Day 1: AATBS TestMASTER Practice Exam #1 Results

I initiated AATBS's TestMASTER this afternoon. I have 90 days now, to take the exam. I hope that this time restriction will provide for increased motivation and focus. To orient myself to the process, I completed Exam #1 in the Exam Mode, and with the following disappointing results:

Unsurprisingly and surprisingly, my areas of optimal performance were in the Social Psychology and Statistics domains, respectively. Unfortunately, these areas are of limited weight in the overall score.

In comparison to my performance on the paper-and-pencil practice exams, I severely under-performed. Aside from outright poor performance, I can identify a number of potential factors detrimental to my score, including differential environmental and state-dependent aspects of my test-taking situations. In the past, I took the exams in quiet, distraction-free, office environments while under the influence of significant quantities of caffeine. Today, I took the TestMASTER Exam #1 at a Starbucks, and in a severely under-caffeinated state.

Further, and likely accounting for a greater proportion of the variance in my performance, the paper-and-pencil practice exams that I took had the correct answer immediately below the options, and which I covered with a piece of paper while answering the questions. Nevertheless, I was undoubtedly exposed to the correct answers at some level while working my way through the exams.

Finally, it is noteworthy that my last paper-and-pencil practice exam did not include the answers during administration, and yet I passed the exam in approximately two hours. I used the "timed" mode to take the TestMASTER Exam #1 today, but the ticking timer was so distracting that I disabled it partway through the testing session. Hence, I have no idea how long it took me to produce today's sub-par practice exam results.

EPPP Approval

Months... months it has taken, but today, I received approval from the Board of Psychology to sit for the exam.

EPPP Practice Test #3 Result

Just made my first attempt to complete an EPPP practice exam in one sitting. This was also my third practice test. I have done no study or other preparation other than reading the AATBS Strategies and Ethics volumes. I do not know what test preparation produced the practice exam that I took this afternoon. I finished the 200-item exam in just over 2.5 hours. I produced a score of 73%. Incredible.

About Me

Greetings! I am Dr. hipEPPP. Currently, I am the sole author of hipEPPP. I started this blog to help others, as well as myself, get and stay motivated to make the transition from unlicensed to licensed Psychologists by passing the Examination for Professional Practice of Psychology. Through the sharing of my own EPPP experience and resources, it is my hope that others may find temporary respite in the shared frustrations and support during the preparation and examination process. We will pass this exam, and the blog title's teleographic tense stands as testament to our future success.

Prior to my current, full-time post-doctoral position, I graduated from an APA-accredited Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology, including a 2,000-hour APA-approved Pre-doctoral Internship. I also possess a M.A. in Counseling Psychology, and have worked in both academic and applied clinical settings for over ten years, in roles ranging from psychotherapist and corporate trainer to published author and editor. As a point of reference for my level of experience prior to sitting for the EPPP, I have just over 7,500 total supervised hours in clinical practice. You can follow me on Twitter @hipEPPP, or Email me directly at .

Verification of Prior Experience Submitted

The Director of Clinical Training at my internship site has mailed the Verification of Prior Experience form to the Board, fulfilling the 1500 pre-doctoral hours requirement of the state. 1500 post-doctoral hours almost complete as well. Many more hurdles to come with respect to completing my application to sit for the EPPP. I continue to debate how diligently I should be studying at this point, when I have no assurances that I will be eligible to sit for the exam anytime soon.

EPPP Practice Test #2 Result

Today, I took my first PsychPrep EPPP practice test. The result: 64%. Baffling. 69% on Academic Review, but only 64% on PsychPrep? This outcome flies in the face of common wisdom regarding the difficulty level of the respective brands of practice test materials. My colleagues assure me it is more a function of the idiosyncrasies of that PsychPrep exam, rather than any reflection on the reliability of my performance.


Overall, I an fairly surprised at my performance out of the gate, so to speak. My peers have been studying for months on end, and report that they have yet to reach this level of performance. Somehow, I continue to feel it to be a fluke despite their protestations to the contrary. Tomorrow's goal is to begin reviewing the items to which I responded incorrectly. I really have no sense of what domains I am particularly weak in aside from I/O.

EPPP Practice Test #1 Result

Before embarking on this EPPP journey, I decided to establish my basal level on Wednesday. I completed the first of what will likely seem to be an endless number of practice exams. I took a paper and pencil version of an Academic Review exam that a friend gave me. It took just under four hours. The result? 69%. I was shocked.