Many practicing psychologists are aware that in recent years there has been activity regarding the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP), which included the possibility of changes to include measuring competency in addition to the knowledge-based examination as it currently exists.
ABPP maintains a very close and collegial relationship with the Association of State & Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), the administrator of the EPPP. In response to this situation, I requested that ASPPB permit us to publish a brief update on the current state of the EPPP. Many thanks to my friend and colleague, Dr. Mariann Burnetti-Atwell, CEO of ASPPB for providing us a snapshot of the work being done in this area:
The ASPPB Board of Directors announced in October 2024 that ASPPB would pause the implementation of the EPPP (Part 2-Skills), and in the meantime, provided concrete directives for reimagining the EPPP as a single-session exam that integrates the assessment of both knowledge and skills.
Activities have been started and are underway for the reimagined EPPP. A 14-member Collaborative Implementation Task Force (CITF) was formed in January 2025 with broad representation from the membership, including Board/College Chairs, administrators, ASPPB Examination Committee members, and from liaisons to ASPPB. The CITF will meet regularly and facilitate Town Hall meetings to enhance communication and collaboration with stakeholders about implementation of the reimaged EPPP.
In addition, the Job Task Analysis Task Force (JTATF) is scheduled to meet throughout 2025 to identify competency areas that are needed for psychologists to practice independently. The JTATF will use those competency areas to develop the examination blueprint (i.e., the specific content domains and their proportions) for the reimagined EPPP. That blueprint will establish the validity foundation for the exam. We expect substantial work to be completed by the CITF and the JTATF by fall of 2025.
Until then, the development, administration, and support for both the EPPP (Part 1-Knowledge) and the EPPP (Part 2-Skills) are continuing.
Mariann Burnetti-Atwell, PsyD
Chief Executive Officer
David Cox, PhD, ABPP
Board Certified in Rehabilitation Psychology
ABPP Executive Officer
Correspondence: ExecutiveOfficer@abpp.org