QBA examination — Information & Free Practice
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QBA examination
- Provider
- Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board (QABA); online examination live-proctored by Premier Proctoring
- Format
- Online live-proctored examination
- Exam questions
- 125 questions: 100 live scored and 25 unscored pretest questions
- Time limit
- 3 hours
- Exam fee
- $350 non-refundable application and exam fee; $225 retake fee
Examination outline
A. Autism Core Knowledge (listed in the QBA Job Analysis Test Specifications as 'A. Autism Spectrum Disorder Basics') (5 scored items, +/-2) (5%)
- 1. ASD and common characteristics and deficits
- 2. Autism as a spectrum disorder and the core deficits outlined in the DSM-V.
- 3. Symptoms & characteristics of ASD used in early diagnosis
- 4. Risk factors associated with the development of autism spectrum disorders
- 5. Terminology associated with diagnosis, such as pragmatic language, receptive and expressive language, sensory-motor, social skills, joint attention, stereotypy
- 6. How and when disorders are commonly associated in differential diagnosis, such as learning disabilities, processing disorders, etc.
- 7. Identify co-morbid disorders commonly associated with ASD
- 8. Identify how ASD is diagnosed and how results may be utilized in goal development. Review the categories in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders associated with ASD, such as social communication disorder, etc. review assessments utilized in diagnosis of ASD.
B. Legal, Ethical, and Professional Considerations (10 scored items, +/-2) (10%)
- 1. Review and understand QABA Code of Ethics (e.g., applied behavior)
- 2. Review and understand HIPAA regulations (e.g., confidentiality including limitations, mandated reporting, reportable documents, duty to warn vs. duty to protect and/or local/federal laws and regulations.
- 3. Collaborations with professionals and family members (e.g., behavior contracts, breaking policies, cancellations, referral methods, communication skills, active listening)
- 4. Describe the importance of Educational laws (e.g., IDEA, LRE, IEP, ADA, Rehabilitation Act, 504 Plan)
- 5. Positive behavior supports
- 6. Person-centered planning
- 7. Socially significant behaviors
- 8. Treatment planning (e.g., drafting, development, goal writing, implementation)
- 9. Transitioning services (e.g., thinning of reinforcement, prompt hierarchies, mastery criteria, generalization, maintenance, stakeholder training)
- 10. Responsibilities to clients (e.g., referrals)
- 11. Professional competency (e.g., supervision from competent sources)
- 12. Describe the importance of Informed consent
- 13. Identify and explain the use of Risk benefit assessments
C. Core Principles of ABA (10 scored items, +/-2) (10%)
- 1. Correctly identify a Four-term contingency
- 2. Describe and discriminate between Respondent and Operant conditioning
- 3. Explain and describe Classical conditioning
- 4. Identify and explain stimulus functions (e.g., stimulus control, discriminative stimulus, stimulus delta, SD-p, generalization, discrimination, response)
- 5. Describe and discriminate between Motivational operations (e.g., abolishing operation, establishing operation, abative, evocative, conditioned motivating operation, unconditioned motivating operation)
- 6. Identify the differences between reinforcement and punishment (e.g., positive and negative)
- 7. Describe and interpret Matching law
- 8. Identify and provide examples of various Reinforcers and punishers (e.g., primary, secondary, conditioned, unconditioned)
- 9. Apply and explain Measurement (e.g., dimensional quantities, derivative measures, and definition measures)
- 10. Recognize Schedules of reinforcement and describe their appropriate use
- 11. Identify and define Extinction and possible effects (e.g., spontaneous recovery, resurgence, extinction burst, renewal)
- 12. Identify and apply the six (6) Verbal operants
- 13. Identify, describe, and apply Conditioned motivating operations (i.e., CMO-R, CMO-T, CMOS)
D. Antecedent Interventions (12 scored items, +/-2) (12%)
- 1. Identify and explain the use of Antecedent strategies (e.g., types, advantages and disadvantages)
- 2. Summarize Non-contingent reinforcement (e.g., implementation methods, advantages and disadvantages)
- 3. Describe the effects on motivating operations (e.g., evocative and abative)
- 4. Describe Functional communication training
- 5. Adaptive Augmentative Communication (e.g., PECS, communication devices)
- 6. Identify and describe Setting events and how they can contribute to or influence responses
E. Skill Acquisition Programming (10 scored items, +/-2) (10%)
- 1. Treatment plan protocol (e.g., goal writing, mastery criteria measures, targets, maintenance, generalization, skill acquisition domains)
- 2. Discriminate between Topography vs. function
- 3. Understand Prompting as it relates to use within ABA (e.g., hierarchy, procedures, fading, types, prompt dependency)
- 4. Stimuli usage (e.g., control, transfer, and threats)
- 5. Error correction procedures
- 6. Characterize Skill implementation strategies
- 7. Identify and explain Imitation training
- 8. Behavior chain procedures
- 9. Self-management procedures
- 11. Describe ABA -based instructional methodologies (e.g., PRT, NET, DTT, incidental teaching)
- 12. Stimulus equivalence
F. Behavior Reduction Interventions (14 scored items, +/-2) (14%)
- 1. Understand the importance and use of Assessment tools token economy (e.g., back up reinforcers, generalized reinforcers, response-cost, ratio strain)
- 2. Identify Punishment procedures and risks associated with said procedures
- 3. Identify and describe Differential reinforcement procedures (eg. DRA, DRO, DRI, DRL, DRH)
- 4. Define Behavioral contrast
- 5. Understand risks and benefits associated with Group contingencies
- 6. Explain Contingency contracts
- 7. Understand the use of Extinction procedures
- 8. Limitations of behavior reduction strategies
G. Data Collection and Analysis (15 scored items, +/-2) (15%)
- 1. Describe Measurable dimensions of behavior (eg. Latency, duration, duration, etc)
- 2. Explain the importance of Operational definitions
- 3. Identify Graphic displays commonly used in ABA
- 4. Visual analysis
- 5. Describe and provide examples of Measurement procedures (e.g., continuous and discontinuous)
- 6. Identify Validation of measurement
- 7. Understand the types of Interobserver agreement (IOA) and identify least to most stringent
H. Assessment (14 scored items, +/-2) (14%)
- 1. Understand and identify key components of Assessments (e.g., FBA, FA, preference, reinforcer, indirect, direct/descriptive, conditional probability, environmental analysis)
- 2. Describe and visually interpret Experimental designs
I. Training and Supervision (10 scored items, +/-2) (10%)
- 1. Define and explain Fidelity (i.e., treatment and procedural)
- 2. Documentation and best practices (e.g., report writing, training, supervision)
- 3. Identify the purpose of Mediator analysis (e.g., environmental assessment, sociocultural background, religious affiliations)
- 4. Training procedures (e.g., behavior skills training, parent training)
- 5. Characterize Sociocultural values (eg. Ethics, diversity)
- 6. Describe important characteristics and/or practices related to Supervision strategies
Examination sources
- QABA QBA Credential web page
Examination Development for the Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA), step 3
- QABA QBA Competency Standards
Page footer and domain list
- QABA Job Task Analysis - QBA Certification web page
QBA Job Analysis Test Specifications table
- QABA Job Task Analysis - QBA Certification web page
QBA Job Analysis Test Specifications table note
- QABA QBA Credential web page
6 - Examination, Exam Description
- QABA QBA Credential web page
6 - Examination, Allotted Time
- QABA Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA) Candidate Handbook
Examination, p. 5
- QABA Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA) Candidate Handbook
Exam Process
- QABA QBA Credential web page
1 - General Requirements