EPPP Exam Changes 2027: What's Changing and Which Exam You'll Take
The EPPP's two separate exams, Part 1 (Knowledge) and Part 2 (Skills), are being replaced by one integrated EPPP that tests knowledge and applied skills together. ASPPB schedules the launch for the fourth quarter of 2027; which exam you take depends on your test date, whether you've taken the EPPP before, and your licensing board.
2027–2028 EPPP transition dates
| When | What happens | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Before launch | Part 1 and Part 2 stay open to all approved candidates, using their current blueprints. | Candidates taking an approved current exam before launch |
| March 1 – April 30, 2027 | Integrated EPPP beta test window. | First-time takers approved by a board that participates |
| Late June 2027 (expected) | Beta results released, after ASPPB sets the passing score. | Beta takers |
| Fall / fourth quarter 2027 | Integrated EPPP launches. Part 1 and Part 2 close to first-time takers. | Anyone choosing a first-attempt date |
| March 31, 2028 | Last day to retake Part 1 or Part 2, for people who failed that part before launch. | Repeat takers |
| April 1, 2028 | Part 1 and Part 2 are retired. The integrated EPPP is the only EPPP, and its exam fee rises from $600 to $650. | Everyone who still needs the EPPP |
Sources: ASPPB, What You Need to Know About the EPPP Beta Test (Oct. 1, 2026); ASPPB integrated EPPP FAQ, pp. 3–4 (Oct. 2026) (PDF); ASPPB current EPPP exams FAQ (Oct. 2026) (PDF).
By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Last verified November 5, 2026
Which EPPP will you take?
Find the row that matches you.
| Your situation | Exam route to confirm | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| You haven't taken any part of the EPPP, and you'll take a current exam before the integrated EPPP launches | Current Part 1–Knowledge (and Part 2–Skills only if your board requires it) | Use the current blueprints. If your first attempt slips to the launch date or later, you move to the integrated exam. Confirm the launch date before scheduling near the changeover. |
| Your first EPPP attempt will be on or after the integrated EPPP launches | Integrated EPPP | Study to the six-domain blueprint below. |
| You're a first-time taker, your board participates, and it approves you for the beta | Your choice: the beta (March–April 2027) or current Part 1 | See the beta section. A beta pass counts as a Part 1 pass. |
| You took Part 1 and didn't pass before the integrated EPPP launches | Part 1 again, if you retake by March 31, 2028 | Follow your board's retake approval process, either through the board or your Clarus account as directed. Its retake rules still apply, and so does ASPPB's limit of four attempts for that part in any 12 months. |
| You took Part 2 and didn't pass before the integrated EPPP launches | Part 2 again, if you retake by March 31, 2028 | Same deadline and approval steps. Part 2 is retired April 1, 2028. |
| You passed Part 1, your board requires Part 2, and you haven't taken Part 2 | Confirm with your licensing board before scheduling | The published retake extension covers people who failed that same part before launch. Ask how your board will handle your passed Part 1 and unattempted Part 2. |
| You already passed the EPPP your application requires, or you're licensed and applying somewhere new | Confirm whether your existing score satisfies the receiving board's requirements | The October transition FAQs do not say an existing pass expires. Whether your result satisfies a particular application is the receiving board's decision, so ask before you schedule anything. |
The rule behind the table: the published retake extension lets candidates who took a current part and did not pass before launch retake that same part through March 31, 2028. (ASPPB current EPPP exams FAQ, p. 1 (PDF); Candidate Handbook, p. 15, retake approval and limits (PDF))
About Part 2: ASPPB once planned to require both parts everywhere starting January 1, 2026. It paused that plan, and Part 2 stays required only where a board chose to use it. (ASPPB progress update, Mar. 18, 2026) If a cohort member insists Part 2 is mandatory for everyone, that's outdated. Your board's own rule is the one that counts.
Six questions to ask your licensing board
Your board decides eligibility, retakes, and whether you need Part 2. These questions get you a usable answer:
- Which EPPP exam am I authorized to take for my application and planned test date?
- Are you participating in the EPPP beta, and am I eligible for it?
- How would a beta pass, or an unsuccessful beta attempt, affect my application, including any Part 2 requirement?
- Given my past exam dates and results, can I retake a current part, and what approval or deadline applies?
- Does my existing passing result satisfy this application, or do I need another exam?
- What testing window, result deadline, and accommodation steps should I follow before I schedule?
