| "BCBA" | |
| "®" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST® HANDBOOK" | |
| " ABOUT THIS HANDBOOK" | |
| "" | |
| "This handbook describes the requirements for obtaining and maintaining BCBA certification, including the eligibility" | |
| "requirements that went into effect on January 1, 2022. Applicants and certificants must comply with the requirements" | |
| "outlined in this handbook. Failure to do so may result in the BACB taking summary action (e.g., suspension," | |
| "revocation, invalidation) against your eligibility or certification and/or submitting a Notice of Alleged Violation to the" | |
| "BACB Ethics Department." | |
| "" | |
| "This handbook contains clickable images that link directly to BACB documents and web pages. To help with" | |
| "navigation, this handbook also includes PDF bookmarks and a clickable Table of Contents icon ( ) on the corner" | |
| "of each page. New versions of the BCBA Handbook will be published quarterly as needed. Applicants completing" | |
| "requirements in a future year should make note of upcoming implementation dates for revised requirements, as they" | |
| "must meet the requirements in place at the time they apply and take the version of the examination in effect when" | |
| "they schedule their examination appointment. Please refer to the BACB Newsletter and the Upcoming Changes web" | |
| "page for the most updated information on future certification requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "The BACB does not discriminate against any individual because of race, ethnicity, gender, age, creed, disability," | |
| "religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or national origin. Allegations of discrimination can be reported via our" | |
| "Administrative Appeal Request Form." | |
| "" | |
| "For a complete list of updates included in this version of the BCBA Handbook, please see page 69." | |
| "" | |
| "The BACB reserves the right to amend the procedures outlined in this handbook." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Copyright © 2025 by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, Inc. (“BACB®”), all rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction," | |
| "copying, or transmission in any medium is strictly prohibited." | |
| "" | |
| "®The trademarks “Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, Inc.,” “BACB®,” “Board Certified Behavior Analyst®,” “BCBA®,” “Board" | |
| "Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst®,” “BCaBA®,” and “RBT®,” are owned by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board®." | |
| "Unauthorized use or misrepresentation is strictly prohibited." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "This document should be referenced as:" | |
| "Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2025). Board certified behavior analyst handbook." | |
| "Retrieved on Month, Day, Year, from https://www.bacb.com/bcba-handbook" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | ii" | |
| " TABLE OF CONTENTS Click this icon to return to the Table of Contents." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Contents" | |
| "Overview................................................................................................................. 1" | |
| "About the Behavior Analyst Certification Board............................................................................................................. 1" | |
| "What Is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst?................................................................................................................... 1" | |
| "Overview of Becoming and Maintaining BCBA Certification.................................................................................... 2" | |
| "Reasons for Becoming a BCBA.......................................................................................................................................... 2" | |
| "Accreditation............................................................................................................................................................................. 2" | |
| "Eligibility Requirements.......................................................................................... 6" | |
| "Eligibility Pathways.................................................................................................................................................................. 6" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork Requirements...............................................................................................................................15" | |
| "Applying for BCBA Certification........................................................................... 27" | |
| "Submit Your Application......................................................................................................................................................27" | |
| "Schedule Your Examination Appointment.................................................................................................................... 29" | |
| "Fees.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 29" | |
| "Examination.......................................................................................................... 30" | |
| "Examination Development.................................................................................................................................................30" | |
| "Preparation..............................................................................................................................................................................30" | |
| "Examination Outline..............................................................................................................................................................30" | |
| "Scheduling...............................................................................................................................................................................32" | |
| "Pearson VUE Examination Fees.......................................................................................................................................32" | |
| "Examination Accommodations..........................................................................................................................................33" | |
| "What to Expect on Examination Day...............................................................................................................................33" | |
| "General Rules for Taking the Examination....................................................................................................................34" | |
| "Examination Terms and Conditions.................................................................................................................................35" | |
| "Examination Security............................................................................................................................................................36" | |
| "Examination Appeals............................................................................................................................................................37" | |
| "Examination Results..............................................................................................................................................................37" | |
| "Examination Retakes............................................................................................................................................................37" | |
| "Scoring Methodology...........................................................................................................................................................37" | |
| "What to Expect After Passing the Examination................................................... 38" | |
| "Certification Maintenance Requirements............................................................. 40" | |
| "Continuing Education...........................................................................................................................................................40" | |
| "Ethics and Self-Reporting....................................................................................................................................................42" | |
| "Recertification.........................................................................................................................................................................46" | |
| "Inactive Policy.........................................................................................................................................................................48" | |
| "Supervision, Assessment, Training, and Oversight.............................................. 50" | |
| "Attesting, Assessing, Training, and Supervising RBTs................................................................................................51" | |
| "Supervising BCBA and BCaBA Trainees.......................................................................................................................53" | |
| "Supervising BCaBAs.............................................................................................................................................................53" | |
| "Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D).......................................... 54" | |
| "BCBA-D Eligibility Requirements......................................................................................................................................54" | |
| "Applying for the BCBA-D Designation........................................................................................................................... 56" | |
| "Maintaining the BCBA-D Designation.............................................................................................................................57" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | iii" | |
| " TABLE OF CONTENTS" | |
| "" | |
| "Other Relevant Policies........................................................................................ 58" | |
| "Administrative Appeals....................................................................................................................................................... 58" | |
| "Name Change Policy........................................................................................................................................................... 59" | |
| "Acceptable Signatures Policy........................................................................................................................................... 59" | |
| "Documentation Policy......................................................................................................................................................... 59" | |
| "Submission of False, Forged, or Untrue Information to the BACB....................................................................... 60" | |
| "Timely Responding to the BACB..................................................................................................................................... 60" | |
| "Documents and Resources.................................................................................. 61" | |
| "Eligibility and Applying for Certification...........................................................................................................................61" | |
| "Coursework..............................................................................................................................................................................61" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork...........................................................................................................................................................61" | |
| "Examination..............................................................................................................................................................................61" | |
| "Continuing Education............................................................................................................................................................61" | |
| "Ethics and Self-Reporting.....................................................................................................................................................61" | |
| "Voluntary Inactive Status......................................................................................................................................................61" | |
| "Supervising, Training, and Assessing............................................................................................................................. 62" | |
| "Administrative Appeals....................................................................................................................................................... 62" | |
| "Glossary............................................................................................................... 63" | |
| "Appendix.............................................................................................................. 67" | |
| "Application Processing Agreement.................................................................................................................................67" | |
| "Version History and Updates................................................................................ 69" | |
| "Version 11/1/2023 Updates................................................................................................................................................. 69" | |
| "Version 12/29/2023 Updates............................................................................................................................................ 69" | |
| "Version 5/1/2024 Updates................................................................................................................................................. 69" | |
| "Version 9/27/2024 Updates............................................................................................................................................. 69" | |
| "Version 1/2/2025 Updates................................................................................................................................................. 69" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | iv" | |
| " Overview" | |
| "" | |
| "Overview" | |
| "About the Behavior Analyst Certification Board" | |
| "The Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.® (BACB®) has been the leader in behavior analyst certification for over two" | |
| "decades. The BACB is a nonprofit corporation that was established in 1998 to meet professional certification needs identified" | |
| "by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior-analytic services. The BACB’s mission is to protect consumers" | |
| "of behavior-analytic services by systematically establishing, promoting, and disseminating professional standards of practice." | |
| "" | |
| "In the profession of applied behavior analysis, the BACB’s primary role is to operate certification programs, which involves" | |
| "responsibilities similar to regulatory boards. In this role, the BACB establishes practice standards, administers examinations, and" | |
| "provides ethics requirements and a disciplinary system for each of its certification programs. To learn more about our role and" | |
| "limitations, read our blog post, The BACB: What it is, What it Does, and Why, and listen to Episode 11 of our podcast, Inside the BACB." | |
| "" | |
| "Jurisdiction" | |
| "The BACB currently accepts certification applications from individuals who reside in the following countries:" | |
| "" | |
| "Country Upcoming Changes" | |
| "United States (US) None" | |
| "Canada Ontario residents can no longer apply for RBT or BCaBA certification. Those holding RBT and BCaBA" | |
| "certification in Ontario have had their certification placed on voluntary inactive status. RBTs and" | |
| "BCaBAs who relocate to Ontario should contact the BACB to be placed on voluntary inactive status." | |
| "Ontario residents will no longer be able to apply for BCBA/BCBA-D certification as of June 30, 2026." | |
| "Those holding BCBA/BCBA-D certification in Ontario will be able to maintain their certification." | |
| "United Kingdom Residents of the UK will no longer be able to apply for BACB certification as of January 1, 2026." | |
| "(UK) Those holding BACB certifications in the UK will be able to maintain their certification." | |
| "Australia Residents of Australia will no longer be able to apply for BACB certification as of January 1, 2027." | |
| "Those holding BACB certifications in Australia will be able to maintain their certification." | |
| "" | |
| "What Is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst?" | |
| "The Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) is a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. Professionals" | |
| "certified at the BCBA level are independent practitioners who provide behavior-analytic services." | |
| "" | |
| "BCBA certificants may supervise the work of Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® (BCaBA®) certificants," | |
| "Registered Behavior Technician® (RBT®) certificants, and other professionals who implement behavior-analytic" | |
| "services. They may also function in the role of a BCaBA or RBT. Certificants may hold only one BACB certification at" | |
| "a time. When a certificant obtains a higher-level certification, their lower-level certification will expire after 180 days." | |
| "If the lower-level certification expires during this 180-day period and the certificant wishes to renew or recertify while" | |
| "they are waiting for their new certification to be recognized by relevant stakeholders, they may submit a renewal or" | |
| "recertification application to maintain their lower-level certification throughout the 180-day period." | |
| "" | |
| "Note: In the interest of consumer protection and to ensure that the BACB certification mark is only used to accurately represent" | |
| "certification status, the BACB may seek legal and other remedies to address any misrepresentation of BACB certification (and/" | |
| "or any misuse of other BACB trademarks and logos) that constitutes trademark infringement. For more information about the" | |
| "use of BACB certification marks, see the September 2008, October 2013, and July 2021 BACB Newsletters." | |
| "" | |
| "Board Certified Behavior Analyst—Doctoral" | |
| "BCBAs with doctoral training in behavior analysis may receive the designation of Board Certified Behavior Analyst-" | |
| "Doctoral® (BCBA-D®). The BCBA-D is not a separate certification, and it does not grant any privileges above or" | |
| "beyond BCBA certification. BCBA-Ds function in the same capacity as BCBAs (i.e., as independent practitioners who" | |
| "provide behavior-analytic services) and are required to meet all BCBA maintenance requirements." | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 1" | |
| " Overview" | |
| "" | |
| "Overview of Becoming and Maintaining BCBA Certification" | |
| "" | |
| "MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS* APPLY TAKE & PASS BCBA EXAM MAINTAIN" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "PATHWAY 1: ABAI- OR APBA-ACCREDITED DEGREE MEET CONTINUING" | |
| "EDUCATION" | |
| "REQUIREMENTS" | |
| "PATHWAY 2: BEHAVIOR-ANALYTIC COURSEWORK" | |
| "ADHERE TO ETHICS" | |
| "PATHWAY 3: FACULTY TEACHING AND RESEARCH REQUIREMENTS" | |
| "" | |
| "RECERTIFY EVERY" | |
| "PATHWAY 4: POSTDOCTORAL EXPERIENCE" | |
| "TWO YEARS" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 06/29/2022, Copyright © 2022, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Reasons for Becoming a BCBA" | |
| "There are many benefits to obtaining BCBA certification, including:" | |
| "• BCBA certification is the leading behavior analyst credential and is required by many funders and licensure" | |
| "boards. BCBA certification is offered by the first certifying entity in behavior analysis, the BACB, which has" | |
| "been certifying behavior analysts for over 20 years." | |
| "• BCBA certification shows that you have met certain requirements that are critical in providing and overseeing" | |
| "behavior-analytic services." | |
| "• BCBA certification provides increased consumer protection since you must meet certain eligibility and" | |
| "maintenance requirements to obtain and maintain certification." | |
| "• BCBA certification makes it easier for employers, funders, and consumers, among others, to verify that you" | |
| "have certain knowledge, skills, and abilities and are not under disciplinary sanctions." | |
| "" | |
| "Accreditation" | |
| "The BCBA, BCaBA, and RBT certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying" | |
| "Agencies (NCCA), the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). NCCA’s" | |
| "Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs were the first standards developed for professional" | |
| "certification programs to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public. NCCA standards articulate" | |
| "the essential elements of a high-quality certification program. Consistent with these standards, the BACB’s" | |
| "certification requirements, examination content, and procedures undergo regular review by subject matter" | |
| "experts in the discipline. To learn more about accreditation, see ICE’s video, Value of Accreditation: Why it Matters." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 2" | |
| " Overview" | |
| "" | |
| "You Want to Pursue Certification… Now What?*" | |
| "So, you are interested in pursuing BCBA certification. What should you do now? Although the BACB cannot" | |
| "instruct you on how to meet our requirements, the content in this section is intended to provide some guidance" | |
| "that might be helpful as you start this journey." | |
| "" | |
| "A Few Tips Before Getting Started" | |
| "First. carefully review both the eligibility and maintenance requirements that are detailed in this handbook. Then," | |
| "determine which eligibility pathway you plan to pursue. The majority of BCBA certificants apply under Pathway 1" | |
| "or Pathway 2, so this section focuses primarily on those pathways. Once you have selected a pathway, determine" | |
| "when you might apply, as it may take a few years to meet all of the requirements, and the eligibility requirements" | |
| "may change." | |
| "" | |
| "Third, you will want to create a BACB account using these tips:" | |
| "• Enter your full legal name exactly as it appears on your government-issued identification. If it does not" | |
| "match exactly, you will not be able to take the examination. Name changes require review by BACB staff," | |
| "so a name change could delay your ability to take the examination." | |
| "• Use a personal email address and not a work or school email address. Important notifications and" | |
| "reminders are sent to this address, so if you change employers or lose access to your school email" | |
| "address, you will not receive reminders, correspondence, or password resets." | |
| "• Set up the profile yourself and do not share your account information with anyone else, including your" | |
| "employer. This is your certification—no one else should be managing it for you. The contact information" | |
| "you provide must include your current address and phone number. It is very important that you list your" | |
| "current address, as your residence must be under the BACB’s jurisdiction." | |
| "• Update your information in your BACB account as soon as changes occur (e.g., name change, address" | |
| "change, email address change)." | |
| "• Do not create more than one account. If you are having trouble getting into your account, please use" | |
| "the Contact Us Form for assistance." | |
| "Creating a BACB account will give you a BACB account ID number, which you will need to add to documents as" | |
| "you work toward certification. Having a BACB account also means that you will receive important updates from" | |
| "the BACB." | |
| "" | |
| "Considerations When Exploring Training Options" | |
| "You only receive your initial training once. If possible, don’t pick your training out of convenience, expense," | |
| "or geography. We recommend thoroughly researching the trainings before committing to one. While we can’t" | |
| "provide guidance on where to receive your behavior-analytic coursework, here are some things to consider." | |
| "" | |
| "Ideally, you should obtain your education in behavior analysis from a behavior-analytic degree program. There are" | |
| "many benefits to this option. For instance, in most cases, you can meet all BCBA eligibility requirements in one place" | |
| "while also having engaging, non-classroom interactions with behavior-analytic faculty and students that will greatly" | |
| "enhance your education and begin to develop your behavior-analytic social networks. Even if you don’t receive all of" | |
| "your supervised fieldwork through the degree-granting program, your faculty will likely help you identify where you" | |
| "can accrue your hours in an immersive behavior-analytic environment. If completing your education in a behavior-" | |
| "analytic degree program is a possibility for you, here are a few things to consider as you research programs." | |
| "" | |
| "First, research the faculty members and determine whether the program’s interest(s) align with yours (see the ABA" | |
| "Subspecialty Resources on the About Behavior Analysis web page for some of the areas in which behavior analysis" | |
| "has been applied). Second, identify the program’s structure to determine how much time you will have with your faculty" | |
| "and fellow students. Third, confirm that the program has a pathway to meet the BACB’s coursework requirements." | |
| "* This is not a comprehensive resource for all activities you will need to or should complete as you prepare for certification." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 3" | |
| " Overview" | |
| "" | |
| "You may obtain your behavior-analytic coursework in one of the following ways:" | |
| "• APBA-Accredited or ABAI-Accredited or Recognized Behavior Analysis Degree Program (Pathway 1):" | |
| "Master’s degree (or higher) behavior analysis programs that have been accredited by APBA or" | |
| "accredited or recognized by ABAI (under ABAI Tiers 1, 2a, or 2b) have met quality standards for their" | |
| "curriculum, faculty, and supports, among others. If you receive a master’s degree or higher from one" | |
| "of these programs, both the coursework and degree eligibility requirements will be met. Accredited or" | |
| "recognized programs may be found on the APBA and ABAI websites." | |
| "• Verified Course Sequence (Pathway 2): The other option for completing behavior-analytic coursework" | |
| "is through a Verified Course Sequence. A Verified Course Sequence is a set of courses that have" | |
| "been verified by ABAI as having met the BACB’s behavior-analytic coursework requirements. Although" | |
| "some Verified Course Sequences are embedded in an ABAI-accredited graduate program, many are" | |
| "not. Verified Course Sequence status merely indicates that the content-hour requirements for certain" | |
| "behavior-analytic courses have been reviewed. Verified Course Sequences may be located using ABAI’s" | |
| "Verified Course Sequence Directory." | |
| "Finally, when determining where to obtain your coursework, you might also want to consider:" | |
| "• Program Focus: Do you have any existing areas of interest? If so, does the program align with your" | |
| "professional goals? Is the program led by faculty with similar interests? Will the program help facilitate" | |
| "experience in areas that are meaningful to you?" | |
| "• Program Size: Find out the size of each cohort and determine if the size is a good fit for you as a learner." | |
| "This information can usually be found on the program’s website. Our university pass rate documents also" | |
| "give an idea of program size by looking at the number of candidates who took the examination from an" | |
| "institution each year (see the Sort by Volume section of the document)." | |
| "• Program Structure: Courses are usually taught on campus, online, or in a combination of online and" | |
| "on-campus experiences (again, this information should be available on the program’s website). Consider" | |
| "what structure is the best fit for you as a learner. You might want to consider what has worked for you in" | |
| "the past. Were you successful in online courses? Did you need or value in-person experiences? In what" | |
| "setting did you learn the most and feel the most engaged?" | |
| "• Number of Faculty: Determine how many part- and full-time faculty are on staff, especially in relation to" | |
| "the program size, to understand the student-to-faculty ratio." | |
| "• University Pass Rates: The BACB annually publishes examination pass rate data for universities with" | |
| "Verified Course Sequences. Passing the BCBA examination is not the most important part of your" | |
| "training, but, at a minimum, your training should prepare you to pass the examination." | |
| "Once you have identified where you will get your behavior-analytic coursework, your faculty mentor/advisor," | |
| "program chair, and/or Verified Course Sequence Coordinator will be your resource(s) to help you meet the" | |
| "BACB’s requirements along the way." | |
| "" | |
| "Considerations When Identifying Practical Fieldwork Opportunities" | |
| "Hold on! Remember that qualifying behavior-analytic coursework needs to begin before fieldwork, so make sure" | |
| "you get your coursework situation figured out beforehand. Once you have started your coursework, determine" | |
| "where you want to accrue your structured fieldwork hours and whether it will give you the applied experience" | |
| "that will prepare you to practice independently after you are certified. For instance, consider the population(s)" | |
| "and setting(s) where you want to ultimately provide behavior-analytic services. The BACB cannot provide this" | |
| "guidance, so you should reach out to your Verified Course Sequence Coordinator, advisor, or employer for" | |
| "guidance about where to accrue fieldwork in your chosen area." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 4" | |
| " Overview" | |
| "" | |
| "When identifying supervisor(s) to oversee your fieldwork hours, ensure that they are qualified to be your supervisor" | |
| "(see the Fieldwork Requirements section). In addition, you should focus on finding supervisors who have a" | |
| "successful track record of BACB supervision. You could do this in a number of ways, but here are a few ideas:" | |
| "• Check on their certification status in the Certificant Registry to ensure that they are qualified to supervise" | |
| "and to see if they have any disciplinary sanctions." | |
| "• Look at how long they have been certified. We recommend identifying supervisors who have been" | |
| "certified for at least a year, if not longer. Note: BCBAs in their first year of certification who are supervising" | |
| "fieldwork must have a consulting supervisor." | |
| "• Gather information from the supervisor and past supervisees about the supervisor’s style to make sure" | |
| "they are a good fit for you." | |
| "• Ask about their time and document-management systems. Caution: If you can’t produce all of the" | |
| "necessary documents to support your fieldwork in the event of an audit, you might lose fieldwork hours," | |
| "so you will want a very organized supervisor!" | |
| "• Determine whether they are familiar with the BACB’s requirements." | |
| "• Consider whether they could customize the fieldwork to your interests (while still meeting their ethical" | |
| "obligations as a BCBA to stay within their area of competence)." | |
| "Once you have identified fieldwork site(s) and supervisor(s), complete the Fieldwork Checklist and Tip Sheet" | |
| "before you get started with each fieldwork site/supervisor. The BACB is not able to provide guidance beyond" | |
