EPPP Retake Pass Rate: What California's Board Data Shows (2026)

What is the EPPP retake pass rate? ASPPB does not publish one nationally. California's Board of Psychology does publish the numbers you need to work it out. From January 2024 through June 2026, California candidates who were not first-time takers passed about 21% of the time (569 passes out of 2,676 sittings). First-time takers passed about 60% of the time.

That gap looks brutal. It is also not your personal odds. Here is what the data says, what it cannot say, and what to do with it.

The numbers, year by year

California posts monthly EPPP statistics. Each report gives total candidates, total passed, first-time takers, and first-time passes. The retake column below is our own math: total minus first-timers.

Period	First-time pass rate	Retake pass rate (our calculation)	Retake sittings
2024	60.4% (452 of 748)	21.0% (217 of 1,031)	1,031
2025	58.6% (480 of 819)	19.8% (216 of 1,090)	1,090
2026, Jan to Jun	61.7% (253 of 410)	24.5% (136 of 555)	555
All 30 months	59.9% (1,185 of 1,977)	21.3% (569 of 2,676)	2,676

Two things jump out. Retake sittings outnumber first-time sittings every year. And the retake rate has held in the 20 to 25% range for two and a half years.

What this number cannot tell you

Read it like you would read any aggregate before you apply it to one client.

• It lumps every repeat attempt together. The report does not split second attempts from fifth attempts. Someone retaking after missing by a few points sits in the same bucket as someone on a long losing streak. Your odds depend on which of those you are.
• It counts sittings, not people. A person who sits twice in a year shows up twice.
• It is one state. California's first-time rate (about 60%) is well below ASPPB's national figure for graduates of accredited programs (76.9% for 2019 to 2023). The two reports cover different groups, so do not compare them head to head, and do not assume California's retake rate is the national one.
• It says nothing about how people prepared. There is no column for "changed their method" versus "studied the same way, harder."

So the honest read is this. Repeating the EPPP is a hard group to be in, and a retake is not a formality. But the average is pulled down by people who keep sitting without changing anything, and that part is in your hands.

What actually moves your retake odds

The data cannot rank study methods, so this part is the plan, not a statistic. The full version is in Failed the EPPP? Here's the 5-Step Retake Plan. The short version:

1. Use your score report. If you scored below 500, ASPPB gives you domain-level feedback. That is the most specific data you will ever get about this exam. Rank your domains by where you lost points, weighted by how much each one counts.
2. Name what went wrong. Knowledge gaps, test anxiety, burnout, pacing, and passive studying each need a different fix. More flashcards will not fix anxiety.
3. Change the method, not just the hours. If round one was mostly reading and highlighting, round two needs to be mostly answering questions and studying why you missed them.
4. Test yourself under real conditions. At least two full-length timed practice exams (225 questions, 4 hours 15 minutes) before you rebook.
5. Plan the logistics early. ASPPB caps you at four attempts in any 12-month period, recommends about 90 days between attempts, and your board has to approve each retake. Each sitting costs $600 plus a $91.88 test-site fee per ASPPB's fee page, before any board fees. Details are in the EPPP retake policy post.

So should you retake?

If your score report shows a few weak domains rather than misses across the board, yes, with a different plan. The 21% figure is a warning about repeating the same approach. It is not a forecast for someone who diagnoses what went wrong and fixes it.

For the full first-time picture by degree, program, and state, see EPPP pass rates.

Frequently asked questions

What is the EPPP pass rate for retakers?

There is no national figure. California's board data, January 2024 through June 2026, works out to about 21% for repeat sittings, against about 60% for first-time takers. That is our calculation from the board's monthly reports.

Is it harder to pass the EPPP the second time?

The exam is the same difficulty. The group is different. Retake pass rates are lower partly because the repeat group includes people on their third, fourth, or later attempt. What you change between attempts matters more than the attempt number.

How long should I wait before retaking the EPPP?

ASPPB recommends about 90 days from your last test date. That is a recommendation, not a rule, and your board may set its own wait.

Start with where the points went

Your score report already tells you which domains cost you the pass. The free Retake Readiness Exam starts with 8 questions, one per domain, no signup, then maps your weak domains so your next 90 days go where the points are.