ABPP Forensic Psychology study materials
ABPP Forensic Psychology study resources

ABPP Forensic Psychology study guide

ABPP Forensic Psychology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

The ABPP Forensic Psychology board certification is a specialty credential offered by the American Board of Professional Psychology, an organization whose stated mission is to serve the public by promoting quality psychological services through examination and certification of professional psychologists engaged in specialty practice. It is intended for licensed psychologists who already practice in forensic settings and who wish to have their competence in that specialty examined and publicly recognized; ABPP maintains a specialist directory that the public can use to verify certification. Because ABPP publishes only general application requirements at the organizational level, candidates should treat the specialty board itself as the authority on the specific assessment, treatment, legal-ethical, and consultation and testimony competencies it evaluates, and on its examination procedures. Preparation therefore combines deep, current knowledge of forensic assessment instruments and report writing, intervention with justice-involved populations, the legal and ethical framework governing forensic roles, and the practical demands of consultation and expert testimony. The ABPP Forensic Psychology study guide has 4 sections and about 1,182 words.

01

Forensic Assessment

Forensic assessment asks you to distinguish clinical from forensic roles and to match the instrument to the legal question. Know the major competency and insanity standards: Dusky v.

330 words, about 2 min
02

Forensic Treatment and Intervention

Forensic treatment covers intervention in correctional, civil commitment, and community reentry settings. Candidates should understand the difference between treatment for mental illness and interventions targeting criminogenic need.

281 words, about 1 min
03

Legal and Ethical Foundations of Forensic Practice

This domain covers the ethics codes and legal doctrines that govern forensic work. Know the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology and the APA Ethics Code, especially informed consent, multiple relationships, competence, and confidentiality.

293 words, about 1 min
04

Consultation, Testimony, and Professional Practice

This domain addresses the expert's non-assessment work: consultation to attorneys and agencies, report writing, deposition and trial testimony, and practice management. Know the structure of a forensic report-referral question, sources, procedures, findings, opinions, and limits-and that opinions must be tied to the referral question and supported by data.

278 words, about 1 min