EPPP Pass Rates 2026: First-Time, PhD vs PsyD, by Program and by State

The EPPP first-time pass rate is 76.9% for candidates from APA or CPA accredited doctoral programs. That is ASPPB's own figure, covering 18,037 first-time takers who tested between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023, in its 2024 report Psychology Licensing Exam Scores by Doctoral Program. For candidates from nonaccredited or other doctoral programs, the same report shows 48.8% (2,828 candidates).

So roughly one accredited first-timer in four does not pass on the first attempt, and roughly one nonaccredited first-timer in two. These are people who completed doctoral programs, clinical internships, and often postdocs. Smart, hardworking people.

I know because I was almost one of them. I scored 19% on my first practice diagnostic. If I'd walked into the real exam at that point, I'd be in the fail column.

This post breaks down the actual pass rate data: by degree type, by program type, by accreditation, by state, and by demographic factors. Where a number comes straight from the ASPPB report, I say so. Where it is our own calculation from that report, I say that too. Not to scare you. To give you the honest numbers so you can plan accordingly.

One thing before the tables. Your odds are not the national average. They are your domain scores. If you have not taken a diagnostic yet, start free for 7 days, no card, take it, and read the rest of this post knowing where you actually stand.

The Overall EPPP Pass Rate

ASPPB counts a pass as a scaled score of 500 or higher, and reports first-time takers only. Its 2024 report gives two national lines:

Program group (first-time takers, 2019 to 2023)	Candidates	Pass rate
All APA or CPA accredited doctoral programs	18,037	76.87%
Nonaccredited or other doctoral programs	2,828	48.80%

Two caveats from ASPPB itself. First, the report says the accredited first-time pass rate "exceeds 80% in most sample years", and that the past five years showed "approximately a 3% drop in the first-time passing rate", which it links to pandemic-era training. Second, the five-year window includes 2020 to 2022, years ASPPB flags as possibly affected by COVID. So 76.9% is the honest recent number, and something in the low 80s is the longer-run norm.

What this means in practice: if you're sitting in a testing center with 100 other first-time candidates from accredited programs, roughly 23 of you will not pass today.

But the overall number hides enormous variation. Your individual probability of passing depends on several factors, and some of them are within your control.

Pass Rates by Degree Type: PhD vs PsyD

This is the data point that generates the most anxiety on forums, and for good reason.

ASPPB does not print a national PhD or PsyD line. It lists every accredited program with its number of first-time takers and pass rate (programs with four or fewer candidates are hidden). We summed those program rows, weighting each program by its candidate count. The sums cover 17,883 of the 18,037 accredited first-timers, 99% of the report, across 432 program rows.

Program type	First-time takers (2019 to 2023)	Pass rate
Clinical PhD	6,622	89.0%
Counseling PhD	1,722	79.0%
School PhD	1,124	78.1%
Clinical PsyD	7,245	66.3%
School PsyD	402	65.4%
Counseling PsyD	311	56.6%
All PhD programs	9,727	85.8%
All PsyD programs	8,156	66.2%

The "All" lines include 457 candidates from combined and other program types that do not fit the six rows above. ASPPB's own warning applies: "care should be exercised if comparisons across schools and programs are made", and the pass rate "should be viewed as only one such measure" of a program.

Why the gap exists: The difference is not about intelligence or clinical ability. PhD programs typically have smaller cohorts, more competitive admissions, and often more emphasis on research methodology and statistics, which translates to better performance on the Research Methods domain. PsyD programs tend to be larger, accept more students, and prioritize clinical training over research, which is great for clinical work but can leave gaps in exam-specific content.

What this means for you: If you're a PsyD student, these numbers are not a verdict. They're program averages, and the spread inside each program type is wide. The students who fail are typically the ones who assumed their clinical training was sufficient exam prep. It's not. The EPPP tests breadth of knowledge in a specific, application-based format that requires dedicated preparation regardless of degree type.

Pass Rates by Program: How to Look Up Your School

If you searched "EPPP pass rates by program", the ASPPB report linked in Sources is the document you want. Here is how to read it:

1. Table 4 lists every APA and CPA accredited doctoral program, grouped by state or province, with the number of first-time takers, the pass rate, and the average percent correct in each of the eight content domains.
2. An asterisk means the program had four or fewer candidates in the window, so ASPPB hides the count and the pass rate to protect those candidates' privacy.
3. The window is five years of first-time takers (2019 to 2023 in the 2024 edition). ASPPB publishes a new edition each year, so check for a newer one.
4. Program data is self-reported by candidates at registration, which is one reason ASPPB tells you to be careful comparing programs.

