Tag Archives: licensure

Following up with Q&A from the APAGS Webinar on the EPPP

This blog post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity. This series will discuss current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Aleesha Young.

Student leaders in APAGS are interested in understanding and quashing the apparent score discrepancies on the national licensing exam for psychologists. In October 2019, APAGS hosted the webinar EPPP Outcomes and Test Taking Strategies for Graduates of Color. As a follow up to the webinar, we asked the co-hosts and panelists to voluntarily answer questions we received during and after the air date. One panelist, a co-host, and two APA staff members responded to our requests. What follows are are Q&As, edited only for clarity, and divided into sections about the test, studying for it, and pass rate data.

Questions About the Test

Where do we find the ASPPB’s test/practice materials?

Eddy Ameen (EA), APAGS staff liaison: We suggest starting out at www.asppb.org to read all about the test. Some test/practice materials are available from ASPPB, whereas there are also independent test preparation companies that advertise online. Please note that APA does not list, endorse, or evaluate any test prep company. Neither does ASPPB. ASPPB states you must be approved by your jurisdiction’s licensing board to take the test before getting access to its study materials.

What are the costs of taking the EPPP?

Brian A. Sharpless (BAS), licensed psychologist, research, panelist: This will partially depend on which jurisdiction you take it in, but it will be at least $600 for the EPPP Part 1, plus $87.50 in test center fees.

EA: For the EPPP Part 2, a skills-based exam, which will be administered in some jurisdictions starting November 1, 2020, the fees are as follows: $100.00 for initial beta testers, $300 through Dec. 31, 2020, and beginning January 2022, it will be $450.00 per administration.

Are there scholarships or grants to provide financial support towards obtaining study material?

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The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP): What’s race got to do with it?

This blog post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity (CARED). This series will discuss current events and issues in psychology and how these relate to graduate students. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Aleesha Young, Chair of APAGS-CARED.

By Fiona C. Thomas

Grad school, that time in your life where you are constantly thinking about what milestone comes next. Course completion, Master’s thesis, comps, practica, dissertation proposal, data collection, analysis, publications…and that final training experience…internship. Although it feels like so much of our preparation in grad school is for this near final stage of the internship, there is one more milestone to meet before we can finally refer to ourselves as licensed psychologists – the EPPP.

The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) was first administered in 1965 (Rehm & Lipkins, 2006) and is now a key requirement to independent practice as a clinical psychologist. It is required for licensing in all US states, three US territories, and the majority of Canadian provinces (DeMers & Schaffer, 2012). After all our years of training, and unique experiences along the way, it is that one shared experience we will all have as we work towards independent practice.

As I prepare to begin internship in September, this next milestone of licensure is on my mind. When do I begin preparing for this exam? What are the most effective methods to study for it? What is the pass rate? It is also timely to be thinking about this exam as a second part to the EPPP, which assesses professional skill, is a new requirement coming to an undisclosed list of jurisdictions in 2020 (Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards [ASPPB], 2019).

With these questions on my mind, I recently became aware of a study conducted by Dr. Brian Sharpless which found performance discrepancies based on ethnicity (2018). In other words, failure rates were highest for individuals who identified as Black (38.5%), Hispanic (35.6%), Asian (24%), and lowest for those who identified as White (14.07%) (Sharpless, 2018). Interestingly, it was not the first time these findings emerged. In 2013, Sharpless and Barber identified that doctoral programs with greater ethnic diversity also reported lower program-wide EPPP pass rates. Going back almost four decades to an early study on this topic, Werner (1981) similarly found that Whites had an EPPP pass rate almost twice that of any other ethnic group. Reviewing survey data of individuals who graduated between 2005 and 2015 with a doctoral degree in clinical, counseling, school or combined/integrated psychology, Bowman and Ameen (2018) found similar results. In particular, their analysis indicated that White psychologists were significantly more likely to pass the EPPP on the first administration compared to psychologists of color (92 percent vs. 83 percent). For this study, psychologists of color included individuals who identified as Asian, Hispanic/Latino, multiracial, Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Middle Eastern/North African (Bowman & Ameen, 2018).

As someone who identifies as an ethnic minority, these studies surprised me. What variables contributed to these fail rates? What could be done about this? And what did I need to know to be better prepared so that I didn’t become an embarrassing and expensive statistic?

