EPPP and the Board
EPPP and the Arizona Board
- The EPPP (pronounced Eē-Triple-Pē) is the national exam certain applicants for psychologist licensure must pass in order to be licensed in Arizona. EPPP stands for Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. The exam is developed and administered by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB).
- Since 1963, this standardized exam has assessed the core knowledge required to competently practice psychology independently.
- In 2020, after years of research and development, ASPPB launched a second part to the EPPP that assesses the core skills required for competent health service delivery. (Please see the EPPP Candidate Handbook for more information.)
- From November 1, 2020 to February 10, 2023, the Board became an early adopter of Part 2 and required new applicants to take and pass both EPPP Part 1-Knowledge and EPPP Part 2-Skills to qualify for licensure. However, on February 10, 2023 the Board voted to suspend the requirement to take and pass Part 2 to qualify for licensure, which was effective immediately.
- At this time, the Arizona Board, a member of ASPPB, requires Exam and/or Licensure applicants to pass only EPPP Part 1-Knowledge to qualify for licensure.
- Each Board has its own statutes, rules and policies regarding qualifications and requirements applicants must meet. Each Board has its own methods, processes, procedures and forms that are based on statute and rule requirements. A Board can only do what the state or province's laws authorize. If a waiver of a requirement is not provided for in law, the Board cannot waive a requirement.
- Apply for approval to sit for the EPPP by submitting an online application via the Applicant Portal. The Psychologist Application for Exam and/or Licensure can only be accessed via the Applicant Portal. Use the instructions, either from the first page of the application or on the Board's Instructions and Materials page, as your checklist for materials you need to submit and materials you need to cause to be submitted to administratively complete your application.
- If you have an ADA disability, please see How to Request Testing Accommodations for the EPPP.
- When the Board approves an applicant to sit for the EPPP, the approval is specific to the application submitted. It does not extend to any potential future applications or reapplications the individual might make to the Board.
- Upon approval by the Board, staff enters a workflow for approved applicants (now EPPP candidates) in ASPPB's online platform, Certemy, for Part 1-Knowledge.
- After providing authorization to ASPPB and assigning a workflow for Part 1, the Arizona Board is not involved in any aspect of the exam scheduling process.
Extensions
- Remember, per ASPPB's EPPP Candidate Handbook, registration fees are nonrefundable. If you need to reschedule your exam, your fees to ASPPB and Pearson Vue may not be refundable. Please see ASPPB's handbook for instructions regarding rescheduling of your exam.
- If your one-year deadline is approaching and you don't feel confident about passing the exam for whatever reason, you may email the Arizona Board and request an extension of time to take the EPPP. Please see the FAQ regarding extensions for more information.
After Taking the EPPP
- Once an applicant has taken the exam, that application/approval cycle, including any extensions that may have been granted, is completed.
- If an EPPP Only or EPPP & Licensure candidate does not meet the pass point (500 scaled score), the candidate must reapply for approval to the Arizona Board to sit for the exam a second or third time. For a fourth approval, the applicant must apply anew and submit a detailed written study plan.
- If an EPPP Only candidate's score meets or exceeds the pass point, the application will be administratively closed, and the applicant will have 36 months to reopen their application for approval of additional supervised experience hours for licensure. See the Board's EPPP Only page for details.
- If an EPPP & Licensure applicant's score meets or exceeds the pass point, upon the Board's receipt of the passing score, the applicant's full, independent license will be issued. An official EPPP score letter (1st page of PDF) and license issuance letter (2nd page of PDF) will be emailed to the new licensee.