The most useful column is not the pass rate. It is the percent correct by domain. Compare your program's domain numbers to the national accredited line (for example, 73.2% in Biological Bases and 70.3% in Social and Multicultural Bases for all accredited programs) and you can see which domains your program tends to under-teach. Those are the domains to hit first, whatever your own diagnostic says.

Pass Rates by Attempt Number

ASPPB's public report covers first-time takers only. There is no national, published second-attempt or third-attempt pass rate, so any "65% on the second try" figure you see on a forum is not an ASPPB number. If you want attempt-level data, some state boards publish it (California posts monthly EPPP statistics, linked in Sources). What you should not do is plan a retake around a number nobody can source.

If you're a retaker: The single most important thing you can do is change your study method. If you used the same approach and failed, repeating that approach is unlikely to produce a different result. Take a fresh diagnostic, identify the specific domains that are dragging your score down, and attack those with application-based practice questions. I wrote a detailed retake strategy in our post on what to do after failing the EPPP.

Does the Passing Score Change by State?

The national pass-rate figures assume a uniform passing standard, and it is not quite uniform. Most jurisdictions use ASPPB's recommended scaled score of 500 (on the 200 to 800 scale), but a few deviate:

• New York is widely reported to require a higher scaled score (around 600); confirm with the NY board if you test there.
• Michigan uses a 450 pass score for master's-level practitioners.
• California publicly acknowledges its pass rates run below the national average, with no evidence of a higher cut score; the gap likely reflects candidate pipeline factors.

Several states (Oklahoma, Missouri, Washington, Indiana, New Mexico) also require a separate jurisprudence exam on top of the EPPP, which adds cost, prep time, and an extra failure point. The full breakdown is in EPPP passing scores by state.

What Failing Costs (and Why Pass Rates Are a Money Question)

Current ASPPB fees (verified on ASPPB.net in 2026): $600 for the exam plus a $91.88 test-site appointment fee, so $691.88 per sitting. Each retake is the full fee again; there is no retaker discount, and state boards typically add their own application fees ($200 to $500). A candidate who fails once is looking at roughly $1,380 in ASPPB fees alone before prep program costs. A single retake commonly runs $3,000 to $5,000 in total exposure once you count prep and the delayed earning timeline. Full math in EPPP cost and fees and what an unlicensed year costs.

The Factors That Actually Predict Passing

Based on the available research and what I've seen working with EPPP candidates, these are the strongest predictors of passing:

1. Study Method (Strongest Predictor)

The single biggest factor is not how long you study but how you study. Candidates who use active recall, spaced repetition, and application-based practice questions pass at significantly higher rates than those who primarily read textbooks and review notes.

The EPPP tests application, not recall. If your study method is "read chapter, highlight key terms, re-read highlights," you're training for a different exam than the one you'll actually take. For the full method I used to go from a 19% diagnostic to a pass, see how to pass the EPPP on your first try.

2. Practice Exam Performance

Research consistently shows that practice exam scores are the best predictor of real exam performance. But the quality of the practice questions matters enormously. If you're scoring 90% on practice questions that are definition-based ("What is operant conditioning?"), that doesn't predict your performance on application-based questions ("A psychologist using operant principles would most likely recommend which intervention for this client?").

Use practice questions that match the actual exam's style. Then use your domain-level scores as a compass for where to focus your remaining study time.

3. Diagnostic-Driven Prioritization

Candidates who take a diagnostic exam early and use the results to prioritize study by domain-weighted opportunity score pass at higher rates than those who study in chapter order or by personal preference. This is common sense once you think about it: why spend 20 hours on a domain you're already at 70% in when you're at 20% in a domain with twice the exam weight?

4. Mental Health and Burnout Management

This is the invisible factor that doesn't show up in most pass rate analyses. Burnout is real during EPPP prep. Candidates who study 15 or more hours per week for 6 or more months without rest days, without exercise, without protecting their sleep are at higher risk of underperforming on exam day.

I've talked to candidates who knew the material but bombed the exam because they were running on 4 hours of sleep, hadn't exercised in weeks, and were so anxious they couldn't focus during the test. Your brain needs recovery time to consolidate learning. Protect it.

5. Time Spent on Weakest Domains

The candidates who fail often have a pattern: they spend most of their study time on domains they already know reasonably well because it feels productive. Getting questions right feels good. Studying content you're already comfortable with is easier. But easy studying doesn't close the gaps that determine whether you pass.

