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United States · Licensing exam

EPPP exam: the licensing exam for psychologists

The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is the exam you pass to get licensed as a psychologist in the US and Canada. The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) writes and runs it, and you take it on a computer at a Pearson VUE test center once your state board approves you. EPPP Part 1 tests knowledge. Part 2, which some boards add, tests how you apply it. ASPPB plans to replace both with a single integrated EPPP exam in fall 2027.

  • 225Part 1 questions, 175 of them scored
  • 4 hours 15 minutesTo answer Part 1’s questions
  • 500ASPPB’s recommended scaled pass score
Where to studyHow the test works

Updated October 2026 · Written from the ASPPB EPPP Candidate Handbook (September 2026)

Key facts

At a glance

Who needs Part 1
Required by all 66 ASPPB member jurisdictions, ASPPB says
Part 2 (Skills)
170 questions in 4 hours 10 minutes, only where your board requires it
Part 1 and Part 2 fees
$600 for Part 1 or $450 for Part 2, plus $91.88 a sitting
Results
An unofficial score at the test center as soon as you finish
Coming in fall 2027
One integrated exam replaces Part 1 and Part 2

How it works

How the EPPP exam works, from board approval to score

ASPPB’s recommended scaled scores
200 to 449: below both levels450 to 499: supervised practice level500 to 800: independent practice level
All licensing boards accept 500 for independent practice on Part 1, ASPPB’s handbook says. Boards vary on the supervised practice score, and your board decides whether you pass.
  1. You don’t start with the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). You apply for a license with the psychology board where you want to practice, and that board approves you to take the EPPP.
  2. Once you’re approved, you get an email from Clarus, ASPPB’s registration portal. You pay there and then book a seat at a Pearson VUE test center, online or by phone.
  3. Part 1 (Knowledge) is all multiple choice, each question with three or four options and one correct answer. Fifty of the questions are unscored pretest items, mixed in at random.
  4. Besides the exam time, there are short timed slots for the tutorial, the candidate statement and a survey. There are no scheduled breaks, and the clock keeps running if you step out.
  5. Your score comes from the number of questions you get right, and wrong answers cost nothing. So answer every question, even when you’re unsure.

Topics

What’s on the test

01

Biological bases of behavior

How the brain, genes and drugs shape behavior, and what the evidence says about medication and combined treatment.

Key points (3)
  • The drug statement covers therapeutic agents, drugs of abuse and complementary or alternative agents (ASPPB, Current EPPP Content Areas, KN2).
  • You’re expected to know results from major trials and general guidelines for pharmacological, psychotherapeutic and combined treatment (KN3).
  • Imaging items cover structural and functional brain imaging, electrophysiological methods, therapeutic drug monitoring and genetic screening, and the evidence for them (KN5).
02

Cognitive-affective bases of behavior

Research-based theories of intelligence, learning, memory, motivation and emotion, and how thoughts, feelings and behavior affect each other.

Key points (3)
  • ASPPB lists separate knowledge statements for intelligence, learning, memory, motivation and emotion, each asking for the major research-based theories and their application (KN6 to KN10).
  • Cognition here includes attention, language, information processing, visual-spatial processing and executive functioning (KN11).
  • Two statements cover how cognitions, beliefs, behavior, affect, temperament and mood relate, and how psychosocial factors influence them (KN12 and KN13).
03

Social and cultural bases of behavior

Social cognition, relationships, groups and systems, personality theory, culture, identity and the effects of oppression.

Key points (3)
  • Social interaction examples on ASPPB’s list include attraction, aggression, altruism, organizational justice, internet communication and empathy (KN15).
  • Group and systems processes cover school, work and family systems, job satisfaction, conformity and persuasion (KN16).
  • The last statement in this domain is the causes, manifestations and effects of oppression (KN20).
04

Growth and lifespan development

Normal development from start to end of life, the theories behind it, and the family, life events and risk factors that change its course.

Key points (3)
  • Risk and protective factors named by ASPPB include nutrition, prenatal care, social support, socioeconomic status, abuse, victimization and resiliency (KN27).
  • One statement covers the influence of diverse identities on development (KN24).
  • Development is looked at as an interaction between the person and their social, academic, work and community environment (KN22).
05

Assessment and diagnosis

Psychometrics, assessment methods and instruments, diagnosis and classification, and reading data without bias.