| "what is in our fieldwork requirements, as each situation is unique (e.g., whether a specific activity will qualify" | |
| "toward your fieldwork hours). Work together with your supervisor(s) to ensure that you are meeting the fieldwork" | |
| "requirements while also meeting your professional goals." | |
| "" | |
| "A Few Final Tips" | |
| "• Keep this handbook close by. We will update the handbook quarterly as needed, so always make sure" | |
| "that you are reviewing the most current handbook to see what has changed since the last version. It is" | |
| "also important that you become familiar with all applicable licensure requirements in your area." | |
| "• Frequently check the BACB website for new resources, including videos, blogs, and podcasts. For" | |
| "example, the Tips for New Certificants blog shares valuable information for newly certified individuals," | |
| "and The Professional Infrastructure of Applied Behavior Analysis video describes the various" | |
| "organizations within the ABA profession." | |
| "• Get involved and engaged with your behavior-analytic community! This might include joining or" | |
| "volunteering with your local, regional, or national professional associations and groups focused in your" | |
| "area(s) of interest. You will likely learn a lot and have an opportunity to contribute to behavior analysis" | |
| "and its consumers. Having professional support is helpful at every stage of your career, so create" | |
| "opportunities to identify trusted colleague(s), mentors, and/or groups now." | |
| "• As you pursue certification, ensure that you do not represent yourself as a BCBA trainee or applicant to" | |
| "prevent consumers from being confused about your qualifications. For more information about use of the" | |
| "BCBA certification mark, see the September 2008, October 2013, and July 2021 BACB Newsletters." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 5" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "Eligibility Pathways" | |
| "You may apply for BCBA certification through one of the following pathways. Each pathway requires a" | |
| "degree, behavior-analytic content, supervised fieldwork, and passing the BCBA certification examination." | |
| "" | |
| "Overview of Eligibility Pathways" | |
| "Pathway 1:" | |
| "Degree From" | |
| "APBA-Accredited" | |
| "Pathway 2: Pathway 3: Faculty Pathway 4:" | |
| "Program or" | |
| "Behavior-Analytic Teaching and Postdoctoral" | |
| "ABAI-Accredited" | |
| "Coursework Research Experience" | |
| "or Recognized" | |
| "Program (ABAI Tier" | |
| "1, 2a, or 2b)" | |
| "Master’s degree Master’s degree Master’s degree" | |
| "Degree Doctoral degree" | |
| "or higher from an or higher or higher" | |
| "APBA-accredited" | |
| "program or an" | |
| "ABAI-accredited Postdoctoral" | |
| "Behavior-analytic or recognized Behavior-analytic Faculty teaching experience in" | |
| "content behavior analysis coursework and research applied behavior" | |
| "degree program analysis" | |
| "(ABAI Tier 1, 2a," | |
| "or 2b)" | |
| "Practical fieldwork Practical fieldwork Practical fieldwork Practical fieldwork" | |
| "Fieldwork in applied behavior in applied behavior in applied behavior in applied behavior" | |
| "analysis analysis analysis analysis" | |
| "" | |
| "The following pages provide further details for each eligibility pathway." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 6" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Pathway 1: Degree From Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) Accredited Program" | |
| "or Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Accredited or Recognized Program" | |
| "To apply for BCBA certification via this pathway, you must have a degree from an APBA-" | |
| "accredited program or an ABAI-accredited or recognized behavior analysis master’s or" | |
| "doctoral degree program (ABAI Tier 1, 2a, or 2b) and have completed supervised fieldwork." | |
| "Does the BACB" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "( )" | |
| "DEGREE FROM APBA- use primary source" | |
| "" | |
| "+ =" | |
| "ACCREDITED PROGRAM" | |
| "OR ABAI-ACCREDITED OR SUPERVISED FIELDWORK" | |
| "PASS CERTIFICATION verification of degrees" | |
| "EXAMINATION" | |
| "RECOGNIZED PROGRAM and coursework?" | |
| "(ABAI TIER 1, 2A, OR 2B)" | |
| "Version 9/26/2023, Copyright © 2022, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "Yes! Under every" | |
| "eligibility pathway, we rely" | |
| "Check out ABAI’s Accredited Programs web page for a directory of degree on official transcripts to" | |
| "programs that meet this requirement, and visit APBA’s About Accreditation verify that an applicant’s" | |
| "web page to learn more about their upcoming program. degree and coursework" | |
| "meet our requirements." | |
| "Degree" | |
| "" | |
| "You must have obtained:" | |
| "• a master’s degree while the program was accredited by APBA OR" | |
| "• a master’s or doctoral degree in 2015 or later, and the degree must have been obtained while the program" | |
| "was accredited or recognized by ABAI under Tier 1, 2a, or 2b. For example, your degree would meet the" | |
| "degree requirement if you received your master’s or doctoral degree in 2018 from a program that was" | |
| "accredited from 2016 to 2022." | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting an official transcript" | |
| "with a conferral date for your qualifying degree." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "" | |
| "You must complete supervised fieldwork in applied behavior analysis. You may accrue your fieldwork hours" | |
| "under one or more fieldwork types: Supervised Fieldwork or Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork. The following" | |
| "table provides a general overview of the requirements for fieldwork; however, your fieldwork must meet all of the" | |
| "requirements in the Supervised Fieldwork Requirements section." | |
| "" | |
| "Overview of Fieldwork Requirements" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "Fieldwork hours" | |
| "2,000 1,500" | |
| "required to qualify" | |
| "Supervisors must be one of the following:" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisor • an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for at least" | |
| "qualifications one year and meets an ongoing supervision CEU requirement;" | |
| "(see the Supervised • an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for less than one" | |
| "Fieldwork Requirements year and is receiving consultation on a monthly basis from a qualified consulting supervisor;" | |
| "section for additional • a licensed or registered psychologist certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology" | |
| "supervisor requirements) in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology who was tested in applied behavior analysis; OR" | |
| "• an authorized Verified Course Sequence instructor." | |
| "Supervision hours per" | |
| "5% of hours 10% of hours" | |
| "supervisory period" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 7" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting your signed Final" | |
| "Fieldwork Verification Form(s) (F-FVF). Note: If your fieldwork is audited, you may need to submit an" | |
| "audit log and other documents, such as your supervision contract, Monthly Fieldwork Verification" | |
| "Forms (M-FVFs), and/or documentation system, to support the information entered in your audit" | |
| "log. All current fieldwork requirements must be met." | |
| "" | |
| "Pathway 2: Behavior-Analytic Coursework" | |
| "To apply for BCBA certification via this pathway, you must have an acceptable graduate degree from a qualifying" | |
| "institution, have completed acceptable graduate coursework in behavior analysis, and have completed" | |
| "supervised fieldwork." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "( DEGREE" | |
| "+ BEHAVIOR-ANALYTIC" | |
| "COURSEWORK" | |
| "+" | |
| "SUPERVISED" | |
| "FIELDWORK" | |
| ") PASS" | |
| "EXAMINATION = CERTIFICATION" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 9/11/2019, Copyright © 2019, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Degree" | |
| "" | |
| "You must have a master’s degree or higher from a qualifying institution (see glossary for the definition of qualifying" | |
| "institution by country) in any field. The degree may have been earned at any time. Any degree earned outside of the" | |
| "United States, Canada, Australia, or United Kingdom must undergo a degree equivalency evaluation to demonstrate" | |
| "that it is equivalent to a US master’s degree or higher. The BACB only accepts degrees that have undergone the" | |
| "degree equivalency evaluation process that it oversees at its expense. As of September 2021, the BACB no longer" | |
| "allows applicants to refute its determinations using another degree evaluation service." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting an official transcript" | |
| "with a conferral date for your qualifying degree." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 8" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Behavior-Analytic Coursework" | |
| "" | |
| "You must complete behavior-analytic coursework that meets the following requirements:" | |
| "• The coursework was graduate level (i.e., master’s or doctoral) and from the qualifying Check out the You Want" | |
| "institution at which you were enrolled. to Pursue Certification..." | |
| "• The coursework was obtained within 10 years of the year the application was Now What? section" | |
| "submitted (e.g., to apply in 2024, only coursework completed in 2014 or later will for guidance on where" | |
| "be applied). to get your behavior-" | |
| "• You received academic credit for the coursework. analytic training." | |
| "• The coursework reflects that you received a passing grade (“C” or higher in a graded" | |
| "course or “pass” in a pass/fail system) in each course." | |
| "• The coursework covers all of the content areas and number of hours specified in this table:" | |
| "Coursework Content Requirements" | |
| "Content Areas Hours*" | |
| "BACB Ethics Code and Code-Enforcement System; Professionalism" | |
| "Note: The content must be taught in one or more freestanding courses," | |
| "45 hrs" | |
| "meaning that the BACB’s ethics code and code-enforcement system and" | |
| "professionalism must constitute the majority of each course’s content." | |
| "Philosophical Underpinnings; Concepts & Principles Note: 45 hours" | |
| "must be taught in one freestanding course, meaning that concepts and 90 hrs" | |
| "principles must constitute the majority of the course’s content." | |
| "Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation; Experimental Design" | |
| "Note: The content must be taught in one freestanding course, meaning that" | |
| "45 hrs" | |
| "measurement, data display, and interpretation and experimental design" | |
| "must constitute the majority of the course’s content." | |
| "Behavior Assessment 45 hrs" | |
| "Behavior-Change Procedures; Selecting and Implementing Interventions 60 hrs" | |
| "Personnel Supervision and Management 30 hrs" | |
| "Total 315 hrs" | |
| "* For the purpose of establishing instructional requirements that can be applied globally, 1 semester credit hour will" | |
| "represent 15 hours of classroom instruction, and 1 quarter credit hour will represent 10 hours of classroom instruction. This" | |
| "conversion is based on US Federal Rule." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 9" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "How is my coursework evaluated? When applying for BCBA certification under Pathway 2," | |
| "you can show that you meet the coursework requirements in one of two ways:" | |
| "1. Verified Course Sequence (VCS) Coordinator Coursework Attestation: Your BCBA-" | |
| "certified VCS Coordinator reviews all of your course materials and, if all requirements Not sure your" | |
| "have been met, completes the VCS Coordinator Coursework Attestation. coursework qualifies?" | |
| "2. Course-by-Course Review: ABAI works with institutions to identify and verify sequences" | |
| "of courses—known as Verified Course Sequences—that have been prescreened to If you are uncertain" | |
| "meet BCBA coursework requirements. The ABAI Verified Course Sequence Directory whether your" | |
| "includes all Verified Course Sequences, VCS Coordinators and content hours, and coursework qualifies," | |
| "dates on which the courses were verified. Under this option, the BACB reviews each you can request a" | |
| "course you completed with the courses in ABAI’s VCS records to determine whether preliminary coursework" | |
| "all requirements, including all content hour requirements, have been met. Note: This evaluation online. This" | |
| "method for evaluating coursework will be discontinued as of January 1, 2026. will include a $100 fee." | |
| "If you completed qualifying coursework that was not part of a VCS, and we do not" | |
| "have the courses established in our records, you will be required to have your Note: Preliminary" | |
| "department chair complete a Nonverified Course Content Attestation. The BACB coursework evaluations" | |
| "will then add the attestation to the course database for consideration during the will no longer be available" | |
| "course-by-course review for your BCBA Certification Application or your preliminary as of December 31," | |
| "coursework evaluation. Note: As of January 1, 2026, nonverified coursework will no 2025, due to the VCS" | |
| "longer be accepted as part of a BCBA certification application. system ending. Submit all" | |
| "required documentation" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet the coursework requirements when you apply by submitting to the BACB by October" | |
| "official transcript(s) for all qualifying behavior-analytic courses that you will use to meet the 1, 2025, to ensure a" | |
| "requirements. Please keep in mind that if you transferred schools while completing your determination before the" | |
| "coursework, you must submit a transcript from each institution. In addition, if your VCS final application deadline." | |
| "Coordinator completes a VCS Coordinator Coursework Attestation, they must email it directly" | |
| "to the BACB as stated in the form." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "" | |
| "You must complete supervised fieldwork in applied behavior analysis. You may accrue your fieldwork hours under" | |
| "one or more fieldwork types: Supervised Fieldwork or Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork. The following table" | |
| "provides a general overview. You should thoroughly review the Supervised Fieldwork Requirements section to" | |
| "ensure that you meet all of the detailed requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Overview of Fieldwork Requirements" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "Fieldwork hours" | |
| "2,000 1,500" | |
| "required to qualify" | |
| "Supervisors must be one of the following:" | |
| "• an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for at" | |
| "Supervisor qualifications least one year and meets an ongoing supervision CEU requirement;" | |
| "(see the Supervised • an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for less than one" | |
| "Fieldwork Requirements year and is receiving consultation on a monthly basis from a qualified consulting supervisor;" | |
| "section for additional • a licensed or registered psychologist certified by the American Board of Professional" | |
| "supervisor requirements) Psychology in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology who was tested in applied" | |
| "behavior analysis; OR" | |
| "• an authorized Verified Course Sequence instructor." | |
| "Supervision hours per" | |
| "5% of hours 10% of hours" | |
| "supervisory period" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 10" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting your signed" | |
| "Final Fieldwork Verification Form(s) (F-FVF). Note: If your fieldwork is audited, you may need to" | |
| "submit an audit log and other documents, such as your supervision contract, Monthly Fieldwork" | |
| "Verification Forms (M-FVFs), and/or documentation system, to support the information entered in" | |
| "your audit log. All current fieldwork requirements must be met." | |
| "" | |
| "Pathway 3: Faculty Teaching and Research" | |
| "To apply for BCBA certification via this pathway, you must have an acceptable graduate degree from a qualifying" | |
| "institution, have held a full-time faculty position in behavior analysis that includes research and teaching, and have" | |
| "completed supervised fieldwork." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "( DEGREE" | |
| "+ FACULTY" | |
| "APPOINTMENT" | |
| "+" | |
| "SUPERVISED" | |
| "FIELDWORK" | |
| ") PASS" | |
| "EXAMINATION = CERTIFICATION" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 9/11/2019, Copyright © 2019, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Degree" | |
| "" | |
| "You must have a master’s degree or higher from a qualifying institution in any field. Any degree earned outside of the" | |
| "United States, Canada, Australia, or United Kingdom must undergo a degree equivalency evaluation to demonstrate" | |
| "that it is equivalent to a US master’s degree or higher. The BACB only accepts degrees that have undergone the" | |
| "degree equivalency evaluation process that it oversees at its expense. As of September 2021, the BACB no longer" | |
| "allows applicants to refute its determinations using another degree evaluation service." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting an official transcript" | |
| "with a conferral date for your qualifying degree." | |
| "" | |
| "Faculty Appointment" | |
| "" | |
| "You must have at least three years (cumulative) of full-time work as a faculty member at a qualifying institution within a" | |
| "five-year period." | |
| "" | |
| "Teaching: Your faculty appointment must have included the following teaching characteristics:" | |
| "• You taught at least five sections/iterations of behavior-analytic coursework." | |
| "• You taught at least two of the following behavior-analytic content areas in separate courses: concepts and" | |
| "principles of behavior, single-subject research methods, applied behavior analysis, and ethics in behavior analysis." | |
| "• Each course must have been exclusively or primarily devoted to behavior-analytic content." | |
| "• You taught this coursework at the graduate level." | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting a letter from the" | |
| "department chair indicating that these requirements were met along with course syllabi." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 11" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Research: You must have published one journal article with the following characteristics:" | |
| "• It was behavior analytic in nature." | |
| "• It included at least one experimental evaluation." | |
| "• It was published in a high-quality, peer-reviewed journal." | |
| "• You were the first, second, or corresponding author." | |
| "• It was published at any point in your career." | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting a copy of your" | |
| "published article." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "" | |
| "You must complete supervised fieldwork in applied behavior analysis. After starting your faculty appointment," | |
| "you may accrue your fieldwork hours under one or more fieldwork types: Supervised Fieldwork or Concentrated" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork. Review the following table for a general overview and the Supervised Fieldwork Requirements" | |
| "section to ensure you meet all the requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Overview of Fieldwork Requirements" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "Fieldwork hours" | |
| "2,000 1,500" | |
| "required to qualify" | |
| "Supervisors must be one of the following:" | |
| "• an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for at" | |
| "least one year and meets an ongoing supervision CEU requirement;" | |
| "Supervisor qualifications" | |
| "• an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for" | |
| "(see the Supervised" | |
| "less than one year and is receiving consultation on a monthly basis from a qualified" | |
| "Fieldwork Requirements" | |
| "consulting supervisor;" | |
| "section for additional" | |
| "supervisor requirements) • a licensed or registered psychologist certified by the American Board of Professional" | |
| "Psychology in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology who was tested in applied" | |
| "behavior analysis; OR" | |
| "• an authorized Verified Course Sequence instructor." | |
| "Supervision hours per" | |
| "5% of hours 10% of hours" | |
| "supervisory period" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting your signed Final" | |
| "Fieldwork Verification Form(s) (F-FVF). Note: If your fieldwork is audited, you may need to submit an" | |
| "audit log and other documents, such as your supervision contract, Monthly Fieldwork Verification" | |
| "Forms (M-FVFs), and/or documentation system, to support the information entered in your audit" | |
| "log. All current fieldwork requirements must be met." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 12" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Pathway 4: Postdoctoral Experience" | |
| "To apply for BCBA certification via this pathway, you must have an acceptable doctoral degree from a qualifying" | |
| "institution that was conferred at least 10 years ago, have completed at least 10 years of postdoctoral practical" | |
| "experience, and have completed 500 hours of supervised fieldwork." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "( DOCTORAL" | |
| "DEGREE + POSTDOCTORAL" | |
| "EXPERIENCE" | |
| "+" | |
| "SUPERVISED" | |
| "FIELDWORK" | |
| ") PASS" | |
| "EXAMINATION = CERTIFICATION" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 9/11/2019, Copyright © 2019, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Doctoral Degree" | |
| "" | |
| "You must have a doctoral degree from a qualifying institution. Any degree earned outside of the United States," | |
| "Canada, Australia, or United Kingdom must undergo a degree equivalency evaluation to demonstrate that it is" | |
| "equivalent to a US doctoral degree. The BACB only accepts degrees that have undergone the degree equivalency" | |
| "evaluation process that it oversees at its expense. As of September 2021, the BACB no longer allows applicants to" | |
| "refute its determinations using another degree evaluation service." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting an official transcript" | |
| "with a conferral date for your qualifying degree." | |
| "" | |
| "Postdoctoral Experience" | |
| "" | |
| "The postdoctoral experience must:" | |
| "• include 10 years of full-time, cumulative experience practicing behavior analysis (time spent teaching" | |
| "behavior analysis does not count) AND" | |
| "• have occurred under a relevant state/provincial license or national professional credential. You may have" | |
| "held different credentials at different times during the 10 years." | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting a curriculum vitae" | |
| "showing this experience, signed attestations describing the behavior-analytic practice from current" | |
| "or former employers, and proof of the applicable professional credential(s)." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 13" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "" | |
| "You must complete supervised fieldwork in applied behavior analysis. You may accrue your fieldwork" | |
| "hours under Supervised Fieldwork. This fieldwork must have started once you have completed 10 years of" | |
| "postdoctoral experience. The following table provides a general overview. You should thoroughly review the" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork Requirements section to ensure that you meet all of the detailed requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Overview of Fieldwork Requirements" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "Fieldwork hours" | |
| "500" | |
| "required to qualify" | |
| "Supervisors must be one of the following:" | |
| "• an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for at" | |
| "Supervisor qualifications least one year and meets an ongoing supervision CEU requirement;" | |
| "(see the Supervised • an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for less than one" | |
| "Fieldwork Requirements year and is receiving consultation on a monthly basis from a qualified consulting supervisor;" | |
| "section for additional • a licensed or registered psychologist certified by the American Board of Professional" | |
| "supervisor requirements) Psychology in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology who was tested in applied" | |
| "behavior analysis; OR" | |
| "• an authorized Verified Course Sequence instructor." | |
| "Supervision hours per" | |
| "5% of hours" | |
| "supervisory period" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting your signed Final" | |
| "Fieldwork Verification Form(s) (F-FVF). Note: If your fieldwork is audited, you may need to submit an" | |
| "audit log and other documents, such as your supervision contract, Monthly Fieldwork Verification" | |
| "Forms (M-FVFs), and/or documentation system, to support the information entered in your audit" | |
| "log. All current fieldwork requirements must be met." | |
| "" | |
| "Qualification for Examination via Past Certification" | |
| "If your BCBA certification expired within the last five years, you may be able to requalify as a BCBA by sitting for and" | |
| "passing the BCBA certification examination. Qualification via past certification applications are only accepted from" | |
| "individuals residing in countries in which the BACB accepts new certification applications." | |
| "" | |
| "To be eligible for this option, you must also meet the following continuing education requirements:" | |
| "• You obtained 16 continuing education units (CEUs) each year since the date your BCBA certification expired" | |
| "(prorated to the month you submit a Qualify for Examination via Past Certification Application)." | |
| "• The CEUS you earned meet the BACB’s current CEU requirements and entered into your BACB account" | |
| "prior to submitting the application. CEU documentation may use the previous certification number to connect" | |
| "to previous certification held for this purpose only." | |
| "If you become certified again via this option, you will receive a new certification number and recertification cycle. You" | |
| "must also adhere to the same requirements as a new certificant (e.g., 8-hour supervision training, consulting supervisor)." | |
| "Additional CEUs may be required if there is a delay in the application requirements (e.g., payment, documents received)." | |
| "" | |
| "Applying via Past Certification" | |
| "" | |
| "If you want to apply for BCBA certification via this option, you must complete and submit a Qualify for Examination" | |
| "via Past Certification Application after your reinstatement period has ended. If your application is approved and you" | |
| "are authorized to sit for the BCBA examination, you must pass the examination within a two-year authorization period" | |
| "(see the Examination section for more details)." | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 14" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork Requirements" | |
| "Applicants must complete supervised fieldwork in applied behavior analysis. The following sections describe all of" | |
| "the requirements for supervised fieldwork (hereafter referred to as “fieldwork”). Regardless of when the hours were" | |
| "earned, applicants who apply for BCBA certification must meet all of these requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Fieldwork Hour Requirements" | |
| "Total Fieldwork Hours Required: Based on the type of fieldwork hours accrued (see the A Comparison of Fieldwork" | |
| "Types table), you will need to complete either 2,000 Supervised Fieldwork hours or 1,500 Concentrated Supervised" | |
| "Fieldwork hours to meet the fieldwork requirement. If you are mixing fieldwork types, please see the Combining" | |
| "Fieldwork Types section." | |
| "" | |
| "Onset of Fieldwork: Trainees may not start accumulating fieldwork hours until they have:" | |
| "• secured a qualified supervisor (see Supervisor Qualifications section), AND" | |
| "• developed and signed a supervision contract with each supervisor (see Supervision Contract section), AND" | |
| "• if applying under Pathway 1 or 2: started qualifying graduate-level behavior-analytic coursework*, OR" | |
| "• if applying under Pathway 4: completed 10 years of postdoctoral experience." | |
| "Accrual of Fieldwork: No fewer than 20 hours but no more than 130 hours of fieldwork requirements may be accrued per" | |
| "month. Fieldwork hours include independent hours (supervisor not present) and supervised hours (supervisor present)." | |
| "" | |
| "Duration of Fieldwork: The time frame of the fieldwork may not exceed five continuous years (e.g., May 1, 2020, to" | |
| "April 30, 2025)." | |
| "" | |
| "Clients: Any person (or group of people) for whom behavior-analytic services are appropriate may be a client. However," | |
| "the trainee may not be related to the client, be the client’s primary caregiver, or be related to the client’s primary" | |
| "caregiver. Trainees must work with, be observed by, and receive feedback from their supervisor for multiple clients" | |
| "during the fieldwork. This requirement is applicable for the duration of the fieldwork (i.e., not per supervisory period)." | |
| "" | |
| "Acceptable Activities: The trainee’s primary focus should be on acquiring the skills necessary to demonstrate" | |
| "competence in behavior analysis and the skills necessary to interact effectively with consumers, supervisors, families," | |
| "and others. The supervisor will be responsible for determining whether activities qualify for accruing fieldwork hours" | |
| "and are consistent with the requirements in this document." | |
| "" | |
| "Trainees are strongly encouraged to have multiple experiences (e.g., different settings," | |
| "populations) with multiple supervisors from each of these areas of activity:" | |
| "• conducting assessments related to the need for behavioral intervention (e.g., stimulus" | |
| "Now is the time to" | |
| "preference assessment, functional assessment, staff performance assessment) or for" | |
| "explore! Find out" | |
| "evaluating behavioral interventions;" | |
| "what areas of interest" | |
| "• designing, implementing, and systematically monitoring skill-acquisition and behavior-" | |
| "you might have and" | |
| "reduction programs;" | |
| "what populations and" | |
| "• writing behavior plans, progress summaries, clinical notes, transition summaries, and" | |
| "settings you enjoy" | |
| "professional correspondence;" | |
| "working in. Get different" | |
| "• overseeing the implementation of behavior-analytic programs by others;" | |
| "perspectives by working" | |
| "• training others, designing behavioral systems, and performance management;" | |
| "with different supervisors" | |
| "• communicating and collaborating effectively with caregivers and other professionals; AND" | |
| "with various areas" | |
| "• other activities normally performed by a behavior analyst that are directly related to" | |
| "of expertise." | |
| "behavior analysis, such as attending planning meetings regarding the behavior-analytic" | |
| "program and researching the literature that is relevant to a current client’s programming." | |
| "" | |
| "* They may begin accruing hours after attending the first class meeting. For fieldwork to be counted, a passing grade of “C” or" | |
| "higher in a graded course or “pass” in a pass/fail system must be earned in at least one qualifying behavior-analytic course." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 15" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Before You Start Your Fieldwork" | |
