When does one take state boards?

[newplan]

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Hi,
I'm looking into re-specializing in clinical psychology (have ph.d in developmental psych). When do folks generally take their state licensing boards? Immediately after graduation, sometime during their fellowship year or after that?
Thanks-

 

[LM02]

You take the national licensing exam (EPPP) after you are granted "permission to take the test" from the state licensing board. This is typically after you have submitted your application for licensure - which occurs once you have completed all of the necessary requirements (e.g., PhD, internship, ~ 2000 postdoctoral clinical hours, etc.). Some states will allow you to apply before you have the clinical hours - you can take the test while you're still amassing them. But, still, you wouldn't be licensed until after you document that you completed your supervised hours.

There may or may not be an additional test at the state level. Some have jurisprudence exams, and some still have oral exams. But my experience has been that state exams are becoming few and far between. In my state, I only had to take the EPPP.

For someone who is respecializing, there may be other requirements that I am unfamiliar with. If you are interested the licensing requirements for a particular state, go to www.asppb.org and follow the appropriate link.

 

[docma]

It can be useful to take the EPPP during the year you are accruing post-doc hours in states that allow it, because you are then clearly "license eligible" when you begin job search during your post-doc year. Also: the ASPPB site is useful but not always entirely up to date, so always be sure to also go specific state Board of Psychology sites to determine the details of timing, length of internship, etc. If you are doing a non-APA internship site, for example, you can learn what is needed to establish "APA equivalency" for that state and get all the documentation in place as you go, which streamlines the application process. For things like this you need to be in direct communication with the specific state board.