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. :)