EPPP practice test scores for those who passed

[kestrelcry]

I'm hoping for some reassurance from those of you who who have gone before me.

I was in the extremely fortunate position that in my first semester as assistant professor, I taught intro psych, abnormal, and bio bases of behavior. I've also been listening to the audio from both psychprep and AR on my (long!) commute for months. I had not done any other preparation other than randomly googling concepts that I was still unclear on from the audio. I took my first practice test last week (PsychPrep A) and scored a 69%. A few days later I took PsychPrep B and scored a 72%. I reviewed each question immediately after answering it.

Anyway, my nearby test centers are scheduling 3-4 weeks out at this point and I really want this done sooner rather than later. Do you think I'm in a good enough position to pass EPPP with a few more weeks of study? At this point, I think I'm only going to take practice tests (finish out the PsychPrep series) with reviewing all questions immediately after answering. I've also been jotting down notes on concepts that I didn't know from the test review and have been reviewing those at regular intervals. I guess I just feel apprehensive because I can't really follow PsychPrep's advice. Because my first practice score was a 69%, it seems unlikely to improve 10% points as they recommend in their materials for "expected progress. " If you were in my position would you just schedule it? If not, what other benchmarks would you look to?

I never got above a 59% on at-home practice tests, and I got well above passing on the actual test. If you're really concerned, and can afford it, you could take the Pearson online practice test to make sure. (As much as I hate suggesting giving those b*stards any more money.)

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[DrTisMe]

I'm hoping for some reassurance from those of you who who have gone before me.

I was in the extremely fortunate position that in my first semester as assistant professor, I taught intro psych, abnormal, and bio bases of behavior. I've also been listening to the audio from both psychprep and AR on my (long!) commute for months. I had not done any other preparation other than randomly googling concepts that I was still unclear on from the audio. I took my first practice test last week (PsychPrep A) and scored a 69%. A few days later I took PsychPrep B and scored a 72%. I reviewed each question immediately after answering it.

Anyway, my nearby test centers are scheduling 3-4 weeks out at this point and I really want this done sooner rather than later. Do you think I'm in a good enough position to pass EPPP with a few more weeks of study? At this point, I think I'm only going to take practice tests (finish out the PsychPrep series) with reviewing all questions immediately after answering. I've also been jotting down notes on concepts that I didn't know from the test review and have been reviewing those at regular intervals. I guess I just feel apprehensive because I can't really follow PsychPrep's advice. Because my first practice score was a 69%, it seems unlikely to improve 10% points as they recommend in their materials for "expected progress. " If you were in my position would you just schedule it? If not, what other benchmarks would you look to?

 

[DrTisMe]

If I were you I'd schedule. Remember all you need is a pass! I agree with the suggestion above, to take the PEPPO just to get a sense of what it's like. I found the EPPP to be more similar to the PEPPO than the practice tests were. Also, in the 3-4 weeks you have, I'd concentrate heavily on ethics, since it's a heavily emphasized area and one that gets easier w practice as you start to figure out the common themes of these questions.

 

[aly cat]

If I were you I'd schedule. Remember all you need is a pass! I agree with the suggestion above, to take the PEPPO just to get a sense of what it's like. I found the EPPP to be more similar to the PEPPO than the practice tests were. Also, in the 3-4 weeks you have, I'd concentrate heavily on ethics, since it's a heavily emphasized area and one that gets easier w practice as you start to figure out the common themes of these questions.

I never got above a 59% on at-home practice tests, and I got well above passing on the actual test. If you're really concerned, and can afford it, you could take the Pearson online practice test to make sure. (As much as I hate suggesting giving those b*stards any more money.)

Alright, I just passed the PEPPPO. Going to schedule ASAP to avoid forgetting!! Thanks for the idea.

 

[DrTisMe]

Alright, I just passed the PEPPPO. Going to schedule ASAP to avoid forgetting!! Thanks for the idea.

Good luck!

 

[aly cat]

I passed !!! Someone rescheduled and left their slot open for yesterday and I decided to just bet on myself.

So in the spirit of hopefully helping others decide when to take it, here is what I did. Like many others, I did not actually review the written materials, I solely used practice tests and audio. I listened to the audio (CDs twice each, and occasionally a third time on the ones that were weak areas for me) for months before taking any practice tests. I took the practice tests in "study mode" and made a running list of notes of all the concepts I didn't know or understand very well and googled to flesh out concepts I still didn't quite get.

My practice test scores on PsychPrep were 69%, 74%, and 69% plus a passing score on the PEPPPO after the second practice test. I decided those were good enough to try and I ended up in the mid 600s. I realize I started high on the practice tests.. I mentioned in another post that I'm an assistant professor and taught bio basis, intro, and abnormal last semester and I largely attribute my success to that. I didn't spend much time studying in the traditional sense (maybe about 20 hours if you added it up) but probably near 100 hours in audio and even more in lecture prep.

While the PEPPPO did not give me an actual score as others mentioned, I still found it really helpful. The questions were very similar in format and scope to the actual test. While taking the PEPPPO I really wasn't sure how I was doing and passed... which I think served me well when I was taking the real thing and wasn't really sure how I was doing.. it helped to calm my nerves that I'd felt that way before and yet resulted in a pass.

Good luck everyone!

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

Hi all. I know this is repetitive, but I need some reassurance or a slap in the face (whichever is better). I have my EPPP scheduled for February 27th but am thinking of taking it earlier than that because I'm tired of studying.

My last 4 practice tests scores were:
61% (AATBS), 66% (AATBS), 62% (PsychPrep), and 69% (AR)

My thought is to schedule it for 2 weeks from now. I'll be able to study maybe 1-2 hours each weekday and 4 hours every weekend-day.

Thoughts? Am I way off?