| "The BACB strongly encourages you (the trainee) to complete the Fieldwork" | |
| "Checklist and Tip Sheet and share it with the supervisor at each fieldwork setting." | |
| "" | |
| "Restricted Activities: There is a restriction on the overall amount of hours you may" | |
| "spend delivering therapeutic and instructional procedures during fieldwork. This" | |
| "restriction is designed to ensure that trainees have sufficient time to acquire the other" | |
| "skills necessary for practice as a BCBA. Restricted activities may comprise no more" | |
| "than 40% of the total fieldwork hours—this requirement does not need to be met" | |
| "during each supervisory period. Please note that this restriction does not necessarily" | |
| "refer to all time spent working with clients. Fieldwork Checklist and" | |
| "Tip Sheet" | |
| "Unrestricted Activities: Activities that are unrestricted are those that are most likely to" | |
| "be performed by a BCBA. Unrestricted activities must comprise at least 60% (e.g., at least 1,200 hours of unrestricted" | |
| "activities) of the total fieldwork hours. This requirement does not need to be met during each supervisory period." | |
| "Examples of unrestricted activities include:" | |
| "• observation and data collection" | |
| "• training staff and caregivers on behavior-analytic programs or content" | |
| "• conducting assessments related to the need for behavioral intervention" | |
| "• meeting with clients about behavior-analytic programming and services" | |
| "• conducting behavior-analytic assessments (e.g., functional analyses, stimulus preference assessments)" | |
| "• data graphing and analysis" | |
| "• researching the literature relevant to a current client’s programming" | |
| "• writing and revising behavior-analytic programs" | |
| "" | |
| "Why are unrestricted activities so important?" | |
| "" | |
| "Following certification, most behavior analysts primarily perform unrestricted activities. It is" | |
| "important, therefore, to have experience with these activities before becoming certified." | |
| "" | |
| "Unacceptable Activities: Only behavior-analytic activities may be counted toward fieldwork requirements." | |
| "Nonbehavior-analytic activities, while valuable, may not be counted. Examples of activities that will not count as" | |
| "fieldwork include:" | |
| "• attending meetings with little or no behavior-analytic content" | |
| "• providing interventions that are not based in behavior analysis" | |
| "• performing nonbehavioral administrative activities" | |
| "• nonbehavior-analytic trainings related to service delivery (e.g., crisis management, CPR, billing systems)" | |
| "• completing nonbehavioral assessments (e.g., diagnostic assessments, intellectual assessments), paperwork," | |
| "documentation, billing, or any other activities that are not directly related to behavior analysis" | |
| "• attending professional conferences, workshops, or university courses" | |
| "• didactic-course assignments (e.g., completing homework assignments, readings)" | |
| "" | |
| "Can the BACB tell me if an activity counts toward my fieldwork hours?" | |
| "" | |
| "Unfortunately not. Since every trainee’s goals are unique—and we cannot possibly know" | |
| "or anticipate all of the situational variables, populations, and settings in which they may be" | |
| "working—we cannot provide guidance beyond our certification requirements. We rely on qualified" | |
| "supervisors to determine how to develop fieldwork that meets our requirements and best supports" | |
| "clients’ needs and trainees’ goals." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 16" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisor Requirements" | |
| "Supervisor Qualifications: Supervisors must be one of the following:" | |
| "• an active BCBA without current disciplinary sanctions who has been certified for at" | |
| "least one year and meets an ongoing supervision CEU requirement; Check the Certificant" | |
| "• an active BCBA who has been certified for less than one year and is receiving Registry to find actively" | |
| "consultation on a monthly basis from a qualified consulting supervisor without current certified supervisors" | |
| "disciplinary sanctions; who meet BACB" | |
| "• a licensed or registered psychologist certified by the American Board of Professional requirements. You may" | |
| "Psychology in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology who was tested in applied do this by choosing" | |
| "behavior analysis (Note: This will no longer be a qualification method as of January to show certificants" | |
| "1, 2026. Fieldwork obtained before January 1, 2026, may be submitted with a who are willing to" | |
| "certification application until January 1, 2032.); OR supervise those" | |
| "• an authorized Verified Course Sequence instructor (Note: This will no longer be a pursuing BCBA and" | |
| "qualification method as of January 1, 2026. Fieldwork obtained before January 1, 2026, BCaBA certifications." | |
| "under the supervision of a noncertified Verified Course Sequence instructor may be" | |
| "submitted with a certification application until January 1, 2032.)." | |
| "Supervisor Training: Supervisors must complete an 8-hour supervision training before providing any supervision to" | |
| "those accruing fieldwork hours." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that they have completed the training (available in the Certificant Registry)" | |
| "and uploaded the certificate into their BACB account before signing a supervision contract. Trainees should confirm" | |
| "the date on which the supervisor completed the training before signing a supervision contract." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisor/Trainee Relationship: The supervisor may not be related to, subordinate to, employed by, or in a multiple" | |
| "relationship with (e.g., personal or business relationship) the trainee during the fieldwork period. Employment does" | |
| "not include compensation paid to the supervisor by the trainee for supervision services." | |
| "" | |
| "Multiple Supervisors/Settings: Trainees are strongly encouraged to receive supervision from multiple supervisors" | |
| "and across various settings over the course of their fieldwork hours. This may occur as several individual supervisors," | |
| "multiple supervisors at one organization, or a combination of these supervision structures." | |
| "" | |
| "Individual Supervisor: An individual supervisor must ensure that all of their trainees’ fieldwork requirements are" | |
| "being met during their supervision. In this situation:" | |
| "• the supervision contract must clearly outline the roles, responsibilities, and expectations for the trainee and" | |
| "supervisor (see the Supervision Contract section);" | |
| "• all supervision must be related to specific client programming;" | |
| "• the supervisor must have written permission to receive client information and must be well aware of the" | |
| "organization’s values, practices, and personnel; AND" | |
| "• the person signing the M-FVFs and F-FVF for Individual Supervisors must be able to agree to all of the" | |
| "relevant attestations, including that all fieldwork requirements were met." | |
| "Multiple Supervisors at One Organization: An organization may coordinate and oversee multiple supervisors" | |
| "who provide fieldwork to a trainee. For example, a service organization might have multiple supervisors providing" | |
| "supervision, or a university might coordinate all on- and off-campus activities under one system. The supervisors" | |
| "must work together to ensure that all of their trainees’ fieldwork requirements are met (e.g., all of the hours provided" | |
| "by the supervisors are used to calculate the supervision percentage). One supervisor must ensure that the activity is" | |
| "well organized and coordinated. In this situation:" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 17" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "• the supervision contract must list all supervisors and clearly outline the roles, responsibilities, and" | |
| "expectations of each supervisor and the trainee (see the Supervision Contract section);" | |
| "• all supervisors must sign the contract;" | |
| "• all supervision must be related to specific client programming;" | |
| "• the supervisor(s) must have written permission to receive client information and must be well aware of the" | |
| "organization’s values, practices, and personnel; AND" | |
| "• the person signing the M-FVFs and F-FVF for Multiple Supervisors at One Organization (i.e., the responsible" | |
| "supervisor) must be able to agree to all of the relevant attestations, including that all fieldwork requirements were met." | |
| "Requirements for Supervision of Fieldwork Hours" | |
| "Nature of Supervision: The purpose of supervision is to improve and maintain the behavior-analytic, professional," | |
| "and ethical repertoires of the trainee and facilitate the delivery of high-quality services to the trainee’s clients." | |
| "Effective behavior-analytic supervision includes:" | |
| "• monitoring the skills of the trainee throughout the supervised fieldwork" | |
| "• developing and communicating performance expectations to the trainee" | |
| "• conducting behavioral-skills training for the trainee" | |
| "• observing the trainee’s performance with clients and delivering feedback" | |
| "• modeling technical, professional, and ethical behavior" | |
| "• guiding the development of behavioral case conceptualization and problem-solving and decision-" | |
| "making repertoires" | |
| "• reviewing the trainee’s written materials (e.g., behavior programs, data sheets, reports) and delivering related" | |
| "feedback about the products" | |
| "• overseeing and evaluating the effects of the trainee’s behavior-analytic service delivery" | |
| "• evaluating the effects of supervision throughout the supervised fieldwork" | |
| "Responsibilities of the Supervisor: When behavior analysts are functioning as supervisors, they must take full" | |
| "responsibility for all facets of this experience. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure that the" | |
| "trainee abides by all ethical and legal requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Responsibilities of the supervisor include:" | |
| "• being fluent in, current in, and compliant with all BACB requirements relating to fieldwork" | |
| "• confirming that the trainee has met all requirements before the outset of supervised fieldwork" | |
| "• consistently demonstrating technical, professional, and ethical behavior for the trainee" | |
| "• ensuring that fieldwork activities are in the best interest of the client rather than strictly for the purpose of" | |
| "meeting the fieldwork requirements" | |
| "• providing supervision only within their areas of defined competence" | |
| "• taking on only a volume of supervisory activity that is commensurate with their ability to be effective" | |
| "• delegating to their trainees only those responsibilities that trainees can reasonably be expected to perform" | |
| "competently, ethically, and safely, or providing the conditions for the trainee to acquire those skills in an" | |
| "ethical and safe manner" | |
| "• ensuring that supervision, fieldwork activities, and trainings are behavior analytic in content, are effectively" | |
| "and ethically designed, and meet the requirements for licensure, certification, or other defined goals" | |
| "• providing a clear written description of the purpose, requirements, evaluation criteria, conditions, and terms" | |
| "of supervision before the onset of supervision (i.e., behavior analysts are responsible for the development" | |
| "and execution of the supervision contract). See the Supervision Contract section." | |
| "• designing and implementing feedback and reinforcement systems in a way that improves" | |
| "trainee performance" | |
| "• providing documented, timely feedback regarding the trainee’s performance on an ongoing basis" | |
| "• designing systems for obtaining ongoing evaluation of their own supervision activities" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 18" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Structure of Supervision: Supervision contacts should ideally consist of individual (i.e., one-on-one) contacts" | |
| "between the supervisor and trainee; however, group supervision is permitted in certain circumstances." | |
| "• Group Supervision Restrictions: Groups are interactive meetings in which 2–10 trainees who share similar" | |
| "experiences participate in the supervision activities described earlier (see the Nature of Supervision" | |
| "section). The number of trainees in a group meeting may not exceed 10 at any time, regardless of the" | |
| "number of supervisors in the meeting. If nontrainees are present, their participation should be limited, and" | |
| "their presence must not inhibit discussion or interfere with participation by trainees. The amount of group" | |
| "supervision may not exceed the amount of individual supervision in a given supervisory period. In other" | |
| "words, supervision may be conducted in groups for no more than half of the total supervised hours in each" | |
| "supervisory period. Unless the trainee is receiving supervision at an organization with multiple supervisors," | |
| "group supervision must be provided by the same supervisor who provides individual supervision." | |
| "• Observation-With-Client Requirements: The trainee must be observed working with a client in the natural" | |
| "environment during each supervisory period by at least one supervisor. In-person, on-site observation" | |
| "is preferred. However, the observation may be conducted using asynchronous (e.g., recorded video) or" | |
| "synchronous (e.g., live video conference) formats." | |
| "Please refer to the A Comparison of Fieldwork Types table for information about supervision contacts and" | |
| "observations with clients and how these differ across the fieldwork types." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Can the observation with a client and supervisor-trainee contact requirements be met at the" | |
| "same time?" | |
| "" | |
| "It depends. For the benefit of you and your clients, supervisor-trainee contacts must happen in real" | |
| "time. For example, if your supervisor watches an hour-long video of you delivering services but" | |
| "does not provide immediate, real-time feedback, that hour could count toward the observation with" | |
| "a client requirements but not the supervisor-trainee contact or total supervised hours requirement." | |
| "If you and your supervisor watch the video together, pausing to discuss feedback and behavior-" | |
| "analytic principles, the hour could count toward all requirements at once." | |
| "" | |
| "Amount of Supervision: Based on the type of fieldwork hours accrued, you will need to have 5% (Supervised" | |
| "Fieldwork) or 10% (Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork) of your hours supervised by a qualified supervisor each" | |
| "supervisory period. The supervision percentage is calculated by dividing supervised hours by total fieldwork hours" | |
| "(i.e., independent and supervised hours)." | |
| "" | |
| "Fieldwork Types: There are two supervised fieldwork types: Supervised Fieldwork and Concentrated Supervised" | |
| "Fieldwork. Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork provides a pathway for individuals to complete their fieldwork in" | |
| "fewer hours and with more supervision than Supervised Fieldwork." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 19" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "The following table illustrates the requirements for each fieldwork type." | |
| "" | |
| "A Comparison of Fieldwork Types" | |
| "Concentrated Supervised" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "Fieldwork" | |
| "Fieldwork hours required to qualify 2,000* 1,500" | |
| "Supervisory period 1 calendar month" | |
| "Fieldwork hours per supervisory period min of 20 hours–max of 130 hours" | |
| "Number of contacts with supervisor per" | |
| "4 contacts 6 contacts" | |
| "supervisory period" | |
| "Observations with client per supervisory" | |
| "1 observation 1 observation" | |
| "period" | |
| "Supervision per supervisory period 5% of hours 10% of hours" | |
| "Individual supervision hours per At least 50% of supervised hours must be individual (i.e., group" | |
| "supervisory period supervision may not exceed 50%)." | |
| "At least 60% of overall supervised fieldwork must be spent engaged in" | |
| "Unrestricted activities" | |
| "unrestricted activities." | |
| "* Under Pathway 4, only 500 hours of Supervised Fieldwork are required." | |
| "" | |
| "Combining Fieldwork Types: Trainees may accrue hours through Supervised Fieldwork, Concentrated Supervised" | |
| "Fieldwork, or a combination (i.e., mix) of both. Each fieldwork type has different monthly requirements, so trainees" | |
| "and supervisors should consult the relevant section for specifics. Hours can only be accrued under one fieldwork" | |
| "type per month, per supervision structure, and all requirements of that fieldwork type must be satisfied for the hours" | |
| "to be eligible toward the fieldwork requirement." | |
| "" | |
| "If hours are mixed across fieldwork types, trainees can estimate how close they are to meeting the fieldwork total-" | |
| "hour requirement by following these steps:" | |
| "1. Sum the total hours accrued under the Concentrated Fieldwork type;" | |
| "2. Multiply the sum of the Concentrated Fieldwork hours by 1.33; THEN" | |
| "3. Add the sum of the hours accrued under Supervised Fieldwork." | |
| "4. Ensure the combined total is at least 2,000 hours before applying for certification." | |
| "Note:" | |
| "• The 1.33 multiplier is only 1) applied to Concentrated Fieldwork hours, and 2) used to reach the minimum of" | |
| "mixed hours (i.e., Concentrated Fieldwork + Supervised Fieldwork)." | |
| "• When documenting hours on the M-FVF and F-FVF, trainees should only record the actual hours accrued," | |
| "not the adjusted total with the multiplier." | |
| "• In case of an audit, trainees must indicate in the Fieldwork Audit Log the hours that have been adjusted to" | |
| "meet the requirements." | |
| "Combination of Fieldwork Settings: Trainees may accrue hours in multiple settings to reach 2,000 total hours, but" | |
| "they must meet all of the relevant requirements for each organized fieldwork experience (i.e., for each M-FVF and" | |
| "F-FVF). For example, if a trainee is accruing some hours with an individual supervisor in one setting and some hours" | |
| "with multiple supervisors in another setting, the trainee must independently meet the requirements at both sites." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 20" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Adjusting Fieldwork Hours When Monthly Requirements Are Not Met: After all of the fieldwork hours in a month" | |
| "have been documented, the trainee will determine whether they met the minimum requirements before they" | |
| "complete the Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form (M-FVF). If a trainee does not meet all of the monthly fieldwork" | |
| "requirements (e.g., not enough supervisor contacts, supervision percentage is too low), the trainee will work with" | |
| "their supervisor to determine whether they may adjust their hours to meet the requirements through a systematic" | |
| "reduction of hours. The following table describes each monthly fieldwork requirement and the associated adjustment" | |
| "if the requirement is not met within a month." | |
| "" | |
| "Requirement Not Met Adjustment to the Month’s Fieldwork Hours" | |
| "No observation of the trainee working with a client No hours are eligible for the month." | |
| "Fewer than 20 total hours No hours are eligible for the month." | |
| "More than 130 total hours Remove independent hours for the month until the total" | |
| "equals 130 hours." | |
| "Not enough supervisor-trainee contacts Take the total hours accrued in the month (up to 130) and" | |
| "prorate the hours based on the percentage of contacts" | |
| "that met the requirement. For example, if 2 out of 4" | |
| "required contacts occurred (i.e., 50% of the contacts were" | |
| "met) and there were 110 total hours accrued in the month," | |
| "multiply 110 hours by .50 (i.e., 50%) to determine the total" | |
| "hours that can count (i.e., 55 eligible hours)." | |
| "Group supervision is more than individual supervision Reduce the group supervision hours until they equal (or" | |
| "are less than) the individual supervision hours." | |
| "% of supervision did not meet the minimum requirement Decrease the independent hours for the month until the" | |
| "% of supervision meets (or exceeds) the minimum monthly" | |
| "requirement." | |
| "Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form (M-FVF) is not No hours are eligible for the month." | |
| "signed by the last day of the calendar month following" | |
| "the month of supervision" | |
| "" | |
| "Once the hours have been adjusted, the trainee will record the adjusted hours on the M-FVF. Note: The fieldwork" | |
| "documentation system will still need to include all of the hours accrued for the month (i.e., the unadjusted hours)." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 21" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Documentation Requirements" | |
| "Supervision Contract: Before supervision may start, the trainee and supervisor(s) must develop" | |
| "and sign a written contract at the outset of the supervisory relationship. The purpose of the Download our sample" | |
| "contract is to protect all involved parties and align fieldwork activities with the purpose of supervision contract" | |
| "supervision. The contract should include: for guidance in creating" | |
| "your own contract." | |
| "• the responsibilities of the supervisor(s) and trainee, including the completion of the" | |
| "8-hour supervision training by the supervisor(s) and the adherence of all parties to the" | |
| "fieldwork requirements" | |
| "• if there are multiple supervisors at one organization, there may be one contract, but that contract must" | |
| "outline each supervisor’s roles, responsibilities, and expectations, including how the documentation and" | |
| "forms will be completed" | |
| "• a description of the appropriate activities and training objectives individualized to the trainee" | |
| "• the objective and measurable circumstances under which the supervisor(s) will not sign the trainee’s M-FVFs" | |
| "and F-FVF" | |
| "• the consequences if the parties do not adhere to their responsibilities (including proper termination of" | |
| "the relationship)" | |
| "• a statement requiring the trainee to obtain written permission from the trainee’s on-site" | |
| "employer or manager when applicable" | |
| "• an attestation that all parties will adhere to the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (Code)" | |
| "• a statement declaring that the trainee and supervisor(s) (a) will retain a copy of the For more information" | |
| "contract and supervision documentation for at least seven years from the date of the final on documenting" | |
| "supervision meeting and (b) will provide all documentation to the BACB if requested fieldwork, check out the" | |
| "Documenting Fieldwork" | |
| "Please note that supervision contracts may be amended throughout the supervisory" | |
| "Hours video and the" | |
| "relationship; however, each amendment must be signed and dated by all relevant parties." | |
| "Documenting Fieldwork:" | |
| "Documenting Fieldwork: Because fieldwork varies across settings and practice areas, Helpful Answers to Your" | |
| "the BACB gives supervisors and trainees the flexibility to develop their own system for FAQs blog." | |
| "documenting ongoing supervision and fieldwork in a way that demonstrates adherence to all" | |
| "relevant requirements and the Code." | |
| "" | |
| "Documentation must include the following:" | |
| "" | |
| "Independent Hours Supervised Hours Observations" | |
| "For each session, document: For each supervision contact, document: For each observation, document:" | |
| "• date • date • date" | |
| "• start time • start time • start time" | |
| "• end time • end time • end time" | |
| "• fieldwork type • fieldwork type • fieldwork type" | |
| "• supervisor name • supervision type: individual or group • setting name" | |
| "• activity category: restricted • activity category: restricted or unrestricted • supervisor name" | |
| "or unrestricted • summary of supervision activity (e.g., • activity category: restricted" | |
| "discussion of activities completed during or unrestricted" | |
| "independent hours, feedback provided," | |
| "progress toward goals discussed)" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 22" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "In addition to tracking data by session and supervision contact, the documentation system should be regularly" | |
| "reviewed to ensure that all relevant requirements are met each supervisory period and across all fieldwork hours:" | |
| "• Each Supervisory Period: The trainee and supervisor should have documentation that shows they are" | |
| "meeting the quantitative requirements (e.g., minimum number of supervisory meetings and contacts) and" | |
| "qualitative requirements (e.g., summary of what happened during the supervision meeting)." | |
| "• Across all Fieldwork Hours: The trainee should have documentation that shows they are accruing the" | |
| "minimum number of unrestricted hours and making progress toward completing the necessary requirements" | |
| "for obtaining certification." | |
| "Fieldwork Forms: Supervisors and trainees are required to use two forms to verify fieldwork:" | |
| "• Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form (M-FVF): must be provided to the BACB upon request" | |
| "• Final Fieldwork Verification Form (F-FVF): must be submitted in the certification application. Please keep in" | |
| "mind that each F-FVF you submit must show that you met all fieldwork requirements during that organized" | |
| "fieldwork experience (e.g., fieldwork hours per supervisory period, supervision hours per supervisory period)." | |
| "Multiple F-FVFs can be submitted to demonstrate that the combined fieldwork experiences meet the total" | |
| "required fieldwork hours. A new F-FVF should be completed for each supervision experience. Taking a break" | |
| "from accruing fieldwork under the same supervision contract constitutes a new supervision experience." | |
| "Two versions of each form are available and should be selected based upon the supervisory structure (i.e., individual" | |
| "supervisor, multiple supervisors at one organization). Non-BACB forms will not be accepted." | |
| "" | |
| "MONTHLY | FIELDWORK VERIFICATION FORM FINAL | FIELDWORK VERIFICATION FORM" | |
| "INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISOR INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISOR" | |
| "2022 Fieldwork Requirements Note: Please download this form and complete it on your computer’s 2022 Fieldwork Requirements Note: Please download this form and complete it on your computer’s" | |
| "desktop rather than in your web browser. This form contains desktop rather than in your web browser. This form contains" | |
| "dropdown menus. If you prefer to print and manually fill out the dropdown menus. If you prefer to print and manually fill out the" | |
| "form, please write your answers over the dropdowns. form, please write your answers over the dropdowns." | |
| "Instructions: Please complete one form per supervisor, per fieldwork type. Instructions: Please complete one form per supervisor, per fieldwork type." | |
| "" | |
| "Trainee Name: ___________________________________________________________________________ Trainee Name: ___________________________________________________________________________" | |
| "" | |
| "BACB Account ID: ______________________ Month/Year: ____________________________________ BACB Account ID: _____________________ Start Date: _____________ End Date: _____________" | |
| "Fieldwork Type (Select One): Supervised Fieldwork Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork Fieldwork Type (Select One): Supervised Fieldwork Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "State Where Fieldwork Occurred: ________________ Country Where Fieldwork Occurred: _______________ State Where Fieldwork Occurred: ________________ Country Where Fieldwork Occurred: _______________" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisor Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Fieldwork Hours" | |
| "Total Fieldwork Hours _______________" | |
| "BACB Account ID#: _______________________________ Qualification: ____________________________ A. Independent Hours (supervisor not present): __________ (add A & B):" | |
| "" | |
| "B. Supervised Hours (supervisor present): __________ Percent of Hours Supervised _________" | |
| "(supervised/total):" | |
| "" | |
| "Fieldwork Hours (this month only) Total Fieldwork Hours _______________ This fieldwork included prorated hours for partial months." | |
| "(add A & B):" | |
| "A. Independent Hours (supervisor not present): __________" | |
| "B. Supervised Hours (supervisor present): __________ Percent of Hours Supervised _________ Supervisor and Trainee Attestation" | |
| "MONTHLY | FIELDWORK VERIFICATION FORM" | |
| "(supervised/total):" | |
| "FINAL | FIELDWORK VERIFICATION FORM" | |
| "Supervisor Name: _________________________________________________________________________" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisor and Trainee Attestation BACB Account ID#: _______________________________ Qualification: ____________________________" | |
| "MULTIPLE SUPERVISORS AT ONE ORGANIZATION MULTIPLE SUPERVISORS AT ONE ORGANIZATION" | |
| "By signing below, we hereby attest that:" | |
| "By signing below, we hereby attest that: 2022 Fieldwork Requirements Note: Please download this form and complete it on your computer’s 2022 Fieldwork Requirements ⊲ Note:" | |
| "Information presented" | |
| "Please download oncomplete" | |
| "this form and this Final Fieldwork" | |
| "it on your computer’s Verification Form and the corresponding Monthly Fieldwork" | |
| "" | |
| "⊲ The information contained on this form is true and correct to the best of our knowledge;" | |
| "desktop rather than in your web browser. This form contains Verification Forms" | |
| "desktop rather than in is true" | |
| "your and correct" | |
| "web browser. to the best of my knowledge." | |
| "This form contains" | |
| "dropdown menus. If you prefer to print and manually fill out the dropdown menus. If you prefer to print and manually fill out the" | |
| "⊲ The required number of supervisory contacts occurred during this month; Instructions: Please complete one form per organization, per fieldwork type." | |
| "form, please write your answers over the dropdowns. ⊲ The trainee" | |
| "form, pleasecompleted" | |
| "Instructions: Please complete one form per organization, per fieldwork type." | |
| "write your answersthe" | |
| "overfieldwork" | |
| "the dropdowns. under my supervision in compliance with all relevant Fieldwork" | |
| "Requirements (BCBA/BCaBA) including, but not limited to; the minimum number of contacts per month, required" | |
| "⊲ Observation of the trainee with a client occurred during this supervisory period with a frequency appropriate for amounts of unrestricted activities, required observations each month with clients, and adherence to the BACB’s" | |
| "this fieldwork type; Trainee Name: ___________________________________________________________________________ Trainee Name: ___________________________________________________________________________" | |
| "ethics requirements." | |
| "⊲ The trainee was supervised for the required amount of time for this supervisory period; ⊲ I am the supervisor" | |
| "BACB Account ID: ______________________ Month/Year: ____________________________________ BACB Account ID: _____________________ Start Date: _____________ End Date: designated" | |
| "_____________ in the signed supervision contract with this trainee." | |
