Flashcard Exchange and Quizlet Apps

Flashcardexchange.com and Quizlet.com are excellent resources for both making your own flashcard sets, or borrowing from others who have made EPPP flashcards. I've been wanting to make my own for on-the-go use, using my iPhone or iPad, and you can easily upload flashcard sets from the exchange to your mobile device. I'm a technology lover personally, and so I love to take any opportunity I can to incorporate the excessive amount of money I have spent on electronics. Here are some of the top apps for flashcards. All of these apps are compatible with Flashcard Exchange, Quizlet, or both.

Quizard ($2.99) and Quizard Lite (free!) - Has flashcard, quiz, and test mode. Warning - the "lite" version only allows sets of 20 cards, so it won't be long before you'll have to purchase the full app.

Mental Case Flashcards HD ($5.99) - This app allows you to record audio and add photos to your flashcards, and can upload flashcard sets from Flashcard Exchange or Quizlet. This app looks beautifully designed and is also available for iPad. They also have software for Mac computers.

Flashcards Deluxe ($3.99) and Flashcards Deluxe Lite (free!) - This one seems to have some of the best user ratings on the iTunes store. Offers a variety of study modes and can hold over 10,000 flashcards. Again, the free version is more like a demo version to see if you want to purchase the app - it allows 4 decks with 6 cards each.

Flashcards++ ($3.99) - High user ratings like Flashcards Deluxe, offers over 20,000 flashcards in a deck (most of these apps are designed for foreign language study), and like Flashcards Deluxe, you can rate yourself on how well you know the answer. This one seems more aimed for foreign language study, so I think I would go with Flashcards Deluxe.

Flashcards to Go ($3.99) and Flashcards to Go Lite (free!) for iPad - This app, like most apps specifically designed for iPad, can have more features and fit more on the screen due to the iPad's screen size. It's more organized, prettier, but has a lot of similar features to the other apps. You can record audio with the flashcards, and beyond using Quizlet or Flashcard Exchange, you can also use CSV and other file forms to upload cards.

If you're up for technology, check out some of these apps for flashcard studying! You can also search for pre-made decks from those before us so you don't have to reinvent the wheel! Click on the "Free Study Materials" link above for links to previously made EPPP flashcards on FlashcardExchange.com and Quizlet.com.

Friday Humor

The EPPP Prayer

Oh EPPP agony, thou hast made muppets of more clever men than I.

Dangling the keys to salvation before our army of starving soldiers

Hungry to conquer the territory of a golden age, we reach ever so high

Awaiting the enveloped blessing from the standard score satchel tossed across your shoulders.

Oh EPPP, you've made a monkey out of me, chanting acronyms, rehearsing nonsense rhymes!

Will there ever come a day when I can finally say I have finished this uphill climb?

Oh when all is said and done, will I be the only one beneath the cutoff score?

Unemployed among the overjoyed, bitter and confused, battered and abused, but coming back for more?

Oh dear EPPP -- Don't wave your wrath upon us, Don't increase your fees a-gain!

Don't leave us pennyless to wash the feet of the Computer Stewardess in shame.

Let us walk proud, with a dollar in our shroud, and your tapes blaring in our ears

Cast off that evil grin, the multiple choiced sin, and let us contemplate our fears

The sorcerers of the soul are we, a legion of mindful men, we will not rest until we reach our fated 140 shore

Keep in mind theories of Vygotsky and Bersheid, never forget what the Globus Pallidus is for

When in doubt choose "C," take the post-test times three, but if you fail don't blame me

Because as you may tell, I too am among you in EPPP hell, clawing my own way out of this bloodied well

Join hands, good friends, and let us go forward until the end

Memorize the little lies until it flashes from your eyes -- then behold the golden prize

Oh EPPP -- you may torture my friends and me, but you shall not keep us captive indefinitely.

Each of us will succeed, faces brazed but glasses raised,

and in triumph raise the plaque of licensee!