 

[DrTisMe]

Hi all. I know this is repetitive, but I need some reassurance or a slap in the face (whichever is better). I have my EPPP scheduled for February 27th but am thinking of taking it earlier than that because I'm tired of studying.

My last 4 practice tests scores were:
61% (AATBS), 66% (AATBS), 62% (PsychPrep), and 69% (AR)

My thought is to schedule it for 2 weeks from now. I'll be able to study maybe 1-2 hours each weekday and 4 hours every weekend-day.

Thoughts? Am I way off?

If your practice tests were all AATBS I'd say you are just about ready. I'd give it a try, making these last weeks into a big push to take as many practice tests as you can

 

[aly cat]

Hi all. I know this is repetitive, but I need some reassurance or a slap in the face (whichever is better). I have my EPPP scheduled for February 27th but am thinking of taking it earlier than that because I'm tired of studying.

My last 4 practice tests scores were:
61% (AATBS), 66% (AATBS), 62% (PsychPrep), and 69% (AR)

My thought is to schedule it for 2 weeks from now. I'll be able to study maybe 1-2 hours each weekday and 4 hours every weekend-day.

Thoughts? Am I way off?

Knowing what I know now, I'd try. Not thinking about it every spare second has been lovely.

 

[DrTisMe]

Knowing what I know now, I'd try. Not thinking about it every spare second has been lovely.

Liking wasn't enough. I agree completely. There's a lot of awfulizing on this thread. Most people who are scoring above 70 on practice exams seem to pass. The trend seems consistent - people schedule, and in the 2 or so week gap, focus on solidifying weak areas. Most do better than predicted. AATBS suggests not scheduling till u score above 75% on 3 practice exams - if I had waited till then, I'd have spent another month or so being miserable and probably scored above 700, which is a total waste. You need a PASS, that's it. Our geeky PhD "must get straight A's" served us well in undergrad, PhD programs, research experiences and post-docs. Different instincts need to come into play now. It's "the perfect is the enemy of the good" or at least - the perfect is diverting resources that the good can use.

 

[SCO4]

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about AATBS versus Psychprep. I had failed the EPPP twice and had used Psychprep and recently decided to try AATBS. I am finding the AATBS materials so much more difficult to read through because they seem so dry and boring compared to Psychprep. But did people who used AATBS materials and Testmaster questions feel more prepared for the EPPP? I really fear failing again because I'm having so much trouble reading through this crap. Any advice?

 

[psychstudent5]

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about AATBS versus Psychprep. I had failed the EPPP twice and had used Psychprep and recently decided to try AATBS. I am finding the AATBS materials so much more difficult to read through because they seem so dry and boring compared to Psychprep. But did people who used AATBS materials and Testmaster questions feel more prepared for the EPPP? I really fear failing again because I'm having so much trouble reading through this crap. Any advice?

I used AATBS for most of my study materials. So I cannot compare.
However, I must say that the material being boring and needing to be more "lively" or whatever should be irrelevant. Much of the texts we read in grad school were drier than a desert. Buckle down and read so you can pass cause that is the goal - to pass.

 

[heartdignan]

I'm taking the test in about a month, and cannot seem to break out of the mid-60's in my practice tests (on first try). I had access to a bunch of old practice tests; I can't tell what company they came from, but I think at least some were PsychPrep. I'm now doing AATBS practice tests that were gifted to grads of my school. I can definitely tell a difference in difficulty (mostly in terms of the esoteric nature of the questions versus generalized knowledge that was actually covered in study materials) with AATBS. I feel like I've heard before that AATBS materials/tests are unrealistically difficult compared to the actual test - can anyone confirm that this was their experience? Also, I'm a little nervous about needing to breach 70 for the actual test without having done it on practice ones. Aren't we supposed to be getting like mid-70s/80s before it's a good time to take the test?

 

[WJPSYCH]

I recently passed after taking it my first time.

I took 8 hand-me-down practice tests over the past few months (all older than DSM-5). I took 2 AR tests before studying and got 58% and 54% respectively. After beginning studying I scored in high 60s and low 70s on mostly AATBS practice tests, one PEPP practice test, and one more AR test.

I found the questions to be pretty similar in difficulty to those on the actual EPPP (some have said practice Qs are harder, but I didn't notice a substantive difference). However, my score (upper 600s) on the EPPP was well above passing whereas my practice test scores hovered right around the 70% mark.

 

[DrTisMe]

I'm taking the test in about a month, and cannot seem to break out of the mid-60's in my practice tests (on first try). I had access to a bunch of old practice tests; I can't tell what company they came from, but I think at least some were PsychPrep. I'm now doing AATBS practice tests that were gifted to grads of my school. I can definitely tell a difference in difficulty (mostly in terms of the esoteric nature of the questions versus generalized knowledge that was actually covered in study materials) with AATBS. I feel like I've heard before that AATBS materials/tests are unrealistically difficult compared to the actual test - can anyone confirm that this was their experience? Also, I'm a little nervous about needing to breach 70 for the actual test without having done it on practice ones. Aren't we supposed to be getting like mid-70s/80s before it's a good time to take the test?

If you read through the threads on here, mostly the feedback is consistent - AATBS recommends mid-70s. Most of us were in high 60s/low 70s and passed with flying colors. I think once you score above 70 on AATBS you are good to go. 80 is way too high. Remember, you don't need an A+! You need a score above 600....everything else is a waste of your effort.

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

If you read through the threads on here, mostly the feedback is consistent - AATBS recommends mid-70s. Most of us were in high 60s/low 70s and passed with flying colors. I think once you score above 70 on AATBS you are good to go. 80 is way too high. Remember, you don't need an A+! You need a score above 600....everything else is a waste of your effort.

Above 500, actually.

 

[DrTisMe]

Above 500, actually.