| "⊲ We have read and understand the most recent version of the Fieldwork Requirements (BCBA/BCaBA)" | |
| "⊲ We are only including appropriate behavior-analytic activities in our totals listed above;Fieldwork" | |
| "and Type (Select One): Supervised Fieldwork Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork Fieldwork Type (Select One): Supervised Fieldwork Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "⊲ The fieldwork hours obtained during this supervisory period are otherwise compliant with theWhere" | |
| "State Fieldwork" | |
| "Fieldwork Occurred: ________________ Country Where Fieldwork Occurred: _______________ State Where Fieldwork Occurred: ________________ Country Where Fieldwork Occurred: _______________" | |
| "Requirements (BCBA/BCaBA) Supervisor Signature: _______________________________________________ Date: ________________" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisors at the Organization" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "+" | |
| "Responsible Supervisor Name: _______________________________________________________________" | |
| "Supervisor Signature: ________________________________________________ Date: ________________ Supervisor Name: ___________________________ Supervisor Name: ___________________________" | |
| "BACB Account ID#: _______________________________ Qualification: ____________________________ BACB Account ID#: ______________ BACB Account ID#: ______________" | |
| "Trainee Signature: __________________________________________________ Date: ________________ Qualification: ___________________ Qualification: ___________________" | |
| "Fieldwork Hours (this month only) Total Fieldwork Hours _______________ Supervisor Name: ___________________________ Supervisor Name: ___________________________" | |
| "A. Independent Hours (supervisor not present): __________" | |
| "(add A & B):" | |
| "BACB Account ID#: ______________ BACB Account ID#: ______________" | |
| "B. Supervised Hours (supervisor present): __________ Percent of Hours Supervised _________ Qualification: ___________________ Qualification: ___________________" | |
| "(supervised/total):" | |
| "Supervisor Name: ___________________________ Supervisor Name: ___________________________" | |
| "BACB Account ID#: ______________ BACB Account ID#: ______________" | |
| "Responsible Supervisor and Trainee Attestation" | |
| "This document must bear the signature (see the Acceptable Signatures Policy) of the responsible supervisor and trainee and must be signed by the last day of" | |
| "the calendar month following the month of supervision. Qualification: ___________________ Qualification: ___________________" | |
| "This document must be signed in accordance with the Acceptable Signatures Policy." | |
| "SUPERVISOR AND TRAINEE MUST EACH RETAIN A COPY OF THIS FORM FOR AT LEAST 7 YEARS. By signing below, we hereby attest that: SUPERVISOR AND TRAINEE MUST EACH RETAIN A COPY OF THIS FORM FOR AT LEAST 7 YEARS." | |
| "Fieldwork Hours" | |
| "⊲ The information contained on this form is true and correct to the best of our knowledge; Total Fieldwork Hours _______________" | |
| "Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Individual Final Fieldwork Verification Form" | |
| "Version 04/2020 | Copyright © 2020, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Individual Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form" | |
| "⊲ All supervisors, including the responsible supervisor, met BACB supervision requirements during this month; A. Independent Hours (supervisor not present): __________ Version 07/2020 | Copyright © 2020, BACB® (add" | |
| "| All A" | |
| "rights" | |
| "& B):reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "⊲ The required number of supervisory contacts occurred during this month; B. Supervised Hours (supervisor present): __________ Percent of Hours Supervised _________" | |
| "(supervised/total):" | |
| "⊲ Observation of the trainee with a client occurred during this supervisory period with a frequency appropriate for this" | |
| "fieldwork type; This fieldwork included prorated hours for partial months." | |
| "⊲ The trainee was supervised for the required amount of time for this supervisory period;" | |
| "⊲ We have read and understand the most recent version of the Fieldwork Requirements (BCBA/BCaBA) Responsible Supervisor and Trainee Attestation" | |
| "⊲ We are only including appropriate behavior-analytic activities in our totals listed above; and Supervisor Name: _________________________________________________________________________" | |
| "⊲ The fieldwork hours obtained during this supervisory period are otherwise compliant with the Fieldwork BACB Account ID#: _______________________________ Qualification: ____________________________" | |
| "Requirements (BCBA/BCaBA)" | |
| "By signing below, we hereby attest that:" | |
| "Supervisor Signature: ________________________________________________ Date: ________________ ⊲ Information presented on this Final Fieldwork Verification Form and the corresponding Monthly Fieldwork" | |
| "Verification Forms is true and correct to the best of my knowledge." | |
| "⊲ The trainee completed the fieldwork in compliance with all relevant Fieldwork Requirements (BCBA/BCaBA)" | |
| "Trainee Signature: __________________________________________________ Date: ________________ including, but not limited to; the minimum number of contacts per month, required amounts of unrestricted" | |
| "activities, required observations each month with clients, and adherence to the BACB’s ethics requirements." | |
| "⊲ All supervisors, including the responsible supervisor, met BACB supervision requirements during these" | |
| "experience hours." | |
| "⊲ I am the responsible supervisor designated in the signed supervision contract with this trainee." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisor Signature: _______________________________________________ Date: ________________" | |
| "This document must bear the signature (see the Acceptable Signatures Policy) of the responsible supervisor and trainee and must be signed by the last day of" | |
| "the calendar month following the month of supervision. This document must be signed in accordance with the Acceptable Signatures Policy." | |
| "SUPERVISOR AND TRAINEE MUST EACH RETAIN A COPY OF THIS FORM FOR AT LEAST 7 YEARS. SUPERVISOR AND TRAINEE MUST EACH RETAIN A COPY OF THIS FORM FOR AT LEAST 7 YEARS." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 04/2020 | Copyright © 2020, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Organization Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form Version 07/2020 | Copyright © 2020, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Organization Final Fieldwork Verification Form" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Individual Supervisor Forms" | |
| "• Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form: Individual Supervisor" | |
| "• Final Fieldwork Verification Form: Individual Supervisor" | |
| "Organization Forms" | |
| "• Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form: Multiple Supervisors at One Organization" | |
| "• Final Fieldwork Verification Form: Multiple Supervisors at One Organization" | |
| "The M-FVF must be signed by the last day of the calendar month following the month of supervision, and we" | |
| "recommend that the F-FVF be signed at the end of a specific fieldwork experience. Both parties must retain a copy" | |
| "of the completed fieldwork forms for at least seven years. Note: Backdated or retroactively completed forms will not" | |
| "be accepted." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 23" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Audits" | |
| "The BACB can audit trainees and supervisors at any time to determine compliance with BACB requirements. See the" | |
| "following figure for an overview of the fieldwork audit process." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Fieldwork Audit Process" | |
| "AUDIT INITIATED" | |
| "The BACB may initiate a eldwork audit at any time for any reason. For instance, it might be initiated as part of a quality" | |
| "assurance check, contested eldwork, or ethics-related matter. Note: In the event that a certi cation application is" | |
| "audited for eldwork, application processing will be suspended until completion of the audit." | |
| "" | |
| "BACB REQUESTS AUDIT INFORMATION" | |
| "The BACB will contact the trainee and/or supervisor by email. The audit may require submission of the supervision" | |
| "contract, consulting supervisor meetings (if the supervisor was in their rst year of supervision), M-FVFs, the" | |
| "documentation system, and/or an audit log (or other supervisor-related documents as described in the Documentation" | |
| "Requirements section)." | |
| "" | |
| "PARTIES SUBMIT AUDIT DOCUMENTS TO BACB" | |
| "All relevant parties will submit requested documents to the BACB as directed in the audit initiation email within the" | |
| "speci ed time frame, typically 14 days. Documents submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed or considered in" | |
| "the determination. Note: If the BACB does not receive a response in the speci ed time frame, the eldwork will be" | |
| "considered noncompliant, and a Notice of Alleged Violation will be submitted against the relevant parties (see the" | |
| "Code-Enforcement Procedures)." | |
| "" | |
| "BACB REVIEWS INFORMATION" | |
| "BACB staff will review information submitted to evaluate compliance with the eldwork requirements and other applicable" | |
| "BACB requirements. If additional documents or information is required, relevant parties will be noti ed via email." | |
| "" | |
| "BACB PROVIDES A DETERMINATION AND FEEDBACK" | |
| "The BACB will contact the trainee and supervisor with the results of the audit. If the BACB concludes that some or all of" | |
| "the eldwork was not in compliance with the eldwork requirements or any other applicable BACB requirements, some" | |
| "or all of the eldwork may be disquali ed.*" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "* A Notice of Alleged Violation may also be submitted against the trainee’s supervisor(s) if portions of the trainee's eldwork" | |
| "are not in compliance with the requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Fieldwork Audit Process | Version 12/18/2024, Copyright © 2022, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 24" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Disputes About Fieldwork Verification Form Signatures" | |
| "Disputes that occur during supervisory relationships should first be addressed directly between the supervisor" | |
| "and the trainee. If there is an ethics violation related to the experience, the trainee may report the matter to the" | |
| "BACB by filing a Notice of Alleged Violation. Note: A Notice of Alleged Violation may only be submitted against" | |
| "someone who has applied for BACB certification. Please review the Reporting to the Ethics Department for" | |
| "general guidance on considering an Ethics violation." | |
| "" | |
| "Tips to Avoid Disputes Between Supervisors and Trainees Before They Occur" | |
| "A supervisor may feel justified in not signing a trainee’s F-FVF or M-FVF even though the trainee may believe" | |
| "that they are entitled to the signature. Although it is impossible to eliminate the likelihood of disputes about" | |
| "supervised fieldwork hours, there are ways to mitigate that risk. The following guidance might be helpful:" | |
| "• Before the supervisory relationship begins, trainees and supervisors should review the supervision" | |
| "contract and BACB requirements together and clarify expectations. Specifically, supervisors should" | |
| "identify conditions under which they will and will not sign a trainee’s F-FVF or M-FVF, as well as situations" | |
| "that could end the supervisory relationship." | |
| "• Supervision should adhere to BACB ethics requirements as described in the Code. It should be behavior" | |
| "analytic and effectively and ethically designed to meet the requirements for certification; supervisors should" | |
| "communicate conditions with trainees before beginning supervision, including evaluation criteria and" | |
| "supervision terms; and supervisors should provide documented, timely feedback about trainee performance." | |
| "• Supervisors should be familiar with BACB supervision requirements and provide supervised fieldwork" | |
| "accordingly. This is an ethics requirement for all supervisors and will help ensure that trainees can count" | |
| "their hours when applying for certification." | |
| "• Before the end of the supervisory relationship, supervisors should take the steps necessary to avoid" | |
| "abandoning their trainees. This includes discussing relevant client services and transition needs with" | |
| "their trainees; organizing, gathering, and signing supervision documentation; and, if appropriate, helping" | |
| "to facilitate a timely transfer of responsibility to another supervisor." | |
| "Contesting Fieldwork: Is It Right for You?" | |
| "If the supervision-contract terms have been met and the supervisor refuses or is unable to sign the F-FVF," | |
| "trainees may submit a Contested Fieldwork Form. Submission of a Contested Fieldwork Form may involve a" | |
| "fieldwork audit. Disputes over signing M-FVFs should be handled between supervisors and trainees. In the event" | |
| "of a contractual dispute, issues may need to be addressed through an appropriate independent legal process." | |
| "" | |
| "Guidance in the Event of a Dispute" | |
| "The BACB’s Contested Fieldwork Form was developed to help resolve supervisor/trainee disagreements about" | |
| "signing F-FVFs. Please note that disputes regarding M-FVFs must be handled between the supervisor and" | |
| "trainee. Based on past contested-fieldwork cases filed with the BACB, the following are the most common issues" | |
| "we have encountered—along with some guidance:" | |
| "• Accuracy of Information on F-FVFs: Under the Code, a supervisor may not submit or allow the" | |
| "submission of false or misleading information and has an obligation to correct inaccurate information" | |
| "submitted to the BACB. As soon as the trainee identifies inaccurate information, the trainee must make" | |
| "an effort to resolve this discrepancy with their supervisor(s) by providing supporting documentation that" | |
| "clearly identifies how the information is inaccurate. If a resolution cannot be made specifically regarding" | |
| "the F-FVF inaccuracies, the trainee may review the Contested Fieldwork Form." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 25" | |
| " Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "• Questions About a Trainee’s Competence After Concluding Supervision: Under the Code, if a" | |
| "supervisor questions a trainee’s competence, they must provide the trainee with timely performance" | |
| "feedback along with training and retraining efforts throughout the fieldwork experience. If the supervisor" | |
| "continues questioning their competence, the supervisor should discuss with the trainee whether" | |
| "fieldwork supervision should continue. In other words, supervisors should not wait until the conclusion of" | |
| "the fieldwork experience to question competence. An F-FVF should only be withheld as outlined in the" | |
| "supervision contract, or a Code violation occurred.." | |
| "• Business Disputes Over Supervision Service Payments: Should a trainee refuse to pay for supervision" | |
| "services, supervisors should seek enforcement of the supervision contract through the appropriate" | |
| "venue (e.g., lawsuit, arbitration, mediation). Supervisors should not withhold signatures on FVFs until" | |
| "they receive payment. If a trainee demonstrates that supervision occurred in accordance with BACB" | |
| "requirements, we will allow the hours to be counted." | |
| "• Potential Ethics Violations Discovered After Concluding Supervision: If potential ethics violations are" | |
| "discovered following the conclusion of supervision, report the alleged violation immediately through" | |
| "one of the BACB’s reporting options. If there is a serious risk of harm to a consumer, follow all applicable" | |
| "mandated-reporting requirements in addition to reporting to the BACB. Note: A Notice of Alleged" | |
| "Violation may only be submitted against someone who has applied for BACB certification." | |
| "• Potential Supervisor Ethics Violations Discovered: The trainee should review the Reporting Alleged" | |
| "Violations Against BCaBAs/BCBAs web page to determine whether submitting a Notice of Alleged" | |
| "Violation is appropriate (see the Considerations for Reporting an Alleged Violation Against a BCaBA/BCBA)." | |
| "Supervisors contemplating not signing an FVF should determine if (a) not signing is appropriate (e.g., missed" | |
| "requirements in the supervisory period), (b) they delineated the conditions for not signing an FVF in the" | |
| "supervision contract, and (c) they have sufficient documentation to justify withholding their signature. Trainees" | |
| "who contest a signature denial must be prepared to demonstrate that the denial violates BACB requirements and" | |
| "that they have tried to resolve the situation with the supervisor first." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 26" | |
| " Applying for BCBA Certification" | |
| "" | |
| "Applying for BCBA Certification" | |
| "To apply for BCBA certification, complete these steps:" | |
| "" | |
| "COMPLETE BCBA CERTIFICATION APPLICATION" | |
| "" | |
| "RECEIVE" | |
| "MEET CURRENT COMPLETE BCBA" | |
| "APPLICATION PASS" | |
| "ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION DETERMINATION" | |
| "SUBMIT EXAMINATION" | |
| "APPLICATION IN PAY FEE" | |
| "REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENTS (Allow 45 days for" | |
| "YOUR BACB processing)" | |
| "ACCOUNT The BACB blog provides" | |
| "tips for a smoother" | |
| "Submit Your Application application process." | |
| "" | |
| "1. Complete the BCBA Certification Application in Your BACB Account" | |
| "Once you have met all of the current eligibility requirements, you may apply for BCBA certification at any time by" | |
| "completing an application in your BACB account under the Certification Application tab. Please note that you must" | |
| "select the pathway you are applying under in your application. If you are unsure of which pathway to choose, check with" | |
| "your training program before submitting your application. If you happen to identify the wrong pathway, you may need" | |
| "to submit and pay for a new application. You will be asked to provide specific information regarding your degree. If you" | |
| "select Pathway 2: Behavior-Analytic coursework, you will need to know all the details of your coursework program(s)" | |
| "(e.g., VCS number(s)). Incomplete or inaccurate information will delay the processing of your application." | |
| "" | |
| "Please also make sure that the personal information in your BACB account, application, and application" | |
| "documentation matches and reflects your current official identification (e.g., first and last name). If the information" | |
| "in your application does not match your official identification, your application may be denied, or you may not be" | |
| "permitted to sit for the examination when you arrive at the testing center. If your name has changed since your" | |
| "application documentation was issued, you must complete a Name Change Request in your account by selecting" | |
| "Update Profile to notify of a former name for application documents." | |
| "" | |
| "When you submit your application, you will be asked to provide attestations in the Eligibility Affidavit section of the" | |
| "application and agree to the Application Processing Agreement. You will be asked to (a) affirm that you have read, are" | |
| "in compliance with, and will continue to comply with all BACB requirements, (b) report whether you have a physical or" | |
| "mental health condition or substance use disorder that could impair your ability to safely and competently work as a" | |
| "behavior analyst, and (c) report any relevant disciplinary or legal investigations or actions. Please read each question" | |
| "and answer truthfully. Answering “yes” to the second or third question will require that you also complete and submit" | |
| "an Ethics Self-Reporting Form. Your application will be placed on hold while your self-report is reviewed by BACB staff." | |
| "" | |
| "You will be asked if you are requesting an examination accommodation. Please see the Examination" | |
| "Accommodations section for more information." | |
| "" | |
| "Note: You may only have one active examination authorization at a time. If you already have an active examination authorization" | |
| "for the BCaBA examination, you will need to Contact Us to cancel your authorization before applying for BCBA certification." | |
| "" | |
| "2. Submit Your Payment" | |
| "Once you complete your application, you can pay online with a credit card or mail a check to the BACB. You have 90 days" | |
| "from the time of payment to submit your supplemental documents. If you fail to submit your supplemental documents" | |
| "within the allotted 90 days, you will need to submit a new application, pay, and resubmit the application documents." | |
| "" | |
| "3. Submit Supplemental Documents" | |
| "Submit all required supplemental documents, including any required documents that you submitted with a previous" | |
| "application. The BACB application system accepts PDF or JPEG format documents. Please keep a record of all documents" | |
| "submitted, as once they are sent, they become the property of the BACB and will not be released back to you (see" | |
| "Documentation Policy). Note: the BACB is unable to process any documentation until you have a paid application on file." | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 27" | |
| " Applying for BCBA Certification" | |
| "" | |
| "Note: Ensure that the information you submit is accurate and truthful. The BACB reserves the right to invalidate any" | |
| "certification (immediately making the certification null and void) and/or prohibit any individual from taking a BACB examination" | |
| "in the event that the individual submitted falsified, forged, or untrue information (see the Code-Enforcement Procedures for" | |
| "more details). Additionally, documentation submitted for prior applications will not be reviewed in current or future applications." | |
| "" | |
| "Pathways Requirements Documentation Submission Information" | |
| "Master’s degree or higher from Institution sends electronic transcript(s)" | |
| "Pathway 1:" | |
| "an APBA-accredited program to applications@bacb.com" | |
| "Degree From" | |
| "or an ABAI-accredited or OR" | |
| "APBA-Accredited Official transcript(s)" | |
| "recognized behavior analysis Institution or applicant mails sealed" | |
| "Program or" | |
| "degree program (ABAI Tier 1, transcript(s) to BACB–Applications 7950" | |
| "ABAI-Accredited" | |
| "2a, or 2b) Shaffer Pkwy, Littleton, CO 80127 USA*" | |
| "or Recognized" | |
| "Practical fieldwork in applied Final Fieldwork Verification" | |
| "Program Submit via the Contact Us form" | |
| "behavior analysis Form(s)" | |
| "Master’s degree or higher Institution sends electronic transcript(s)" | |
| "to applications@bacb.com" | |
| "OR" | |
| "Official transcript(s) and Institution or applicant mails sealed" | |
| "BCBA VCS Coordinator transcript(s) to BACB–Applications 7950" | |
| "Pathway 2:" | |
| "Behavior-analytic coursework Coursework Attestation Shaffer Pkwy, Littleton, CO 80127 USA*" | |
| "Behavior-Analytic" | |
| "(if relevant) AND" | |
| "Coursework" | |
| "VCS Coordinator emails BCBA VCS" | |
| "Coordinator Coursework Attestation to" | |
| "VCSatt@bacb.com" | |
| "Practical fieldwork in applied Final Fieldwork Verification" | |
| "Submit via the Contact Us form" | |
| "behavior analysis Form(s)" | |
| "Institution sends electronic transcript(s)" | |
| "to applications@bacb.com" | |
| "OR" | |
| "Master’s degree or higher Official transcript(s)" | |
| "Institution or applicant mails sealed" | |
| "Pathway 3: transcript(s) to BACB–Applications 7950" | |
| "Faculty Teaching Shaffer Pkwy, Littleton, CO 80127 USA*" | |
| "and Research Letter from department" | |
| "Faculty teaching and research chair and course syllabi" | |
| "Copy of published article Submit via the Contact Us form" | |
| "Practical fieldwork in applied Final Fieldwork Verification" | |
| "behavior analysis Form(s)" | |
| "Institution sends electronic transcript(s)" | |
| "to applications@bacb.com" | |
| "OR" | |
| "Doctoral degree Official transcript(s)" | |
| "Institution or applicant mails sealed" | |
| "transcript(s) to BACB–Applications 7950" | |
| "Pathway 4: Shaffer Pkwy, Littleton, CO 80127 USA*" | |
| "Postdoctoral Curriculum vitae, signed" | |
| "Experience attestations from current" | |
| "Postdoctoral experience in" | |
| "or former employers," | |
| "applied behavior analysis" | |
| "and proof of professional Submit via the Contact Us form" | |
| "credentials" | |
| "Practical fieldwork in applied Final Fieldwork Verification" | |
| "behavior analysis Form(s)" | |
| "* The BACB cannot accept packages that require a signature for delivery." | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 28" | |
| " Applying for BCBA Certification" | |
| "" | |
| "4. BACB Staff Will Review Your Application and Issue a Determination" | |
| "You will receive an email once the BACB receives your supplemental documents. It may take up to 45 days for" | |
| "staff to review your application and issue a determination from the date your payment and all documents have" | |
| "been received. If missing or updated documentation is submitted, it will require additional time for processing." | |
| "Applications are processed in the order they are received. For current application processing timelines, please visit" | |
| "the Application Processing Updates web page." | |
| "" | |
| "Note: During the application-review process, your fieldwork hours might be audited. If so, additional documentation" | |
| "will be requested (see the Fieldwork Audit Process)." | |
| "" | |
| "If your application is:" | |
| "• Approved: You will receive instructions via email for scheduling your BCBA examination." | |
| "• Not approved: You will receive feedback and guidance for next steps via email. If you do not meet the" | |
| "requirements within 90 days of submitting your application, you must submit a new BCBA Certification" | |
| "Application, including paying another certification application processing fee." | |
| "Note: If you believe the decision was made in error, you will need to review the Administrative Appeals Policy and, if" | |
| "appropriate, submit an appeal within 30 days of the determination." | |
| "" | |
| "Schedule Your Examination Appointment" | |
| "Within 24–48 hours of your application being approved, you will receive an email with instructions on how to" | |
| "schedule your BCBA certification examination with Pearson VUE. The examination is continuously available, and" | |
| "results are provided on site immediately upon completion. Except for candidates residing outside of the US, Canada,†" | |
| "Australia, and the United Kingdom, you have two years from the date your application is approved to pass the BCBA" | |
| "examination. Your BACB account will include your specific testing deadlines. During this time, you may take the" | |
| "examination up to 8 times with at least 30 days between each appointment." | |
| "" | |
| "Fees*" | |
| "" | |
| "Application Fees" | |
| "Certification Application $245" | |
| "Examination Retake Application** $140" | |
| "Examination Appointment (paid to Pearson VUE)*** $125" | |
| "Preliminary Coursework Evaluation (optional) $100" | |
| "* BACB fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. The BACB only accepts US currency. Please do not send cash." | |
| "** Each examination retake will require a new retake application and new examination appointment fees." | |
| "*** Veterans who qualify for the GI Bill can receive reimbursement for BACB certification examination fees from the Department of" | |
| "Veterans Affairs, regardless of whether they pass the examination. Learn more about this benefit on the GI Bill website." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 29" | |
| " Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "Examination" | |
| "Once you meet all applicable eligibility requirements, submit your application, and receive an approved" | |
| "determination, you must take and pass the BCBA certification examination. This examination assesses" | |
| "your knowledge of the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.) at a level consistent with that of an entry-level" | |
| "behavior analyst." | |
| "" | |
| "Note: Candidates permitted to take the BCBA examination will test under the current edition of the task list. If a new" | |
| "edition goes into effect while a candidate’s authorization period is active, they must test under the new edition." | |
| "Exceptions will not be granted." | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Development" | |
| "Job task analysis (JTA) is the predominant method for developing high-stakes examinations for professions, and" | |
| "it has been used in the development of all BACB examinations. The JTA process involves the development of the" | |
| "following: a draft task list, a content-validation survey of the profession that active BACB certificants are invited" | |
| "to participate in, and a new examination blueprint (also known as a task list or test content outline). The BCBA" | |
| "examination is currently based on the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.)." | |
| "" | |
| "Preparation" | |
| "The BACB recommends that you prepare for the BCBA examination by reviewing the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th" | |
| "ed.), the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, and the materials gathered from your training. The BACB cannot endorse" | |
| "specific study guides or other preparation materials, and the purchase of any study materials does not guarantee that" | |
| "you will pass the examination." | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Outline" | |
| "The BCBA examination comprises 185 multiple-choice questions, 10 of which are unscored. Each question has 4" | |
| "possible answers and only 1 correct answer. Candidates have 4 hours to complete the examination." | |
| "" | |
| "Number of Percentage of" | |
| "Content Area" | |
| "Questions Examination" | |
| "A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations 8 5%" | |
| "B. Concepts and Principles 24 14%" | |
| "C. Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation 21 12%" | |
| "D. Experimental Design 13 7%" | |
| "E. Ethical and Professional Issues 22 13%" | |
| "F. Behavior Assessment 23 13%" | |
| "G. Behavior-Change Procedures 25 14%" | |
| "H. Selecting and Implementing Interventions 20 11%" | |
| "I. Personnel Supervision and Management 19 11%" | |
| "Total 175 100%" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 30" | |
| " Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "Sample Examination Questions" | |
| "The following retired questions appeared on previous administrations of the BCBA examination and represent" | |
| "content areas that are currently on the examination. These questions are provided to offer candidates insight into" | |
| "the format of the BCBA examination." | |
| "1. An employee is having difficulty staying on task at his job. His supervisor wants to graph the employee’s" | |
| "time on task. Based on these data, what would be the appropriate labels for the vertical and" | |
| "horizontal axes?" | |
| "" | |
| "Day Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday" | |
| "Minutes on Task 45 45 42 35 28" | |
| "Number of Minutes" | |
| "60 65 60 45 55" | |
| "Observed" | |
| "a. Number of minutes on task; number of minutes observed" | |
| "b. Number of minutes on task; time of day observed" | |
| "c. Percentage of minutes on task; day observed" | |
| "d. Percentage of minutes on task; number of minutes observed" | |
| "" | |
