Predictors of program performance on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).

Abstract

Passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is a prerequisite to professional licensure throughout the United States and much of Canada. As such, the EPPP helps serve a gatekeeping function for the many subspecialties of professional psychology. After first reviewing the history, validation process, known associations with other variables, and criticisms of the EPPP, we summarize the most recent program-level data according to degree type and specialty. To assess the predictors of EPPP performance, these data (i.e., % correct and recently released EPPP pass rates) were combined with other sources of graduate program information. We hypothesized that EPPP performance would be associated with program prestige, program selectivity (e.g., admission rates), and student factors predating graduate training (e.g., intelligence, motivation, and standardized test-taking ability as approximated by GRE scores and GPA). As predicted, and in every case, the EPPP was significantly correlated with these three sets of variables. Specifically, the strongest associations were found with higher GRE scores, lower admission rates, better US News and World Report scores, and greater research emphasis. We also explored the influence of minority status, and found a negative correlation between EPPP performance and the percentage of minority students in programs. To determine the strongest predictors of EPPP performance, a series of simultaneous multiple regressions was conducted. The three consistent predictors across regressions were GRE scores, percentage of minorities in programs, and internship match rates. Suggestions for clarifying these findings as well as recommendations to assess the EPPP’s validity further are provided.