I stand corrected. Wow, I really over-scored. Now that I'm awaiting licensure I wish I had scheduled the EPPP at least 1 month, maybe even 6 weeks sooner. Better safe than sorry has its limits!

 

[heartdignan]

If you read through the threads on here, mostly the feedback is consistent - AATBS recommends mid-70s. Most of us were in high 60s/low 70s and passed with flying colors. I think once you score above 70 on AATBS you are good to go. 80 is way too high. Remember, you don't need an A+! You need a score above 600....everything else is a waste of your effort.

Thanks for the feedback! I finally cracked the 70's yesterday. I do not know if it's possible to ever feel "ready" for this test. What I'm actually ready to do is get it over with and never, ever take another test for as long as I live.

 

[DrTisMe]

Thanks for the feedback! I finally cracked the 70's yesterday. I do not know if it's possible to ever feel "ready" for this test. What I'm actually ready to do is get it over with and never, ever take another test for as long as I live.

Register. Now!

 

[heartdignan]

Register. Now!

Oh, I've been registered, and it's getting closer, which has brought out my panic. I'm scheduled for 03/13, which I didn't realize until afterwards is right after Daily Savings Time. Why not add an extra challenge!

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

I passed with a 649! Thank you for sharing all of your experiences, they were really helpful.

I got an 82% on the 250 Retired Test Questions two days before the exam, and an 83% on an AATBS assessment test the day before. Prior to those two tests, I was pretty stuck between 60 and 69% on everything. I had access to really old Academic Review tests that I gave up on, because there were too many errors and I got a 58 on one of them a week before the exam. So, if anyone has those 8 super old AR tests, I would strongly recommend ignoring them since they don't seem to correlate with the exam itself. I did use old PsychPrep exams, which seemed more accurate and up to date. Other than that, I used copies of the Psychprep CDs which I found the most helpful.

Oh, I wanted to add- I didn't do any rote memorization (at least not on purpose). I made flashcards early on but didn't look at them. I just couldn't get motivated to do that. So I focused on practice tests and CDs.

 

[AlmostaPhD]

I just passed the EPPP today and found this thread helpful so I wanted to share my experience. Like many on here, I took a practice test (I think AR? All my stuff is hand-me-down DSM-IV, but some say PsychPrep, some say AR, and some are ???) before I even started studying. I got a 57% or so on that initial test, so I knew I was in okay shape from the get go. My initial plan was to systematically study the areas in which I was weaker, but then things happened and I didn't get around to it. Fast forward a couple of months and suddenly I'm approved to take the test but, for reasons I don't need to get into, I was on a tight timeline.

I took a couple more practice tests last week (60-65%), studied the things I got wrong (and I mean really studied, didn't memorize answers but actually read the answer justification and googled as needed), kept steadily improving on the tests (I took maybe 8 total), and finally pulled the trigger and scheduled the exam just a few days out. I then minorly freaked out and tried to spend as much time as possible cramming. I never got better than a 70% on the practice tests, but in my defense these things are old and ask about DSM-IV diagnoses that no longer exist and Adlerian therapy. The day before (yesterday) I took a retired items test and got 85%, so I know that was a good sign. I still manically went over flashcards and looked up a couple of concepts at the last minute, but I ended up with a score >690 so a lot of that was probably overkill/anxiety.

At the exam I felt kind of panicky for the first 20-30 mins. I recognized stuff but did not feel confident. So, I answered as best I could, crossed out answers when I could, and flagged at least 30% of the items to check back later (these are super helpful features of the computer test). I answered everything but felt very iffy on some. I managed to get through all 225 in about 2 hours, took a break, then came back to go through the marked answers. I was calmer at this point and felt pretty confident on a lot of the answers. After I had gone through everything I had marked, I went back from question 1 and read every single question again. This was probably unnecessary and I think I only changed 1 answer on this last pass through, but I had the time and would not have forgiven myself if I failed because I rushed. I still ended up with 20-30 mins to spare after this last time through, but I knew that I was feeling pretty good about the majority of answers so I ended the exam. FWIW, there were a handful of items that I knew I didn't know/hadn't studied, and a few where I didn't even know what the words meant, but I felt like a lot of it was stuff I knew or could figure out, and some things were really close to practice questions I'd seen. Obviously not all content areas get covered in each test, but my point is that there wasn't anything out of left field.

So, my advice is definitely to get your hands on practice tests and DEFINITELY the retired items. I never did the ASPPB practice test, but probably would have if I had more time. In my case, it turns out you can study fairly intensely for about a week and ace the thing. Full disclosure: I always do well on tests, I am a faculty member and teaching the more basic general concepts definitely helps keep them fresh, and I also have a high tolerance for intense cramming/high pressure test-taking/losing $700 if I bet wrong. YMMV.

 

[heartdignan]

With the last two posts (Congratulations by the way!!) mentioning taking the "retired items test" - are you all referring to PEPP/PEPPO?

 

[AlmostaPhD]

With the last two posts (Congratulations by the way!!) mentioning taking the "retired items test" - are you all referring to PEPP/PEPPO?