The uncomfortable truth is that effective studying feels hard. If you're comfortable during most of your study sessions, you're probably not working on the right material.

EPPP Pass Rates and Racial/Demographic Disparities

This is important data that the field doesn't discuss enough. Here is the short version; for the full breakdown of the research, the size of the gaps, and what's driving them, see our dedicated analysis of EPPP pass rates by ethnicity.

Published research has documented persistent disparities in EPPP pass rates across racial and ethnic groups. In a New York sample of 4,892 candidates, Sharpless (2019) found first-time failure rates of 38.5% for Black candidates, 35.6% for Hispanic candidates, 24.0% for Asian candidates, and 14.1% for White candidates. Macura and Ameen (2021) reported an 89% first-time pass rate for White candidates versus 70% for BIPOC candidates. The most recent paper (Saldana, Callahan, and Cox, 2024) argues the exam differentiates candidates more strongly by race, ethnicity, and general neurocognitive ability than by profession-specific knowledge. APA's 2024 Racial Equity Action Plan progress report lists EPPP racial bias as an open, unresolved issue.

What we know: The disparities are real and persistent. They likely reflect a combination of factors including differential access to high-quality prep resources, the financial burden of prep programs (which disproportionately affects candidates from underrepresented groups who may carry higher student debt), potential cultural bias in exam content, and systemic inequities in graduate training.

What this means for you as a candidate: If you're from an underrepresented group, the data is not destiny, and the population-level numbers reflect a problem in the testing system, not in you. Structured, adaptive prep methods can close gaps that result from differential access to resources. The key is using your diagnostic results to drive your study plan rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.

How Hard Is the EPPP, Really?

People ask this constantly (we go deep on it in is the EPPP hard?). Here's my honest answer.

The content isn't harder than what you learned in graduate school. You've already been exposed to virtually everything on the exam. The difficulty comes from three things:

Breadth. The current exam covers 8 domains spanning your entire doctoral education. Most people haven't thought about Biological Bases since their first year. Most people haven't reviewed developmental psychology since their lifespan course. The EPPP requires you to be competent across all 8 domains simultaneously.

Application format. The questions don't ask "What is classical conditioning?" They present a clinical scenario and ask which principle applies. This requires not just knowing the content but being able to apply it to novel situations under time pressure. Many candidates know the material but struggle with the question format.

Stamina. 225 questions in 4 hours and 15 minutes. By question 150, your focus is deteriorating. By question 200, you're making mistakes you wouldn't make fresh. Full-length practice exams are the only way to build this endurance. People who only do 30-question domain quizzes are often unprepared for the cognitive fatigue of the real thing.

Is the EPPP hard? For most people, yes. Is it passable with the right preparation? Absolutely. A 76.9% accredited first-time pass rate means most people do pass. You just need to be strategic about how you prepare.

The 2027 EPPP Changes and What They Mean for Pass Rates

The exam is being replaced. ASPPB approved the content blueprint for a new integrated EPPP in December 2025, with input from roughly 3,000 licensed psychologists. What's locked in:

• One exam, five hours, single day. Knowledge and skills integrated into one sitting. (The separate EPPP Part 2 never became required: ASPPB paused that rollout on October 22, 2024, so no board requires it today.)
• Six content domains instead of eight, with published weights, broken down in the new format guide.
• Pass or fail based on total score. The 200 to 800 scaled scoring goes away, along with state-by-state cut-score differences.
• New item types: scenario clusters, extended multiple choice, and audio or video stimuli. More situational judgment, less pure recall.
• Timeline: beta test Spring 2027, operational Fall 2027, and April 1, 2028 is the cutoff after which the integrated exam is the only option.

What this means for pass rates: There is no historical pass-rate data for a brand-new exam, and new formats typically show a temporary dip while candidates and prep programs adjust. If your timeline is flexible and you'd otherwise land in the awkward transition window, finishing under the current format is the lower-risk choice. Full rollout details in the complete guide to the 2027 EPPP changes, plus dedicated posts on cost, eligibility, and timing your attempt.

If the pass-rate math worries you

That's a rational response to real numbers, so here's the risk-reversal version: study with a method that maps your weak domains, and if you meet the study criteria and still don't pass, we pause your billing free until your next attempt. The 76.9% figure is an average. Your preparation is the variable you control.

What to Do With These Numbers

Before comparing a school's rate with a prep company's claim, check who each number counts. Our guide to interpreting EPPP pass-rate claims explains first attempts, course completers, missing outcomes, and the questions to ask before using a percentage to choose prep.

