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Illinois Behavior Analyst — Requirements & Free Practice

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Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst

Practitioner license under 225 ILCS 6. Assistant practice requires supervision by a licensed behavior analyst or licensed clinical psychologist. Retired under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(h) is a title that does not represent current licensure. The CE sponsor authorization in 1376.50 is for offering education, rather than a license to practice behavior analysis.

Licensing authority: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation · Application information

Restore authorization after child support noncompliance
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
Comply with the child-support subpoena or warrant; for delinquency certification, establish a satisfactory repayment record with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services or obtain the court compliance determination specified in 2105-15(a)(5).
Scope
The statute permits issuance or renewal on this compliance basis; unrelated discipline remains independent.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-06-16.

Vacate a criminal case revocation or administrative order
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
Charges are dropped, there is no conviction, or the conviction is vacated, overturned or reversed, as 2105-165(e) specifies.
Effect
Revocation or administrative order is vacated and removed from the license records and public view. An independent disciplinary action is still permitted under subsection (f).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-07-10.

Licensure by endorsement
BCaBA Certification Examination
Age
At least 18 years old under 1376.40(a).
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $100. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Education
bachelor's-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.20 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Exam equivalence
1376.40(a)(2)(B) accepts previous passage of the same or a similar examination. If that evidence is not sufficient, pass the examination designated by 1376.30. An unidentified similar examination is an applicant condition, not an invented alternative exam leaf.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Implementation education discrepancy
225 ILCS 6/35(a)(2) controls the bachelor-level requirement. The lower-ranked IDFPR qualifications guide (January 2025), page 2, instead states: Education: • A graduate level education experience as described in Rules 68 IAC Section 1376.20.
License elsewhere
Licensed under another jurisdiction with requirements at initial licensure, or individual qualifications then held, substantially equivalent to Illinois requirements. Submit certification of original and current licensure, issuance date, status and discipline.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCaBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
Meet supervised work experience under 225 ILCS 6/35(a)(3). Under 1376.35(c)(1), current valid BCaBA certification includes the required supervised experience; when current certification cannot be provided, the rule specifies approved graduation evidence and BACB-forwarded proof of BCaBA examination passage.
Endorsement after ten consecutive years without discipline
BCaBA Certification Examination
Age
At least 18 years old under 1376.40(a).
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $100. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Education
Proof of completion of education, professional experience and supervision is waived under 225 ILCS 6/40 and 1376.40(c); all other requirements remain.
Exam equivalence
1376.40(a)(2)(B) accepts previous passage of the same or a similar examination. If that evidence is not sufficient, pass the examination designated by 1376.30. An unidentified similar examination is an applicant condition, not an invented alternative exam leaf.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Implementation education discrepancy
225 ILCS 6/35(a)(2) controls the bachelor-level requirement. The lower-ranked IDFPR qualifications guide (January 2025), page 2, instead states: Education: • A graduate level education experience as described in Rules 68 IAC Section 1376.20.
License elsewhere
Licensed in another United States jurisdiction for ten consecutive years without discipline; submit certified verification from the jurisdiction of practice.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCaBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
Proof is waived for this ten-year applicant; the waiver does not waive the examination-evidence requirement.
First renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Contact details
Keep the address and email address of record current.
Continuing education
1376.50(a)(3) exempts the first renewal from CE requirements.
Disciplinary compliance
Resolve applicable tax, child-support, workers compensation and disciplinary-payment restrictions.
Fee
Pay the renewal fee of $75.
License status
Hold the relevant Illinois practitioner license. All licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is during the preceding 60 days.
Online course examinations
1376.50(b)(4) requires examinations within online CE programs; these are course-completion conditions, not independently identified licensing examinations.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Initial licensure with current national certification
BCaBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $100. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Documentation
Submit current valid BCaBA certification including required supervised experience. This is an alternative means of documenting qualifications and examination passage.
Education
bachelor's-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.20 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Implementation education discrepancy
225 ILCS 6/35(a)(2) controls the bachelor-level requirement. The lower-ranked IDFPR qualifications guide (January 2025), page 2, instead states: Education: • A graduate level education experience as described in Rules 68 IAC Section 1376.20.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCaBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
Meet supervised work experience under 225 ILCS 6/35(a)(3). Under 1376.35(c)(1), current valid BCaBA certification includes the required supervised experience; when current certification cannot be provided, the rule specifies approved graduation evidence and BACB-forwarded proof of BCaBA examination passage.
Initial licensure without current certification
BCaBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $100. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Documentation
If unable to document current valid BCaBA certification, submit certification of graduation from an approved program and BACB-forwarded proof of passage of the BCaBA Certification Examination.
Education
bachelor's-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.20 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Implementation education discrepancy
225 ILCS 6/35(a)(2) controls the bachelor-level requirement. The lower-ranked IDFPR qualifications guide (January 2025), page 2, instead states: Education: • A graduate level education experience as described in Rules 68 IAC Section 1376.20.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCaBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
Meet supervised work experience under 225 ILCS 6/35(a)(3). Under 1376.35(c)(1), current valid BCaBA certification includes the required supervised experience; when current certification cannot be provided, the rule specifies approved graduation evidence and BACB-forwarded proof of BCaBA examination passage.
End an automatic suspension following mental commitment
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
Court finds that involuntary or judicial admission no longer applies and issues an order discharging the patient; the Board recommends to the Secretary that professional practice may resume.
Fitness evidence
Medical or mental fitness evaluations, care and treatment are health-related applicant conditions under 225 ILCS 6/60, rather than an identified licensing examination of this profession.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-01-01.