I am not referring to PEPP/PEPPO, and based on what @AppsAintNoThang said I think s/he and I are referring to the same thing. All of my stuff is hand-me-down so I can't tell you the source (and it might be the old version of PEPP that used to be sold) but I have a PDF that says on the first page ITEMS FROM PREVIOUS EXAMINATIONS: A STUDY TOOL FOR THE EPPP and the ASPPB logo. Its copyright is 2006 so it's definitely a little out of date (also the pages are weirdly out of order), but it was helpful for me. Specifically, the items are written more straightforwardly like they are on the actual exam, and performance on this was the best approximation of my actual score (though, admittedly, it was also the last test I took). To save everyone the hassle, I think this is actually the same thing (without the cover pages and ~10 pages of general exam info, and with the pages in order): http://www.modernpsychologist.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/EPPP-Retired_Test_Questions.pdf

 

[ChiPhD99]

Hi All,

This thread has provided some really helpful and interesting information! I just began studying for the EPPP, and I'm aiming to take it sometime this summer (May or June). I am trying to avoid paying for new testing materials since I have about a dozen or so old tests from 2006-2011 available to me through work. I know they don't include DSM-V, but I downloaded a great EPPP flashcard app that has about 200 questions on the DSM-V that should get me caught up to speed (not to mention having an actual DSM-V available). I've always been a person that prefers practice tests/quizzes to straight studying from a book. Do people think if I take the practice tests, study the correct responses (some of which have great detailed responses that discuss what the other answers are and why they aren't correct), create a study guide that includes material I did not immediately know and would like to review, and supplement all of this with my flashcards, should I be in good shape to pass? I just REALLY don't want to shell out hundreds, or thousands, of dollars for materials when I have all of this available to me already (my work also has old books and CDs if I should choose to use them).

Also, while googling for materials, I found a CD on Amazon that has about 2,000 questions on it and creates practice tests for you from the questions for only $50. Has anyone used this before? Would it be worthwhile to get? It's called EPPP Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) 4,000 Questions Simulation Software

Thanks for the help!

 

[UnknownPsych]

Hi All,

This thread has provided some really helpful and interesting information! I just began studying for the EPPP, and I'm aiming to take it sometime this summer (May or June). I am trying to avoid paying for new testing materials since I have about a dozen or so old tests from 2006-2011 available to me through work. I know they don't include DSM-V, but I downloaded a great EPPP flashcard app that has about 200 questions on the DSM-V that should get me caught up to speed (not to mention having an actual DSM-V available). I've always been a person that prefers practice tests/quizzes to straight studying from a book. Do people think if I take the practice tests, study the correct responses (some of which have great detailed responses that discuss what the other answers are and why they aren't correct), create a study guide that includes material I did not immediately know and would like to review, and supplement all of this with my flashcards, should I be in good shape to pass? I just REALLY don't want to shell out hundreds, or thousands, of dollars for materials when I have all of this available to me already (my work also has old books and CDs if I should choose to use them).

Also, while googling for materials, I found a CD on Amazon that has about 2,000 questions on it and creates practice tests for you from the questions for only $50. Has anyone used this before? Would it be worthwhile to get? It's called EPPP Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) 4,000 Questions Simulation Software

Thanks for the help!

Your mileage may vary, but that was my strategy and it worked for me (passed >700). I took about 12 old hand-me-down practice exams, the newest of which I think were from 2006, retook a few of them to ensure I was actually learning the material, and studied up on DSM-V changes. I didn't pay any money for study materials.

 

[heartdignan]

I am not referring to PEPP/PEPPO, and based on what @AppsAintNoThang said I think s/he and I are referring to the same thing. All of my stuff is hand-me-down so I can't tell you the source (and it might be the old version of PEPP that used to be sold) but I have a PDF that says on the first page ITEMS FROM PREVIOUS EXAMINATIONS: A STUDY TOOL FOR THE EPPP and the ASPPB logo. Its copyright is 2006 so it's definitely a little out of date (also the pages are weirdly out of order), but it was helpful for me. Specifically, the items are written more straightforwardly like they are on the actual exam, and performance on this was the best approximation of my actual score (though, admittedly, it was also the last test I took). To save everyone the hassle, I think this is actually the same thing (without the cover pages and ~10 pages of general exam info, and with the pages in order): http://www.modernpsychologist.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/EPPP-Retired_Test_Questions.pdf

Thanks so much for sharing this link!

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

Hi All,

This thread has provided some really helpful and interesting information! I just began studying for the EPPP, and I'm aiming to take it sometime this summer (May or June). I am trying to avoid paying for new testing materials since I have about a dozen or so old tests from 2006-2011 available to me through work. I know they don't include DSM-V, but I downloaded a great EPPP flashcard app that has about 200 questions on the DSM-V that should get me caught up to speed (not to mention having an actual DSM-V available). I've always been a person that prefers practice tests/quizzes to straight studying from a book. Do people think if I take the practice tests, study the correct responses (some of which have great detailed responses that discuss what the other answers are and why they aren't correct), create a study guide that includes material I did not immediately know and would like to review, and supplement all of this with my flashcards, should I be in good shape to pass? I just REALLY don't want to shell out hundreds, or thousands, of dollars for materials when I have all of this available to me already (my work also has old books and CDs if I should choose to use them).

Also, while googling for materials, I found a CD on Amazon that has about 2,000 questions on it and creates practice tests for you from the questions for only $50. Has anyone used this before? Would it be worthwhile to get? It's called EPPP Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology (EPPP) 4,000 Questions Simulation Software

Thanks for the help!

Yes, the retired test items that I took is the same that @AlmostaPhD took. Definitely similar to my score, even if many of the questions are very outdated.

@ChiPhD99- This was plenty for me. I used the PsychPrep audio, too, but I had copies of those from someone else. I didn't create a study guide from the materials, but that sounds like a good idea. I honestly agree with what other people have posted, we tend to overdo this test. I would've been okay taking it a month ago, but my unrealistic standards schema won out and I waited.

 

[heartdignan]

Yes, the retired test items that I took is the same that @AlmostaPhD took. Definitely similar to my score, even if many of the questions are very outdated.

@ChiPhD99- This was plenty for me. I used the PsychPrep audio, too, but I had copies of those from someone else. I didn't create a study guide from the materials, but that sounds like a good idea. I honestly agree with what other people have posted, we tend to overdo this test. I would've been okay taking it a month ago, but my unrealistic standards schema won out and I waited.

Since you just took it so recently, was there anything you were surprised about? Or delighted about?