Key points (3)
  • Psychometric items cover test construction, standardization, reliability and validity, sensitivity and specificity, and test fairness and bias (KN29).
  • Classification systems come with their rationales and limits, including dimensional versus categorical approaches to diagnosis (KN36).
  • Interpreting data includes base rates, group differences, cultural biases and heuristics (KN37).
06

Treatment, intervention, prevention and supervision

Choosing and using treatments, prevention, consultation, career development, telepsychology, health systems and supervision.

Key points (3)
  • Treatment decisions include matching treatment to diagnosis, matching client and psychologist, cost and benefit, and readiness to change (KN42).
  • Telepsychology and technology-assisted services have their own statement (KN49).
  • Supervision is tested as contemporary theories and models and their evidence base (KN52).
07

Research methods and statistics

Sampling, study design, qualitative and quantitative analysis, reading statistics, program evaluation and sharing findings.

Key points (3)
  • Quantitative methods on the list include probability theory, parametric statistics, meta-analysis, factor analysis and causal modeling (KN55).
  • Statistical interpretation covers power, effect size, causation versus association and clinical versus statistical significance (KN56).
  • Critical appraisal includes threats to internal and external validity and limits to generalizability (KN57).
08

Ethical, legal and professional issues

Ethics codes, professional standards, laws that affect practice, ethical decision-making and ethics in research, supervision and technology.

Key points (3)
  • The ethics codes named are those of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) (KN61).
  • Professional standards include the standards for educational and psychological testing (KN62).
  • Client and patient rights have their own statement (KN68).
09

EPPP Part 2: applied skills

The second exam, for boards that require it, tests how you apply what Part 1 covers to real decisions in independent practice.

Key points (3)
  • Interviewing is tested as a skill: adapting your questions to the person and the setting, and using a broad range of techniques with empathy (ASPPB, Current EPPP Content Areas, 2.2).
  • Ethical practice includes keeping complete and accurate records and managing billing ethically (5.2.1 and 5.3.2).
  • Supervision items include giving a supervision plan that covers high-risk situations and keeping trainees within the supervisor’s competence and license (6.5.1 and 6.6.2).

Test day

What to bring to the EPPP test center

  • A valid government-issued photo ID, such as a passport or driver’s license
  • A second ID with your name and a signature or recent photo, such as a credit card
  • IDs whose first and last names match the name on your Authorization to Test email (your middle name isn’t checked)
  • Nothing to write with: scratch paper and pens aren’t allowed, but the center can give you a whiteboard if you ask
  • Earplugs or noise-canceling headphones are available at the center on request, and you can’t bring your own earplugs into the room

Before you go

  1. Ask your board whether you also need Part 2, and what its rules are for retakes and testing windows.
  2. Need accommodations? Request them while you register, before you book. ASPPB says they can’t be added once the exam is scheduled.
  3. Pay only when you’re ready to test. Fees can’t be refunded, and you have 12 months from payment to sit the exam, or less if your board’s window ends sooner.
  4. Book early. ASPPB says EPPP time slots at Pearson VUE are limited because the centers also test people in other professions.
  5. Arrive 30 minutes early. Check-in includes a photo and a palm vein scan, and your appointment time isn’t always your start time.
ASPPB: EPPP Registration and FeesApply for a license with your board first. After it approves you, ASPPB’s registration portal emails you to pay and book with Pearson VUE.

Study options

Where to study

ASPPB’s Candidate Handbook is free and lists every content area, with sample questions in its appendixes. ASPPB also sells sample exams to approved candidates, and prep companies such as PrepJet and PsychPrep sell courses and practice tests by subscription.