Expedited military service member or spouse endorsement
BCaBA Certification Examination
Age
At least 18 years old under 1376.40(a).
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $100. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Documentation
Proof of military/spouse status, valid good-standing license elsewhere, qualification for endorsement, fingerprints, application and fee. All relevant military experience and qualifying military education are credited under 5-715(d).
Education
bachelor's-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.20 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Exam equivalence
1376.40(a)(2)(B) accepts previous passage of the same or a similar examination. If that evidence is not sufficient, pass the examination designated by 1376.30. An unidentified similar examination is an applicant condition, not an invented alternative exam leaf.
Expedition
Complete required documentation permits expedited review and determination within 30 days; this does not waive ordinary endorsement qualifications.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Implementation education discrepancy
225 ILCS 6/35(a)(2) controls the bachelor-level requirement. The lower-ranked IDFPR qualifications guide (January 2025), page 2, instead states: Education: • A graduate level education experience as described in Rules 68 IAC Section 1376.20.
License elsewhere
Licensed under another jurisdiction with requirements at initial licensure, or individual qualifications then held, substantially equivalent to Illinois requirements. Submit certification of original and current licensure, issuance date, status and discipline.
Location
Duty station in Illinois, legal residence in Illinois, or residence in Illinois within six months after application.
Military eligibility
Active-duty service member, service ended within the preceding two years, or spouse, civil-union or registered domestic partner of such a service member.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCaBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
Meet supervised work experience under 225 ILCS 6/35(a)(3). Under 1376.35(c)(1), current valid BCaBA certification includes the required supervised experience; when current certification cannot be provided, the rule specifies approved graduation evidence and BACB-forwarded proof of BCaBA examination passage.
Restoration of a license expired during military service
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Contact IDFPR for the applicable restoration instructions.
Deadline
Within two years after qualifying honorable termination, furnish satisfactory evidence of the service and its termination.
Eligibility
License expired during qualifying armed forces, State Militia service, or government-supervised pre-induction training or education.
Renewal fee waiver
225 ILCS 6/50(d), notwithstanding other provisions of the Act, restores the license without renewal fees upon the stated evidence.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Resume practice after a restitution suspension
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Restoration condition
Pay restitution in full; the statutory prohibition on practice lasts until full restitution. Separate discipline, if any, remains subject to its own restoration requirements.
Suspension
License suspended for court-certified failure to pay restitution under 225 ILCS 6/55.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Restore an expired or inactive license of more than five years with satisfactory active practice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active practice
Document active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department under 225 ILCS 6/50(b). This route excludes applicants without satisfactory active practice, to whom 50(c) permits an unidentified examination.
Additional evidence
Sworn evidence of active practice and a licensing-authority statement that practice was authorized during that period, as required by 1376.55(c)(1). The certification, military-affidavit and supervised-experience alternatives are different applicant evidence, not A/B examinations.
Application
Request the restoration application and instructions from IDFPR; submit application documents and applicable fees.
Continuing education
Provide evidence of the applicable CE completed in the two years before restoration.
Documentation review
The Division may request additional information or a Board interview to clarify discrepancies under 1376.55(f); that documentary interview is not a registered professional oral examination.
Fees
Restoration fee and applicable lapsed renewal fees under 1376.65.
License status
Expired or inactive more than five years.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Restore an expired license of five years or less with satisfactory active practice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active practice
Document active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department under 225 ILCS 6/50(b). This route excludes applicants without satisfactory active practice, to whom 50(c) permits an unidentified examination.
Application
Request the restoration application and instructions from IDFPR; submit application documents and applicable fees.
Continuing education
Provide evidence of the applicable CE completed in the two years before restoration.
Documentation review
The Division may request additional information or a Board interview to clarify discrepancies under 1376.55(f); that documentary interview is not a registered professional oral examination.
Fees
All lapsed renewal fees, subject to the rule fee limits.
License status
Expired five years or less.
Rule cross reference
1376.55(a) points to 1376.60 for CE, while 1376.60 is Rehabilitation; 1376.50 contains the actual CE requirements. The citation discrepancy is preserved here.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Reactivate an inactive license of five years or less with satisfactory active practice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active practice
Document active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department under 225 ILCS 6/50(b). This route excludes applicants without satisfactory active practice, to whom 50(c) permits an unidentified examination.
Application
Request the restoration application and instructions from IDFPR; submit application documents and applicable fees.
Continuing education
Provide evidence of the applicable CE completed in the two years before restoration.
Documentation review
The Division may request additional information or a Board interview to clarify discrepancies under 1376.55(f); that documentary interview is not a registered professional oral examination.
Fees
Current renewal fee.
License status
Inactive five years or less.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Subsequent renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Ce waiver
Before renewal, request a CE waiver with an affidavit and fee. Board-recognized good cause includes military service, temporary incapacitating illness or similar circumstances; an illness waiver requires a fitness statement. A timely pending waiver preserves good standing.
Contact details
Keep the address and email address of record current.
Continuing education
20 approved hours in the preceding 24 months beginning with the 2027 renewal period. Applicable 1130 Subpart E training includes sexual harassment prevention and cultural competency; cultural competency repeats once every six years when CE requirements apply.
Disciplinary compliance
Resolve applicable tax, child-support, workers compensation and disciplinary-payment restrictions.
Fee
Pay the renewal fee of $75.
License status
Hold the relevant Illinois practitioner license. All licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is during the preceding 60 days.
Online course examinations
1376.50(b)(4) requires examinations within online CE programs; these are course-completion conditions, not independently identified licensing examinations.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Termination of tax compliance suspension
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
The Department of Revenue must notify IDFPR that the licensee is in compliance with all tax laws it administers. An established satisfactory repayment record may permit issuance or renewal as the statute provides.
Scope
This route terminates the tax-based suspension under 2105-15(g); other independent discipline is not removed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-06-16.