 

[AppsAintNoThang]

Since you just took it so recently, was there anything you were surprised about? Or delighted about?

I was delighted that the questions were mostly much clearer than my practice tests. The wording was most similar to the 2 I took latest- the retired items and the AATBS assessment exam. I was also delighted that the stats questions were super simple. I'm terrible at stats and didn't bother studying it short of reviewing the normal curve percentiles and a few key terms, yet I felt pretty comfortable with most of the questions. I also got very few tricky questions, as far as I noticed. I was on guard for these trick questions meant to confuse me and leave me in a state of horrified panic- but they mostly seemed quite clear cut. I think I could even tell which were the experimental questions, as they referenced really new topics or research. At least, that was what I told myself.

Also weird, but I LOVED the highlighting and strike thru tools they had on the exam. It seemed so much simpler that I could strike out clearly wrong answers and just look at the remaining ones. Simple, I know, but really appealed to my organizational nerdiness.

Surprised..hmm... I was surprised by how thorough the testing center folks were about me not smuggling in cheating materials. They had me take my boots off and roll my pants up each time I wanted into the testing room. They also had me take my hair down and pat myself down.. Let's hope that wasn't just me.

 

[WJPSYCH]

I was delighted that the questions were mostly much clearer than my practice tests. The wording was most similar to the 2 I took latest- the retired items and the AATBS assessment exam. I was also delighted that the stats questions were super simple. I'm terrible at stats and didn't bother studying it short of reviewing the normal curve percentiles and a few key terms, yet I felt pretty comfortable with most of the questions. I also got very few tricky questions, as far as I noticed. I was on guard for these trick questions meant to confuse me and leave me in a state of horrified panic- but they mostly seemed quite clear cut. I think I could even tell which were the experimental questions, as they referenced really new topics or research. At least, that was what I told myself.

Also weird, but I LOVED the highlighting and strike thru tools they had on the exam. It seemed so much simpler that I could strike out clearly wrong answers and just look at the remaining ones. Simple, I know, but really appealed to my organizational nerdiness.

Surprised..hmm... I was surprised by how thorough the testing center folks were about me not smuggling in cheating materials. They had me take my boots off and roll my pants up each time I wanted into the testing room. They also had me take my hair down and pat myself down.. Let's hope that wasn't just me.

Nope, it wasn't just you. I had to pat myself down, turn my pockets inside-out, and be identified by driver's license and palm scan each time I re-entered the testing room.

 

[DrTisMe]

Nope, it wasn't just you. I had to pat myself down, turn my pockets inside-out, and be identified by driver's license and palm scan each time I re-entered the testing room.

I had to Palm scan each time I entered the testing room but that was it. They checked my drivers license once, when I came in and registered. I guess they didn't want to pat down an obviously pregnant woman! I actually felt bad for the elderly lady at the security desk, since she had to escort me to the bathroom for each break and I left the room to use the facilities every 20 min or so (pregnant women probably should avoid lots of caffeine before a test like this but I was exhausted!)

 

[heartdignan]

It's finally over, and I'm happy to say I passed! Just want to leave my little two cents here for future readers since these threads have always been so helpful to me. First of all, much like the internship application process, advice for studying for the EPPP is full of crazy-making contradictory information, such as:

"Take as many practice tests as possible! / You don't need to take that many practice tests!"
"Don't waste your time on making flashcards! / Make flashcards, make whatever you need!"
"The practice tests are harder than the real test! / The real test is harder than the practice tests!"
"Take the PEPP/PEPPO! / Don't waste your money on PEPP/PEPPO!"
"You need months to prepare! / I only studied for two weeks!"
"You need to be getting mid-70s/80s on practice tests before you're ready! / Ehh, you're fine in the 60s."

So, my study materials consisted of the AATBS books (gift from my school), 8 current AATBS practice tests (from school), PSYCH PREP audio CDs, and a handful of hand-me-down tests from various companies. I started with a practice test before I touched any material and got a 59%, so I figured I was in okay shape. I listened to the CDs during my commute for work and made a point to really engage with them (i.e., respond out loud when the speaker would ask a question). I'm a really visual learner and do best when I incorporate note-taking, so after I listened to a CD, I went back and reviewed the corresponding chapter in the AATBS books and made notes. I was also taking some practice tests and getting in the mid-60s. And that's when I got stuck in the mid-60s and started losing my mind and came to SDN. Ultimately what pushed me out of the 60s was breaking down and making flashcards for concepts I kept getting incorrect on tests. I really didn't want to make flashcards, but in the end, it was worth it. I started consistently getting low 70s, and that was good enough for me. I also did the "retired questions test" linked in a couple posts above (thank you! - by the way, one of the pages is out of order, so everyone look out for it if you're taking it) and the PEPPO, both of which I found to be easier than the practice tests - simple, direct, short questions versus paragraph-long monstrosities in the other practice tests.

The actual test I found to be different from both the practice tests and the tests of retired items. For the first 6 or so questions, I did not know the answers at all and could hardly understand the question. The first 40 or so questions overall seemed to have extremely obscure content or did not make it easy to apply the information I learned for the test. I was really surprised and genuinely thinking that there was no way I could pass it. Then finally, the clouds parted and the questions became more straightforward and shorter. As others have said, though, there were probably only about 20 questions where I was felt 100% confident the answer was correct, and then like 80 where I was 75% certain my answer was correct. The other surprising thing about the test was the lack of questions on certain key areas. On the practice tests, there seemed to be equal coverage of all of the domains (yes, I know they each vary in percentage of exam questions, but they were all at least in there to a noticeable or somewhat comparable degree). On the actual test, some of the major domains only had 3 or 5 questions, while others seemed to have 20 or 25 questions. I left feeling resentful I had learned a million times more information than I actually needed, but how the heck are you supposed to know what questions you'll get? The whole thing seemed so random.