Good Luck!  Go Forth!   -- Perry Staltaro

Time Management

A while back, when I was still writing my dissertation, I was having a lot of trouble keeping focused on writing. I wrote a qualitative dissertation, so I knew it would be quite a lengthy dissertation, requiring many hours at the keyboard. I became easily overwhelmed at a seemingly endless task, wondering if I would ever finish. I arranged for a consultation with a dissertation coach, who mentioned the Pomodoro Technique. This technique saved my academic life and provided an easy way to create time management. Some of you may have already heard of this technique (especially with writing a dissertation), or used it previously.

For those of you unfamiliar, let me divulge the secrets of this technique that can make it an invaluable tool for completing large tasks, like I am now using for studying for the EPPP. The Pomodoro Technique is using 25 minute blocks of time (or whatever you decide) where you work non-stop, no distractions, until the buzzer rings. After the 25 minute block is up (called a "pomodoro" or "tomato" in English), you take a 5 minute break. You document what you have completed during that tomato, and after the 5 minute break, you go back to work for another 25 minute block and repeat the break and recording the task(s) completed. After 4 tomatoes, it is suggested you take a longer break (15-30 minutes). If you get distracted during a tomato and cannot focus on completing the task(s), the tomato is "squashed" and doesn't count. If you do get distracted during a tomato, it's recommended to write down tasks you are thinking about on a to-do list and come back to it following the tomato.

Now, not only does this insure that you will not exhaust yourself by not taking appropriate study breaks, but this also teaches you how much work you complete on average with each tomato, which makes it much easier to plan a study schedule, for example. After I began studying the past week, I have learned when going through Academic Review's study guides, I found that it took me about 20 tomatoes to get through one subject book. While not all books are the same length, it's likely that it will take me a similar amount for the rest of the books, which means I can plan out my study schedule appropriately to go through all of the study books in the timeline desired.

I know this doesn't work for everyone's study style, but this has been a great technique for many people in providing structure, discipline, and planning abilities. You can download the free ebook or just your basic cheat sheet, along with to-do lists and recording sheets here. If you would rather time and record your tomatoes online, you can use mytomatoes.com or there are tons of phone apps out there for the pomodoro technique. A lot of times its fun to keep track of how many tomatoes you complete for the day, and can be helpful to someone with a competitive personality. So, if you find yourself having trouble keeping focused and/or maintaining a good study schedule, consider giving this technique a try.

Upcoming Increase in Test Administration Fees

For those of you looking to take the EPPP some time this next year, one thing I would note to you is the upcoming fee increase in test administration. (This screenshot is taken directly from the ASPPB's "Information for EPPP Candidates" brochure.)

As you can see, the test fee is going to increase from $450 to $600 beginning March 1, 2013. I don't know about you, but this was all the more reason for me to push my test deadline to sooner rather than later.

In addition to the administration fee by ASPPB, a $65 computer-based test administration fee is collected by Prometric. (Current total to take the exam: $515)

Furthermore, it's also important to be aware of additional fees ("administrative fees") that your state licensing board may charge you to take the EPPP, as noted by ASPPB. Check out the website for your state or provincial licensing board for information on how to apply to take the EPPP, and any additional costs to be anticipated.

My Study Schedule: What I have learned so far

Here is my tentative study schedule for the EPPP. This took some experimentation on my part, and I would recommend that you do so once you have planned out how your study sessions will look. Initially, I told myself I was going to study certain sections of test using books from Academic Review as a study session. However, I realized that sections of the study materials vary in length, and I didn't think it was realistic for me to plan study sessions based on the length of materials. So now, I have changed my plans for specific amounts of time (hours). 

In planning a schedule, this is where knowledge about yourself and your study habits will also come into play. For me, I know I am not someone who can sit and study material for long lengths of time. I would rather spread out my goal hours throughout the week, with maybe a little bit more on weekends since I have more free time. However, I know other people who have no problem studying for long periods of time. Whatever you choose, be realistic!  

How you decide to create your schedule will be somewhat based on how much anxiety you have about the exam, and perhaps what advice others have given you on how much to study. From my supervisors at internship, I have been told that 5 hours of weekly study for 3-4 months would likely be sufficient, or at least it was for them. I don't think that is too off base for me, so I have designed a plan with just a little bit extra, just in case. 