Transitional licensure without the statutory supervised experience
BCaBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $100. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Certification
Evidence of certification by the national certifying body determined by Department rule.
Documentation
Forwarded certification of successful completion of the examination designated by 1376.30, fingerprints and fees.
Education
A bachelor's degree in behavior analysis as specified in the controlling statute; official transcript and graduation evidence are required.
Eligibility
Certified assistant behavior analyst applying before July 1, 2028 without the supervised experience required by 225 ILCS 6/35(a)(3). Issuance is discretionary under subsection (b).
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Implementation education discrepancy
225 ILCS 6/35(a)(2) controls the bachelor-level requirement. The lower-ranked IDFPR qualifications guide (January 2025), page 2, instead states: Education: • A graduate level education experience as described in Rules 68 IAC Section 1376.20.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCaBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
This route permits absence of the statutory supervised experience; national certification, authorized examination passage and the other subsection (b) requirements remain.
Termination of workers compensation suspension
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
The Workers Compensation Commission or Department of Insurance must notify IDFPR that the failure to comply with workers compensation obligations has been corrected or otherwise resolved to its satisfaction.
Scope
This is termination of the suspension under 2105-15(g-5), rather than rehabilitation from independent discipline.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-06-16.

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Practitioner license under 225 ILCS 6. Retired under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(h) is a title that does not represent current licensure. The CE sponsor authorization in 1376.50 is for offering education, rather than a license to practice behavior analysis.

Licensing authority: Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation · Application information

Restore authorization after child support noncompliance
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
Comply with the child-support subpoena or warrant; for delinquency certification, establish a satisfactory repayment record with the Department of Healthcare and Family Services or obtain the court compliance determination specified in 2105-15(a)(5).
Scope
The statute permits issuance or renewal on this compliance basis; unrelated discipline remains independent.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-06-16.

Vacate a criminal case revocation or administrative order
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
Charges are dropped, there is no conviction, or the conviction is vacated, overturned or reversed, as 2105-165(e) specifies.
Effect
Revocation or administrative order is vacated and removed from the license records and public view. An independent disciplinary action is still permitted under subsection (f).

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-07-10.