Good luck, all!

 

[singasongofjoy]

It's finally over, and I'm happy to say I passed! Just want to leave my little two cents here for future readers since these threads have always been so helpful to me.

So, my study materials consisted of the AATBS books (gift from my school), 8 current AATBS practice tests (from school), PSYCH PREP audio CDs, and a handful of hand-me-down tests from various companies. I started with a practice test before I touched any material and got a 59%, so I figured I was in okay shape. I listened to the CDs during my commute for work and made a point to really engage with them (i.e., respond out loud when the speaker would ask a question). I'm a really visual learner and do best when I incorporate note-taking, so after I listened to a CD, I went back and reviewed the corresponding chapter in the AATBS books and made notes. I was also taking some practice tests and getting in the mid-60s. And that's when I got stuck in the mid-60s and started losing my mind and came to SDN. Ultimately what pushed me out of the 60s was breaking down and making flashcards for concepts I kept getting incorrect on tests. I really didn't want to make flashcards, but in the end, it was worth it. I started consistently getting low 70s, and that was good enough for me.

Thanks for giving us an update! I'm also using AATBS. Just started, have taken 2 tests (pre-ax and 1 other test) both in low 60s, so I know I still have a good bit of studying to do- but do you mind sharing either here or via DM how wide your margin was (what your EPPP score was?) Like, was ~70% on the AATBS overkill and you passed by a wide margin, or was it just the right amount of studying for you? Really appreciate your perspective!

 

[heartdignan]

Thanks for giving us an update! I'm also using AATBS. Just started, have taken 2 tests (pre-ax and 1 other test) both in low 60s, so I know I still have a good bit of studying to do- but do you mind sharing either here or via DM how wide your margin was (what your EPPP score was?) Like, was ~70% on the AATBS overkill and you passed by a wide margin, or was it just the right amount of studying for you? Really appreciate your perspective!

I passed with a 635, so definitely a very comfortable margin. Of the 8 AATBS tests, my scores were: 64, 64, 76, 65, 72, 72, 72, 72. In one of the AATBS's books, it says their tests have varying degrees of difficulty so it's not unusual for scores to be up and down. I am sure that I studied far too much, but to me, it wasn't worth the risk of falling just below 500 and having to retake/respend the 600-some dollars. When you go through this board and talk to colleagues, you'll see there is a huge spectrum of studying approaches/effort/time. At first I was driving myself crazy trying to figure out what the "right" thing to do was compared to what others had done, but then I realized I just needed to do what felt right for me. I wouldn't go back and do anything differently (i.e., less) knowing my score now because the confidence I had going into the test was invaluable.

 

[SCO4]

Thanks for providing your experience. I've been really struggling with the EPPP. On the AATBS I've been ranging from my lowest of 56% to highest of 65%. I only have one more exam of the 8 to do, but at this point all I really care about is getting a 500 or above, I don't care what the score is as long as I pass. But like you said it's been so hard with this thread knowing if I'm ready with all the contradictory info

 

[foreverbull]

I recently passed after 90+ hours of studying psychprep materials, audio, and some practice test hand-me-downs. I didn't bother with flashcards, but I took fairly thorough notes as I read each section, which was tedious but effective.

The actual test seemed half straightforward-ish, and half assessing knowledge of very obscure research findings or very obscure facts that were not covered by practice materials at all, so there was a lot of guessing that had to be done. I was shocked that a few sections I studied extensively weren't on the test at all. Still, it helped to know the basics of everything to extrapolate to research where I could. All-in-all, the test felt like an excuse to make test/practice companies hefty cash with very little practical value to the profession.

 

[heartdignan]

. All-in-all, the test felt like an excuse to make test/practice companies hefty cash with very little practical value to the profession. If this test really was for "gatekeeping," they would have us recognize/recall relevant material (i.e. theoretical foundations, EBT, biopsych, etc.) and not so many questions citing esoteric research findings.

I second this.

 

[CApsych]

Just posting more data because I found this thread super helpful-
I studied using the AATBS books and practice tests. Practice test scores ranged from 51%-64%, wasn't sure whether to go for it, took
And passed the PEPPO, went for it, just passed the EPPP with a score slightly over 600.

Like others have said the actually test seems MuCH more straightforward than the AATBS exams, much more like the PEPPO. My advice would be to go for it when in doubt.

Good luck to everyone taking it!

 

[SmithPsy24]

I passed yesterday with a 731. I used some PsychPrep and AATBS materials that were frankly rather dated (2010-11), as well as the Flash Card app, which was helpful for updates on DSM 5. Plus I got five practice tests handed down from a colleague, and took two PEPPO tests. Oh, and I had the AATBS lectures, which I would listen to on my commute to work. Needless to say, I was a bit anxious about this. (I also had an EPPP question app that had "Question of the Day" and let you build exams, but I found that their questions did not resemble the type of questions you have on the exam and wouldn't really recommend it.) I will note that I ended up with a ridiculous amount of time for studying, because I started a job where they weren't quite ready for me, and I think I spent the first few weeks doing hardly anything else.

Anyway, I passed the PEPPO (but it didn't give me a score? It just said Pass and showed me what my performance looked like in the subject areas). On my handed down tests I started out in the 60s, and on the toughest one, a 53%. I plugged on and retook the hardest one, scoring a 73. I found the test experience weird, because there were questions I absolutely knew - like I would get a streak of easy ones followed by something bizarrely obscure and difficult. And of course there were many questions in the middle. I took one break half way through. Test-taking strategies were extremely important - reading the questions very carefully, eliminating bad answers, and figuring out which answer didn't fit with the others in particular. I still walked out not having a clue if I'd passed or not, but I did!

 

[deleted315242]

I took the EPPP yesterday and passed! Below is some information about my experience in case it may be helpful. I feel like I might be more of a cautionary tale on not over studying.

