Register for EPPP - The Association of State and...Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology.
Most U.S. states and Canadian provinces use the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards to develop the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology.[3]
The EPPP is a two-part examination that assesses skills and knowledge.The EPPP used to be known as the EPP.It has been used by American and Canadian governments for a long time.The pre-requisite for licensure in 2020 will be the EPPP, with a passing score on both parts being required.Early Adopters are those who sign on to require the EPPP.[5]
Multiple choice questions are included in both parts of the EPPP, as well as scenario-based questions, point and click questions and drag and drop questions.The EPPP includes eight domains, with each representing a specific percentage of the examination: biological bases of behavior, cognitive-affective, social and multicultural, growth and lifespan development, and assessment.Scientific orientation, assessment and intervention, relational competence, professionalism, ethical practice, and collaboration, consultation, supervision are included in the EPPP.[6]
The standards for educational and psychological testing have been followed in the development of the two-part EPPP.Content validation is the goal of the test development efforts for these types of exams.According to the Standards:[7] "Validation of credentialing tests depends mainly on content related evidence, often in the form of judgments that the test adequately represents the content domain associated with the occupation or specialty being considered."Other forms of evidence may be used outside of the test.Information about the process by which specifications for the content domain were developed may be provided.Credentialing exams are not intended to predict individual performance in a specific job, but rather to provide evidence that candidates have acquired the knowledge, skills, and judgment required for effective performance.Measures of performance in practice are not available for those who aren't granted acredential.175-176).
The process of test development and validation for the EPPP involves a number of steps that are consistent with the standards of the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation.The process begins with a job task analysis, which is a comprehensive study that involves psychologists who are subject matter experts in order to establish the knowledge and skills that are required for practice in psychology.The requirements are sent to thousands of psychologists in the United States and Canada.The areas that are important for entry level practice in psychology are indicated by the survey respondents.The test specifications were established by the results of the survey.The expertise of licensed psychologists establishes what should be assessed.According to the test specifications established by the JTA, SMEs write exam items.Each item is reviewed by an item development committee who is an expert in that specific area of the item.An iterative process is used to review items until they are acceptable to both the reviewer and the writer.Each item is reviewed again before it is placed on an exam.The committee includes at least 10 psychologists who are psychologists with particular expertise in each of the domains on the exam and who represent various areas of psychology practice and training.The items that have been approved by theIDC are reviewed again for accuracy, relevancy to practice, clarity, and freedom from bias.Once approved by the Examination Committee, each item is pretested before it becomes an operational item that is actually scored on an exam.According to psychometric standards, items that do not perform well during pretesting are not included on a candidate's overall scores.Establishing the pass point of the exam is a final step in the development process.The committee of SMEs are usually early career psychologists.The exam form item by item is reviewed by the SMEs.The data is analyzed to find the appropriate pass point for entry level practice.Multiple levels of review by psychologists and the ongoing analysis of psychometric data ensure that the EPPP is accurate, relevant, valid, and legally defensible.10