Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP)
For clinical psychology graduate students:
The EPPP is the standardized examination used across North America as one of the requirements for licensing / registration as a clinical psychologist. Congratulations to the UVic graduates who have once again walked away with top scores, and thanks to all the faculty involved in their education.
Dr. Marion Ehrenberg
Director of Clinical Training, Psychology, U. of Vic.
The following information has been kindly provided by Dr. Carl von Baeyer (Psychology, U. of Sask.) and the CCPPP.
New content outline of the EPPP as administered from 1997 on:
| Proportion of Exam | Content Domain |
|---|---|
| 11% | Biological Bases of Behavior - knowledge of (a) neuroscience, (b) the physiological bases of behavior and illness, and psychopharmacology. |
| 13% | Cognitive-Affective Bases of Behavior - knowledge of (a) cognitive science, (b) theories of learning, memory, motivation, and emotion, and (c) factors that influence an individual's cognitive performance and/or emotional experience. |
| 12% | Social and Multicultural Bases of Behavior - knowledge of (a) social cognition, social interaction processes, and organizational dynamics, (b) theories of personality, and (c) issues in diversity (multiethnic, multicultural, gender, ageism, sexual orientation, and disability) |
| 13% | Growth and Lifespan Development - knowledge of (a) age-appropriate child, adolescent, and adult development, (b) atypical patterns of development, and the protective and risk factors that influence development outcomes for individuals. |
| 14% | Assessment and Diagnosis - knowledge of (a) psychometrics, (b) assessment models, (c) methods for assessment of individuals and organizations/systems, and (d) diagnostic classification systems and issues. |
| 16% | Treatment and Intervention - knowledge of (a) individual, group, or organizational interventions for specific concerns / disorders, (b) treatment theories, and (c) consultation models and processes. |
| 6% | Research Methods - knowledge of (a) research design, methodology, and program evaluation, (b) statistical procedures, and (c) criteria for accurate interpretation of research findings. |
| 15% | Ethical/Legal/Professional Issues - Knowledge of (a) the ethical code, (b) professional standards for practice, (c) legal mandates, (d) guidelines for ethical decision-making, and (e) professional training and supervision. |
1997-2002 Mean Scores for Canadian Clinical Psychology PhD Programs
The following figure shows, for each Canadian clinical psychology PhD program, the number of PhD graduates who wrote the EPPP in 1997-2002 and their mean score plus and minus one standard deviation.
Only those programs for which at least 5 graduates' scores were available are included.
The mean score for Canadian clinical psychology doctoral programs was 160.0. (That is around 80%. The usual passing score is around 70% in most jurisdictions.)
The mean score for all doctoral candidates writing the test was 134.7 (that includes PhD, PsyD, EdD, etc., and not just in clinical psychology but also school, counselling, and other professional psychology programs).
University of Saskatchewan graduates scored at a mean of 157.5, which was at the 84th percentile for all doctoral candidates writing the test.
In the chart of Canadian program means, only the top two and the bottom two programs differ significantly from the national mean. Thus we should not make too much of small differences between programs.
Source: "EPPP Performance by Designated Doctoral Program in Psychology 2002," Professional Examination Service and Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, 2002. Any error in transcription of scores should be brought to the attention of carl.vonbaeyer@usask.ca