I used the 2016 AATBS study books and took what felt like 20+ practice tests that were hand me downs. The practice tests were a mix of AATBS, PsychPrep, and Academic Review. I also had the AATBS audio tapes which I personally found the most helpful in getting me out of scoring in the mid-60s to the mid-70s on the practice tests. In using the study books, I also created my own outlines to help me streamline the information. I studied every week for about three months and then took a full week off to do one last push of studying before taking the exam. By the last week of studying, I was scoring in the high-70s, low-80s. My actual score on the EPPP was a 591.

On the actual day of the test, I felt exhausted. My brain was saturated with information but it felt more like Information Soup rather than neatly ordered facts in my head. While the questions on the actual EPPP were much more straightforward, I could feel myself suffering from testing overload from having taken way too many practice tests so my brain felt slower overall. Having thought about it, I was probably at my peak at the start of the last cram week and could have taken the test then. I'm very happy with my score as all I wanted was to pass, but I would say taking more than 10 practice tests for me was overkill and in the end made the actual testing a bit harder just out of sheer exhaustion. Then again, I'm older and maybe my brain doesn't have the stamina it once did.

 

[SchoolpsychFTW]

Hi everyone! First of all, this thread was so helpful and comforting to me during my study process! Thank you all! I took the EPPP yesterday and passed with a 618! (I may or may not have cried when I got my score)

I was very nervous about the EPPP because I only studied for about a 5-6 weeks (everyone else I know studied WAY longer), and I did not score above a 65% on any of the Psychprep practice tests. I was so relieved to know others on this thread experienced the same thing! I used the following to study:

- Read through the whole Psychprep binder ( I shared the cost with a friend). I honestly didn't find this particularly helpful.
-Listened to audio files on the way to and from my post-doc (45 min drive each way). I probably listened to each section twice, and I found it really helpful.
-Reviewed flashcards others made on Quizlet and took notes on the areas I was not familiar with.
- Took each of the 5 Psychprep practice tests twice and took notes on the items I missed- Even though I did poorly on the tests, I think learning how to read and figure out what the questions were asking was extremely helpful!
-Studied graphs and guides I found on Pinterest!

On the actual EPPP, I honestly had no idea if I had passed or not when I finished. Some of the questions are very obvious, but others were kind of obscure. Definitely easier than the practice tests overall, though! I think my self-care habits the day before and day of the test was really important too. I did not study the night before, got a good night's sleep, and ate a healthy breakfast. When taking the test, I would stop and take deep breaths and get centered after every 30 questions or so. I also took a break half way through to use the bathroom, eat a snack, and relax a bit. Including my break, the whole thing took me about 3 hours.

Remember- if you pass, that's great! If you don't, it is NOT the end of the world. You are still a brilliant, hard working, and loved person! Good luck, psychology friends!

 

[SchoolPsycho]

I just passed the EPPP as well! This thread was also a great support for me, so paying it forward:

I had access to Academic Review through my program, so I had up to date materials to work with at no cost to me. I started "studying" about five months out - I took a practice test on the weekend, but did not really review the answers systematically. This was ineffective, as my scores were 53% (diagnostic), 63%, and 57%. At this point, I shifted gears. My goal was to take my biggest weaknesses on the practice tests (for me, Neuro and IO) and turn them into strengths. I did this by doing the practice quizzes on Academic Review. I did one section for a week, drilling practice quizzes over and over again, and made an outline/concept map of anything I didn't know. This strategy saw fantastic returns - for example, my Neuro quizzes went from a baseline of ~35% to 80%+, and my IO went from a baseline of ~45% to 90%+. This was great for my confidence; for example, an IO question on the test went from "How the hell should I know?" to "oh good another easy one."

I looped through each section, one at a time, for about 6 weeks before taking taking another practice test for progress monitoring. My scores on the practice tests improved to 71, 76, 79, 77, 75, 80 (retired items test), and 79. So, definitely a major change. My total study time on AR was 70 hours, and I had maybe 15 hours outside of AR. I passed with 700+, meaning I could have quit studying a month earlier.

The real thing is filled with weird questions. Concept wise, it is hard to know what to prepare for, so test taking strategies and relaxation strategies become critical. The best advice I got was to simply accept that it is a trivia test, that there will be dumb questions, and that it isn't reflective of your day to day work. Getting mad at the content is unproductive.

Overall, my recommendation would be to hit it hard for a shorter period of time than I did. 2 months of hard studying will likely serve you better than 4, 5, or 6 months of light studying. Practice tests/quizzes are definitely the most bang for your buck, so long as you honestly work to understand new concepts.

 

[chelpsyd]

I found this thread incredibly helpful in managing my expectations about when I should take the test. I studied using only practice tests and the EPPP flashcard app, focusing mostly on practice tests. My AATBS practice test scores were 60, 67, 67, 63, 69, 71, 68, 62. I passed with a score of 618

 

[DrTisMe]

I found this thread incredibly helpful in managing my expectations about when I should take the test. I studied using only practice tests and the EPPP flashcard app, focusing mostly on practice tests. My AATBS practice test scores were 60, 67, 67, 63, 69, 71, 68, 62. I passed with a score of 618

Congratulations! Isn't it awesome to be on this side of it?!

