Taking the EPPP before postdoc in NY: Is it possible?

[BendDontBreak]

Hi all! I am graduating May 2025 and am starting postdoc October 2025 and was hoping to study and take the EPPP during the temporal gap preceding postdoc. I'm trying to gauge the feasibility of this plan. For reference, I will be applying for licensure in New York state.

The ASPPB's EPPP Handbook says (Applying for Approval to Take the EPPP section, p. 6):

"Regardless of the licensing authority, in order to sit for the EPPP, Candidates must first apply for licensure to the licensing authority in the state, province, or territory in which they wish to be licensed. The licensing authority reviews applicants’ credentials and determines if they meet the requirements established in the laws of the state, province, or territory Board Contact Information. Candidates who meet their licensing authority’s requirements will be approved to take the EPPP."

Edited to add this information from the New York State Office of the Professions' Examination Requirements for Psychology Licensure:

"To be eligible to sit for the examination you must:

• apply for licensure with the Department,
• pay the fee for initial licensure and the first registration, as prescribed in Education Law; and
• present satisfactory evidence of having had a doctoral degree in psychology conferred and your education verified and approved by the Department."

So, it seems like postdoc must have been completed before sitting for the EPPP, since there are different forms for Application for Licensure and Application for Limited Permit For Persons Gaining Experience for Licensure. Am I reading that correctly?

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[coffee&CBT]

Apply for licensure means going to the state's website and applying. You will find out there whether you can sit for the EPPP before you complete post doc. In my state, I could sit to take the EPPP before completing post-doc and I think that is pretty common. But I had to apply for my license in order to be eligible to take the test.

 

[BrainStormer]

I’ve also heard of specific states (Kansas being one of them) that allow you to take the EPPP pre doctoral if you apply as a “masters level psychologist.” It’s a bit of a loop hole, but if you score above 500 (or whatever the doctoral level passing rate is for your state), you can transfer the score.