The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is a licensure requirement across 62 psychology boards. However, psychometric support for the EPPP consists primarily of content validation studies. Recent data from a large New York sample indicated that EPPP performance and pass rates differed according to demographic variables, with Black and Hispanic applicants failing at much higher rates than Asians and Whites, men failing more than women, and PsyDs failing more than PhDs. In order to determine if these findings could be replicated, a Freedom of Information Act request was submitted to the Connecticut State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (N of applicants = 642). Significant differences in first-time failure rates were found according to ethnicity (i.e., Blacks = 23.33%; Hispanics = 18.60%; Whites = 5.75%; Asians = 3.33%). Men and women did not differ, but PsyDs (14.56%) failed more often than PhDs (5.16%). As replicated performance differences according to ethnic group and degree type have been found across 2 U.S. states, it is recommended that the EPPP undergo additional psychometric investigations to better assess predictive, incremental, and criterion validity evidence for the exam and ensure the minimization of any construct-irrelevant variance. Finally, the EPPP Part 2 should receive additional empirical scrutiny prior to implementation.
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