Find your psychology licensing board
What changes in the exam itself?
| Comparison point | Current Part 1–Knowledge | Current Part 2–Skills | Integrated EPPP (and beta) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it tests | Knowledge | Applied skills, where a board requires it | Knowledge and skills together |
| Blueprint | 8 knowledge areas | 6 skills domains | 6 competency domains |
| Questions | 225 (175 scored, 50 unscored) | 170 (130 scored, 40 unscored) | 215 (175 scored, 40 unscored) |
| Testing time | 4 h 15 min | 4 h 10 min | 5 hours |
| Breaks | None scheduled; the clock keeps running | None scheduled; the clock keeps running | Optional 30-minute break, on top of the 5 hours |
| Time per question (our math) | About 68 seconds | About 88 seconds | About 84 seconds |
| Question types | Single best answer, 3 or 4 options | Single and multiple response, scenarios with video/audio, point-and-click, drag-and-drop | Multiple choice (single- and multi-select), extended multiple choice, scenario-based case sets, and audio/video items |
| Scoring | Scaled 200–800; ASPPB recommends 500 for independent practice; your board sets its passing requirement | Same | Pass/fail standard based on your total score; the passing score is set after the beta |
| Exam fee | $600 | $450 | $600 at launch; $650 from April 1, 2028 |
| French version | Part 1 only, where a board legally requires it | None | From fall 2027, where a board legally requires it (the beta is English only) |
| Where you test | Pearson VUE test centers | Pearson VUE test centers | Pearson VUE test centers, one session |
Time per question is the question time divided by the number of questions; it leaves out tutorials and breaks. The October FAQs do not describe the integrated EPPP score-report format.
Sources: EPPP Candidate Handbook, Sept. 2026, pp. 5, 8, 11–15, 34 (PDF); ASPPB shared beta and integrated EPPP FAQ, pp. 1–3, 6 (PDF); ASPPB beta article; ASPPB integrated EPPP FAQ, p. 3 (PDF); ASPPB blueprint announcement.
The six integrated EPPP domains
ASPPB built the new blueprint from a 2025 job task analysis that drew on almost 3,000 licensed psychologists in the US and Canada. (ASPPB Future EPPP Content Areas)
| Domain | Weight | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Orientation to Practice | 15% | Core areas of psychology (biological, cognitive-affective, social and cultural, lifespan, psychopathology), research methods and statistics, evaluating and applying research, communicating findings |
| Assessment | 20% | Psychometrics, choosing and adapting methods, administering and interpreting instruments, differential diagnosis, communicating results |
| Intervention | 20% | Planning, adapting, monitoring, and evaluating treatment and prevention, including telepsychology |
| Consultation and Supervision | 10% | Consultation and supervision models, program evaluation, supervisee compliance and feedback |
| Interpersonal Relationships | 15% | Psychosocial and interpersonal factors, identity and diversity, self-reflection, working with diverse clients and teams |
| Ethical and Professional Practice | 20% | APA and CPA ethics codes, professional standards, applying ethics and law, limits of competence |
Fewer domain headings doesn't mean less content. Biological, cognitive, social, developmental, and research topics are all still in the blueprint; they now sit inside Scientific Orientation to Practice. The weights describe the exam, not how many hours you should study each area.
Where your current studying fits
If you've already studied for Part 1 or Part 2, use the new blueprint to check which parts of your previous study still fit. ASPPB says the beta forms were built mainly from questions previously used on Part 1 and Part 2, plus new questions written for the integrated exam. (ASPPB beta article)
This mapping is ours, based on ASPPB's blueprint wording. It isn't an official ASPPB crosswalk. Sources: current blueprints, Candidate Handbook, Appendices A and C (PDF) and the integrated blueprint, domains 1–6.
| Integrated domain | Draws on current Part 1 areas | Draws on current Part 2 domains |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Orientation to Practice | Biological bases; cognitive-affective bases; social and cultural bases; growth and lifespan development; research methods and statistics; theories of psychopathology | Scientific orientation |
| Assessment | Assessment and diagnosis | Assessment and intervention (the assessment side) |
| Intervention | Treatment, intervention, and prevention | Assessment and intervention (the intervention side) |
| Consultation and Supervision | Consultation and supervision models; program evaluation | Collaboration, consultation, and supervision |
| Interpersonal Relationships | Social interaction, identity, diversity, and intersectionality | Relational competence; the self-reflection parts of Professionalism |
| Ethical and Professional Practice | Ethical, legal, and professional issues | Ethical practice; the competence-boundary parts of Professionalism |
Two cautions. The old and new domains don't line up one to one, so don't compare their weights directly: research methods were 7% of Part 1, but now share a 15% domain with all the core areas of psychology. And one named Part 1 topic, vocational and career development, doesn't appear by name in the integrated blueprint. That doesn't rule it out, but it isn't listed.