The other thing that is important to do is to set a test date deadline with a little flexibility. This is important since the state board that you are applying for licensure for may or may not move as fast as you would like them to for approval to take the EPPP. Remember, you'll have to get an authorization to test form following the approval of your application for licensure, which gives you 60 days to take the test. Ideally, I would like to take the EPPP as soon as possible. However, I know that filing the appropriate paperwork following completion of my internship will likely take at least a few weeks, so I have put my absolute deadline for October 15th. 

However you design your study schedule, be sure to account for the other things going on in your life. As I am sure you know, studying for the EPPP should not be your entire life. You can see from my schedule, I have already inserted gray boxes where I won't (and probably shouldn't attempt to) study. Plan to study, but also make sure you still have room to breathe for life's plans. People in our profession can burn out easily, and you don't want the EPPP to contribute to that already! 

Use those coupons!

If you are considering getting a new set of purchased study materials, I strongly encourage you to sign up for emails from the companies you are looking at. For example, I am looking to buy the 6 month access to Academic Review's ExamCenter database, which is basically where you can take all of their practice tests, and currently receive emails from them on a fairly regular basis.

When you sign up for emails, you will periodically receive offers like the one you see here, for either a percentage or specific dollar amount off of their products. I get an email from Academic Review for discounts at least once a month, and I expect to get another one around the 4th of July Holiday too. (It's almost like these companies know how poor we are! LOL!) You can also find these coupons in APA's Monitor on Psychology and GradPSYCH magazines. The back of this month's APA Monitor features an offer for $150 off Academic Review's Home Study Package, and on the last page there is a 20% off any EPPP study package from the AATBS - both being the two major companies in EPPP home study materials.

Bottom Line: You should NEVER pay full retail price for new materials, should you be looking to buy. Look around for offer codes around the web, through emails, or print magazines from APA.

Recent Changes to the EPPP

During our weekly didactic seminar, my fellow interns and I were told that there have been some recent changes to the EPPP as of about 9 months ago. Concerned that some study materials may be no longer relative or useful, I've followed up and found the following information courtesy of the Taylor Study Method Blog:

"These changes include the following: 175 of the 225 items will be scored, with 50 items now being pretest items. The ASPPB has created eight content areas that reflect the areas of knowledge base required for the various responsibilities psychologists are expected to assume in professional practice. These content areas and their distribution on the EPPP include: ethical, legal, and professional issues (15%); assessment and diagnosis (14%); treatment, intervention, prevention and supervision (14%, -1%); biological bases of behavior (12%, +1%); cognitive-affective bases of behavior (13%); social and cultural bases of behavior (12%); growth and lifespan development (12%, -1%); research methods and statistics (8%, +1%). The ASPPB still recommends an exam cutoff score of 70% (scale score: 500), though each state or jurisdiction determines its own exam cut-off score. As you see, the changes to the actual Domains are really minimal, i.e., "+ or -" 1% of questions in four Domains. The biggest change is in the number of questions they'll be considering "Operational" questions (175), i.e., those questions you'll be scored on, and those considered "Experimental" questions (50), i.e., those they will be running their statistical analysis on for future EPPP questions."

It doesn't appear that there has been significant changes to the content, with maybe some exception to how much of a particular area they ask about. Instead, the big changes are that you are actually scored on less questions, and the "experimental" questions you aren't scored on have been expanded from 25 to 50 questions. My only concern now is that it looks like I have to get more right to keep the 70% up! 

Let's Check Your Baseline

This is a print out from my first diagnostic assessment (my "baseline"), free courtesy of Academic Review, which assesses your competencies of all sections of the test. You can take this diagnostic test multiple times (once per month), as a way to keep track of your progress. This tool can be very helpful for remedial studying - focusing on the areas you may need some more attention. As you can see from these scores, I do have one big sore thumb - social psychology. However, this makes complete sense to me since I did not take social psychology in undergrad, and the EPPP asks about basic concepts in these areas (i.e. undergrad level). I also have some strengths - Neuropsychology (which I just completed a rotation on at my internship), diagnosis and psychopathology, and research design and statistics (this one has to be a fluke). 