| "2. Delivering a potential reinforcer one-half hour after the occurrence of a response to be strengthened is:" | |
| "a. Generally effective for low response-effort behaviors" | |
| "b. Effective, provided the individual understands the contingency" | |
| "c. Most effective with high-frequency behaviors" | |
| "d. Inconsistent with best practices in applied behavior analysis" | |
| "" | |
| "3. If Terry puts his dishes in the sink after dinner, he earns computer time, which he enjoys. However, Terry" | |
| "does not consistently put the dishes in the sink. Near the end of the dinner, his dad says, “Remember," | |
| "you only get to use the computer if you put your dishes in the sink.” Terry finishes dinner and puts his" | |
| "dishes in the sink. Dad’s reminder is an example of which of the following?" | |
| "a. Motivating operation" | |
| "b. Verbal prompt" | |
| "c. Positive reinforcer" | |
| "d. Negative reinforcer" | |
| "" | |
| "4. Injections reliably cause Johnny to cry and scream. Originally, Johnny liked the doctor, but because of" | |
| "frequent pairings of the doctor with painful injections, the sight of the doctor walking into the examination" | |
| "room came to elicit crying and screaming. In the respondent paradigm, the crying and screaming elicited" | |
| "by the sight of the doctor would be called a(n):" | |
| "a. Conditioned response" | |
| "b. Discriminative stimulus" | |
| "c. Generalized fear response" | |
| "d. Unconditioned response" | |
| "" | |
| "5. Randy is rarely aggressive. However, when he is, his behaviors are extreme in their intensity. Emergency" | |
| "procedures have been developed to ensure the safety of Randy and others. One essential component of" | |
| "addressing the problem behavior should be to:" | |
| "a. Make a referral to a psychiatrist to access PRN medication" | |
| "b. Immediately implement a behavior-reduction program" | |
| "c. Perform a functional assessment to determine antecedents and consequences to the target behavior" | |
| "d. Perform social validation to establish the staff’s tolerance and willingness to continue the procedure" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 31" | |
| " Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "Scheduling" | |
| "The BACB contracts with Pearson VUE to deliver BACB examinations in person at authorized Pearson VUE testing" | |
| "sites and US military bases that meet the security requirements necessary for the administration of high-stakes" | |
| "examinations. The BACB authorizes the use of testing sites in:" | |
| "• The United States" | |
| "• Australia (until January 1, 2027)" | |
| "• Canada (except for Quebec, and in Ontario until July 1, 2026)" | |
| "• United Kingdom (until January 1, 2026)" | |
| "The BACB routinely evaluates the addition of new sites and by requests made through Pearson VUE’s website." | |
| "" | |
| "You can schedule a BCBA examination using your BACB Candidate ID in your Pearson VUE account or by contacting" | |
| "Pearson VUE’s customer service center. If you plan to retake the examination after an unsuccessful attempt, you must" | |
| "wait 30 days following your previous attempt. Please note that if you request examination accommodations, you will" | |
| "receive a separate email from the Accommodations Review Team with details on how to schedule your examination." | |
| "" | |
| "Pearson VUE Examination Fees" | |
| "Pearson VUE charges $125 for every BCBA examination appointment. This fee is in addition to BACB application" | |
| "fees, and Pearson VUE will collect it at the time of scheduling. You may be required to pay applicable sales tax," | |
| "value-added tax, GST, or similar tax required by law in the country or locality in which you are testing. If taxes are" | |
| "applicable, Pearson VUE will collect them at the time of scheduling." | |
| "" | |
| "Any appointment canceled or rescheduled within 30 days of the examination date will be subject to a fee. If you are" | |
| "within 48 hours of your appointment, you will be unable to cancel or reschedule your appointment, and a refund will" | |
| "not be issued. Please note that all fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable." | |
| "" | |
| "Cancelation and rescheduling fees are as follows:" | |
| "" | |
| "Cancelation/Rescheduling Time Period Cancelation/Rescheduling Fee" | |
| "30 days—5 days before examination" | |
| "$59" | |
| "appointment" | |
| "5 days—48 hours before examination" | |
| "$69" | |
| "appointment" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 32" | |
| " Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Accommodations" | |
| "Examination accommodations are available for individuals with a current disability as defined by the Americans with" | |
| "Disabilities Act (ADA) or a comparable human rights law in their country. Accommodation requests must include the" | |
| "BACB Examination Accommodation Request Form and documentation from a qualified professional (e.g., physician," | |
| "school official, licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist)." | |
| "" | |
| "Appropriate documentation must identify the disability and state the need for the requested accommodation(s)." | |
| "Examples of appropriate documentation include official letters, reports of test results, and documentation of" | |
| "past accommodation(s) received, including accommodation(s) received for standardized testing (e.g., previous" | |
| "Individualized Education Plan [IEP], documentation from another organization similar to the BACB)." | |
| "" | |
| "All documentation must be compiled into a single PDF file and submitted through the Submit Accommodations" | |
| "Documentation web page. Once the accommodation request and supporting documentation are received, the BACB" | |
| "will conduct a review, which typically takes 10–14 days. The BACB may require additional documentation, which can" | |
| "result in longer processing times." | |
| "" | |
| "Individuals should not attempt to schedule their examination until they receive an email about the status of their" | |
| "accommodation request and how to schedule their examination. Please note that certification applications and" | |
| "accommodation requests are reviewed separately, and the approval of a certification application does not equal the" | |
| "approval of an accommodation request." | |
| "" | |
| "What to Expect on Examination Day" | |
| "At all Pearson VUE testing centers, the BCBA examination is administered using a computer-based testing" | |
| "(CBT) format. For additional information, visit Pearson VUE’s BACB Certification Testing web page, which offers" | |
| "the following:" | |
| "• a tutorial to help you become familiar with the CBT format," | |
| "• details about what to expect at a Pearson VUE testing center, and" | |
| "• testing center locations." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 33" | |
| " Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "General Rules for Taking the Examination" | |
| "• You are advised to arrive at the testing center approximately 30 minutes before your examination" | |
| "appointment to allow sufficient time for the check-in process. This process includes security measures, such" | |
| "as photographing, palm vein scanning, and obtaining an electronic signature from each candidate. Once an" | |
| "examination has been underway for 30 minutes, no candidates will be admitted to the examination area." | |
| "• You must provide TWO forms of valid identification to be admitted into the examination area. Both pieces of" | |
| "identification must show your first and last name exactly as they appear on your BACB account. Any name" | |
| "discrepancies will prevent admission to the examination (e.g., providing a nickname on your BACB account," | |
| "identification that shows a different last name due to marriage). Pearson VUE does not make exceptions to" | |
| "name discrepancies based on marriage certificates." | |
| "• Both pieces of identification must have your signature and be current (i.e., not expired). The primary" | |
| "identification must be government issued and include both a photo and signature (e.g., a driver’s license or" | |
| "state/national ID). The secondary identification must include a signature but need not include a photo (e.g., a" | |
| "signed credit card with a signature that matches the government-issued identification)." | |
| "• Failure to present two fully valid pieces of identification will prevent your admission to the testing center. If" | |
| "this happens, you will be marked absent and will forfeit the entire examination fee." | |
| "• No cameras, phones, recording devices, watches, beepers or electronic transmitting devices, notes or" | |
| "reference materials, books, briefcases, backpacks, portfolios, purses, etc. may be taken into the examination" | |
| "area. Personal items may be stored in lockers available at all testing centers." | |
| "• Scratch paper, calculators, rulers, textbooks, reference materials, and notes are NOT permitted in the" | |
| "examination area, and you are not allowed to remove any examination materials from the administration" | |
| "room. A dry-erase board will be provided at each workstation." | |
| "• Earplugs are available upon request at all testing centers, some of which also provide noise-canceling" | |
| "headphones upon request." | |
| "• No food or beverage items are permitted in the examination area." | |
| "• No visitors are permitted in the examination area." | |
| "• If you leave the examination area to use the restroom, you will go through palm vein scanning when you" | |
| "leave and again before you reenter. During breaks, you are prohibited from accessing phones, electronic" | |
| "devices, and notes, among other items stored in lockers. However, you are permitted to access food, drink," | |
| "or medication during breaks." | |
| "• Smoking areas are not provided at the testing centers." | |
| "• No questions concerning the examination’s content may be asked during the examination period. Please" | |
| "listen carefully to instructions from testing-center staff and read all directions thoroughly." | |
| "• BACB examinations are delivered via the Internet and, occasionally, Internet connectivity at Pearson VUE" | |
| "testing centers may result in technical problems (e.g., slow screen-load times, screen freezes), which may" | |
| "require rebooting the computer. Answers and examination times (time allotted and time used) are not" | |
| "affected by these technical issues, even in the case of a computer restart." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 34" | |
| " Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Terms and Conditions" | |
| "Before the commencement of a BACB examination, the candidate must read and agree to the following examination" | |
| "Terms and Conditions. Failure to agree to these Terms and Conditions will result in immediate dismissal from the" | |
| "examination. Please note that the time spent reviewing these Terms and Conditions is part of the examination time." | |
| "" | |
| "Confidentiality" | |
| "• BACB examinations are copyright protected and highly confidential trade secrets. Any disclosure or" | |
| "reconstruction of test questions or content is a violation of BACB rules and is subject to damages, including," | |
| "but not limited to:" | |
| "• BACB investigation fees, court costs, and legal fees;" | |
| "• the cost of replacing the compromised question(s); AND" | |
| "• the cost of reconstructing the examination at the discretion of the BACB." | |
| "• CANDIDATES ARE PERMANENTLY PROHIBITED FROM EVER DISCLOSING THE CONTENT OF BACB" | |
| "EXAMINATION QUESTIONS. Candidates may not communicate with other examinees or other individuals" | |
| "during the examination. The BACB considers unauthorized sharing of examination content with others" | |
| "a violation of BACB copyright and a form of cheating on the examination. This prohibition includes, but" | |
| "is not limited to, verbal, written, and/or electronic (e.g., email, social media, other Internet or electronic" | |
| "medium) disclosure." | |
| "Test Security" | |
| "• BACB examinations may only be taken by individuals wishing to apply for BACB certification and for no" | |
| "other purpose." | |
| "• Proctors continuously monitor candidates by video and audio during the examination. The candidate" | |
| "recognizes that they have no right to privacy during examination delivery and that they waive all claims" | |
| "asserting a right to privacy. The candidate also acknowledges and consents to audio and video recording" | |
| "of their face, voice, the physical room in which they are seated when they check in, and their location during" | |
| "examination delivery." | |
| "• ANY use of electronic devices while an examination is in progress is prohibited and is grounds for" | |
| "termination of the examination and invalidation of the examination results. No materials, documents, or notes" | |
| "of any sort may enter or leave an on-site testing center or be in the proximity of the remote examination" | |
| "area. Additionally, any item visible or items worn by the candidate before or during an examination, including," | |
| "but not limited to, cell phones, watches, electronic devices, bags, purses, briefcases, and jewelry, may be" | |
| "investigated at the discretion of the examination proctor." | |
| "• Proctors are authorized to maintain a secure and proper examination administration and assist with" | |
| "operational issues but will not provide comments or recommendations regarding examination questions." | |
| "Tampering with Pearson VUE’s software or equipment, cheating, or permitting cheating (e.g., letting someone" | |
| "copy answers, letting someone provide answers, providing information on the content of examination" | |
| "questions to others) is cause for termination of the examination and invalidation of the examination results." | |
| "At the sole discretion of the BACB and/or Pearson VUE, irregular, disruptive, inappropriate, or suspected" | |
| "cheating behavior by the candidate may result in any combination of the following:" | |
| "• relocation or removal from the examination site;" | |
| "• immediate termination of examination delivery;" | |
| "• invalidation of examination results;" | |
| "• inactivation of certification pending investigation of the irregularity;" | |
| "• a required retest to validate a candidate’s examination results;" | |
| "• a permanent restriction on sitting for any future BACB examination;" | |
| "• another disciplinary action related to eligibility or certification status;" | |
| "• forfeiture of all application and examination fees paid by the candidate; AND" | |
| "• any other remedy necessary to protect BACB examination content and security." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 35" | |
| " Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "• The BACB reserves the right to report examination content theft to applicable law enforcement authorities," | |
| "and the candidate authorizes the BACB to release the candidate’s name, examination performance data," | |
| "audio and video files from the examination administration, and any other pertinent information necessary" | |
| "to demonstrate the basis for finding that the candidate participated in or benefited from theft of BACB" | |
| "examination content." | |
| "Breaks" | |
| "• Candidates taking the examination at a testing center may take breaks, including using the restroom, but" | |
| "must first raise their hand to inform the proctor. The proctor will secure the workstation while the candidate" | |
| "takes a break. The examination time will not stop during breaks. Candidates CANNOT leave their seat at" | |
| "any time unless the proctor has secured the workstation and WILL NOT be permitted to access or use a cell" | |
| "phone or electronic device. If at any time the candidate leaves their computer without the permission of the" | |
| "proctor, the candidate will be unable to continue testing." | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Security" | |
| "The BACB and Pearson VUE take examination security seriously because the value of your certification and our" | |
| "credibility depend on it. BCBA certification examination content is confidential; it is never appropriate to share," | |
| "discuss, post, or upload examination content. In addition, candidates are required to adhere to the Ethics Code" | |
| "for Behavior Analysts, which includes the following requirement: “Behavior analysts are truthful and arrange the" | |
| "professional environment to promote truthful behavior in others.”" | |
| "" | |
| "Unauthorized possession, reproduction, publication, or disclosure of any BACB examination materials—including" | |
| "storing or disclosing examination questions to any person or entity by any means before, during, or after the" | |
| "examination—is prohibited. Individuals violating these terms will not be permitted to retest or take any BACB" | |
| "examination until the matter has been resolved and the BACB has determined whether the candidate can have" | |
| "access to BACB examinations. Examples of violations and misconduct include:" | |
| "• submitting false, inconsistent, or misleading statements or omitting information the BACB requests" | |
| "• attempting to take the examination for someone else or having someone else take the examination for you" | |
| "• copying or sharing information or any other form of cheating" | |
| "• obtaining advanced access to examination materials" | |
| "• stealing examination materials" | |
| "• bringing prohibited items into the examination room" | |
| "• failing to follow directions from testing-center staff" | |
| "• violating Pearson VUE scheduling or testing-center rules and regulations" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 36" | |
| " Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Appeals" | |
| "The BACB is committed to reporting valid examination results; however, certain circumstances may cause results" | |
| "to be invalidated. The BACB reserves the right to invalidate examination results and certification status due to" | |
| "suspected or documented misconduct during testing or violation of the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts. The Ethics" | |
| "Code for Behavior Analysts requires certificants, candidates, and applicants to immediately report any confirmed or" | |
| "suspected examination misconduct by others to the BACB." | |
| "" | |
| "Additionally, invalidation may also occur due to situations beyond your control—or that of the BACB’s—at the testing" | |
| "site. If you experience examination condition irregularities (e.g., poor lighting or disruptive noises at the testing site," | |
| "long screen-load times) during your examination, you may file an examination appeal with the BACB. Pearson VUE" | |
| "delivers BACB examinations via a web browser, so minor Internet bandwidth variances are to be expected." | |
| "" | |
| "BACB standards, requirements, deadlines, procedures, fees, examination content, examination delivery modality," | |
| "examination results, examination edition, and examination-specific questions/answers may not be appealed." | |
| "" | |
| "How to appeal: You must file a request for appeal within 7 days of your examination appointment by completing the" | |
| "Administrative Appeal Request Form." | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Results" | |
| "You will be notified of your results at the testing site as soon as you complete the examination. The BACB will confirm" | |
| "your results via email, and they will appear in your BACB account within approximately 24 hours. The Certificant" | |
| "Registry will be updated to include those who passed the examination approximately 2 weeks after Pearson VUE" | |
| "releases the examination results." | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Retakes" | |
| "You may retake the BCBA examination for a maximum of 8 total attempts within a 2-year period following your initial" | |
| "examination approval. An Examination Retake Application will be available in your BACB account within 48 hours of" | |
| "each failed examination attempt. You will receive an examination authorization email within 48 hours of submitting" | |
| "the Examination Retake Application, which will provide further instructions on how to schedule a new examination" | |
| "appointment. You must pay a $140 retake application fee and a $125 examination appointment fee each time you" | |
| "retake the examination. You must wait 30 days to retake the examination following your previous attempt." | |
| "" | |
| "Note: If you do not pass the examination after 8 attempts and you still have time in your 2-year authorization period," | |
| "you must wait until your 2-year authorization period is over to reapply for BCBA certification." | |
| "" | |
| "Scoring Methodology" | |
| "The BACB uses the modified Angoff method to establish the BCBA examination’s passing score. This method is" | |
| "criterion-referenced, meaning that the passing score is determined by a panel of BACB-certified subject matter" | |
| "experts and then approved by the BACB Board of Directors. Your performance on the examination is solely" | |
| "dependent on your understanding of entry-level behavior analyst knowledge." | |
| "" | |
| "A new passing score is established when a significant change to the industry or examination content occurs (e.g.," | |
| "introduction of a new task list)." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 37" | |
| " What to Expect After Passing the Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "What to Expect After Passing the Examination" | |
| "What happens after I leave the testing center? In most instances, you will receive a pass/fail" | |
| "report at the testing center. If you passed the examination, your BCBA certification number will be" | |
| "generated and available in your BACB account within 24 hours of passing the examination. You" | |
| "will receive your BCBA certificate in the mail within 4–6 weeks (so make sure that your mailing" | |
| "address is correct in your BACB account)." | |
| "" | |
| "When can I start using my BCBA certification? You may start using your BCBA certification as BCBA Certificate Sample" | |
| "soon as you have passed the examination. However, please contact your state, regional, or national" | |
| "behavior-analytic professional associations to learn about any additional requirements for practice as a behavior analyst" | |
| "in your region and to access valuable support in the profession. If you reside in a US state where behavior analysts are" | |
| "licensed, you should immediately contact your state licensure board to determine whether or how you should submit" | |
| "an application for licensure before practicing with your new BACB certification. Please note that, starting January 1," | |
| "2025, once you pass the BCBA examination, any other BACB certification you hold will expire after 90 days or on its" | |
| "expiration date, whichever comes first. See the September 2023 BACB Newsletter for more information." | |
| "" | |
| "How can employers and funders, among others, verify my certification? Newly certified BCBAs appear in the Certificant" | |
| "Registry within 48 hours of passing the examination. The Certificant Registry shows the status of your certification and" | |
| "recertification date, and if your certification becomes inactive for any reason, this will be indicated on the registry." | |
| "" | |
| "Anyone may request a written verification of their current certification status from the BACB for a $25 fee per" | |
| "verification. The verification letter is delivered as an emailed PDF document or state-issued verification form and" | |
| "contains the information shown on the registry." | |
| "" | |
| "Would you like to give others the opportunity to contact you through the Certificant Registry? Log into your BACB" | |
| "account, select Email Preferences, and indicate that you can be contacted." | |
| "" | |
| "What does it mean now that I am certified? Becoming certified means you have demonstrated that you have the" | |
| "knowledge and skills of an entry-level practicing behavior analyst. That said, consider what you are proficient in, what" | |
| "you know a little about (but need more experience and mentorship in), and what you do not know to ensure that you" | |
| "do not overstate your expertise to the public. Consider your scope of competence (e.g., populations or behavior-" | |
| "analytic techniques you are capable of serving or using) because you have an ethical obligation to refrain from" | |
| "practicing outside of your scope of competence (see the Code)." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "What steps should I take to begin my career as a professional?" | |
| "" | |
| "The BACB cannot provide guidance on this outside of the requirements to maintain your" | |
| "certification, so the first step might be to identify a mentor who can help you develop a professional-" | |
| "development plan. That plan might include determining your scope of competence; recognizing" | |
| "skill sets that you need support with (e.g., billing) to move toward your goals; identifying ways to" | |
| "stay in contact with the literature (as a certificant, you have free access to recent issues of major" | |
| "behavior-analytic journals in your BACB account); and identifying ways to stay or get involved with" | |
| "the professional community, such as joining professional associations. A mentor might also be able" | |
| "to help you determine how to assess job opportunities to make sure they fit within your scope" | |
| "of competence and career goals; whether you are ready and qualified to serve as a supervisor," | |
| "assessor, or trainer (see the Supervision, Assessment, Training and Oversight section); and whether" | |
| "a service organization has an environment that is set up to promote ethical behavior." | |
| "" | |
| "When can I start supervising?" | |
| "" | |
| "RBTs and BCaBAs: You may start providing ongoing supervision to RBTs and BCaBAs as soon as you are certified" | |
| "and have met all other relevant supervision requirements (e.g., supervisor training). See the Ongoing Supervision" | |
| "sections in the RBT and BCaBA Handbooks for details." | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 38" | |
| " What to Expect After Passing the Examination" | |
| "" | |
| "Trainees accruing fieldwork hours: You may start providing supervision to trainees accruing fieldwork as soon as" | |
| "you are certified and have met all other relevant supervision requirements (e.g., supervisor training). Please note" | |
| "that during your first year of certification, you must meet with a consulting supervisor each month that you provide" | |
| "supervision to trainees accruing fieldwork. See the Consulting Supervisor Requirements for New BCBAs Supervising" | |
| "Fieldwork document for more information." | |
| "" | |
| "How should I maintain my certification moving forward?" | |
| "• Review the Certification Maintenance Requirements section and develop a plan to meet them, including" | |
| "accruing continuing education and complying with ethics requirements (e.g., ensure that you accept clients" | |
| "within the boundaries of your competence, have appropriate service contracts, provide appropriate services," | |
| "follow procedures to ensure continuity of care and appropriate client transitions)." | |
| "• Be sure to keep an eye out for helpful resources, like BACB videos, blogs, and podcasts. For example," | |
| "the Tips for New Certificants blog shares valuable information for newly certified individuals, and The" | |
| "Professional Infrastructure of Applied Behavior Analysis video describes the various organizations in ABA." | |
| "• Keep your contact information up to date in your BACB account to ensure that you receive important" | |
| "updates about certification requirements, and periodically review bacb.com to stay informed of changes. This" | |
| "is especially important because if the BACB tries to contact you and receives no response after reasonable" | |
| "attempts are made, the BACB may take summary action (e.g., suspension) against your certification (see the" | |
| "Timely Responding to the BACB section)." | |
| "• Report critical events to the BACB Ethics Department (see the Self-Reporting web page)." | |
| "• Stay up to date with licensure requirements in your area." | |
| "• If your certification status changes (e.g., your certification becomes inactive), ensure that you accurately" | |
| "reflect your certification status to the public. For more information about the correct use of the BCBA" | |
| "certification mark, see the September 2008, October 2013, and July 2021 BACB Newsletters." | |
| "" | |
| "Tips for Protecting Your BACB Information" | |
| "The BACB works to ensure the security of our certificants’ information. Despite our efforts, however, you are" | |
| "still at risk of someone misusing your credential, most commonly for billing fraud. Given the prevalence of" | |
| "open electronic access and digital identity theft, here are a few ways that you can take a proactive approach to" | |
| "maximizing the security of your professional credentials." | |
| "• Check your BACB account regularly. Put a reminder in your calendar to log in and check the accuracy" | |
| "of the information in your BACB account every six months or more frequently if you have been—or" | |
| "suspect you may be—the target of identity theft. It is critical that you log in to ensure that your information" | |
| "is accurate and review how your information is publicly displayed in the Certificant Registry. In addition to" | |
| "your personal information, review the information specific to supervisees or supervisors to make sure it is" | |
| "correct. If you find any inconsistencies or inaccuracies, use the Contact Us form to immediately inform us" | |
| "of the potential issue." | |
| "• Protect your BACB certificate. While your certification number is publicly available in the Certificant" | |
| "Registry, you should protect your BACB certificate from being copied and/or modified. Think twice before" | |
| "posting photos of your certificate on social media platforms, and be sure to keep your private BACB" | |
| "account ID number protected. This number is not published in the Certificant Registry and is generally" | |
| "only needed by your supervisees/trainees, the BACB, and certain funding sources." | |
| "• If you suspect misuse of your information, contact a specialist (e.g., attorney/advisor) in identity theft" | |
| "to help you determine your options. While BACB staff cannot provide legal advice, we are sympathetic" | |
| "to the frustrations you may experience if your information is misused. Finally, if you suspect the misuse" | |
| "or misappropriation of another certificant’s credential (or the creation of false credentials), please" | |
| "immediately report your evidence to the appropriate authorities (e.g., law enforcement, funders) and to" | |
| "the BACB using the Reporting Infringement or Misuse Form." | |
| "For additional guidance, please refer to the August 2019 newsletter on our Newsletters web page." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 39" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "To maintain your BCBA certification, you must obtain ongoing continuing education, adhere" | |
| "Remember to keep your" | |
| "to the BACB’s ethics requirements and self-reporting requirements, and submit a completed" | |
| "information up to date" | |
| "recertification application and associated fees every two years before your recertification date." | |
| "in your BACB account," | |
| "and please ensure that" | |
| "Overview bacb.com is in your" | |
| "Original Certification /" | |
| "email contacts and list" | |
| "Recertification Date of safe senders." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Complete 32 CEUs (4 in Ethics," | |
| "3 in Supervision, if applicable) Recertify" | |
| "Abide by BACB Ethics and Last chance to meet CEU requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Self-Reporting Requirements 2 Year Cycle" | |
| "Recertify once you have entered all of" | |
| "your CEUs (no sooner than 45 days" | |
| "before your recertification date)." | |
| "" | |