 

[singasongofjoy]

It feels SO good to be on this side of it! I used AATBS (after extensive time on SDN trying to figure out which one had the best pass rate and that seemed to be it- it's so expensive though). Studied for 6 weeks, which basically meant 6 weekends (about 15 hours per weekend) since I never studied during the week except by listening to the audio lectures while I was driving. My scores were 63, 60, 67, 71, 66, 67, 70. Then I took the EPPP and scored a 719, so I totally over-studied I guess, despite my AATBS test scores being quite below their recommendation of mid 70s. The questions on the EPPP were much more straightforward. The last couple of weeks I changed my study strategy which I think was good - instead of just reading the books then writing my own notes and then taking the practice exams, I started taking the section quizzes and domain tests that came with my AATBS package (could prob have done w/ just the section quizzes and a cheaper package than the silver package which is what I purchased). I recommend reading a section, taking the section quizzes, and then filling out the study guides in teh back of each book (which I did not do, but I later wished I had just to have a quick way to review the day before the test when I was freaking out). Audio helped a lot, esp. w ethics just to get familiar w/ the language. AATBS suggests taking practice test, study 2 lowest sections, take another test, study lowest 1 and ethics, repeat until you get consistently reasonable scores on the practice tests and then schedule. They say mid 70s, I say mid to upper 60s is prob reasonable since I never broke 71 and did fine, and that seems consistent with posters above who passed without scoring much above 70, but maybe I just got a little lucky too. I got impatient taking the practice tests though which might have depressed my scores on some of the practice tests - during the actual test I found it helpful to force myself to take breaks to clear my head. It's such a dreadfully long time to sit still and answer question after question. Oh, also FYI if you go w/ the AATBS stuff, you can take the tests and quizzes (except for the pre- assessment) as many times as you want.... so, theoretically, if you bought the 6 month access package but passed the EPPP earlier than that you could sell your access code and materials to someone else at a discount so they could use the rest of your months. In retrospect I should ahve studied less and stressed less. Good luck everyone!

 

[bts2017]

Hi all - does anyone have access to practice exams that they would be willing to share (am willing to pay for them!). I am hoping to solely study via taking practice tests and studying the answers...thanks so much.

 

[bts2017]

Does anyone have thoughts about primarily using practice exams to prepare for the EPPP (I am taking it for the firs time)? I am planning to take old practice tests and make notes on everything I am unfamiliar with, and then use academic review's online program for the 30 days before I take the exam, again focusing on practice tests and explanations. Plus the EPPP psych prep flashcards. I am afraid to start reading the books and taking notes on the content because I feel like I could do that forever and it might not be super helpful..

 

[WisNeuro]

Just a note of advice. If you have a question, just ask it once and do a thread search. Please do not resurrect multiple dead threads to ask the same exact question. People will be less likely to want to help you if you are an annoyance to them.

 

[Grey468]

Hello all!

This thread was incredibly helpful for me in preparing for the EPPP. Since I took it for the first time yesterday and passed with a score of 596 (NY converted score of 82), I wanted to pay it forward! Hopefully my story will help someone on the other side of this exam.

First off, this exam is a beast. I've seen some people on here calling it "easy" and saying that you can "just do x and skate by." That just seems like arrogance to me and is poor advice. That being said, the beast can be conquered if you study in a way that is BOTH 1) effective for YOU and 2) effective with regard to the very particular style of the exam. Referring to the former, people will try to tell you how to best study, but rest assured that you have been studying for exams for many years and you alone know what works for you. As for the latter, the exam has a style that is unique, and it's important to familiarize yourself with that before going in to the real thing.

As for me, I studied for about 10 weeks, 6 intensely. I borrowed the AATBS materials from a friend and inherited a wealth of materials including audios from PsychPrep and practice tests from Academic Review, PsychPrep, and some unknown sources. I read all of the AATBS books from cover to cover, then took 3 practice tests. All were Academic Review because my friend believed those to be most representative of how the actual EPPP questions were presented. Each time I reviewed the answers I either had gotten correct due to an educated guess or had gotten incorrect. My scores were 56, 60, and 59. At that point, I felt utterly demoralized: I kept hearing "as long as you're getting 65-70+ on practice tests you should be okay in the actual exam." The test was days away and I knew I wouldn't have time to bring my score up that much, or at all. I considered moving the test but also wanted to give myself the chance to put it behind me. So, I decided to put the practice tests aside and go back to review. I figured out the topics that kept bringing my score down and reviewed the corresponding index cards and listened to a couple of audios. I did that for a few days, and then took the first 225 questions of the retired EPPP questions (linked below). I got a 75 and felt a ton better.

These questions show you the style in which the EPPP assesses your knowledge which - in my experience - was largely "Can you apply your knowledge of psychology to figure out the answer?" For example, some questions ask you to identify research trends when it may be unlikely you've seen those studies. You won't be reinforced for remembering concepts and theories so you can vomit them out when asked directly about them. At the same time, you can't effectively apply knowledge you don't have or don't remember. In my humble opinion, the retired questions were most representative of my readiness and it's a huge mistake not to take them. I recommend taking them after studying to get a true sense of how you may perform on the real thing.

So, a few take-aways from my experience:
1) Study in the way that has worked for YOU. You are the expert on that.
2) Take as many practice tests as you can. It helps to enrich your knowledge base and, depending on the source, helps you apply that knowledge which is what you'll be doing on the real exam. It also gives you a sense of your areas for further study.
3) Your scores on the practice tests matter, but don't rest more weight on them than they deserve. I've known people who passed but just barely when they were getting really high scores on practice tests, and then several people like me who never breached a score in the low 60s and still passed with room to spare.
4) After you are at the tail-end of your prep, take the retired EPPP questions. Here is the link:

http://www.modernpsychologist.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/EPPP-Retired_Test_Questions.pdf

5) Passing this test is about mastering the ability to apply the knowledge you have. If you happen to fail it, it doesn't mean anything about you personally. It just means that you either didn't review the material effectively enough or you didn't master how to apply that knowledge to the questions. You have every right to be sad, angry, etc. and give yourself the space to feel that. And then, dust yourself off and realize that whichever of the two issues I mentioned above applies to you, it can be remedied.

Best of luck, everyone! And thank you to those who added to this list before me and who unknowingly provided me with comfort leading up to my date with the beast.