Of course, as with all research, there are limitations to these findings, and this is important to keep in mind. Until recently, demographic information (e.g., ethnicity) was not collected in EPPP administration (DeMers, 2009). This means that these studies are mainly based on self-report information, which is less robust and reliable compared to test administration data (Bowman & Ameen, 2018). Additionally, some ethnic minorities are not properly represented in these studies. In the studies mentioned here, Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) Psychologists and Indigenous Psychologists are not included as distinct groups. We also have limited information about pass/fail rates for ethnic minority licensure applicants in Canada. Despite these limitations, the replication of such results has prompted me to wonder what the root causes of these differences are and what can be done to address this discrepancy.

In good news, the test publisher, ASPPB, has started collecting race and ethnicity data as optional information on the EPPP. This will continue to better inform whether some test takers, namely test-takers of color, are at a disadvantage. Importantly, this information will be collected as optional data after the completion of the exam to avoid priming any stereotype threats (ASPPB, 2019). If questions show differential responding by ethnicity, ASPPB will take specific items to a diversity committee who can then review and decide whether to keep or discard the questions in future tests. Relatedly, graduate and internship programs are also becoming aware of this discrepancy. Such knowledge can lead to initiatives to better prepare ethnic minority students.

As psychology’s clients and practitioners becomes increasingly diverse, it is important to understand how the EPPP and other high-stakes exams may be leaving certain individuals behind. Factors such as Eurocentric item construction, minority stress, or performance expectancy may or may not be playing a role in score discrepancies (Bowman & Ameen, 2018). Such hurdles can only be identified by appropriately collecting data on race and ethnicity, and transparently reviewing it.

As a member of the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity (APAGS-CARED), we are keen to explore this further and will be hosting a webinar on this very topic on October 1, 2019. We hope you will join us!

If you have experience with taking the EPPP and have tips to share for future licensure applicants, we would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your experiences below.

References

Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. (2019). The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP): Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.asppb.net/resource/resmgr/eppp_2/eppp__part_2-skills__faq_s.pdf

Bowman, N., & Ameen, E. (2018, June). Exploring differences in pass rates on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/communique/2018/06/pass-rates.

DeMers, S. T. (2009). Understanding the purpose, strengths, and limitations of the EPPP: A response to Sharpless and Barber. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 40, 348–353. doi:10.1037/a0015734.

DeMers, S. T., & Schaffer, J. B. (2012). The regulation of professional psychology. In S. J. Knapp (Ed.), APA handbook of ethics in psychology: Volume 1: Moral foundations and common themes (pp. 453–482). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Rehm, L. P., & Lipkins, R. H. (2006). The examination for professional practice in psychology. In T. J. Vaughn (Ed.), Psychology licensure and certification: What students need to know (pp. 39–53). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Sharpless, B., & Barber, J. (2013). Predictors of Program Performance on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP). Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 44(4), 208-217.

Werner, E. (1981). A review of the examination for professional practice in psychology. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Consumer Affairs.

APA Responds to ASPPB about the EPPP Part 2 Exam

May 8, 2018

Dear peers,

In late 2017, the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) released more details about the EPPP Part 2 examination related to content, timing, and costs (details of which can be found here, particularly under “What’s New.”)

While the committees at APA representing graduate students and early career psychologists (APAGS, and CECP, respectively) have been advocating intensely for its constituents within APA, to ASPPB and to other stakeholders since the first announcement of the EPPP Part 2 in Spring 2016, this new information prompted our groups to request APA at large prepare an official request letter to ASPPB. The APAGS committee and CECP thoroughly advised the APA Board of Directors, to which we directly report, on several matters that were raised by our members through listservs, phone calls, and meetings.

On behalf of thousands of graduate student affiliates and early career members, and the field of psychology as a whole, the APA Board of Directors (Board) issued a letter to ASPPB on April 6, 2018. The letter highlighted three areas: The cost of the examinations, the timing of these examinations in the sequence of training, and the potential for their misuse. We summarize the concerns here:

On cost, ASPPB announced that the EPPP Part 2 would cost an up-front fee of $600. The cost of the existing EPPP, which will become Part 1 when Part 2 is implemented, will remain $600, doubling the total examination fee to $1,200. APA in turn advocated for ASPPB to consider the financial burden the test would create for students, postdocs, and ECPs with limited resources. As well, ASPPB was asked to support state-by-state efforts to count pre-internship hours for licensure, which would allow graduates to get licensed and earn a licensed psychologist’s salary sooner.
On timing, ASPPB announced that when the EPPP Part 2 is released, doctoral students from accredited programs who had completed all necessary coursework (not inclusive of dissertation or internship) would be able to take the EPPP Part 1 (the existing examination) prior to graduating. APA in turn advocated that ASPPB develop more clear guidelines about course-completion requirements for taking the Part 1 early, and asked ASPPB to do its own review to determine student eligibility in the cases where doctoral institutions may not be keen to sign off on a student’s eligibility.
On validity and potential misuse of the exam, APA named four concerns. First, APA advocated against the EPPP Part 1 being used as a criterion on internship applications or as penalty for underperforming students by their doctoral programs; no decisions have been made about these issues so our advocacy is proactive. Second, APA advocated for the Part 2 not to be used in disciplinary proceedings. Third, APA advocated the need to ensure that already-licensed psychologists would be universally and indefinitely ‘grandfathered’ in to new states where they seek licensure, specifically by not needing to take the Part 2. Fourth, APA indicated that there may or could be possible bias in test scores worthy of attention. CECP and APAGS raised with APA’s Board our concerns about test pass-rate differences by demographic groups and would like to see a more systemic analysis of the tests by groups.