OptionPriceFree to useLinks
Official
ASPPB EPPP Candidate HandbookOfficial handbookASPPB’s own guide to both parts, updated in September 2026. It gives every content area and its weight, has sample questions for Part 1 and Part 2 in its appendixes, and covers registration, fees, scoring and retakes.
FreeThe whole handbook, as a free PDF
ASPPB: EPPP Candidate Handbook ↗
ASPPB EPPP sample examsOfficial sample examsASPPB’s own sample exams for Part 1 and Part 2, open only to candidates their board has approved. Pearson VUE charges rescheduling and cancellation fees for the test center version.
$30 plus tax per attempt online, $82.50 plus tax at a Pearson VUE centerNo free version listed
ASPPB: Sample Exams ↗
Prep companies
PrepJetOnline course and question bankBasic, Plus and Premium plans at $159, $269 and $429 a month when billed monthly, with lower monthly rates on 3-month and 6-month plans. PrepJet lists full-length exams with more than 1,500 questions, domain quizzes, custom exams and a video library.
From $159 a month (Basic, billed monthly)Free trial
PrepJet: EPPP prep ↗
PsychPrepPractice tests, workshop and study materialsThe Basic Package has five full-length practice tests, domain quizzes, the pre-recorded EPPP Mastery Workshop and email feedback, at $199 for one month or $699 for six. Basic Package Plus adds a study volume, and the Premium Package adds 38 hours of audio, from $429 for one month with digital materials. Subscriptions renew monthly after the first period.
From $199 for one month (Basic Package)Sample questions and a sample package
PsychPrep: EPPP Basic Package ↗PsychPrep: Premium Package ↗PsychPrep: Sample our content ↗

Prices and ratings checked October 2026.

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FAQ

Common questions

What is the EPPP exam?

It’s the standard licensing exam that psychology boards in the US and Canada use to check that you have the knowledge, and on Part 2 the skills, for independent practice. ASPPB introduced it in 1965 and still develops it with licensed psychologists. Passing it is one step, not the whole license: ASPPB says several jurisdictions also require a jurisprudence exam on their own laws, or an oral exam.

Do I have to take EPPP Part 2?

Only if the board where you’re applying requires it, so ask them. You can take Part 2 only after you’ve passed Part 1, and it needs its own approval from your board. ASPPB recommends taking it once you’ve finished all the supervised experience your jurisdiction requires.

Is the EPPP changing in 2027?

Yes. ASPPB plans to replace Part 1 and Part 2 with a single integrated EPPP in fall 2027, which its FAQ puts in the fourth quarter. It will have 215 questions, 175 of them scored, in up to five hours with an optional 30-minute break, across six domains. A beta version runs from March 1 to April 30, 2027 for first-time candidates whose boards take part, with scores expected in late June 2027. Once the new exam launches, first-time candidates take it, and anyone who failed Part 1 or Part 2 before then can retake that part until March 31, 2028. From April 1, 2028, only the integrated exam is offered. If you pass the beta, ASPPB says the result counts as a pass on Part 1, and a fail isn’t counted as a failed attempt. Its FAQs don’t say what happens if you’ve passed Part 1 but still need Part 2 when the new exam launches, so ask your board.

What happens if I fail the EPPP?

Ask your board about a retake. Boards set their own rules, such as waiting periods, limits or extra requirements, and the board has to approve a new Authorization to Test before you can register again. Whatever your board allows, ASPPB won’t let anyone take either part more than four times in a 12-month period, and it suggests waiting about 90 days so you have time to prepare.

Can I take the EPPP online?

No. The EPPP is given only at Pearson VUE test centers. You can test at any center in ASPPB’s network wherever you’re applying, but US candidates must test in the US, including US territories, and Canadian candidates in Canada. Only ASPPB’s sample exams have an online version.

Can I take the EPPP in French?

Part 1 only, and only if your board is legally required to offer a French form. Canadian candidates can still choose English. ASPPB warns that some boards don’t accept scores from non-English versions, and Part 2 has no French version. ASPPB plans a French version of the integrated EPPP from fall 2027.

How do I contact ASPPB about the EPPP?

Call ASPPB at 1-800-448-4069 or 678-216-1175, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern on weekdays, email exams@asppb.org or use the contact form on its website. To book or move a test appointment, call Pearson VUE’s EPPP line at 800-513-6910, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, or 800-466-0450 if you’re testing with accommodations.

Sources: ASPPB and 12 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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