| "Failure to meet the requirements or to" | |
| "apply by the end of this period results in" | |
| "certification expiration." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 9/11/2019, Copyright © 2019, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Continuing Education" | |
| "Initial BCBA certification indicates that an individual has met entry-level standards of practice as a behavior analyst." | |
| "The purpose of the BACB’s continuing education (CE) requirement is to ensure that BCBA certificants engage in" | |
| "activities that will expand their behavior-analytic skills beyond the requirements for initial certification and help them" | |
| "stay up to date on developments in the profession." | |
| "" | |
| "CEU Requirements" | |
| "As a BCBA, you are required to obtain 32 continuing education units (CEUs) within each 2-year recertification cycle," | |
| "including 4 CEUs in ethics and 3 CEUs in supervision (for supervisors)." | |
| "" | |
| "All CEUs must occur within the recertification cycle to which they are applied. For example, if you submit your" | |
| "recertification application on September 27, 2021, and your recertification date is September 30, 2021, you may only" | |
| "count CEUs accrued from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2023, toward your next recertification application." | |
| "" | |
| "Note: It is not permitted to make up missed CEUs after your recertification date (i.e., reinstatement period). CEUs" | |
| "exceeding the required amount cannot be applied to the next cycle." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement by entering your CEUs into your BACB account as" | |
| "soon as you have supporting documentation. Use the following table to identify which type of CEU" | |
| "was earned. Depending on the type of CE selected, you will need to enter specific information" | |
| "about the activity and upload supporting documentation." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 40" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "CEU Types" | |
| "You can earn CEUs via three activity types, as illustrated in the following table. There are no restrictions or limitations" | |
| "on the number of non-repeating CEUs you can earn through each activity type." | |
| "" | |
| "Continuing Education By: Documentation CEU Values" | |
| "Attending behavior-analytic learning" | |
| "events offered by Authorized" | |
| "Certificate from the ACE Provider" | |
| "25 minutes" | |
| "Continuing Education (ACE) Providers" | |
| "(see ACE Provider Directory) of learning =" | |
| ".5 CEU" | |
| "Completing didactic behavior-analytic" | |
| "Learning (i.e., 50" | |
| "graduate courses with a passing" | |
| "Syllabi and transcripts from university courses minutes of" | |
| "grade (“C” or higher in a graded" | |
| "learning =" | |
| "course or “pass” in a pass/fail system)*" | |
| "1 CEU)" | |
| "Participating in certain BACB No documentation is needed for BACB events" | |
| "certification activities (these are issued directly into BACB accounts)" | |
| "Documentation from the ACE Provider 25 minutes" | |
| "Teaching ACE events demonstrating that the certificant taught an of instruction =" | |
| "ACE event .5 CEU" | |
| "Teaching (i.e., 50" | |
| "Teaching university courses in" | |
| "Letter from a department chair indicating that minutes of" | |
| "behavior analysis at an accredited," | |
| "the certificant taught a university course instruction =" | |
| "degree-granting university*" | |
| "1 CEU)" | |
| "Publishing an article on behavior 1 publication =" | |
| "A PDF of the final published article" | |
| "analysis in a peer-reviewed journal 8 CEUs" | |
| "Confirmation from the journal (e.g.," | |
| "Scholarship Writing a review or decision letter 1 review/" | |
| "confirmation email, snapshot of the portal)," | |
| "for an article on behavior analysis decision letter" | |
| "associate editor, or editor. Note: Please redact" | |
| "submitted to a peer-reviewed journal = 1 CEU" | |
| "title and author information." | |
| "" | |
| "* For the purpose of establishing instructional requirements that can be applied globally, 1 semester" | |
| "credit hour will represent 15 hours of classroom instruction, and 1 quarter credit hour will represent 10" | |
| "hours of classroom instruction. This conversion is based on US Federal Rule." | |
| "" | |
| "CEU Content There are a lot of options" | |
| "for continuing education" | |
| "Continuing education may address any aspect of behavior analysis: practice, science, in terms of format," | |
| "methodology, theory, or the profession. CEUs must cover material that goes beyond the current content, and providers," | |
| "BCBA/BCaBA Task List and coursework required to sit for the certification examinations. among others." | |
| "Ethics CEU Consider obtaining" | |
| "CEUs that will help" | |
| "This category is defined as (a) events related to the BACB’s ethics requirements and/or (b) with your professional-" | |
| "events related to cultural/contextual responsiveness. The content must relate to behavior- development plan. And" | |
| "analytic practice or applied research and be directly linked to the behavior-analytic literature remember that the" | |
| "and/or established practice. To qualify as Ethics continuing education, most of the event must intent is for ongoing" | |
| "focus on ethics or cultural/contextual responsiveness. Continuing education events that only development, so we" | |
| "briefly reference the BACB’s ethics codes and primarily cover unrelated content should not be highly recommend" | |
| "offered as Ethics continuing education. accruing continuing" | |
| "education throughout" | |
| "your recertification cycle." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 41" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervision CEUs" | |
| "" | |
| "BCBAs who have supervised the ongoing practice of RBTs or BCaBAs on record or trainees pursuing BCBA or" | |
| "BCaBA certification at any point during their recertification cycle must obtain and enter 3 supervision CEUs to" | |
| "recertify. Supervision is behavior analytic in nature and covers effective supervision as described in the BACB" | |
| "Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline (2.0) and the Nature of Supervision section." | |
| "" | |
| "Ethics/Supervision CEU Overlap" | |
| "" | |
| "A CEU may be counted as either an ethics CEU or a supervision CEU, but not both. CEUs acquired from the 8-hour" | |
| "supervision training may count as supervision CEUs only." | |
| "" | |
| "Repeating CE Activities" | |
| "" | |
| "Repeating CE activities of any CEU type does not provide new or expanded knowledge or skills and, therefore, does" | |
| "not meet BACB certification requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Ethics and Self-Reporting" | |
| "You must adhere to the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts and self-" | |
| "reporting requirements. The BACB is prohibited from providing any" | |
| "legal advice and from interpreting any ethics requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (Code): The Code contains six" | |
| "sections outlining candidates’ and certificants’ responsibilities related" | |
| "to professional conduct, clients and service provisions, supervision," | |
| "and colleagues. Certificants are required to remain knowledgeable" | |
| "about the Code. Those supervising others (i.e., trainees, RBTs, BCaBAs)" | |
| "must ensure that they review and address the Code (and the RBT" | |
| "Ethics Code [2.0] where applicable) with their supervisees or trainees." | |
| "Certificants should also endeavor to address potential violations" | |
| "directly with the relevant individual if appropriate. When considering Ethics Code for Code-Enforcement" | |
| "whether submitting a Notice of Alleged Violation is appropriate, Behavior Analysts Procedures" | |
| "certificants should consult the Considerations for Reporting an Alleged" | |
| "Violation Against a BCaBA/BCBA or the Considerations for Reporting" | |
| "an Alleged Violation Against an RBT document." | |
| "" | |
| "Self-Reporting" | |
| "Per the BACB’s ethics requirements, applicants and certificants must self-report to the BACB" | |
| "any personal or professional conduct, condition, or event that may pose a risk to others or" | |
| "reasonably impact their ability to safely or competently practice. These events may relate Visit the Ethics web" | |
| "to their roles as service providers, supervisors, educators, trainers, or business owners page for information" | |
| "or managers of any organization or company that provides behavior-analytic services, about code-enforcement" | |
| "supervision, education, and/or training. Please see the following sections for details on the procedures, ethics" | |
| "three main types of information that must be self-reported to the BACB. resources, and more." | |
| "" | |
| "For further guidance on when to self-report, please review the information on the Self-" | |
| "Reporting web page." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 42" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Changes to Personal Information" | |
| "" | |
| "You are required to keep the personal information in your BACB account up to date, including your address, email" | |
| "address, and legal name. Please change or correct any outdated information within 30 days of the change or" | |
| "of becoming aware of the outdated information. Please note that name changes will require the submission of" | |
| "government-issued documentation reflecting your previous and current name, and address changes may require the" | |
| "submission of documentation that verifies your residence." | |
| "" | |
| "Noncompliance With BACB-Required Supervision" | |
| "" | |
| "BCaBAs, BCaBA Supervisors, RBTs, RBT Supervisors, and RBT Requirements Coordinators, among others, are" | |
| "required to self-report any supervision noncompliance to the BACB in a timely manner." | |
| "" | |
| "Critical Events" | |
| "" | |
| "The following events must be self-reported to the BACB in a timely manner. This guidance does not constitute ethics" | |
| "or legal advice. If it is not required that you self-report your situation to the BACB, but you are still unsure, the best" | |
| "course of action is to self-report. Please note that for the purposes of self-reporting, funder refers to any entity (e.g.," | |
| "healthcare organization, state or federally funded service, commercial payer, managed care organization, educational" | |
| "institution, other payment entity) that you have contracted with to provide behavior-analytic, educational, or health-" | |
| "care services." | |
| "" | |
| "Violations of Ethics Standards: You must self-report any violation of one or more standards in the applicable BACB" | |
| "ethics code (i.e., Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts for BCBAs and BCaBAs, RBT Ethics Code [2.0] for RBTs). This" | |
| "includes, but is not limited to, the following events:" | |
| "• leaving a position without ensuring continuity of services or in a manner that fails to appropriately transition" | |
| "or discontinue services" | |
| "• engaging in a multiple relationship with a client or supervisee" | |
| "• failing to maintain appropriate client records (including documentation for billing purposes)" | |
| "Physical and Mental Health Conditions and Substance Use Disorders: You must self-report the following events" | |
| "related to physical and mental health conditions and substance use disorders:" | |
| "• You currently have, or within the past 3 years have had, a physical or mental health condition or substance" | |
| "use disorder that directly impacts your ability to provide services safely and competently, and:" | |
| "• you do not have an active, effective care plan in place;" | |
| "• you have an active, effective care plan in place, and your care provider recommends that you self-report" | |
| "to the BACB; OR" | |
| "• you have an active care plan in place, but it is no longer effective." | |
| "• Within the past 3 years, you have been voluntarily or involuntarily hospitalized or placed in a treatment facility" | |
| "(e.g., in-patient, intensive out-patient) because of a physical or mental health condition or substance use" | |
| "disorder for which you do not or did not have a care plan in place, and your ability to provide services safely" | |
| "and competently is or was directly impacted." | |
| "• Within the past 3 years, you have participated in a diversion plan or treatment plan related to a physical or" | |
| "mental health condition or substance use disorder in accordance with a license or credential held by you in" | |
| "any profession." | |
| "• Within the past 3 years, you have participated in a diversion plan or treatment plan in accordance with" | |
| "a court of law following criminal charges against you for which a physical or mental health condition or" | |
| "substance use disorder lessened the offense that resulted in the diverted or deferred outcome." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 43" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "You do not need to self-report the following events:" | |
| "• a new or existing diagnosis of a physical or mental health condition or substance use" | |
| "disorder that is unlikely to impact the competent and safe delivery of services" | |
| "• a new or existing diagnosis of a physical or mental health condition or substance use" | |
| "disorder for which you have an active, effective care plan, and you and your care provider" | |
| "have determined that it will not likely impact the competent and safe delivery of services" | |
| "• unless advised otherwise, an event that has already been self-reported and that the BACB" | |
| "has dismissed or cleared" | |
| "" | |
| "Investigations: You must self-report any investigation naming you, a company that you own, or a company in which" | |
| "you hold a primary role related to the matter under investigation (e.g., billing, clinical quality control) within 30 days of" | |
| "becoming aware of the investigation. Do not wait until the conclusion of the investigation to self-report. This includes," | |
| "but is not limited to, the following events:" | |
| "• any investigation conducted by an employer in response to an alleged violation of any BACB ethics standard" | |
| "• any investigation or audit conducted by a state or federal entity (e.g., funder, licensure or regulatory board)," | |
| "professional association, or educational institution that was triggered by a complaint or irregularity identified" | |
| "by the entity" | |
| "• any investigation or audit triggered by a self-identified irregularity" | |
| "• any billing or quality control audit (e.g., random or scheduled audit that was not triggered by a complaint or" | |
| "concern) conducted by a funder, governmental insurance provider, licensure or regulatory board, or other" | |
| "entity (e.g., department of health, fire department) that resulted in an order to repay money due to overbilling" | |
| "and a penalty that exceeded $2,500 (USD or equivalent)" | |
| "" | |
| "You do not need to self-report the following events:" | |
| "• any billing or quality control audit (e.g., random or scheduled audit that was not triggered" | |
| "by a complaint or concern) conducted by a funder, governmental insurance provider," | |
| "licensure or regulatory board, or other entity (e.g., department of health, fire department)" | |
| "that did not result in any corrective actions, improvement plans, fines, or repayments" | |
| "exceeding $2,500 (USD or equivalent)" | |
| "" | |
| "Agreements and Actions: You must self-report certain agreements and actions within 30 days of (a) receiving an" | |
| "order from the court, civil or criminal charges, a final determination, or a disposition or (b) signing an agreement or" | |
| "consent order that relates to any of the following events:" | |
| "• termination by an employer in response to a violation of any BACB ethics standard" | |
| "• requirement to report a situation or action that posed a risk of harm to others and occurred during the" | |
| "delivery of behavior-analytic, health-care, or educational services to a licensure or regulatory board," | |
| "professional liability insurance company (i.e., if the event triggered malpractice coverage), or other" | |
| "governmental agency (i.e., if the event warranted mandated reporting to a welfare or protective agency)" | |
| "• denial of a professional licensure application for conduct or competence reasons, such as eligibility" | |
| "requirements deficits, that would not otherwise constitute ethics code violations (e.g., unmet education," | |
| "training, experience, application, and/or documentation requirements; unpaid fees)" | |
| "• an arbitration decision or a settlement or consent agreement/order between yourself and any funder," | |
| "licensure board, or certification entity" | |
| "• required actions (e.g., repayment, compliance or remediation plan, participation restrictions, probation or" | |
| "suspension, voluntary surrender or relinquishment of license or certification, revocation or suspension," | |
| "practice restrictions or inclusions, mandatory mentorship or continuing education) assigned to you by a state" | |
| "or federal entity (e.g., licensure or regulatory board), professional association, court or tribunal, arbitrator," | |
| "funder, or educational institution in response to a complaint, audit, or investigation related to the delivery of" | |
| "behavior-analytic services or a behavior-analytic service company that you own or manage" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 44" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "• public health and safety tickets, citations, or fines greater than $750 (USD or equivalent) or of any amount" | |
| "if the situation (a) led to an arrest warrant, jail time, or other incarceration or (b) involved or occurred in the" | |
| "presence of a client" | |
| "• criminal or civil suits naming you that are directly or indirectly related to the delivery of behavior-analytic" | |
| "services or involve assault, battery, or abuse of a person or animal (this must be reported within 30 days of" | |
| "becoming aware of the criminal or civil suit)" | |
| "• criminal or civil suits in which you have been found guilty, have entered a plea of no contest, or have" | |
| "otherwise been sanctioned related to a misdemeanor or felony involving public health and safety or the" | |
| "delivery of behavior-analytic, health-care, educational, or other human services (this must be reported within" | |
| "30 days of becoming aware of the criminal or civil suit)" | |
| "• official expungement of court records that meet BACB self-reporting requirements if the action occurred" | |
| "during the delivery of behavior-analytic, health-care, or educational services or involved the assault, battery," | |
| "or abuse of a person or animal" | |
| "• probation, parole, pretrial diversion agreements, settlement agreements, or consent orders assigned to you" | |
| "• current detainment (e.g., you are being held in custody in a jail, prison, other correctional facility, court-" | |
| "mandated treatment facility, or under house arrest)" | |
| "• any conviction of a felony that carried a maximum sentence of more than 5 years imprisonment and that has" | |
| "not been expunged" | |
| "" | |
| "You do not need to self-report the following events:" | |
| "• credit or tax hearing" | |
| "• personal bankruptcy" | |
| "• fines related to tax, revenue, or wage garnishment" | |
| "• parking tickets or tickets generated by traffic cameras" | |
| "• traffic tickets not exceeding $750 (USD or equivalent)" | |
| "• family court proceedings (e.g., divorces, custody hearings)" | |
| "• employer layoffs and actions that do not involve a violation of a BACB ethics standard" | |
| "• a DUI or DWI charge or conviction that is a first-time offense, did not result in injury to any" | |
| "party, did not occur with clients in the vehicle or during work hours, and is not related to a" | |
| "substance use disorder that must be otherwise reported" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 45" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Recertification" | |
| "As a BCBA, you are required to submit a recertification application (including payment) every two years." | |
| "Recertification applications are available in your BACB account within 45 days of your recertification date AND as" | |
| "soon as you have entered your required CEUs. You must complete your recertification application on or before your" | |
| "recertification date to avoid lapses in your certification and late fees." | |
| "" | |
| "Recertifying" | |
| "1. Throughout your certification cycle, enter your CEUs into your portal. All CEUs must be completed and" | |
| "entered into your BACB account before your recertification date. If you supervised the ongoing practice" | |
| "of one or more RBTs or BCaBAs on record at any point during your recertification cycle, you must have" | |
| "obtained and entered 3 supervision CEUs to recertify. Note: All CEUs must include CEU documentation to" | |
| "support each entry. Entries used to fulfill a CE category must clearly indicate the number of CEUs for that" | |
| "specific category (i.e., general, supervision, ethics) in the documentation. Copies of CEU documentation will" | |
| "not be provided to the certificant. Please see the Documentation Policy for more information." | |
| "2. As soon as all of your CEUs are entered AND you are within 45 days of your recertification date, a" | |
| "recertification application will appear in your BACB account under the Recertification tab. This tab will not" | |
| "be visible until these two elements are met." | |
| "3. Complete the application and pay the fee. Make sure that you are reviewing your information closely in" | |
| "your recertification application to ensure that it is accurate, including your contact information and mailing" | |
| "address. Note: At the time of application, you will be asked to attest to questions in the Eligibility Affidavit" | |
| "section of the application and agree to the Application Processing Agreement. You will be asked to (a) affirm" | |
| "that you have read, are in compliance with, and will continue to comply with all BACB requirements; (b) report" | |
| "whether you have a physical/mental condition or substance addiction that could impair your service delivery;" | |
| "and (c) report about any disciplinary or legal investigations or actions. Please read each question carefully" | |
| "and answer truthfully. Answering “yes” to the second or third questions will require that you also complete" | |
| "and submit an Ethics Self-Reporting Form. Your application will be placed on hold while your self-report is" | |
| "reviewed by BACB staff." | |
| "4. If your CEU entries are selected for audit, we might reach out for additional action via email. If we do" | |
| "not receive the appropriate documentation (e.g., incorrect and/or duplicate documentation, lack of ethics or" | |
| "supervision documentation), to indicate that you met the CE requirements, your certification will expire." | |
| "" | |
| "If your application has been approved:" | |
| "• Your certification dates will update with a new expiration date that is two years from your last" | |
| "recertification date." | |
| "• After your new recertification date, you may start accruing CEUs for your next recertification cycle. Even" | |
| "if you complete the recertification application before your recertification date, you can only count CEUs" | |
| "for your next cycle once that new cycle starts." | |
| "• You will receive a new certificate in the mail at the address on record within 4–6 weeks." | |
| "If you do not recertify:" | |
| "• By your recertification date: Your certification status will become inactive, and you will not be permitted" | |
| "to bill, practice, supervise, or represent yourself as a BCBA. If you complete all of your CE requirements" | |
| "but fail to recertify before your recertification date, you will have 30 days from your recertification date" | |
| "to reinstate your certification and pay the late fee. Additional CEUs may not be accrued during the" | |
| "reinstatement period. After this reinstatement period, you will lose your certification and will need to" | |
| "reapply and meet the eligibility requirements applicable at that time." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 46" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "• By the end of your reinstatement period: Your certification will expire, and you will not be permitted to" | |
| "bill, practice, supervise, or represent yourself as a BCBA. You will need to reapply and meet the eligibility" | |
| "requirements applicable at that time to become a BCBA (see the following graphic)." | |
| "" | |
| "GUIDANCE FOR THOSE WHO MISSED THEIR RECERTIFICATION DATE" | |
| "AND WISH TO REMAIN CERTIFIED" | |
| "" | |
| "LOG IN TO YOUR BACB" | |
| "Did you complete all of YES ACCOUNT AND COMPLETE" | |
| "your CEUs by your THE RECERTIFICATION" | |
| "recerti cation date?" | |
| "APPLICATION" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "YES" | |
| "" | |
| "COMPLETE AN APPLICATION" | |
| "MISSED MY DATE CERTIFICATION INACTIVE Has it been 30* days or NO" | |
| "TO QUALIFY FOR AN" | |
| "I missed my recerti cation date. You must stop using your BCBA less since your" | |
| "EXAMINATION VIA PAST" | |
| "What should I do? certi cation immediately. recerti cation date? YES" | |
| "CERTIFICATION" | |
| "" | |
| "NO" | |
| "" | |
| "REVIEW CURRENT" | |
| "Has it been 5 years or REQUIREMENTS AND" | |
| "less since your COMPLETE A NEW" | |
| "NO" | |
| "certi cation expired? APPLICATION FOR" | |
| "CERTIFICATION" | |
| "Version 12/19/2023, Copyright © 2019, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Fees**" | |
| "" | |
| "Recertification Fees BCBA BCBA-D" | |
| "Recertification Application $215 $290" | |
| "Late Fee $50 $50" | |
| "Insufficient Funds/Returned Check $45 $45" | |
| "Certificate Replacement $35 $35" | |
| "* Starting January 1, 2024, BCBAs will have 30 days from their recertification date to reinstate their certification and pay the" | |
| "late fee." | |
| "** BACB fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. The BACB only accepts US currency. Please do not send cash." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 47" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Inactive Policy" | |
| "BCBAs may become inactive because:" | |
| "• they placed their certification on voluntary inactive status or active duty/reserve status," | |
| "• they did not recertify by their recertification date, or" | |
| "• they have sanctions against their certification." | |
| "" | |
| "BCBAs with an inactive certification may not bill, practice, supervise, or represent themselves as" | |
| "active BCBAs." | |
| "" | |
| "Voluntary Inactive Status" | |
| "BCBAs who need a break from maintaining their certification for a period—and who are within their recertification" | |
| "cycle and have completed continuing education for their recertification cycle (prorated to the month)—may request" | |
| "inactive status. As an inactive BCBA, you are not permitted to practice, bill, supervise, or represent yourself as an" | |
| "active BCBA, and you will be listed as inactive on the Certificant Registry. Once granted voluntary inactive status, you" | |
| "may remain inactive for up to four years. There are no certification maintenance requirements (e.g., recertification" | |
| "fees) during the period of inactivity." | |
| "" | |
| "Applying for Voluntary Inactive Status" | |
| "" | |
| "If you wish to request voluntary inactive status, you must complete the BCBA Application for Voluntary Inactive Status" | |
| "and pay a one-time, inactive-request fee of $50. You may not apply for voluntary inactive status while you are in your" | |
| "reinstatement period." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Example of how your recertification cycle is paused while on voluntary inactive status:" | |
| "" | |
| "If you go on inactive status 18 months into your recertification cycle, you will have needed to" | |
| "complete 24 CEUs. When you return, you will need to accrue the remaining CEUs for the next 6" | |
| "months of your cycle before your next recertification date. Your next recertification date will be" | |
| "6 months from the date that you return from inactive status." | |
| "" | |
| "Applying for Return From Voluntary Inactive Status" | |
| "" | |
| "If you are on voluntary inactive status for less than 4 years and wish to reactivate your certification, you must submit a" | |
| "BCBA/BCaBA Request to Return from Voluntary Inactive Status Application. If you are on voluntary inactive status for" | |
| "2 to 4 years, please note that you must obtain and submit documentation of 8 CEUs along with the application. These" | |
| "CEUs will not count toward your recertification cycle. Once your certification has been reactivated, your recertification" | |
| "cycle will resume. You may not apply for voluntary inactive status again until your next recertification cycle." | |
| "" | |
| "If you do not apply for reactivation within 4 years, your certification will expire as of the date you placed your" | |
| "certification on voluntary inactive status, and you must reapply for certification if you wish to become certified" | |
| "again. Please note that new BACB certifications will not be available to individuals who reside outside of the United" | |
| "States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom as of January 1, 2023, including those who qualify via the past" | |
| "certification option." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 48" | |
| " Certification Maintenance Requirements" | |
| "" | |
| "Active Duty/Reserve Status" | |
| "If you are called to active military duty in the armed forces and are actively certified, you may apply for a temporary" | |
| "pause of your recertification cycle to cover the time frame for which you are called (not to exceed two years). While" | |
| "on reserve inactive status, you are prohibited from representing yourself as an active BCBA. This policy only applies" | |
| "to service members just joining the military or those being deployed. If a spouse of a service member wishes to go" | |
| "on inactive status, they must apply for voluntary inactive status." | |
| "" | |
| "If you are called to active military duty in the armed forces and have an active examination authorization, please see" | |
| "the Compassionate Appeals criteria." | |
| "" | |
| "Applying for Active Duty/Reserve Status" | |
| "" | |
| "Upon being called to active duty, notify the BACB via the Contact Us web page and provide a copy of your official" | |
| "call-up notice. The BACB will place your certification on inactive status during your active duty period. Following" | |
| "completion of your active duty or two years, whichever is earlier, you must contact the BACB to update your" | |
| "certification status. When your certification becomes active again, your recertification cycle will resume." | |
| "" | |
| "Fees*" | |
| "" | |
| "Inactive Status Fees" | |
| "BCBA Application for Voluntary Inactive Status $50" | |
| "BCBA/BCaBA Request to Return from Voluntary Inactive Status Application" | |
| "$0" | |
| "(0–2 years inactive)" | |
| "BCBA/BCaBA Request to Return from Voluntary Inactive Status Application" | |
| "$50" | |
| "(2–4 years inactive)" | |
| "Active Duty/Reserve Status $0" | |
| "* BACB fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. The BACB only accepts US currency. Please do not send cash." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 49" | |
| " Supervision, Assessment, Training, and Oversight" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervision, Assessment, Training, and Oversight" | |
| "As a BCBA, you may serve in the important role of overseeing the work, training, or" | |
| "assessment of others who are providing behavior-analytic services or working toward BACB" | |
| "certification. This oversight may occur in three primary roles:" | |
| "• Supervisor: As a supervisor, you will oversee those who are providing behavior- How are eligible" | |