Take advantage of diagnostic tests to help you plan your study schedule and guide your areas of focus for areas that might be a bit of concern.

I am pleased with a 62% with no studying! Only 8 more percentage points to go, which I believe to be more than achievable. :)

Planning a Study Schedule

I have been agonizing over how to study appropriately for EPPP in terms of planning a study schedule. I'm planning on taking the exam in late September to mid October, depending on how fast the paperwork can get through the licensing board. Here are some of the general suggestions I have read about planning a study schedule, which unfortunately discuss the vast amounts of variability among individual needs.

TIMELINE:  This varies depending on your level of anxiety, style of studying, and time available for studying.  People have advised anywhere from 1 to 4 months of studying before taking the exam.  Most people agree that a shorter, more concentrated effort is favorable to studying intermittently for a long period of time.

Examples of Successful EPPP Strategies

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Strategy	Actual Timeframe	Recommended Timeframe
Created flashcards from study books, took practice exams and reviewed rationales for answers.	5 weeks	4-6 weeks
1-2 hours for 6 months – listened to cds 2-3 times, skimmed books (particularly ethics), took a few practice exams.  Set date 5 weeks in advance – took practice exams, highlighted answers and used as a study guide, took notes on sections that were areas of weakness.	5 weeks
Read all books once, listened to all cds at least once, took practice exams.	6 weeks
Read I/O book, took practice exams and studied rationales for answers.	6 weeks
Made flashcards, took practice exams, listened to cds .	10-12 weeks
Began studying 2 hours/week a year in advance, though not intensely.  Read some of the book and took notes, listened to cds.  Took practice exams and read rationales to answers.  Suggests to start studying 6-10 hours per week, then shift to daily studying for a month.	2 months	4 months
Read all books once, listened to all cds at least once, took practice exams and reviewed answers, studied chapter glossaries.	3 months	2 months
Read all books and made study notes.  Scheduled test 4-6 weeks out and reviewed study notes, studied copies of glossaries from study books, and took practice tests.  Did this every day for the last 3 weeks.	3-4 months
Memorized study books – spent about 2 weeks per book, covered all areas 2x.  Listened to cds, quiz sessions with others taking the exam, 1 practice exam per week.  Wrote own test questions.	230 hours (~15 hours per week)
Listened to cds, read books, made and reviewed flashcards.  Took 2 tests per week and reviewed answers.	4 months	4 months
Listened to cds, read parts of study books, took practice exams.	6 months (not intense)
Reviewed study materials, took practice exams and reviewed answers	5-6 months

As you can see, there is a lot of variability in study strategies and timeframes. The common denominator is that each of these individuals passed the EPPP on the first try. Try not to get overwhelmed by these options; just determine what works for you.

But what does work best for you? While I would like to think of myself as a "professional student" at this point, I feel like I haven't taken a test like this in quite some time - maybe the GRE Psychology Test...which I didn't really study for when I took it.

The Taylor Study Method, one of the purchased study programs, provides a personalized program based on the number of hours per week and the deadline test date you report, and how you scored on their diagnostic test. However, I don't have $350 a month to pay for this program (or at least not at this point).

For now, I am planning on studying at least 5 hours a week for the next three to four months, with a couple of exceptions here and there due to moving and other commitments that involve heavy travel. I'm a big fan of Google Docs, and here is an example used by a colleague of mine and some of her friends. You can find other example study schedules on the Shared Documents Page. I'll post my schedule once I've gotten everything finalized. :) 

New Resources Added!

I've added a bunch of resources located in the tabs above. In addition, I have also added links to other EPPP blogs, which you can access by hovering over the black tabs on the right side of the blog. Have fun!

The next project.

I've slowly been learning that my favorite thing to do besides work on side projects is to blog about them. I have been seeing a lot of great resources out there for EPPP studying, and I wanted to combine them all in one place, for easy reference, at least for myself. I hope this blog will be useful for you as well!

I'll also blog about my journey towards passing the EPPP, which I plan to take in October 2012. I'm currently devising a study plan, but more on that later. Stay tuned for links and documents to various resources across the world wide web!

Cheers!
-Candie