Please note, APAGS and CECP anticipate that the EPPP Part 2 will be implemented into the licensure process across North America. It is the culmination of years of movement in psychology to assess professional skill and competency. There also does not appear to be momentum to take a holistic review of the EPPP Part 1 in light of the new Part 2. We are doing what we feel has strategic possibility by raising the concerns above, and we are thankful that the APA Board of Directors is working hard on our behalf. We trust that ASPPB will respond in due time, and we endeavor to keep you abreast of any announcements that affect the tests and test-takers. APAGS and CECP openly welcomes your dialogue on these matters.

Sincerely,

Justin Karr, MS, APAGS Chair

Tyson Bailey, PsyD, CECP Chair

Editor’s Note – See previous gradPSYCH Blog posts about the EPPP Part 2:

Crying Wolf: Is the public really at risk and do we really need another licensing exam?

The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) has repeatedly explained that its mission is to support licensing boards in meeting their goal of public protection. With this in mind, on March 21, 2016, the ASPPB announced its intention to create a competency exam, the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology Step 2 (EPPP2), which the ASPPB expects to be ready for implementation by January of 2019. Unlike the EPPP, which is intended to assess knowledge, the EPPP2 is intended to assess competency-based skills. While public protection is an admirable goal, and one which I believe the ASPPB is sincerely committed to, it’s unclear how this additional test would help licensing boards meet their goal of public protection. The EPPP itself has been subject to many critiques that remain unanswered, critiques that would likely apply to the EPPP2 as well. Due to the significant investments of time and money students will be required to make in taking the EPPP2 (the cost of the EPPP is $687 in most jurisdictions, and half of test takers spend over 200 hours preparing), these critiques should be addressed prior to the implementation of the EPPP2.

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ASPPB response to APAGS Thoughts on EPPP Step 2

I have received a response to the previous post about the EPPP Step 2. With permission, I am sharing here. I welcome your thoughts and comments below or you can email me directly. Please title the email: EPPP-2 Blog.

Thanks,
Christine

Dear Dr. Jehu:

ASPPB appreciates the time and effort you took to communicate APAGS’ thoughts about the development of the EPPP Step 2. We would like to respond to your comments in an effort to continue the dialog with APAGS about the EPPP Step 2. We hope you will share this response with the APAGS membership and other colleagues as you see fit.

ASPPB’s mission is to enhance and support our member jurisdictions (that is the psychology licensing boards in the US and Canada) in fulfilling their goal of public protection. We believe that the development of the EPPP Step 2 is a necessary and critical step in serving that mission and will prove to be a very helpful tool in protecting the public and in advancing our profession. As the APA Board of Education Affairs recently stated,

“Embarking on this important initiative not only reflects recommended practices but also helps to enhance the profession of psychology and advances the trust society places in the profession.”

In your statement, you commented,

This exam may feel like a massive surprise to students and Early Career Psychologists. Unbeknownst to many of us, our field has been moving toward competency assessment since the Competencies Conference in 2002 and subsequent publications highlighting the importance and value in competency assessments (e.g. Rodolfa, Bent, Eisman, Nelson, Rehm, & Ritchie, 2005). During the 2013 updates to the APA Commission on Accreditation’s Guidelines and Principles, the APAGS Committee provided a comment that supported the development of competencies based assessment, but had concerns about cost, the process of assessing competencies, and the fair implementation of a new exam to psychology license applicants.

We appreciate that you have provided a context to the EPPP Step 2, by discussing the competency movement in psychology. As ASPPB has discussed the EPPP Step 2, we have tried to state that this examination was not developed in a vacuum, but rather it is another step in this competency movement in psychology. As most know, the competency movement in psychology is well documented in the education and training literature. For those unfamiliar with the movement, we have a brief overview of the competency movement and how it relates to the EPPP Step 2 on our website.

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