If you have been researching the EPPP, you have probably run into mentions of "EPPP Part 2" or "EPPP-2" and wondered what it is, whether you need it, and how to prepare for it. The short version, as of 2026, is that the whole "two separate exams" story has changed. Part 2 is not being rolled out the way the old articles say. And the long-term plan is not two exams at all. It is one.

Here is what each thing was, what happened, and what you actually need to do depending on when you test.

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EPPP Part 1: the knowledge exam (and the current standard)

This is the EPPP almost everyone means when they say "the EPPP." It has been the standard licensure exam across the US and Canada for decades, and it is still the exam you sit today.

• Format: 225 multiple-choice questions
• What it tests: foundational knowledge across 8 content domains
• How it tests: written questions, many built around clinical vignettes
• Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
• Delivered by: Pearson VUE for ASPPB
• Scoring: scaled scores from 200 to 800, with an ASPPB-recommended passing score of 500 (most jurisdictions adopt it, some set their own)

Part 1 tests whether you know the material. Can you identify the correct diagnosis? Do you understand the ethical obligation in a given scenario? Can you apply a statistical concept under time pressure? If you want the full breakdown of how the number on your score report is built, I wrote a separate piece on how the EPPP is scored, and one on the exam format itself.

The national first-time pass rate sits at roughly 78 to 82%. I cover that and the demographic patterns behind it in the complete data breakdown of EPPP pass rates.

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EPPP Part 2: the skills exam that was supposed to be next

EPPP-2 was a separate assessment ASPPB (the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards) built to test things a multiple-choice exam cannot capture.

• What it was meant to test: clinical skills, professional judgment, applied competencies
• How it was meant to test them: structured, scenario-based tasks rather than picking from four options

The idea was solid. Part 1 checks whether you know the work. Part 2 was supposed to check whether you can actually do the work. Think of the difference between passing a written driving test and proving you can drive. That gap is real, and Part 2 was the attempt to close it.

The plan was to require both parts nationwide, with a January 1, 2026 effective date. Some jurisdictions were moving toward adoption, and a small number of candidates actually sat Part 2. That is the world the old articles describe: Part 1 plus a new Part 2 rolling out state by state, prep for both.

That world is gone.

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What actually happened: ASPPB paused Part 2

On October 22, 2024, ASPPB paused the mandate that states adopt the two-part EPPP. The planned January 1, 2026 effective date is dead.

In plain terms: if your state was planning to require Part 2 in 2026, that is no longer happening. ASPPB has not published a list of which states had adopted Part 2 before the pause, so the only reliable move is to ask your own board. As of mid-2026, the safe assumption is that Part 2 is not required anywhere, unless your board explicitly tells you otherwise.

One more thing worth knowing: there are no published Part 2 pass rates. Not because the exam failed, but because ASPPB never released aggregate data and very few people took it. So if you see a confident "EPPP-2 pass rate" number floating around, it is invented. Treat it the way you would treat any fabricated stat on a forum.

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The future is not two exams. It is one.

This is the part most candidates miss. The pause was not ASPPB giving up on testing skills. It was them changing the architecture entirely.

In December 2025, ASPPB approved a new single integrated EPPP. Instead of two separate exams, knowledge and skills merge into one. Here is what is locked in:

• One exam, one day, about five hours, delivered at Pearson VUE
• Six content domains instead of the current eight
• Pass or fail on total score. The current 200 to 800 scaled scoring with a 500 line goes away
• New item types: extended multiple choice, scenario clusters, audio and video stimuli, and more situational judgment, with less pure recall
• Beta in Spring 2027, operational in Fall 2027, and April 1, 2028 as the cutoff after which the integrated exam is the only option

So the right mental model is not "Part 1 now, Part 2 later." It is "the current EPPP now, one combined exam starting in 2027."

I keep the most detailed running coverage of this in the 2026 EPPP pass rates update. If you want the deep version of the pause, the 2027 blueprint, and the state-by-state passing score mess, read that one. It is the authoritative piece.

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EPPP-2 vs the new reality, side by side

	The old "Part 2" plan	What is actually happening
Structure	Two separate exams (Part 1 + Part 2)	One integrated exam starting 2027
Part 2 status	Rolling out state by state	Mandate paused Oct 22, 2024
Required in 2026	Eventually, in some states	Not required anywhere (confirm with your board)
Scoring	Scaled, 500 to pass	Pass/fail on total score (2027 exam)
Domains	8 (Part 1)	6 (2027 integrated exam)
What you prep for now	Part 1 plus emerging Part 2	The current single EPPP only

The old comparison table told you to prepare for two exams. You do not. You prepare for the current EPPP, full stop.

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What to actually do, by your timeline

Testing in 2026 or early 2027: You are sitting for the current format. Eight domains, 225 questions, scaled scoring, the 500 line. Confirm with your state board whether Part 2 applies to you (almost certainly not, since the mandate is paused), then study for the current exam and nothing else.

On the fence about when to test: This is a reason to go sooner rather than later. The current format has been stable for years, and the prep materials are mature. If your timeline is flexible and you would otherwise be testing in the awkward 2027 transition window, finishing under the current format is the lower-risk choice. New exam formats almost always cause a temporary dip in pass rates while candidates and prep providers adjust. The first cohort to sit a brand-new licensing exam pays for everyone else's learning curve.

Testing in late 2027 or 2028: You are likely in the integrated-exam window. There will be no historical pass rate data to anchor to, and prep companies will be rebuilding their content. Plan for that, and build in extra runway.

Whatever your timeline, the study strategy does not change. Take a diagnostic before you build a plan. Spend your time on your weakest domains, not your strongest. Use free EPPP practice questions to pressure-test how you actually perform under exam conditions, because that tells you far more than any national average can. And if you are comparing study options, I broke down the major EPPP prep programs for 2026 so you are not paying for content you do not need.

I scored 19% on my first practice diagnostic and eventually passed with a 588. The thing that moved the needle was not more hours, it was steering every hour toward the domains I was actually weak in.

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The bottom line

EPPP Part 1 is the knowledge exam, and it is the exam you take today. EPPP-2 was a separate skills exam that ASPPB paused in October 2024, so it is not a requirement you need to chase right now. And the long-term plan is not two exams at all. It is a single integrated EPPP launching in 2027 that folds knowledge and skills together, drops to six domains, and moves to pass/fail scoring.

So ignore the old "prep for both" advice. Focus entirely on the current EPPP, confirm Part 2 status with your own board (the safe assumption is no), and if your timeline is flexible, finish under the current format before the 2027 changeover.

Ready to start? try thePsychology.ai free for 7 days. Eighty-plus lessons, adaptive practice, and full exam simulations across all 8 current domains. Three users have passed using the platform so far, with prep times of 1 to 2 months.

Sources

• ASPPB 2027 EPPP content specifications: https://asppb.net/insights-advocacy/asppb-announces-2027-eppp-content-specifications/
• ASPPB Part 2 pause (via California Board): https://www.psychology.ca.gov/applicants/eppp_2.shtml