The EPPP, or Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology, is the standardized licensing exam that psychologists must pass to practice independently in the United States and Canada. It is developed and maintained by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) and serves as the primary gateway between completing a doctoral program in psychology and earning a professional license.
What the EPPP Tests
The EPPP has two parts. Part 1, called the Knowledge exam, tests foundational psychology knowledge across eight content domains. Part 2, called the Skills exam, evaluates applied clinical skills through scenarios, videos with audio, and other interactive question types designed to simulate real practice situations.
The eight content domains on Part 1, along with how heavily each is weighted, are:
- Assessment and diagnosis: 16%
- Ethical, legal, and professional issues: 16%
- Treatment, intervention, prevention, and supervision: 15%
- Cognitive-affective bases of behavior: 13%
- Growth and lifespan development: 12%
- Social and cultural bases of behavior: 11%
- Biological bases of behavior: 10%
- Research methods and statistics: 7%
Assessment, ethics, and treatment together make up nearly half the exam. Research methods carries the smallest share at 7%, though candidates still need a working understanding of study design and statistical concepts.
Exam Structure and Timing
Part 1 contains 225 multiple-choice questions, but only 175 of them are scored. The remaining 50 are pretest items that ASPPB uses to evaluate potential future questions. You won’t know which ones count and which don’t, so you need to treat every question seriously. You get 4 hours and 15 minutes to complete the exam.
Part 2 contains 170 items, with 130 scored and 40 unscored pretest items. The format goes beyond standard multiple choice: it includes scenario-based questions, video clips with audio, and other interactive item types that test your ability to apply knowledge in realistic clinical situations. You get 4 hours and 10 minutes for Part 2.
Who Is Eligible to Take It
You need a doctoral degree in psychology or school psychology from a regionally accredited institution to sit for the EPPP. Most licensing boards also require a substantial amount of supervised clinical training. In Ohio, for example, candidates must complete 3,600 hours of qualifying supervised training in addition to their degree. Requirements vary by state, but the doctoral degree is universal.
Candidates typically apply through their state or provincial licensing board, which then coordinates with ASPPB. Once approved, you register through ASPPB’s online platform and schedule your exam at a Pearson VUE testing center.
Costs
The base examination fee for Part 1 is $600, paid to ASPPB and non-refundable. Part 2 costs $450, also non-refundable. These fees cover only the exam itself. Additional costs may include testing center seat fees and any state-specific application charges, so the total out-of-pocket expense is typically higher than the base fees alone.
Scoring and Passing
Only the 175 scored items on Part 1 (and 130 on Part 2) count toward your final result. Scores are scaled, meaning your raw number of correct answers is converted to a standardized scale that accounts for slight differences in difficulty between exam versions. Most jurisdictions require a scaled score of 500 on Part 1 to pass, though a small number of states set their own cutoffs. Your licensing board will specify the exact score you need.
What Happens If You Fail
If you don’t pass, you can retake the exam after re-registering with ASPPB through their online portal. Your state board must approve the retake request before you can schedule a new appointment. In most jurisdictions, you can take the exam up to four times in any 12-month period. Each retake requires paying the full exam fee again.
The re-registration process involves logging into ASPPB’s Certemy platform, submitting a retake request, and waiting for board approval. Once approved, you receive an email confirmation and a new exam workflow is assigned to you.
Part 2: Current Status
Part 2 has had a complicated rollout. ASPPB developed the skills-based portion to give licensing boards a way to measure applied competency beyond textbook knowledge. In 2018, ASPPB made Part 2 available on an optional basis, allowing individual jurisdictions to decide whether to require it. In 2022, ASPPB went further and announced a mandate making Part 2 required for all jurisdictions by January 1, 2026.
That mandate was short-lived. In October 2024, ASPPB rescinded the January 2026 deadline, making Part 2 optional once again. Some states that had been preparing to implement Part 2, including California, stopped their regulatory work in response. As a result, whether you need to take Part 2 depends entirely on where you’re seeking licensure. Check with your specific state or provincial board to confirm which parts of the EPPP are required.
How to Prepare
Most candidates spend three to six months studying for Part 1, though the timeline varies based on how recently they completed their doctoral coursework. The heaviest content areas, assessment and ethics at 16% each, deserve the most study time. Commercial prep programs from companies like AATBS and Academic Review are widely used and structure their materials around the eight content domains.
Because 50 of the 225 questions don’t count toward your score, pacing matters. You have roughly 68 seconds per question if you use the full 4 hours and 15 minutes. That’s enough time to read carefully but not enough to agonize over difficult items. Practice exams help you build both content knowledge and time management skills, and most successful candidates take multiple full-length practice tests before sitting for the real exam.