The real shift is in how you use what you know. Expect questions that put you inside a case and ask what you'd do.
Should you take the 2027 beta?
The beta is the integrated EPPP itself, given early so ASPPB can check how it works and set the passing score. After the beta, those same forms become operational versions of the exam.
- Who can take it: first-time EPPP takers approved by a board that chose to participate. Your board decides eligibility, and master's-level candidates can take it if their board approves them. ASPPB recommends finishing your doctoral coursework and all or most of your required supervised experience first.
- When: testing runs March 1 through April 30, 2027. ASPPB announced registration for fall 2026 through April 2027. Ask your participating board about approval, then follow the Clarus instructions it provides.
- Cost: $100 exam fee + the currently published $91.88 sitting fee = $191.88.
- If you pass: ASPPB recognizes it as a pass on EPPP Part 1–Knowledge. Your board makes the final call on accepting it.
- If you don't pass: it isn't counted as a failed Part 1 attempt. You can take the beta only once, but you become eligible for one discounted Part 1 sitting at a $100 exam fee plus the sitting fee.
- Results: expected in late June 2027. Unlike the current exams, you won't get a score at the test center.
- Format and language: the same as the integrated exam (215 questions, 5 hours, optional break). English only.
Sources: ASPPB beta FAQ, pp. 1–3 (Oct. 2026) (PDF); ASPPB beta article (Oct. 1, 2026).
| Reasons to take it | Reasons to skip it |
|---|---|
| Lower published fees than current Part 1: $191.88 instead of $691.88 | Only available if your board participates |
| A fail doesn't count as a failed Part 1 attempt | One attempt only |
| Experience the new format before operational launch | You'll wait roughly 2 to 4 months for results, depending on when you test |
| A fail still leaves you a Part 1 option at a $100 exam fee plus the sitting fee | Your preparation must match the integrated blueprint and application formats |
The beta fits best if you're approved, ready to test in March or April 2027, and your board participates. A lower fee alone isn't a reason to choose it. If you need a result quickly for a job start or a licensing deadline, the current Part 1 gives you a score at the test center. If your board requires Part 2, ask how a beta pass fits with that requirement; ASPPB's FAQ speaks only to Part 1.
If you fail the beta, ask ASPPB and your licensing board when you may use the discounted Part 1 administration. The published beta FAQ does not state its deadline.
What will the new EPPP cost?
All amounts are in US dollars.
| Exam or period | Exam fee | Pearson VUE sitting fee | Total for one attempt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Part 1 | $600 | $91.88 | $691.88 |
| Current Part 2 | $450 | $91.88 | $541.88 |
| Beta (March–April 2027) | $100 | Currently $91.88 | $191.88 at the published sitting fee |
| Integrated EPPP, launch through March 31, 2028 | $600 | Currently $91.88 | $691.88 if the sitting fee doesn't change |
| Integrated EPPP from April 1, 2028 | $650 | The fee in effect then | $650 plus that sitting fee |
ASPPB will review the exam fee every two years from April 1, 2030, based on the Consumer Price Index. These are exam charges only. Your board's application and license fees, retakes, and rescheduling fees are extra.
What the change means for your budget: if the sitting fee remains $91.88 and your board requires only Part 1, an integrated attempt at launch costs the same as Part 1 does now. If your board requires both parts, one integrated attempt ($691.88 at the currently published sitting fee) costs less than one attempt at each current part ($1,233.76).
Sources: ASPPB integrated EPPP FAQ, p. 3 (PDF); ASPPB beta FAQ, p. 2 (PDF); EPPP Candidate Handbook, Sept. 2026, p. 8 (PDF).
How to prepare for the exam you'll take
Taking current Part 1 or Part 2: prepare for the exam on your authorization, using its current blueprint in the September 2026 Candidate Handbook (PDF). ASPPB says Part 1 and Part 2 keep their published blueprints through 2027. Our EPPP exam prep guide covers the current Part 1. Book early, since EPPP seats at Pearson VUE centers are limited.