Pass rate data is useful for two things: calibrating your expectations and motivating your preparation. Here's how to use it:

If you're in a high-pass-rate category (clinical PhD from an accredited program, first attempt): Don't get complacent. Even at 89%, 11 out of every 100 candidates in that group fail. Take a diagnostic. Follow a structured study plan. The candidates who fail from these programs are usually the ones who assumed their education was sufficient preparation and didn't dedicate focused exam prep time.

If you're in a lower-pass-rate category (PsyD, retaker, nonaccredited program): Don't despair. The population-level pass rates don't define your individual outcome. They reflect averages that include people who barely studied, people who used ineffective methods, and people who were dealing with burnout or other factors. Candidates from every category pass the EPPP when they use diagnostic-driven, application-based prep methods.

For everyone: Take a diagnostic practice exam before you do anything else. Your domain scores are more predictive of your outcome than any population-level statistic. Use the data, not the anxiety.

If you want a prep platform that adapts to your specific weak areas and uses application-based questions that match the real EPPP's style, try thePsychology.ai free for 7 days. Ten users have told us they passed (as of August 2026), most after one to four months of study.

The EPPP is not a formality. But it's also not a wall. It's a gate, and the data shows that the vast majority of well-prepared candidates walk through it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What percentage of people fail the EPPP?

About 23% of first-time takers from accredited doctoral programs (76.87% passed, 18,037 candidates, 2019 to 2023, per ASPPB's 2024 report) and about 51% of first-timers from nonaccredited or other programs (48.80% passed, 2,828 candidates). ASPPB does not publish repeat-attempt rates.

Is the EPPP harder for PsyD students?

PsyD candidates pass at lower rates than PhD candidates on the first attempt: about 66% versus 86% when you sum the program rows in ASPPB's 2024 report (clinical PsyD 66.3%, clinical PhD 89.0%). The gap reflects program structure, cohort size, and research-methods emphasis, not ability, and it is a program average, not a prediction about you.

What score do you need to pass the EPPP?

Most jurisdictions use ASPPB's recommended scaled score of 500 on a 200 to 800 scale, which corresponds to roughly 70% correct, but a few states deviate. Details in EPPP passing scores by state.

How many times can you take the EPPP?

The ASPPB Candidate Handbook says candidates may not take either part of the EPPP more than four times in any 12-month period, recommends waiting about 90 days between attempts, and leaves further limits to each licensing authority. Each attempt costs the full $691.88 in ASPPB and test-site fees. See the EPPP retake policy.

Where can I find EPPP pass rates by program or school?

In ASPPB's annual Psychology Licensing Exam Scores by Doctoral Program report (Sources). Table 4 lists every accredited program with its number of first-time takers, pass rate, and percent correct by domain, hiding programs with four or fewer candidates.

Will the 2027 integrated EPPP change pass rates?

Nobody knows yet: a brand-new exam has no historical pass-rate data, and new licensing exam formats typically show a temporary dip while candidates and prep programs adjust. If your timeline is flexible, testing before the Fall 2027 transition carries less uncertainty. See EPPP now or wait.

Sources

• ASPPB 2024 Psychology Licensing Exam Scores by Doctoral Program (first-time takers, 2019 to 2023, program-level pass data): https://asppb.net/wp-content/uploads/2024_asppb_dr_report.pdf
• ASPPB EPPP Candidate Handbook (attempt limits, retake guidance): https://asppb.net/wp-content/uploads/EPPP-Candidate-Handbook_7.8.25.pdf
• ASPPB 2027 EPPP announcement: https://asppb.net/insights-advocacy/asppb-announces-2027-eppp-content-specifications/
• ASPPB EPPP fees: https://asppb.net/exams/asppb-examination-for-professional-psychology-eppp/eppp-registration-fees/
• ASPPB Part 2 pause (referenced via California Board): https://www.psychology.ca.gov/applicants/eppp_2.shtml
• Sharpless (2019), New York EPPP analysis (n=4,892): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30346907/
• Saldana, Callahan and Cox (2024), via Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/spotlight-on-special-education/202408/how-the-test-to-license-psychologists-fails-aspirants
• APA Racial Equity Action Plan 2024 progress: https://www.apa.org/about/apa/addressing-racism/racial-equity-action-plan-progress-2024
• California Psychology Board exam statistics (monthly, attempt-level): https://www.psychology.ca.gov/applicants/exams/statistics.shtml