the PEPPPO once in mid-September which I passed, and the second PEPPPO exam in early November which I passed.
6. I did a trial run of taking a practice test on AATBS under the EXACT conditions expected of me on my test day, meaning, my test was scheduled for 8AM, so I drove to work (I didn't schedule patient that day on purpose). I ate my exact same breakfast, and drank the same amount of coffee that morning on the drive in. I started the test EXACTLY at 8AM, and took a break about half way through the exam where I went to the bathroom and got a snack. Then I resumed the test.

On the morning of my actual EPPP, I did exactly this routine. I did not deviate in the breakfast or coffee I consumed, nor did I cram or anything the night before. In fact, I did about 45 min. of studying the evening before and really relaxed most of the evening the night before. For me and what I know about the cognitive neuroscience of learning and memory, I knew that I needed to ensure a uniformed approach in what I did. From the very beginning, I used practice tests and quizzes as a method to inform my study approach. It made zero sense to me to spend tons of time in a section (e.g., social psychology, test construction, etc.) that had the least amount of weight on the test. Rather, I would look at areas that 1.were a weakness for me, 2. had a significant proportion of weight to the overall exam to guide me in what content areas I reviewed more or more often, and would take tons of quizzes and tests. It also meant developing some comfort with being okay with not knowing stuff and guessing. It also requires you to select the best possible choice, and this skill can be learned over the course of 3 months of regular purposeful studying.,

I will echo what I said earlier, the EPPP is really 60% psychology knowledge and 40% test-taking approach. If you are approaching studying for the EPPP like you are trying to re-learn 5 years of graduate school, you will likely not succeed, and/or will be immensely stressed out. Study smart. I was fortunate that rather than do a post-doc, I was already in a psychologist job with the VA, alternatively, I did not really have protected time or resources that post-doc programs oftentimes provide their fellows, so I had to improvise. I was fortunate enough to have supervisors who were flexible and would allow me to carve out time during my week to do the things needed to get licensed, because it was to their advantage to make sure I get licensed as quick as possible.