Taking the beta or integrated EPPP: use the integrated blueprint as your checklist. Go through your existing materials and mark what each part covers; keep explanations that still fit and fill the gaps. Check that your materials cover the integrated blueprint and application formats. ASPPB announced optional integrated sample exams (100 questions, 150 minutes), planned to be available for purchase through Clarus for approved candidates authorized to take the beta, and says it will publish an integrated EPPP Candidate Handbook. Check your account or ask ASPPB about availability. (ASPPB shared FAQ, pp. 4–5 (PDF))
Is the new exam harder? Nobody can say yet. No one has taken the operational exam, and its passing score won't exist until standard setting after the beta. Be wary of any source that quotes an integrated EPPP cut score or pass rate before ASPPB publishes one.
Accommodations: request them through your licensing board, which reviews your documentation and works with ASPPB when needed. Ask early, before you schedule. (ASPPB shared FAQ, p. 6 (PDF))
What to recheck before booking
Recheck these before you book:
- The exact launch date of the integrated EPPP
- Which boards are participating in the beta (ask yours)
- The integrated EPPP Candidate Handbook and score-report format
- The sitting fee in effect when you register
Try the new style: a 6-question case set
The biggest change is that knowledge and application now share one exam. These six questions show how knowledge and judgment can be used together. They're original and unofficial: we wrote them, they cover all six integrated domains, and they use only single-best-answer format. The real exam also uses multi-select, extended multiple choice, and audio/video items. Six questions can't tell you whether you're ready. The cases and study data below are hypothetical.
EC-01 · Assessment
Which statement best describes the change in Mr. Reyes's PHQ-9 score from intake to week 8?
- A. His symptoms moved from the severe range to the mild range.
- B. His symptoms moved from the moderately severe range to the moderate range.
- C. His symptoms stayed in the moderate range.
- D. His score is now below the commonly used PHQ-9 screening cutoff of 10.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. On the PHQ-9, scores of 5–9 are mild, 10–14 moderate, 15–19 moderately severe, and 20 or more severe. Eighteen is moderately severe and 11 is moderate. A misplaces both scores. C is wrong because 18 sits above the moderate band. D is wrong because 11 is still at or above the common cutoff of 10, which showed 88% sensitivity and specificity for major depression in the original validation study. His reported symptom score has improved, but it remains in the moderate range; the score alone does not establish a diagnosis or remission. Source: Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams (2001), J Gen Intern Med, abstract—Methods and Results
EC-02 · Intervention
From week 8 to week 12, Mr. Reyes's score stays between 11 and 12. He says he's frustrated that he isn't feeling better. Her assessment identifies no immediate safety concern. What should Dr. Cole do next?
- A. Continue the current plan unchanged, since his scores improved from intake.
- B. Increase sessions to twice a week and tell him about the change at the next session.
- C. End therapy and refer him to a psychiatrist, since psychotherapy hasn't worked.
- D. Review the score trend with him, ask what is and isn't helping, and decide together whether to adjust the treatment plan.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. A plateau with moderate symptoms calls for reviewing the plan, and his view belongs in that decision. Measurement-based care uses symptom scores to track progress, shares the results with the client, and uses that discussion to guide clinically appropriate changes. A ignores both the plateau and his frustration. C ends care on her own; a medication evaluation could be a reasonable part of a revised plan, but not a replacement for discussing it with him. B changes the plan without him. Sources: VA/DoD guideline for major depressive disorder (2022), p. 16 and pp. 28–29, Recommendation 2 (PDF); Domain alignment: ASPPB integrated blueprint, 3.C.1–3.C.3
EC-03 · Interpersonal Relationships
At the next session Mr. Reyes says, angrily, "You've rescheduled me twice this month. Do you even care about this?" What is the best response?
- A. Acknowledge the reschedules, invite him to say how they affected him, and explore it with him without getting defensive.
- B. Explain why the sessions had to be rescheduled so he knows it wasn't personal.
- C. Suggest his anger is really about his father, whom he has described as unreliable.
- D. Offer him a free session to make up for the inconvenience.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. This is a strain in the working relationship, often called an alliance rupture. Research links working through ruptures together with better treatment outcomes. Acknowledging her part and exploring his experience keeps the focus on him. B leads with self-justification, which puts the focus on the therapist. C jumps to an interpretation before understanding his reaction and can feel dismissive. D offers a concession without first addressing how the rescheduling affected the working relationship. Sources: Safran, Muran & Eubanks-Carter (2011), Repairing alliance ruptures, Psychotherapy; Domain alignment: ASPPB integrated blueprint, 5.B.1, 5.C.1
EC-04 · Ethical and Professional Practice
Mr. Reyes will spend three months working in State B and wants to keep his video sessions while he's there. Dr. Cole is licensed only in State A. What should she do before seeing him while he's in State B?
