The ASPPB has changed the launch date of the EPPP Step 2 to January 2020.
The EPPP Step 2, which is intended to complement the existing EPPP through assessing competency and skills, was previously being planned for a January 2019 launch. By pushing the date forward by a year, the ASPPB has more time to develop the new exam to the same standards as the existing EPPP.
This means that those licensed prior to 2020 will not be required to take the EPPP2.
What is the EPPP Step 2?
In March this year, the ASPPB announced that its board of directors had approved a plan to develop an additional licensure exam that would complement the existing test, which is being renamed “EPPP Step 1.” The new test will be a competency-focused exam to assess a candidate’s therapy skills, including their integrated use of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values in psychology. Meanwhile, the EPPP Step 1 will continue to test knowledge.
The competency skills that the EPPP Step 2 is designed to measure include:
- scientific orientation,
- assessment and intervention,
- relational competence,
- professionalism,
- ethical practice,
- collaboration, consultation, and supervision.
These are the competencies determined as essential for the independent practice of psychology.
Why is Competency Assessment Necessary?
Our field has actually been moving toward competency assessment since the Competencies Conference in 2002. Since this conference, there have also been a number of subsequent publications highlighting the importance and value of competency assessments. The competency model is also used for determining eligibility for licensure in other disciplines besides psychology.
In explaining the rationale behind the new exam, the ASPPB cites that there are hundreds of different psychology training programs, practicum and internship sites, all with different supervisors and no common standard for supervision and assessment. We know that the APA accreditation process maintains a standard for education, but our field still needs to develop a method of screening candidates for licensure. The accreditation process evaluates an entire educational program, but licensure depends on competency of an individual practitioner. The EPPP Step 2 is intended to fill this gap by mainstreaming standards of competency.
Changes to the Timing of EPPP 1
The ASPPB has stated that they are looking at possibly moving up the time when a candidate could be eligible to sit of the EPPP1 (e.g., before internship). This would be a beneficial move for candidates as the length of time from graduation is positively associated with a higher fail rate.
TSM Has You Covered!
Understandably, there is a lot of anxiety about the EPPP Step 2. We want to assure you that you need not worry – TSM has you covered. For over two decades we have been successfully preparing candidates to sit for their EPPP. At this point we have a number of SMEs from the best doctoral programs in the US who will be working with us to create our EPPP Step 2 preparation materials. We are confident that we will have the most comprehensive preparation materials for this new exam. We will also be integrating this competency-based material into our research-based methodology of learning and memory and our state of the art online learning platform. We will also provide individual coaching to our students to address study skills and test-taking strategies to enhance their learning, consolidation, retention, recall of information, and the application of competency-based skills and critical thinking.
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