Welcome to the American Board of Psychological Assessment (ABPA)!
The Mission
The American Board of Psychological Assessment (ABPA), formerly the American Board of Assessment Psychology (ABAP), was organized in 1993 to establish and promote standards of excellence for psychologists who specialize in assessment.
Psychological Assessment is a specialty area within health service psychology that emphasizes the application of psychometric tests and measures within a broader process of evaluation in order to understand mechanisms underlying individuals’ functioning. Aligned with evidence-based clinical psychological assessment, the process adheres to the ethical principles laid out by the American Psychological Association (APA), incorporates culture and context into the process, utilizes multiple methods and measures, and ultimately integrates data to understand individuals’ skills/abilities, traits, and functioning and inform decisions.
As interest in the more accurate assessment of human functioning continues to grow, an increasing number of psychologists are being asked to apply their expertise in psychological assessment in a wide variety of venues. As a result, the public, governmental and private sectors, the health care industry, the education system, and the legal system all benefit from methods of identifying highly competent assessment psychologists.
ABPA grew out of a specialty certification interest group made up of leading psychological assessment experts in APA. ABPA was established in 1993 to protect the consumer of psychological assessment services by establishing what excellence looks like for those who specialize in the practice of psychological assessment and certifying as Diplomates the applicants who meet those standards.
ABPA is the only certification board for psychologists with specialized expertise in psychological assessment and its components, such as psychological test development, education and training in psychological assessment, and clinical application.
When applying to ABPA, you can choose one of four specialty tracks:
- Personality Assessment
- Forensic Assessment
- Neuropsychological Assessment
- Child/Pediatric/School Assessment
Assessment Psychology 