- A. Continue as usual, because she is physically in State A, where she is licensed.
- B. Switch to phone sessions, because licensure rules apply only to video.
- C. Find out whether she is legally authorized to provide services to a client located in State B, such as through State B's rules or an interstate compact, before continuing.
- D. Have him sign a waiver acknowledging that she isn't licensed in State B.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Dr. Cole needs to check the requirements where she is located and where Mr. Reyes will be located. Under the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), for example, the "receiving state" is the state where the client is physically located. She needs to confirm her authority first. A assumes her own location settles it. B is wrong because the mode of contact doesn't change the jurisdiction question. D is wrong because a client can't waive a state's licensing law. Sources: APA Guidelines for the Practice of Telepsychology (2024), Guideline 6, p. 13 (PDF); PSYPACT Commission legal opinion (Jan. 24, 2023), pp. 1–3 (PDF)
EC-05 · Consultation and Supervision
A psychologist supervises a postdoctoral fellow, and legal responsibility for the fellow's treatment rests with the supervisor. The fellow's intake paperwork doesn't mention supervision. What does the APA Ethics Code require?
- A. Nothing extra, as long as the supervisor reviews all of the fellow's notes.
- B. Clients are told, as part of informed consent, that the fellow is in training and supervised, and they're given the supervisor's name.
- C. Clients are told about supervision only if they ask.
- D. The fellow tells clients about supervision after the first month, once rapport is established.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Standard 10.01(c) requires that when the therapist is a trainee and legal responsibility rests with the supervisor, the client is told this during informed consent and given the supervisor's name. A confuses oversight with disclosure. C and D make a required disclosure optional or late, which defeats the purpose of informed consent. Sources: APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, Standard 10.01(c); Domain alignment: ASPPB integrated blueprint, 4.D.2
EC-06 · Scientific Orientation to Practice
A 68-year-old client asks about a new mental health app. The only trial you can find randomly assigned college students to the app or a waitlist and found d = 0.20, p = .04. What is the best way to describe this evidence?
- A. A small effect in a college-student sample that may not apply to this client; present it as limited evidence alongside other options.
- B. Strong evidence; recommend the app because the result is statistically significant.
- C. Meaningless, because the p value is above .01.
- D. A large effect, strong enough to replace his current treatment.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. By Cohen's conventions, d = 0.20 is a small effect, and statistical significance doesn't tell you whether an effect is big enough to matter. One trial in college students also does not establish how well the app would work for a 68-year-old. B treats p < .05 as proof of importance. C applies an arbitrary threshold; .04 is significant at the usual .05 level. D misreads a small effect as large. Sources: Cohen (1992), A Power Primer, Effect Size section, PDF p. 5 (PDF); American Statistical Association statement (2016), p. 2, principles 3, 5 and 6 (PDF); Domain alignment: ASPPB integrated blueprint, 1.B.2, 1.C.2
How to use your result: each question maps to one domain, so treat a miss as a pointer to review that area, not as a score.
Official sources
All checked November 5, 2026.
- ASPPB, The EPPP Is Changing: Here's What You Need to Know (Oct. 29, 2026), the index to ASPPB's four October 2026 FAQs:
- ASPPB, What You Need to Know About the Upcoming EPPP Beta Test (Oct. 1, 2026)
- ASPPB, Future EPPP Content Areas (integrated blueprint)
- ASPPB, content specifications announcement (Feb. 11, 2026)
- ASPPB, EPPP progress update (Mar. 18, 2026)
- ASPPB, EPPP Candidate Handbook (Sept. 2026) (PDF)
- ASPPB, Contact a Licensing Board
Last verified: November 5, 2026. We checked ASPPB's transition dates, exam format, blueprint, beta terms, fees, and registration guidance against the sources above. We also checked the teaching references linked with the six practice questions. Eligibility and decisions about prior results rest with your licensing board.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB). Exam and credential names identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners. The practice questions on this page are original and are not official EPPP questions.
Verification scope: the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team checked this page against the official and teaching sources cited above. That source check is not a professional clinical or legal review.