BACB
BCBA
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
The national board certification required to practice as a behavior analyst, most commonly delivering applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for autism and developmental disabilities. State licensure and most payor/employer requirements are built on holding the BCBA credential.
What's on the exam
BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), effective January 2025
Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations
5%Goals of behavior analysis as a science · Philosophical assumptions (selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, pragmatism) · Radical behaviorism · Distinguishing EAB, ABA, and professional practice · Dimensions of applied behavior analysis
Concepts and Principles
14%Behavior, response, and response class · Respondent and operant conditioning · Positive and negative reinforcement and punishment · Schedules of reinforcement · Stimulus control and motivating operations · Verbal operants and multiple control
Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation
12%Operational definitions · Continuous and discontinuous measurement · Measuring occurrence and temporal dimensions · Validity and reliability of measurement · Graphing data · Interpreting graphed data
Experimental Design
7%Dependent and independent variables · Internal and external validity · Threats to internal validity · Single-case experimental designs · Reversal, multiple-baseline, multielement, changing-criterion designs · Comparative, component, and parametric analyses
Ethical and Professional Issues
13%Core ethics principles for BACB certificants · Confidential information and public statements · Multiple relationships and risk mitigation · Cultural humility and responsive service · Personal biases · Legal, regulatory, and licensure requirements
Behavior Assessment
13%Reviewing records and relevant cultural variables · Descriptive assessments · Functional analyses · Interpreting assessment data and referral · Preference and reinforcer assessments · Social validity
Behavior-Change Procedures
14%Reinforcement and extinction procedures · Differential reinforcement · Shaping and chaining · Prompting and prompt fading · Punishment procedures · Token economies and contingency contracts
Selecting and Implementing Interventions
11%Selecting target behaviors and goals · Evidence-based intervention selection · Generalization and maintenance programming · Behavior reduction with function-based interventions · Treatment integrity · Collaboration with stakeholders
Personnel Supervision and Management
11%Behavioral skills training · Supervision structure and oversight · Performance management and feedback · Delegation and scope of competence · Evaluating supervisee performance · Maintaining documentation
Frequently asked questions
How much does the BCBA cost?
The BCBA costs $245. $245 BACB certification application fee plus a $125 Pearson VUE examination appointment fee per sitting ($140 application fee for retakes); state licensure fees additional.
How long is the BCBA and how many questions does it have?
185 items (175 scored, 10 unscored pilot) — 4 hours.
What do you need to pass the BCBA?
Criterion-referenced cut score set by the modified Angoff method (not publicly disclosed as a fixed number).
Can you retake the BCBA?
After receiving a new authorization; $140 retake application plus $125 appointment fee each attempt.
What is the best way to study for the BCBA?
Study the official blueprint, not random material: the exam is weighted by domain (Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations 5%, Concepts and Principles 14%, Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation 12%, Experimental Design 7%, Ethical and Professional Issues 13%, Behavior Assessment 13%, Behavior-Change Procedures 14%, Selecting and Implementing Interventions 11%, Personnel Supervision and Management 11%). Spaced-repetition flashcards built domain-by-domain against that blueprint are the most time-efficient way to cover everything the exam tests.
Program in development
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