201 Ky. Admin. Regs. 26:230

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 6, December 1, 2024

Section 201 KAR 26:230 - Examinations and applications

RELATES TO: KRS 319.032(1)(a), 319.050, 319.053, 319.064

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 319.032(1)(a) requires the board to promulgate an administrative regulation establishing the examination requirements for an applicant for licensure. KRS 319.050(1) and 319.064(2)(c), (3) require an applicant to successfully complete the required examination prior to licensure. This administrative regulation establishes the examination and application requirements.

Section 1.

(1) The national examination shall be the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) developed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) examination contractor and owned by the ASPPB.

(a) The EPPP shall be taken by computer administration.

(b) The board shall submit to the ASPPB examination contractor a list of applicants eligible to sit for the examination.

(2) The Kentucky examinations shall consist of a jurisprudence examination of Kentucky mental health law, and a competency examination of ethical principles and professional practice.

(a) A candidate shall score at least an eighty (80) percent to pass the jurisprudence examinations.

(b) A candidate shall score a 100 percent to pass the competency examination.

Section 2. General Requirements.

(1) An applicant for licensure shall:

(a)

1. Submit a completed application as required by 201 KAR 26:155, Section 1; 201 KAR 26:280, Section 1; 201 KAR 26:180, Section 2; 201 KAR 26:185, Section 2; or 201 KAR 26:290, Section 1; and

2. Pay the applicable fee established in 201 KAR 26:160; or

(b) Submit the application required by subsection (1) of this section to the online application management system designated by the board that shall:

1. Include a certification by the applicant that the:

a. Information in the application is true, correct, and complete to the best of their knowledge and belief; and

b. Applicant is aware that the board may take disciplinary action if the application contains a misrepresentation or falsification; and

2. Be accompanied by payment of the application fee that shall:

a. Be made payable directly to the Kentucky State Treasurer if the application is processed through the board; or

b. Be made to the online application management system as directed by the board.

(2) Once the Licensed Psychologist Applicant has completed all items, including sending supplemental materials, the online application management system completes a primary source verification process then forwards the application to the board for final review.

(3) The Credentialing Committee of the Board reviews the application and determines the applicant's eligibility for licensure.

(4) The applicant shall sit for the national (EPPP) examination within one (1) year of the notice of the application being approved by the board. An applicant may sit for the national (EPPP) examination at any approved ASPPB examination contractor testing center in the United States, U.S. Territories, or Canada.

(5) If an applicant loses eligibility to sit for the national (EPPP) examination because of failure to reschedule, cancel, or appear to take the examination as stated in subsection (4) of this section:

(a) The applicant shall forfeit all fees paid; and

(b) Any temporary license issued to the applicant shall be terminated.

Section 3. Examination for Licensure as a Licensed Psychologist.

(1) The applicant shall pass:

(a) The national (EPPP) examination in accordance with subsection (2) of this section; and

(b) The Kentucky examinations as outlined in Section 1(2) of this administrative regulation. The competency examination shall be administered by two (2) licensed psychologists approved by the board.

(2) The applicant shall obtain an EPPP scaled score of 500 or greater or shall have obtained a previous national EPPP passing score which satisfied the doctoral licensure requirement as to criterion level at the time of that examination. The applicant shall be notified by the board of the score, as well as of passing or failing the examination.

(3) If an applicant for licensure as a licensed psychologist fails the national (EPPP) examination, the candidate may reapply with a detailed remediation plan, including the process by which the applicant proposes to improve his or her performance on the examination, the time proposed to be spent on remediation, and with whom the applicant proposes to study or obtain further instruction and any other information requested by the board. Upon completion of the remediation plan approved by the board, and the appropriate fee to the ASPPB examination contractor is paid, the applicant shall be deemed eligible by the board to be permitted to sit again for the national (EPPP) examination.

(a) The candidate shall continue to function under the supervision of the board-approved supervisor until:

1. The national (EPPP) examination and Kentucky examinations are successfully completed; or

2. The temporary license is terminated.

(b) The applicant for licensure as a licensed psychologist shall not be scheduled for the Kentucky examinations until the national (EPPP) examination has been successfully passed and the board has determined that the requirements for supervised experience for licensure as a licensed psychologist have been met.

(4) The competency examination shall not be required for an applicant who is board-certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) or a successor organization or holds a current license in good standing from a jurisdiction with a reciprocity agreement with this board.