| "analytic services (i.e., RBTs, BCaBAs) and/or those who are accruing fieldwork hours supervisors identified" | |
| "toward becoming certified (i.e., trainees). Note: In overseeing RBTs, you may also" | |
| "be an RBT Requirements Coordinator who is responsible for ensuring that multiple BCBAs who meet" | |
| "supervisors in an organization are providing appropriate supervision to RBTs (see the supervision requirements" | |
| "Ongoing Supervision section of the RBT Handbook for more details). are identified in the" | |
| "• Assessor: As an assessor, you will be responsible for directly conducting or Certificant Registry" | |
| "overseeing assessments of those pursuing RBT certification or those who are with the statement" | |
| "maintaining their RBT certification to determine whether they are competent in “Completed supervision" | |
| "specific tasks commonly conducted by behavior technicians (i.e., Initial Competency training on DATE.” The" | |
| "Assessment or Renewal Competency Assessment). date shown is the date" | |
| "• Trainer: As a trainer, you will develop and/or provide the RBT 40-hour training and/or the certificant became" | |
| "oversee individuals who are providing the RBT 40-hour training. eligible to provide" | |
| "Because of the obvious importance of these roles, failure to comply with BACB supervision." | |
| "requirements and ethics standards constitutes a violation of the Code and may result in a" | |
| "Notice of Alleged Violation being filed against you and subsequent action being taken by" | |
| "the Ethics Department." | |
| "" | |
| "This section of the handbook provides an overview of each role; however, you will need to carefully review the" | |
| "linked requirements specified in each section. It is the responsibility of every candidate, certificant, and supervisor to" | |
| "ensure that any supervision provided or received is consistent with current BACB requirements, any applicable state" | |
| "regulatory requirements (e.g., licensure), and relevant third-party payer requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Overview of Additional Requirements by Role: Although holding BCBA certification is the primary qualification," | |
| "additional requirements are indicated in the following table." | |
| "" | |
| "Additional Requirements by Role" | |
| "8-Hour May Not Be Related to," | |
| "Ongoing CEUs in Consulting" | |
| "Role Supervision Subordinate to, or Employed by the" | |
| "Supervision Supervisor" | |
| "Training* Trainee, Supervisee, Certificant" | |
| "Assessing RBTs" | |
| "(competency ✓ × ✓ ×" | |
| "assessments)" | |
| "Training RBTs (RBT" | |
| "× × ✓ ×" | |
| "40-hour training)" | |
| "Supervising RBTs ✓ ✓ ✓ ×" | |
| "Supervising BCBA" | |
| "and BCaBA trainees" | |
| "✓ ✓ ✓ ✓" | |
| "in your first year of" | |
| "certification" | |
| "Supervising BCBA" | |
| "and BCaBA trainees" | |
| "✓ ✓ ✓ ×" | |
| "after your first year" | |
| "of certification" | |
| "Supervising BCaBAs ✓ ✓ ✓ ×" | |
| "* You can find a list of ACE Providers who may offer 8-hour supervision training on the ACE Provider Directory." | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 50" | |
| " Supervision, Assessment, Training, and Oversight" | |
| "" | |
| "Attesting, Assessing, Training, and Supervising RBTs" | |
| "Attesting RBTs (Age, Education, Background, and Abuse Registry Check)" | |
| "As of January 2, 2025, the RBT Certification Application Attestation form is used to confirm that the Age, Education," | |
| "Background, and Abuse Registry Check eligibility requirements have been met. A qualified attestor confirms that" | |
| "these eligibility requirements have been met. Please note that if you are attesting based on the information the" | |
| "organization’s Human Resources provides, then it is your responsibility to be familiar with the organization’s policies," | |
| "procedures, and processes when vetting applicants for the RBT certification." | |
| "" | |
| "Assessing RBTs (Competency Assessments)" | |
| "One of the primary eligibility and maintenance requirements for" | |
| "RBT certification is demonstrating competence in the tasks on the" | |
| "Initial/Renewal Competency Assessment. A qualified assessor" | |
| "conducts these assessments and, in some cases, may also involve" | |
| "and oversee assistant assessors." | |
| "" | |
| "Requirements: The Initial Competency Assessment and the" | |
| "Renewal Competency Assessment include the requirements for" | |
| "administering the assessments." | |
| "Initial Competency Renewal Competency" | |
| "Training RBTs (RBT 40-Hour Training) Assessment Assessment" | |
| "As one of the requirements to obtain certification, RBT applicants" | |
| "must complete a 40-hour training based on the RBT Task List (2nd" | |
| "ed.). A qualified trainer conducts the training and, in some cases," | |
| "may also involve and oversee assistant trainers." | |
| "" | |
| "Requirements: The RBT 40-Hour Training Packet outlines the" | |
| "requirements for conducting the RBT 40-hour training." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervising RBTs" | |
| "RBTs practice under the close, ongoing supervision of an RBT" | |
| "Supervisor and/or an RBT Requirements Coordinator who is" | |
| "responsible for the RBT’s work (see the Ongoing Supervision section RBT 40-Hour Training RBT Handbook" | |
| "of the RBT Handbook for a full description of each role’s requirements). Packet" | |
| "" | |
| "Requirements: The Ongoing Supervision section of the RBT Handbook helps RBT Supervisors, RBT Requirements" | |
| "Coordinators, and RBTs ensure that the appropriate ongoing supervision is provided in order to maintain active certification." | |
| "" | |
| "Managing Alleged Ethics Violations by RBTs" | |
| "As an RBT Supervisor, you are responsible for the actions of all RBTs under your supervision, so it’s important to be" | |
| "aware of the special considerations for submitting a Notice of Alleged Violation against an RBT. You can learn more" | |
| "about these considerations by visiting the Reporting Alleged Violations Against RBTs web page and by reviewing the" | |
| "Considerations for Reporting an Alleged Violation Against an RBT document. Supervisors are often best positioned" | |
| "to immediately and directly address some ethics violations by an RBT. Therefore, in an instance where an RBT" | |
| "Requirements Coordinator or RBT Supervisor becomes aware of a potential ethics violation by an RBT, they must" | |
| "take steps to investigate and document the alleged violation. If they determine that a violation did occur, they should" | |
| "decide if the matter should be addressed internally or by submitting a Notice of Alleged Violation to the BACB." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 51" | |
| " Supervision, Assessment, Training, and Oversight" | |
| "" | |
| "Submit a Notice of Alleged Violation against the RBT if the alleged violation:" | |
| "• involves abuse or neglect of a client;" | |
| "• results in the RBT being charged with or convicted of a violation of the law;" | |
| "• is a violation of standard 1.03, 1.05, 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.04, or 3.05 of the RBT Ethics Code (2.0); OR" | |
| "• has occurred repeatedly despite reasonable attempts to address the problem with the RBT." | |
| "If none of these situations apply, the RBT Requirements Coordinator and/or RBT Supervisor should develop and" | |
| "implement an individualized corrective-action plan for the RBT and document the outcome. The BACB reserves" | |
| "the right to audit the RBT Requirements Coordinator or RBT Supervisor for documentation of the complaint," | |
| "investigation, and resolution." | |
| "" | |
| "Tips for Supervising Trainees, RBTs, or BCaBAs" | |
| "Being a supervisor is an important responsibility in both shaping future behavior analysts and helping to facilitate" | |
| "quality services being provided to clients. With that in mind, here are a few tips for those who supervise." | |
| "• Know the relevant supervision requirements. This might be obvious by now, but supervisors should" | |
| "know the relevant requirements for supervision and stay up to date about requirements changes by" | |
| "reading the BACB Newsletter and periodically reviewing the BACB website and BCBA Handbook. It’s" | |
| "also vital to remember that the BACB reserves the right to contact you to share or request information" | |
| "regarding individuals for whom you are or were the supervisor on record. For example, if your RBT or" | |
| "BCaBA supervisee is named in a Notice of Alleged Violation, they must immediately notify you, share all" | |
| "documentation they received from the BACB, and review it with you." | |
| "• Become intimately familiar with the BACB’s ethics Codes. Supervisors should know the Code and, if" | |
| "relevant, the RBT Ethics Code (2.0). In addition to following the Code in your practice and supervision," | |
| "you must be an ethical resource and guide for your supervisees/trainees (see the A Summary of Ethics" | |
| "Violations and Code-Enforcement Activities document for the most recent ethics data). It is important" | |
| "to review the Responsibility to Supervisees and Trainees section of the Code carefully and take" | |
| "those standards into account when determining how you will provide supervision. For instance, when" | |
| "determining how many supervisees you can supervise, consider the number of clients on your caseload," | |
| "how many hours each supervisee currently works, the amount of time required for their supervision," | |
| "the clients’ needs, and the program settings, among others. Please note that planning for transitions" | |
| "when discontinuing supervision is crucial, as abruptly ending supervision—particularly for ongoing cases" | |
| "involving RBTs and BCaBAs—can negatively impact services. Ensure you have transition plans in place" | |
| "to minimize these impacts. It’s also vital to remember that the BACB reserves the right to contact you to" | |
| "share or request information regarding individuals for whom you are or were the supervisor on record. For" | |
| "example, if your RBT supervisee is named in a Notice of Alleged Violation, they must immediately notify" | |
| "you, share all documentation they received from the BACB, and review it with you. If applicable, you will" | |
| "also receive the Notice of Alleged Violation and the Disciplinary Determination and Appeal Determination." | |
| "• Consider whether you are ready to be a supervisor. We highly recommend waiting until after you have" | |
| "ample experiences of your own before you supervise others. In addition, consider whether supervision" | |
| "activities will be within your area of defined competence and whether you have the time and ability to" | |
| "supervise trainees. As a reminder, if you are a first-year BCBA who provides supervision to BCBA and" | |
| "BCaBA trainees accruing fieldwork, you must meet with a consulting supervisor each month in which you" | |
| "provide supervision for the remainder of your first year." | |
| "• Determine whether your trainee is pursuing or maintaining more than one credential. If so, you will" | |
| "need to ensure that all requirements are being met and separately documented for each credential that" | |
| "you are overseeing." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 52" | |
| " Supervision, Assessment, Training, and Oversight" | |
| "" | |
| "• Develop your time management and" | |
| "organizational systems. Have these systems in" | |
| "place before you start supervision to ensure that" | |
| "you are meeting all relevant requirements. For" | |
| "example, you will need a system for keeping" | |
| "your RBT and BCaBA supervisee accounts up to" | |
| "date with the BACB, documenting feedback, and" | |
| "evaluating the effects of your supervision," | |
| "among other areas. In the event of an audit, it is" | |
| "your responsibility to produce the" | |
| "requested documentation. For additional" | |
| "guidance, use these optional" | |
| "Supervision Checklist Supervision Checklist" | |
| "supervision checklists:" | |
| "for RBTs for RBT Supervisors" | |
| "• Evaluate fit before agreeing to supervise. and RBT Requirements" | |
| "Identify your work and supervision style before taking on a supervisee/ Coordinators" | |
| "trainee to determine whether their style is a good fit. Both you and the" | |
| "trainee/supervisee have a history of experiences coming into the relationship, so it is helpful to know a" | |
| "little about them before agreeing to be their supervisor. If your styles don’t fit, determine whether you are" | |
| "open to adjusting your supervision style." | |
| "• Set clear expectations. Although a supervision contract is only required for supervising trainees and BCaBAs—" | |
| "not RBTs—setting clear expectations at the beginning of supervision is valuable in all supervisory relationships." | |
| "• Aim to provide high-quality, individualized, and effective supervision. Don’t just focus on doing enough" | |
| "to meet the BACB’s requirements. These were established as minimum requirements that allow flexibility" | |
| "for variations in each setting. Think about what your past supervisors have done well (and maybe not so" | |
| "well) so that you can identify how you can provide high-quality supervision. For instance, you may want" | |
| "to develop a supervision curriculum for the trainee/supervisee that includes behavior-analytic topics," | |
| "specific skills that are important in practice (e.g., problem solving, interpersonal skills), and skills that they" | |
| "will need when they become a supervisor (see the Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline [2.0])." | |
| "• Continue your professional development as a supervisor and seek out a trusted mentor. These tips" | |
| "are only a starting point. There is growing literature on supervision, as well as continuing education" | |
| "events and resources on the topic, so make continued growth and learning part of your regular schedule." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervising BCBA and BCaBA Trainees" | |
| "To obtain BCBA and BCaBA certification, individuals must complete a defined practical" | |
| "experience in applied behavior analysis under the supervision of a qualified supervisor." | |
| "" | |
| "Requirements: Supervisors must provide supervision in accordance with the BCBA or" | |
| "BCaBA fieldwork requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervising BCaBAs" | |
| "BCaBA certificants may not practice independently, so they must practice under the" | |
| "supervision of a qualified supervisor." | |
| "" | |
| "Requirements: The Ongoing Supervision section of the BCaBA Handbook helps both" | |
| "supervisors and BCaBAs ensure that the appropriate ongoing supervision is provided in BCaBA Handbook" | |
| "order to maintain certification." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 53" | |
| " BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST-DOCTORAL" | |
| "" | |
| "Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D)" | |
| "BCBAs with doctoral training in behavior analysis may apply for the designation of Board Certified Behavior" | |
| "Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D). The BCBA-D is not a separate certification and does not grant any privileges beyond" | |
| "the BCBA certification. If you hold the BCBA-D designation, you function in the same capacity as a BCBA (i.e.," | |
| "as an independent practitioner who provides behavior-analytic services) and are required to meet all BCBA" | |
| "maintenance requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "BCBA-D Eligibility Requirements" | |
| "If you wish to become a BCBA-D, you must be actively certified as a BCBA and meet one of the following options." | |
| "" | |
| "Option A: Accredited Doctoral Program" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "ACTIVE BCBA" | |
| "CERTIFICATION" | |
| "+" | |
| "DOCTORAL DEGREE FROM ABAI-" | |
| "ACCREDITED PROGRAM" | |
| "#REF!" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 9/11/2019, Copyright © 2019, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Doctoral Degree From an ABAI-Accredited Program: You hold a doctoral degree from a doctoral program" | |
| "accredited by the Association for Behavior Analysis International." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting an official transcript" | |
| "listing a doctoral degree that was conferred by an ABAI-accredited doctoral program." | |
| "" | |
| "Option B: Nonaccredited Doctoral Program" | |
| "" | |
| "DOCTORAL COURSEWORK" | |
| "" | |
| "or" | |
| "" | |
| "+ =" | |
| "DOCTORAL DEGREE" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "+" | |
| "ACTIVE BCBA WITH BEHAVIOR-" | |
| "MENTORSHIP BCBA-D" | |
| "CERTIFICATION ANALYTIC" | |
| "DISSERTATION" | |
| "or" | |
| "PUBLICATIONS" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 9/11/2019, Copyright © 2019, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Doctoral Degree With a Behavior-Analytic Dissertation: You hold a doctoral degree from a qualifying institution," | |
| "conducted a behavior-analytic dissertation, AND meet ONE of the following requirements:" | |
| "• Doctoral Coursework: You passed at least four behavior-analytic courses as part of your doctoral" | |
| "program of study." | |
| "OR" | |
| "• Mentorship: You received formal mentorship from a faculty member who, at the time of your mentorship," | |
| "held the BCBA credential and met the supervisor qualifications in place at that time." | |
| "OR" | |
| "• Publications: You authored two published peer-reviewed journal articles that are behavior analytic in nature." | |
| "These articles may have been published before, during, or after conferral of your doctoral degree. These" | |
| "publications do not need to be experimental in nature, and first authorship is not required" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 54" | |
| " BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST-DOCTORAL" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting:" | |
| "• a copy of an official transcript from the institution showing a conferred doctoral degree;" | |
| "• a copy of the published (e.g., in ProQuest) dissertation abstract; AND" | |
| "• one of the following:" | |
| "• if applying with doctoral coursework: a copy of the official doctoral program of study" | |
| "showing all courses and syllabi from the courses to demonstrate that they were" | |
| "entirely behavior analytic in nature;" | |
| "• if applying with mentorship: a letter on university letterhead that attests to the formal" | |
| "mentorship relationship from the faculty member who held a BCBA certification; OR" | |
| "• if applying with publications: copies of the journal articles." | |
| "" | |
| "Option C: Postdoctoral Respecialization" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "ACTIVE BCBA" | |
| "CERTIFICATION" | |
| "+ DOCTORAL" | |
| "DEGREE + POSTDOCTORAL" | |
| "EXPERIENCE + PUBLICATIONS" | |
| "#REF!" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Version 9/11/2019, Copyright © 2019, BACB® | All rights reserved." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Doctoral Degree: You hold a doctoral degree from a qualifying institution." | |
| "" | |
| "AND" | |
| "" | |
| "Postdoctoral Experience: You accumulated a minimum of 1,800 hours (beyond the experience hours used to qualify" | |
| "for BCBA certification) in applied behavior analysis during a postdoctoral fellowship or postdoctoral employment" | |
| "experience, which included explicit, ongoing education in behavior analysis conducted under the supervision of a" | |
| "BCBA who met the supervision requirements in place at that time." | |
| "" | |
| "AND" | |
| "" | |
| "Publications: You authored two peer-reviewed journal articles that (a) are behavior analytic in nature and (b)" | |
| "were completed as a product of the training experience described earlier. These publications do not need to be" | |
| "experimental in nature, and first authorship is not required." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Demonstrate that you meet this requirement when you apply by submitting a copy of an" | |
| "official transcript showing a conferred doctoral degree, a letter of attestation from the BCBA who" | |
| "supervised the 1,800 hours of postdoctoral experience/fellowship, and copies of your publications." | |
| "The supervising BCBA may determine how the ongoing experience is documented." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 55" | |
| " BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST-DOCTORAL" | |
| "" | |
| "Applying for the BCBA-D Designation" | |
| "If you are currently a BCBA, an application is required to apply for the BCBA-D designation. The application requires" | |
| "supplemental documentation and a fee. Applications are accepted on a continual basis." | |
| "1. Complete the BCBA-D Designation Application online." | |
| "2. Submit all required supplemental documentation as described in the following table:" | |
| "Please note that all application documents in a non-English language must be submitted with an" | |
| "English translation. This application expires after 90 days of payment. If all documentation has not be" | |
| "received and/or approved, you will need to submit a new application, documentation, and payment." | |
| "" | |
| "Options Requirements Documentation How to Submit Documentation" | |
| "Institution sends" | |
| "electronic transcript(s) to" | |
| "Doctoral degree" | |
| "applications@bacb.com" | |
| "from a doctoral" | |
| "Option A: OR" | |
| "program accredited" | |
| "ABAI-Accredited Official university transcript(s) Institution or applicant mails" | |
| "by the Association" | |
| "Doctoral Program sealed transcript(s) to" | |
| "for Behavior Analysis" | |
| "BACB–Applications" | |
| "International" | |
| "7950 Shaffer Pkwy" | |
| "Littleton, CO 80127 USA**" | |
| "Institution sends" | |
| "electronic transcript(s) to" | |
| "applications@bacb.com" | |
| "Official university transcript(s) OR" | |
| "or a diploma from the Institution or applicant mails" | |
| "Doctoral degree and institution sealed transcript(s) to" | |
| "behavior-analytic BACB–Applications" | |
| "dissertation 7950 Shaffer Pkwy" | |
| "AND Littleton, CO 80127 USA**" | |
| "Copy of the published" | |
| "dissertation abstract showing" | |
| "that it meets the behavior-" | |
| "analytic dissertation*" | |
| "Option B: requirement" | |
| "Nonaccredited" | |
| "Copy of the official doctoral" | |
| "Doctoral Program" | |
| "program of study showing all" | |
| "Doctoral coursework courses and syllabi from the" | |
| "OR courses to demonstrate that" | |
| "File is uploaded in the BCBA-D" | |
| "they were entirely behavior" | |
| "Designation Application" | |
| "analytic in nature" | |
| "A letter on university" | |
| "Mentorship letterhead that attests to the" | |
| "formal mentorship relationship" | |
| "OR from the faculty member who" | |
| "held a BCBA credential" | |
| "Copies of the two peer-" | |
| "Publications reviewed journal articles that" | |
| "are behavior analytic in nature" | |
| "* The BACB reserves the right to request a copy of the complete dissertation." | |
| "** The BACB cannot accept packages that require a signature for delivery." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 56" | |
| " BOARD CERTIFIED BEHAVIOR ANALYST-DOCTORAL" | |
| "" | |
| "Options Requirements Documentation How to Submit Documentation" | |
| "Institution sends" | |
| "electronic transcript(s) to" | |
| "applications@bacb.com" | |
| "OR" | |
| "Official university" | |
| "Doctoral degree Institution or applicant mails" | |
| "transcript(s)" | |
| "sealed transcript(s) to" | |
| "BACB–Applications" | |
| "7950 Shaffer Pkwy" | |
| "Option C: Littleton, CO 80127 USA*" | |
| "Postdoctoral" | |
| "A letter of attestation from" | |
| "Respecialization" | |
| "the BCBA who supervised" | |
| "Postdoctoral" | |
| "the 1,800 hours of" | |
| "experience" | |
| "postdoctoral experience or" | |
| "File is uploaded in the BCBA-D" | |
| "fellowship" | |
| "Designation Application" | |
| "Copies of the two peer-" | |
| "reviewed journal articles" | |
| "Publications" | |
| "that are behavior analytic in" | |
| "nature" | |
| "* The BACB cannot accept packages that require a signature for delivery." | |
| "3. Submit your payment: Pay the $105 processing fee by either:" | |
| "• including a check with your application documentation (The BACB only accepts US currency. Please do" | |
| "not send cash.) OR" | |
| "• having BACB staff add a $105 invoice to your BACB account for online payment (credit card) after" | |
| "submitting your application." | |
| "4. Allow up to two weeks from the date the BACB receives your complete application and payment for your" | |
| "application to be reviewed." | |
| "5. If your application is:" | |
| "• Approved: You will be notified via email. Your certification will be updated in your BACB account, and" | |
| "you will receive a new certificate in the mail within four to six weeks. Your certification number and" | |
| "recertification date will stay the same." | |
| "• Not approved: You will receive feedback and guidance on next steps via email." | |
| "Note: If you believe the decision was made in error, you will need to review the Administrative Appeals Policy, and, if" | |
| "appropriate, submit an appeal within 30 days of the determination." | |
| "" | |
| "Maintaining the BCBA-D Designation" | |
| "As a BCBA-D, you are required to meet all BCBA maintenance requirements. The BCBA-D recertification fee is $290" | |
| "every 2 years. Please note that you may choose to discontinue your BCBA-D designation and retain your original" | |
| "BCBA certification at the time of your recertification by contacting the BACB." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "The BCBA-D designation is not a distinct certification. It is merely an addition to the BCBA" | |
| "certification, indicating that the BCBA has earned a doctoral or postdoctoral education in" | |
| "behavior analysis." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 57" | |
| " Other Relevant Policies" | |
| "" | |
| "Other Relevant Policies" | |
| "Administrative Appeals" | |
| "Application Appeals" | |
| "Adverse BACB decisions including, but not limited to, the denial of a certification, renewal, recertification, or other" | |
| "applications submitted to the BACB may be appealed if (a) you have sufficient evidence to support that you properly" | |
| "completed and submitted all of the required documentation to the BACB by the deadline, (b) you were given" | |
| "incorrect feedback or guidance from the BACB, or (c) you experienced a technical issue with your BACB account" | |
| "that prevented you from meeting the deadline. This type of appeal applies to all trainees, applicants, certificants, and" | |
| "Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Providers." | |
| "" | |
| "The following may not be appealed:" | |
| "• BACB standards," | |
| "• requirements," | |
| "• deadlines," | |
| "• procedures," | |
| "• fees," | |
| "• examination content," | |
| "• examination edition," | |
| "• examination delivery modality," | |
| "• examination results, and" | |
| "• specific questions/answers" | |
| "Do not submit an appeal in order to request information about a denied application; you will receive detailed" | |
| "information (i.e., reasons for the application denial, steps that must be taken to correct any deficiencies) at the time of" | |
| "the denial. To request information about a denied application, please use the Contact Us Form. If you have an active" | |
| "application and must submit additional or corrected documentation, please follow the instructions in your application" | |
| "determination." | |
| "" | |
| "How to appeal: You must file a written request for an appeal within 30 days of the determination by completing" | |
| "the Administrative Appeal Request Form. You must include evidence with your submission to support your" | |
| "appeal request." | |
| "" | |
| "Examination Appeals" | |
| "If you experience examination condition irregularities (e.g., poor lighting, disruptive noises, long screen-load times)" | |
| "during your examination, you may file an appeal with the BACB. Note: Pearson VUE sites deliver BACB examinations" | |
| "via a web browser, so minor Internet bandwidth variances are to be expected. BACB standards, requirements," | |
| "deadlines, procedures, fees, examination content, examination delivery modality, examination results, and specific" | |
| "questions/answers may not be appealed." | |
| "" | |
| "How to appeal: You must file a written request for appeal within 7 days of your examination appointment by" | |
| "completing the Administrative Appeal Request Form." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 58" | |
| " Other Relevant Policies" | |
| "" | |
| "Compassionate Appeals" | |
| "If you have experienced a qualifying unforeseen life event or extenuating circumstance that warrants relief (e.g.," | |
| "hospitalization, act of nature) within 1 year before the determination that you wish to appeal (e.g., the day that your" | |
| "certification expires), you may submit an appeal request. This type of appeal applies to all trainees, applicants," | |
| "candidates, certificants, and ACE Providers who have supporting evidence that a qualifying life event occurred." | |
| "" | |
| "BACB staff will evaluate the appeal based on the date of the event, its potential impact on your ability to obtain or" | |
| "maintain BACB certification, the amount of time you had to meet the applicable requirements (e.g., whether you" | |
| "are using the 2 years between recertification to accrue continuing education), and whether you could have taken" | |
| "preventative actions (e.g., applied for voluntary inactive status)." | |
| "" | |
| "How to appeal: You must file a written request for an appeal within 6 months of the determination by completing" | |
| "the Administrative Appeal Request Form. This appeal request requires documentation that verifies the event or" | |
| "circumstance in question." | |
| "" | |
| "Name Change Policy" | |
| "Depending on where you are in the certification process, submitting a Name Change Request may be necessary for" | |
| "any of the following reasons:" | |
| "• Your name has changed since creating a BACB account." | |
| "• Your name does not match your ID." | |
| "• You are notifying of a former name for application documents." | |
| "To submit a Name Change Request, log into your BACB account, select Update Profile, select the option that best" | |
| "applies to your circumstances, and follow the instructions the will be sent to you via email, including submitting official" | |
| "documentation verifying your name change." | |
| "" | |
| "Acceptable Signatures Policy" | |
| "The BACB accepts electronic signatures* for applications and forms, whether submitted electronically or by" | |
| "mail. Although it is preferred that documents are digitally signed using a third-party electronic signature service" | |
| "(e.g., Adobe Sign, DocuSign, HelloSign), the BACB will accept any type of electronic signature (e.g., Adobe Fill &" | |
| "Sign, JPEG of a signature), provided the document is signed by the appropriate party with the intent of signing" | |
| "the document." | |
| "" | |
| "The BACB also accepts handwritten signatures on scanned documents, unless the document states that an" | |
| "original signed copy is needed. Alterations on documents (e.g., white-outs, strikethroughs) must be initialed by all" | |
| "relevant parties." | |
| "" | |
| "Documentation Policy" | |
| "All documentation submitted to the BACB, for any reason, becomes the property of the BACB. Documents submitted" | |
| "to the BACB will be retained and/or safely discarded at the discretion of the BACB. For this reason, candidates should" | |
| "retain a copy of their certification application and all supporting documentation for their personal records and to be" | |
| "prepared for future applications. The BACB will not return documentation to applicants or certificants." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 59" | |
| " Other Relevant Policies" | |
| "" | |
| "Submission of False, Forged, or Untrue Information to the BACB" | |
| "The BACB reserves the right to invalidate any certification (immediately making the certification null and void) and/or" | |
