Psychology Licensure: The EPPP, Supervised Hours & State Boards
Planning for psychology licensure means connecting your education, examination preparation, and supervised experience with the requirements of the jurisdiction where you intend to practice. Start with that jurisdiction's instructions and keep a clear record of the questions you need to resolve.
What Licensure Requires
Organize your planning around education, supervised experience, examinations, and the application itself. For each area, identify what your intended psychology board asks applicants to demonstrate. Keep questions about program qualifications, accepted experience, and examination eligibility together so that you can see how your training plans fit the application you expect to make.
The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) administers the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) on behalf of 66 member jurisdictions in the United States and Canada. Its examination guidance tells applicants to check with their intended jurisdiction about the Skills examination. Make the intended jurisdiction explicit whenever you compare advice from programs or other applicants.
As you review degree options, write down the credential you want to pursue. Keep the program's description alongside the board's requirements and mark any question that remains unanswered before committing to a training route.
The EPPP Part 1 (Knowledge)
According to ASPPB's EPPP overview, all 66 member jurisdictions require a passing score on Part 1 (Knowledge) before licensure. Part 1 assesses general knowledge of psychology, and ASPPB gives a recommended passing score of 500. Confirm the applicable passing standard and examination eligibility instructions for the jurisdiction where you plan to apply.
When making a study plan, keep examination preparation connected to the knowledge developed during your training. Identify topics that need more review, allow time to revisit them, and keep your application tasks visible alongside your study schedule. Schedule a review of your progress so that you can adjust the time devoted to topics that remain difficult.
Before selecting a test date, check the board's instructions about when you may take the examination and what documentation you should prepare. Record the answer in your application checklist.
EPPP Part 2 (Skills): Who Requires It?
Some jurisdictions also require EPPP Part 2 (Skills). ASPPB describes this part as assessing the application of knowledge tested in Part 1 to decisions in typical situations of independent practice. The distinction gives applicants separate questions to resolve: what knowledge they need to review, and how they apply that knowledge when considering a practical situation.
Ask the jurisdiction where you intend to seek licensure whether Part 2 applies to your application. Record the answer with any instructions about eligibility and examination timing. A classmate's intended jurisdiction may differ from yours, so use your own board's requirements when planning.
Keep your preparation organized around the examination parts you are actually required to take. If you are considering more than one jurisdiction, make a separate checklist for each and identify differences before arranging your examination schedule.
The Paused 2026 Requirement and Planned Single-Session Exam
In its March 18, 2026 EPPP statement, ASPPB reported that its board voted to pause implementation of an October 2022 decision that would have required both examination parts for licensure starting January 1, 2026. The Skills portion remains available to jurisdictions that choose to use it as a supplemental assessment. The pause therefore does not answer whether your intended jurisdiction requires Skills.
ASPPB also said it had begun developing a single-session EPPP integrating knowledge and skills assessment. Keep the planned combined examination separate from the requirements that apply to an immediate application. Check your board's instructions when making examination arrangements, and follow the requirements applicable to your own route.
When saving exam guidance for later use, record the date and the jurisdiction it concerns. This helps you distinguish a proposal or development announcement from instructions you need to act on.
Supervised Experience and State Boards
Approach supervised hours as a documentation question as well as a planning question. Before arranging an experience, identify the board's requirements for the amount and type of experience, the supervisor's qualifications, and the records you should keep. Ask how experience completed at different stages of training would be considered for the credential you intend to pursue.
Keep a record of dates, activities, supervision, and supporting documents in a consistent format. Check which details your intended board asks applicants to submit, and clarify any uncertainty about an experience before relying on it in an application. A total number of hours alone should not replace checking how the board evaluates the experience you plan to present.
If relocation is part of your plans, compare the intended jurisdictions' requirements before assuming the same record will answer every question. Use the licensure FAQ as a starting point for the issues to investigate, then resolve the details for your own jurisdiction.
Next Steps
Build a checklist that names your intended jurisdiction, degree program, examination requirements, and supervised experience questions. Mark each item as confirmed or awaiting clarification, and keep the relevant instructions with your notes. Review the accreditation guide when checking the particular program you are considering.
Plan your training budget alongside that checklist. The financial aid guide explains graduate borrowing limits and the interim professional-degree classifications. Resolving education, examination, and funding questions together gives you a clearer basis for choosing a route and planning its practical demands.