(5) If the applicant does not pass either of the Kentucky examinations on the first attempt, the applicant may reapply with a detailed remediation plan, including the process by which the applicant proposes to improve his or her performance on the examination, the time proposed to be spent on remediation, and with whom the applicant proposes to study or obtain further instruction and any other information requested by the board. Upon completion of the remediation plan approved by the board, the applicant shall be administered a second examination.

(6) If the applicant does not pass either of the Kentucky examinations on the second attempt, the applicant may reapply with an additional remediation plan. Upon completion of the remediation plan approved by the board, the applicant shall be administered a third examination.

(7) An applicant may only take each of the structured examinations on three (3) occasions. If an applicant for licensure as a licensed psychologist does not pass on the third attempt, they may apply to be credentialed as a licensed psychological associate by completing an application and paying the appropriate fee, as required by 201 KAR 26:160. The board shall accept the applicant's previous examination results to satisfy the requirements for the licensed psychological associate application.

Section 4. Examination for Licensure as a Licensed Psychological Practitioner.

(1) The applicant shall pass:

(a) A national (EPPP) examination unless the applicant's previous examination results for the national (EPPP) examination satisfied the doctoral licensure requirement as to criterion level at the time of that examination; or

(b) The applicant shall obtain a computerized national (EPPP) scaled score of 500 or greater. The applicant shall be notified by the board of the score, as well as of passing or failing the examination.

(2) Pursuant to KRS 319.050(3), an applicant for licensure as a licensed psychological practitioner who has been approved to sit for the national (EPPP) examination shall continue to be supervised until all requirements for licensure as a licensed psychological practitioner have been completed.

(3) If an applicant for licensure as a licensed psychological practitioner fails to obtain a scaled score of 500 or greater on the EPPP examination, the candidate may reapply to the board, pay the appropriate fee to the ASPPB examination contractor and be permitted to sit for the national (EPPP) examination again.

(4) The applicant for licensure as a licensed psychological practitioner shall not be scheduled for the Kentucky examinations until the national (EPPP) examination has been successfully passed and the required five (5) years of supervised experience or its equivalent have been approved by the board.

(5) An applicant for licensure as a licensed psychological practitioner shall submit to a competency examination as outlined in Section 1(2) of this administrative regulation administered by an at least one (1) licensed psychologist and either a certified psychologist with autonomous functioning or a licensed psychological practitioner. The applicant for licensure as a licensed psychological practitioner shall also complete a jurisprudence examination as outlined in Section 1(2) of this administrative regulation.

(6) If the applicant does not pass either of the Kentucky examinations on the first attempt, the applicant may reapply with a remediation plan that includes the process by which the applicant proposes to improve his or her performance on the examination, the time proposed to be spent on remediation, and how the applicant proposes to study or obtain further instruction and any other information requested by the board. Upon completion of a remediation plan approved by the board, the applicant shall be administered a second examination.

(7) If the applicant does not pass either of the Kentucky examinations on the second attempt, the applicant may reapply with an additional remediation plan. Upon completion of a remediation plan approved by the board, the applicant shall be administered a third examination.

(8) An applicant may only take each examination three (3) times, and would have to remain as a Psychological Associate under board approved supervision if either examination is failed three (3) times.

Section 5. Examination for Licensure as a Psychological Associate.

(1) The applicant shall:

(a) Obtain a national (EPPP) scaled score of 400 or greater; or

(b) Have obtained an EPPP passing score for licensure at the master's level in effect at the time of the applicant's previous national (EPPP) examination; and

(c) Be notified by the board of the score, as well as of passing or failing the examination.

(2) Pursuant to KRS 319.064(3), an applicant for licensure as a licensed psychological associate who has been approved to sit for the national (EPPP) examination and whose supervisory arrangement has been approved by the board shall be considered to be functioning under a temporary license.

(3) If an applicant for licensure as a psychological associate fails the national (EPPP) examination, the applicant shall:

(a) File a detailed remediation plan, cosigned by the supervisor within thirty (30) days of notice of failure; and

(b) Be eligible to retake the national (EPPP) examination upon approval of the plan by the board.

201 KAR 26:230

14 Ky.R. 528; eff. 10-2-1987; 15 Ky.R. 1685; eff. 3-10-1989; 24 Ky.R. 1132; 1667; eff. 2-17-1998; 28 Ky.R. 1481; 1817; eff. 2-7-2002; 31 Ky.R. 1012; 1514; eff. 3-8-2005; 37 Ky.R. 1535; 1985; eff. 3-4-2011; 47 Ky.R. 2060; 48 Ky.R. 324; eff. 8-26-2021; 48 Ky.R. 1882, 2574; eff. 6/2/2022.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 319.032(1)(a)