The Subject Test, only required by some programs, measures knowledge of psychological concepts that are essential to graduate study, and also yield a score from 200-800. You must register to take the GRE and it is only given at specific test sites. You can re-take the General Test only one time per calendar month, but you can take the Subject Test as often as it is offered. Currently in four states individuals who earn a master's degree are legally eligible for licensure which allows them to practice independently. The requirements for a psychology license vary from state to state because each state has its own regulations.
Some states require an oral examination after the written examination is passed.
It is important to research the state's requirements in order to obtain a license. The Psy.D., doctor of psychology, began in 1968 at the University of Illinois. The degree is usually awarded in the professional areas of clinical and counseling psychology, and not in the subfields of areas such as social or developmental psychology. D. degree prepares students to be consumers of research as well as practitioners. D. programs emphasize the provision of psychological services.