The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology or (EPPP) Part 2 is a standardized test that is used as one of the requirements for licensure as a psychologist in the United States. The Part 2 exam is used to evaluate the skills of a candidate using applied, real-world situations that psychologists face in practice.
Wondering how to get started in preparing for the EPPP Part 2 - Skills exam? Keep reading.
Review the exam content outline. The exam content outline will provide you with a comprehensive list of domains that will be covered on the exam. Use this outline to guide your studying and ensure that you are focusing on the most important areas.
Practice with sample questions: One of the best ways to prepare for the EPPP Part 2 exam is to practice with sample questions. This will help you become familiar with the format and types of questions that will be on the exam, and will give you an idea of the level of difficulty you can expect.
Consider connecting with others who have taken or are studying for the Part 2 exam via an online EPPP study group or board. Working with others can be an effective way to review for the EPPP Part 2 exam and can help provide one-on-one support, guidance, accountability and a sense of community.
Understanding biology, brain function and anatomy, medication, and various forms of brain impairment are important areas of the exam with which to feel comfortable. Although this material is not the most emphasized area of the exam, it surfaces enough that you should plan to spend a considerable amount of time reviewing the material and increasing your knowledge and comfort with concepts in these domains. If you map what AATBS study sections encompass biological bases of behavior, it would include material from the following domains: psychopharmacology, physiological psychology, lifespan, and abnormal psychology. When you approach this material, know that many of the questions will be straightforward, relaying on memorization of concepts, terms, and theories.
After countless hours of coursework, practica and internship, and pages of dissertation edits, you now have to take the EPPP. Whether it’s fear of failure, sheer exhaustion, juggling too many priorities, or imposter syndrome creeping in, the motivation just isn’t there and at the same time, you didn’t come this far to quit. Try these tips to help re-energize yourself and build momentum while studying for the EPPP.
Life at times can be all-consuming. However, so can studying for the EPPP and it can quickly become overwhelming to think how one might come to balance both. One of my favorite professors once told me “You can have all things in life, just not all things all at the same time.” This statement always resonated with me. To obtain professional growth, one must sacrifice at times, but how do you know when you get to the point of sacrificing too much? Where do you draw the limit? I like to often think about time as a pie chart. Sometimes, like with the EPPP, certain things will take a greater slice of the pie, however this must be balanced out over time.