| "prohibit any individual from taking a BACB examination if the individual submitted false, forged, or untrue information." | |
| "" | |
| "Examples of false, forged, or untrue information include:" | |
| "• submitting false, inconsistent, or misleading statements or omitting information the BACB requests" | |
| "• submitting an altered or inauthentic transcript" | |
| "• submitting an application containing false, inconsistent, or misleading information" | |
| "• submitting documentation that misrepresents your current address and/or country of residence to become" | |
| "eligible for certification" | |
| "• attempting to take the examination for someone else or having someone else take the examination for you" | |
| "• copying or sharing information or any other form of cheating" | |
| "• obtaining advanced access to certification or examination material" | |
| "• stealing examination materials" | |
| "• bringing prohibited items into the examination room" | |
| "• failing to follow directions from testing-center staff" | |
| "• violating Pearson VUE scheduling or testing-center rules and regulations" | |
| "" | |
| "Timely Responding to the BACB" | |
| "If an individual fails to respond to the BACB after reasonable contact attempts are made, or if an individual fails to" | |
| "comply with a request from the BACB, the BACB may take summary action (e.g., suspension) against their eligibility or" | |
| "certification. See the Code-Enforcement Procedures document for more information." | |
| "* An electronic signature is “an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other" | |
| "record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record” (15 U.S.C. § 7006 (2000)). Simply stated, an" | |
| "electronic signature is an electronic expression indicating a signee’s intent to sign a document. By contrast, a digital signature" | |
| "is a specific kind of electronic signature, which requires authentication of a signee’s identity." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 60" | |
| " Documents and Resources" | |
| "" | |
| "Documents and Resources" | |
| "Eligibility and Applying for Certification" | |
| "• Qualify for Examination via Past Certification: Application" | |
| "" | |
| "Coursework" | |
| "• Nonverified Course Content Attestation" | |
| "• Preliminary Coursework Evaluation Application" | |
| "• VCS Coordinator Coursework Attestation" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "Monthly and Final Fieldwork Verification Forms" | |
| "• Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form: Individual Supervisor" | |
| "• Final Fieldwork Verification Form: Individual Supervisor" | |
| "• Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form: Multiple Supervisors at One Organization" | |
| "• Final Fieldwork Verification Form: Multiple Supervisors at One Organization" | |
| "Optional Resources" | |
| "• Fieldwork Checklist and Tip Sheet" | |
| "• Sample Supervision Contract for BCBA/BCaBA Trainees" | |
| "• Documenting Fieldwork Hours Video" | |
| "• Documenting Fieldwork: Helpful Answers to Your FAQs Blog" | |
| "• Contested Fieldwork Form" | |
| "Consulting Supervisor" | |
| "• Consulting Supervisor Requirements for New BCBAs Supervising Fieldwork" | |
| "" | |
| "Examination" | |
| "• BCBA Task List (5th ed.)" | |
| "• Pearson VUE Website" | |
| "• Accommodation Request Form" | |
| "" | |
| "Continuing Education" | |
| "• ACE Provider Directory" | |
| "• Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline (2.0)" | |
| "" | |
| "Ethics and Self-Reporting" | |
| "• Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts" | |
| "• Code-Enforcement Procedures" | |
| "• Ethics Web Page" | |
| "• Self-Reporting Web Page" | |
| "" | |
| "Voluntary Inactive Status" | |
| "• BCBA Application for Voluntary Inactive Status" | |
| "• BCBA/BCaBA Request to Return from Voluntary Inactive Status Application" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 61" | |
| " Documents and Resources" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervising, Training, and Assessing" | |
| "Assessing RBTs" | |
| "• RBT Initial Competency Assessment Packet" | |
| "• RBT Renewal Competency Assessment Packet" | |
| "• Sample RBT Assessor Evaluation and Log" | |
| "Training RBTs" | |
| "• RBT 40-Hour Training Packet" | |
| "• RBT Trainer Evaluation and Log" | |
| "Supervising RBTs" | |
| "• RBT Handbook (Ongoing Supervision section)" | |
| "• Process for Adding or Removing Supervisees" | |
| "• Supervision Checklist for RBTs" | |
| "• Supervision Checklist for RBT Supervisors and RBT Requirements Coordinators" | |
| "Supervising BCaBAs" | |
| "• BCaBA Handbook (Ongoing Supervision section)" | |
| "• BCaBA Supervision Contract Specifications" | |
| "" | |
| "Administrative Appeals" | |
| "• Administrative Appeal Request Form" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 62" | |
| " Glossary" | |
| "" | |
| "Glossary" | |
| "Applicant: An individual who is pursuing certification." | |
| "" | |
| "BCBA-Doctoral: BCBAs with doctoral training in behavior analysis may receive the designation of Board Certified" | |
| "Behavior Analyst-Doctoral® (BCBA-D®). The BCBA-D is not a separate certification and it does not grant any" | |
| "privileges above or beyond the BCBA certification. If you are certified at the BCBA-D level, you function in the same" | |
| "capacity as a BCBA (i.e., as an independent practitioner who provides behavior-analytic services) and are required" | |
| "to meet all BCBA maintenance requirements. Information that pertains to BCBAs also pertains to BCBA-Ds (e.g.," | |
| "supervisor qualifications)." | |
| "" | |
| "Behavior-Analytic Dissertation: The dissertation must include at least one experimental manipulation. The" | |
| "independent variable must be explicitly operant or respondent in nature, the dependent variable must be sufficiently" | |
| "operationalized, and the problem must be framed using an operant/respondent conceptualization. The experimental" | |
| "criterion may be met with either single-subject or group-design methods. The dissertation must have been published" | |
| "in a public database (e.g., ProQuest)." | |
| "" | |
| "Candidate: An individual who has submitted a certification application." | |
| "" | |
| "Certification Application: An application to apply for certification after eligibility requirements have been met." | |
| "" | |
| "Client: The direct recipient of behavior-analytic services. Other individuals impacted by behavior-analytic services" | |
| "(e.g., parent, caregiver, relative, legally authorized representative, employer) may meet the definition of client when" | |
| "they receive direct training or consultation. In some contexts, the client might be a group of individuals (e.g., with" | |
| "organizational behavior management services)." | |
| "" | |
| "Conferral Date: The official date on which your degree was awarded by the institution." | |
| "" | |
| "Continuing Education: Initial BCBA certification indicates that an individual has met entry-level standards of" | |
| "practice as a behavior analyst. The purpose of the BACB’s continuing education requirement is to ensure that BCBA" | |
| "certificants engage in activities that will expand their behavior-analytic skills beyond the requirements for initial" | |
| "certification and help them stay up to date on developments in the profession." | |
| "" | |
| "Degree Equivalency Evaluation: This evaluation will be performed as part of your certification application. When" | |
| "we receive your transcript, we will notify you if an evaluation is required. If so, we will provide instructions on how to" | |
| "submit the following documentation:" | |
| "• an original-source verification (e.g., transcript[s], official statement with course/module grades/marks issued" | |
| "directly by the academic institution) in the original language;" | |
| "• an English translation of the original-source verification;" | |
| "• an official copy of your diploma (i.e., official documentation attesting completion of program and award of" | |
| "degree) from your university in the original language; AND" | |
| "• an English translation of your official diploma." | |
| "Note: If you received your degree from a university in Cuba, official, signed transcript(s) must be submitted directly" | |
| "from Consultoría Jurídica Internacional (CJI) or Bufete de Servicios Especializados (BES)." | |
| "" | |
| "In response to differences among members of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)" | |
| "in evaluations, the BACB has decided to use one vendor for all degree equivalency evaluations outside of the US." | |
| "Currently, that vendor is the Foundation for International Services (FIS)." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 63" | |
| " Glossary" | |
| "" | |
| "Didactic Course: A course that includes synchronous or asynchronous instruction by an instructor." | |
| "" | |
| "Documentation System: A documentation system that tracks all ongoing supervision and fieldwork in a way that" | |
| "demonstrates adherence to all relevant requirements and the Code." | |
| "" | |
| "Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts: The document that describes ethics obligations for BCBAs, BCaBAs, applicants," | |
| "and trainees. All BCBAs, BCaBAs, applicants, and trainees agree to abide by this Code." | |
| "" | |
| "Fieldwork Verification Forms: The forms used by the supervisor and trainee to document fieldwork hours each" | |
| "month (Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form) and at the end of the fieldwork (Final Fieldwork Verification Form)." | |
| "Versions of the forms are provided for individual supervisors as well as organizations with multiple supervisors." | |
| "" | |
| "Group Supervision: An interactive supervision meeting that includes no fewer than 2 and no more than 10 trainees." | |
| "The number of trainees in a group meeting may not exceed 10 at any time, regardless of the number of supervisors" | |
| "in the meeting." | |
| "" | |
| "Inactive Status: BCBAs may be inactive for the following reasons:" | |
| "• They are on voluntary inactive or reserve status (i.e., they put a pause on maintaining their certification). To" | |
| "qualify for these options, BCBAs must complete a BCBA Application for Voluntary Inactive Status or request" | |
| "reserve active duty." | |
| "• They did not recertify their BCBA certification and are within their reinstatement period." | |
| "• They have disciplinary sanctions against their certification." | |
| "BCBAs with an inactive certification may not bill, practice, supervise, or represent themselves as active BCBAs." | |
| "" | |
| "Independent Hours: Fieldwork hours that are accrued when a supervisor is not present." | |
| "" | |
| "Individual Supervisor: An individual supervisor must ensure that all of their trainees’ fieldwork requirements are" | |
| "being met during their supervision. In this situation:" | |
| "• the supervision contract should clearly outline the roles, responsibilities, and expectations for the trainee and" | |
| "supervisor (see the Supervision Contract section);" | |
| "• all supervision must be related to specific client programming;" | |
| "• the supervisor must have written permission to receive client information and must be well aware of the" | |
| "organization’s values, practices, and personnel; AND" | |
| "• the person signing the M-FVFs and F-FVF for Individual Supervisors must be able to agree to all of the" | |
| "relevant attestations, including that all fieldwork requirements were met." | |
| "Multiple Supervisors at One Organization: An organization may coordinate and oversee multiple supervisors" | |
| "who provide fieldwork to a trainee. For example, a service organization might have multiple supervisors providing" | |
| "supervision, or a university might coordinate all on- and off-campus activities under one system. The supervisors" | |
| "must work together to ensure that all of their trainees’ fieldwork requirements are met (e.g., all of the hours provided" | |
| "by the supervisors are used to calculate the supervision percentage). One supervisor must ensure that the activity is" | |
| "well organized and coordinated. In this situation:" | |
| "• the supervision contract should list all supervisors and clearly outline the roles, responsibilities, and" | |
| "expectations of each supervisor and the trainee (see the Supervision Contract section);" | |
| "• all supervision must be related to specific client programming;" | |
| "• the supervisor(s) must have written permission to receive client information and must be well aware of the" | |
| "organization’s values, practices, and personnel; AND" | |
| "• the person signing the M-FVFs and F-FVF for Multiple Supervisors at One Organization (i.e., the responsible" | |
| "supervisor) must be able to agree to all of the relevant attestations, including that all fieldwork requirements" | |
| "were met." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 64" | |
| " Glossary" | |
| "" | |
| "Nonverified Coursework: Coursework completed in anything other than an ABAI Verified Course Sequence and" | |
| "evaluated via course-by-course review is considered nonverified. You must have your department chair complete" | |
| "a Nonverified Course Content Attestation and submit it with your BCBA Certification Application or your preliminary" | |
| "coursework evaluation." | |
| "" | |
| "Observation With a Client: The trainee must be observed working with a client in the natural environment" | |
| "during each supervisory period by at least one supervisor. In-person, on-site observation is preferred. However," | |
| "the observation may be conducted using asynchronous (e.g., recorded video) or synchronous (e.g., live video" | |
| "conference) formats." | |
| "" | |
| "Official Transcripts: Transcripts that are either:" | |
| "• electronically sent directly by the institution to the BACB" | |
| "• mailed in the original sealed and unopened envelope" | |
| "Please note that official transcripts become unofficial if the applicant forwards an electronic transcript to the BACB" | |
| "or if the original envelope has been opened. Unofficial transcripts will not be considered in the processing of a" | |
| "certification application." | |
| "" | |
| "Ongoing Supervision: Supervision of the services provided by an RBT or BCaBA as one of their requirements to" | |
| "maintain their certification." | |
| "" | |
| "Preliminary Coursework Evaluation: A preliminary review of coursework (i.e., a review that occurs before" | |
| "the submission of a certification application) by the BACB to determine whether it meets the Pathway 2" | |
| "coursework requirements." | |
| "" | |
| "Qualifying Coursework: Coursework that must come from a qualifying institution and cover the required content." | |
| "Only graduate (i.e., master’s or doctoral) courses where the applicant was formally enrolled and earned a passing" | |
| "grade (“C” or higher in a graded course or “pass” in a pass/fail system) are acceptable." | |
| "" | |
| "Qualifying Institution:" | |
| "• United States: An institution in the US that is listed in the Council for Higher Education Accreditation database." | |
| "• Canada: An educational institution in Canada that is recognized, authorized, registered, or licensed by the" | |
| "Canadian government." | |
| "• Australia: A university in Australia that is registered with the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency." | |
| "• United Kingdom: A college or university in the UK that is recognized as a degree-awarding body by the" | |
| "UK government." | |
| "Recertification Application: The online application that is submitted through a BCBA’s BACB account to renew their" | |
| "BCBA certification on a biennial basis before its expiration date." | |
| "" | |
| "Recertification Date: The date on which a BCBA’s certification lapses (the day the BCBA first became certified)." | |
| "BCBAs may locate this date in their BACB account, in the Certificant Registry, and on their certificate." | |
| "" | |
| "Reinstatement Period: If you complete all of your CE requirements but fail to recertify before your recertification" | |
| "date, you will have 30 days from your recertification date to reinstate your certification. After this grace period, you" | |
| "will lose your certification and will need to reapply and meet the eligibility requirements applicable at that time." | |
| "" | |
| "Responsible Supervisor: A supervisor who signs a Fieldwork Verification Form on behalf of an organization where" | |
| "multiple supervisors are providing supervision for one trainee accruing fieldwork hours and who meets supervisor" | |
| "requirements for the entirety of the fieldwork." | |
| "" | |
| "Restricted Activities: The delivery of therapeutic or instructional procedures to a client for those accruing fieldwork" | |
| "hours. Note: Not all time spent working with a client is considered restricted. For example, a number of unrestricted" | |
| "activities may involve the trainee working directly with a client (see Unrestricted Activities)." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 65" | |
| " Glossary" | |
| "" | |
| "Supervised Fieldwork: The experiential activities in which one engages as part of the eligibility requirements" | |
| "for obtaining BCBA (or BCaBA) certification. There are two types of supervised fieldwork: Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "and Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork. For detailed fieldwork requirements, visit the Supervised Fieldwork" | |
| "Requirements section." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervised Hours: Hours accrued when a supervisor is present. These may include restricted or unrestricted" | |
| "activities observed by a supervisor or individual or group meetings with the supervisor." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisee: For the purpose of BACB requirements, this includes RBTs and BCaBAs who are receiving supervision" | |
| "from a qualified supervisor (see Trainee)." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisor: A supervisor might supervise trainees who are pursuing BCBA or BCaBA certification (i.e., fieldwork)," | |
| "RBTs who require ongoing supervision, or BCaBAs who require ongoing supervision. BCBAs who are serving as a" | |
| "supervisor must complete an 8-hour supervision training before providing any supervision and may not be related to," | |
| "subordinate to, or employed by the trainee during the supervisory period. In addition, first-year BCBAs who provide" | |
| "supervision to BCBA or BCaBA trainees accruing fieldwork hours must meet with a consulting supervisor each month" | |
| "in which they provide supervision for the remainder of their first year." | |
| "" | |
| "Supervisor-Trainee Contact: A real-time interaction between the supervisor and trainee that takes place in an" | |
| "individual or group format." | |
| "" | |
| "Trainee: Any individual accruing fieldwork toward fulfilling eligibility requirements for BCBA or BCaBA certification." | |
| "" | |
| "Unrestricted Activities: Activities under the fieldwork requirements that are most likely to be performed by a BCBA" | |
| "or BCaBA, including conducting assessments, staff training, and developing behavior plans, among others." | |
| "" | |
| "VCS Coordinator Coursework Attestation: This form may be completed by a current, BCBA-certified VCS" | |
| "Coordinator to attest that an applicant has met all of the current coursework requirements for BCBA certification." | |
| "" | |
| "Verified Course Sequence (Verified Coursework): ABAI works with institutions to identify and verify sequences of" | |
| "courses—known as Verified Course Sequences—that meet the BACB’s coursework requirements. The ABAI Verified" | |
| "Course Sequence Directory includes all Verified Course Sequences, Verified Course Sequence Coordinators," | |
| "content hours, and dates for which the courses were verified. The BACB also publishes examination pass rates for" | |
| "Verified Course Sequences." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 66" | |
| " Appendix" | |
| "" | |
| "Appendix" | |
| "Application Processing Agreement" | |
| "The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) agrees to process this application subject to your agreement to the" | |
| "following terms and conditions:" | |
| "1. You have read and agree to be bound by and comply with all BACB rules and requirements (which may be" | |
| "revised) as specified in the applicable BACB certification handbook(s) and on the BACB website relating to:" | |
| "• your application for initial certification," | |
| "• your compliance with the relevant ethics code and code-enforcement procedures," | |
| "• the maintenance of your certification, and" | |
| "• your application for renewal or recertification." | |
| "2. You will only convey truthful and accurate information to the BACB." | |
| "3. You must complete all requirements related to the BACB certification you are seeking or currently hold," | |
| "including, but not limited to:" | |
| "• paying applicable fees (which are nonrefundable)" | |
| "• demonstrating that you have met requirements for initial certification, maintaining certification, and" | |
| "renewal or recertification, as may be applicable" | |
| "• complying with applicable BACB ethics requirements" | |
| "• complying with all BACB documentation and reporting requirements" | |
| "• reviewing and complying with any revised requirements. You will receive notice of revisions in at least" | |
| "one of the following mediums:" | |
| "• the BACB Newsletter," | |
| "• the BACB website," | |
| "• an email from the BACB, or" | |
| "• a notice published in your BACB account." | |
| "4. You must check the email account you have on record with the BACB, review the BACB website, and review" | |
| "your BACB account on a monthly basis, as the BACB typically provides at least thirty (30) days’ advance" | |
| "notice of updated requirements." | |
| "5. You authorize the BACB to publish or otherwise release the following information to governmental licensure" | |
| "boards or agencies, funders, professional associations, supervisors, mentors, and employers. You also" | |
| "authorize the BACB to publish the following information on the BACB website:" | |
| "• certificant name" | |
| "• certification status (e.g., active, inactive, expired, suspended, revoked, practice restrictions, ineligible" | |
| "for certification)" | |
| "• certificant geographic location" | |
| "• certification dates" | |
| "• qualifications and willingness to supervise others" | |
| "• violations of ethics requirements, including, but not limited to:" | |
| "• your name on a matter resulting in revocation of certification or eligibility, suspension of certification" | |
| "or eligibility, invalidation of certification, mandatory supervision, or other practice restrictions" | |
| "• geographic region where the matter occurred" | |
| "• code standard(s) violated" | |
| "• year of disciplinary action(s)" | |
| "• interim or final action(s) imposed" | |
| "Unless you choose to opt out, you may be contacted through the Certificant Registry and/or through the" | |
| "BACB mass email service." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 67" | |
| " Appendix" | |
| "" | |
| "Except as otherwise provided herein, it is the policy of the BACB not to release information provided in BACB" | |
| "applications (initial, renewal, and recertification) or contained in certificant records unless such information" | |
| "relates to a pending or final disciplinary, educational/coaching, or supervision matter; is requested by a" | |
| "governmental licensure board or agency, other governmental agency, or court of law; is necessary to" | |
| "conduct a disciplinary investigation or criminal background check; is necessary to provide feedback to a" | |
| "supervisor; or is otherwise properly subpoenaed." | |
| "It is the policy of the BACB to comply with all applicable privacy and publication laws. If you become aware" | |
| "that this agreement contravenes laws where you reside, you agree to immediately provide the BACB with" | |
| "written notice of the conflict. Once your information has been published on the BACB website or released" | |
| "outside of the BACB, the BACB is unable to assure removal or retrieval of the information." | |
| "6. You agree to hold the BACB harmless and to waive, release, and exonerate the BACB, its officers, directors," | |
| "employees, committee members, and agents (referred to collectively as BACB personnel) from any claims" | |
| "that you may have against the BACB arising out of the BACB’s review of this application or any future" | |
| "applications relating to eligibility for certification, recertification or renewal, reinstatement, conduct of the" | |
| "examination, disciplinary processing, issuance of a disciplinary decision, publication, or third-party disclosure" | |
| "in accordance with Clause 5 of this Agreement. Except as may be found to contravene the law, you waive" | |
| "any right to assert a claim against the BACB where you are a representative or member of a class or" | |
| "representative action; further, should you be permitted by law or court of law to proceed with a class" | |
| "or representative action, you shall not be entitled to recover attorneys’ fees. Additionally, you agree to" | |
| "refrain from subpoenaing the BACB and BACB personnel in any legal proceeding." | |
| "7. Your communications with BACB personnel must be professional. You agree to use BACB-approved contact" | |
| "forms and processes for contacting BACB personnel. Communication from you or your representatives" | |
| "regarding a BACB-related matter or decision may not be made outside of the BACB-approved contact" | |
| "forms or processes, including, but not limited to, contacting personnel at their home, in their community, or" | |
| "at their place of employment (if employed outside of the BACB). You also agree that you will not engage" | |
| "in threatening, vexatious, harassing, and/or profane communications with BACB personnel. If you are sent" | |
| "a cease-and-desist notice from the BACB for any reason (e.g., engaging in harassing communication or" | |
| "unauthorized contact, misrepresentation of BACB-owned intellectual property), you agree to immediately" | |
| "comply with that cease-and-desist notice." | |
| "8. You acknowledge that this certification, if granted, indicates that you have met the BACB’s requirements but" | |
| "does not warrant or guarantee your competence to provide professional services. You also indemnify the" | |
| "BACB from and against any liability that may arise from the BACB’s issuance of your certification as it relates" | |
| "to your professional practice." | |
| "9. You agree to abide by all BACB ethics requirements, Examination Terms and Conditions, and any other" | |
| "testing-related requirements identified by the BACB and/or the BACB’s testing vendor." | |
| "10. You agree that your address of record with the BACB will, at all times, accurately reflect your lawful residence" | |
| "(state/province and country). You understand that initial certification applications are only available to" | |
| "candidates who reside in authorized geographic locations, and that the BACB reserves the right to modify or" | |
| "discontinue offering initial certification applications and/or recertification applications in certain geographic" | |
| "locations in the discretion of the BACB." | |
| "The terms of this agreement include and incorporate by reference the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy published" | |
| "on the BACB website. This agreement survives expiration of your certification application and certification. This" | |
| "agreement is governed by the laws of the state of Colorado. In the BACB’s sole discretion, any disputes between you" | |
| "and the BACB must be resolved by binding, individual arbitration in Colorado with an arbitrator selected by mutual" | |
| "agreement of the parties, except as may be necessary for the BACB to obtain injunctive or other relief to protect the" | |
| "BACB’s intellectual property rights. Arbitration, if applicable, will be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act and not" | |
| "by any state law concerning arbitration. In the event of a judgment against the BACB in a matter filed by or on behalf" | |
| "of you, you agree that damages or compensation awarded, payable, or due to you by the BACB may not exceed any" | |
| "fees you have paid to the BACB in association with submitting this application." | |
| "" | |
| "Do you agree to be bound by all the terms of this Application Processing Agreement?" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 68" | |
| " Version History and Updates" | |
| "" | |
| "Version History and Updates" | |
| "Version 11/1/2023 Updates" | |
| "• Added the update that BACB examinations are no longer delivered in Quebec as of November 1, 2023, and" | |
| "BCBA examinations will no longer be delivered in Ontario beginning July 1, 2026 (pp. 29 & 32)." | |
| "" | |
| "Version 12/29/2023 Updates" | |
| "In addition to minor edits to enhance clarity, the following changes were made:" | |
| "• Made minor updates to the Eligibility Requirements section (p. 6); Examination section (p. 30)," | |
| "including the Examination Terms and Conditions (p. 35); and Application Processing Agreement (p. 67)." | |
| "• Incoporated the requirement that coursework must be obtained within 10 years of the year the application is" | |
| "submitted as announced in the March 2022 BACB Newsletter (p. 9)." | |
| "• Added a note that nonverified coursework will no longer be accepted as part of a BCBA certification" | |
| "application as of January 1, 2026 (p. 10)." | |
| "• Further clarified the expectations for certificants who use the Qualify for Examination via Past Certification" | |
| "option (p. 14)." | |
| "• Updated the reinstatement period to 30 days per the September 2023 BACB Newsletter announcement (p. 46)." | |
| "• Clarified the supervision CEU requirements for certificants who have supervised the ongoing practice" | |
| "of RBTs or BCaBAs on record or trainees pursuing BCBA or BCaBA certification at any point during their" | |
| "recertification cycle (p. 42)." | |
| "• Added a note about changes to supervisor qualifications beginning January 1, 2026, as a result of ABAI’s" | |
| "Verified Course Sequence system being discontinued (p. 17)." | |
| "• Provided clarification on the Name Change Policy (p. 59)." | |
| "" | |
| "Version 5/1/2024 Updates" | |
| "In addition to minor edits to enhance clarity, the following changes were made:" | |
| "• Noted that the preliminary coursework evaluation service will no longer be provided as of January 1, 2026" | |
| "(p. 10)." | |
| "• Provided clarification on mixed fieldwork types (p. 20)." | |
| "• Noted that the BACB cannot accept packages that require a signature for delivery (p. 28)." | |
| "• Provided clarification on administrative appeals (p. 58)." | |
| "" | |
| "Version 9/27/2024 Updates" | |
| "In addition to minor edits to enhance clarity, the following changes were made:" | |
| "• Added a note about changes to no longer being able to hold mulitple BACB certifications at the same time" | |
| "effective January 1, 2025 (p. 1)." | |
| "• Added a note that Preliminary Coursework Evaluations will be a service the BACB no longer provides as of" | |
| "January 1, 2026 as a result of the ABAI’s Verified Course Sequence system being discontinued (p. 10)." | |
| "" | |
| "Version 1/2/2025 Updates" | |
| "In addition to minor edits to enhance clarity, the following changes were made:" | |
| "• Updated the jurisdiction section for clarity (p. 1)." | |
| "• Provided clarification and guidance on fieldwork documentation per supervisory period (p. 20)." | |
| "• Clarified how to address disputes around fieldwork (p. 25)." | |
| "• Added the expectation of Attesting Certificants for RBT certification applications (p. 51)." | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "" | |
| "Updated 03/2025, Copyright© 2025, BACB® | All rights reserved. Behavior Analyst Certification Board | Board Certified Behavior Analyst® Handbook | 69" | |
| " " | |