Licensure by endorsement
BCBA Certification Examination
Age
At least 18 years old under 1376.40(a).
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $400. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Education
graduate-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.15 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Exam equivalence
1376.40(a)(2)(B) accepts previous passage of the same or a similar examination. If that evidence is not sufficient, pass the examination designated by 1376.30. An unidentified similar examination is an applicant condition, not an invented alternative exam leaf.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
License elsewhere
Licensed under another jurisdiction with requirements at initial licensure, or individual qualifications then held, substantially equivalent to Illinois requirements. Submit certification of original and current licensure, issuance date, status and discipline.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
At least 500 hours under 225 ILCS 6/30(a)(3). Under 1376.25, the field training for BCBA or BCaBA certification satisfies the statutory 500-hour supervision requirement.
Endorsement after ten consecutive years without discipline
BCBA Certification Examination
Age
At least 18 years old under 1376.40(a).
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $400. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Education
Proof of completion of education, professional experience and supervision is waived under 225 ILCS 6/40 and 1376.40(c); all other requirements remain.
Exam equivalence
1376.40(a)(2)(B) accepts previous passage of the same or a similar examination. If that evidence is not sufficient, pass the examination designated by 1376.30. An unidentified similar examination is an applicant condition, not an invented alternative exam leaf.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
License elsewhere
Licensed in another United States jurisdiction for ten consecutive years without discipline; submit certified verification from the jurisdiction of practice.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
Proof is waived for this ten-year applicant; the waiver does not waive the examination-evidence requirement.
First renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Contact details
Keep the address and email address of record current.
Continuing education
1376.50(a)(3) exempts the first renewal from CE requirements.
Disciplinary compliance
Resolve applicable tax, child-support, workers compensation and disciplinary-payment restrictions.
Fee
Pay the renewal fee of $300.
License status
Hold the relevant Illinois practitioner license. All licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is during the preceding 60 days.
Online course examinations
1376.50(b)(4) requires examinations within online CE programs; these are course-completion conditions, not independently identified licensing examinations.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Initial licensure with current national certification
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $400. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Documentation
Submit current valid BCBA certification including required supervised experience. This is an alternative means of documenting qualifications and examination passage.
Education
graduate-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.15 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
At least 500 hours under 225 ILCS 6/30(a)(3). Under 1376.25, the field training for BCBA or BCaBA certification satisfies the statutory 500-hour supervision requirement.
Initial licensure without current certification
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $400. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Documentation
If unable to document current valid BCBA certification, submit certification of graduation from an approved program and BACB-forwarded proof of passage of the BCBA Certification Examination.
Education
graduate-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.15 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
At least 500 hours under 225 ILCS 6/30(a)(3). Under 1376.25, the field training for BCBA or BCaBA certification satisfies the statutory 500-hour supervision requirement.
End an automatic suspension following mental commitment
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
Court finds that involuntary or judicial admission no longer applies and issues an order discharging the patient; the Board recommends to the Secretary that professional practice may resume.
Fitness evidence
Medical or mental fitness evaluations, care and treatment are health-related applicant conditions under 225 ILCS 6/60, rather than an identified licensing examination of this profession.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-01-01.

Expedited military service member or spouse endorsement
BCBA Certification Examination
Age
At least 18 years old under 1376.40(a).
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $400. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Documentation
Proof of military/spouse status, valid good-standing license elsewhere, qualification for endorsement, fingerprints, application and fee. All relevant military experience and qualifying military education are credited under 5-715(d).
Education
graduate-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.15 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Exam equivalence
1376.40(a)(2)(B) accepts previous passage of the same or a similar examination. If that evidence is not sufficient, pass the examination designated by 1376.30. An unidentified similar examination is an applicant condition, not an invented alternative exam leaf.
Expedition
Complete required documentation permits expedited review and determination within 30 days; this does not waive ordinary endorsement qualifications.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
License elsewhere
Licensed under another jurisdiction with requirements at initial licensure, or individual qualifications then held, substantially equivalent to Illinois requirements. Submit certification of original and current licensure, issuance date, status and discipline.
Location
Duty station in Illinois, legal residence in Illinois, or residence in Illinois within six months after application.
Military eligibility
Active-duty service member, service ended within the preceding two years, or spouse, civil-union or registered domestic partner of such a service member.
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
At least 500 hours under 225 ILCS 6/30(a)(3). Under 1376.25, the field training for BCBA or BCaBA certification satisfies the statutory 500-hour supervision requirement.
Restoration of a license expired during military service
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Contact IDFPR for the applicable restoration instructions.
Deadline
Within two years after qualifying honorable termination, furnish satisfactory evidence of the service and its termination.
Eligibility
License expired during qualifying armed forces, State Militia service, or government-supervised pre-induction training or education.
Renewal fee waiver
225 ILCS 6/50(d), notwithstanding other provisions of the Act, restores the license without renewal fees upon the stated evidence.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Discretionary initial licensure based on a pre Act passing result
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $400. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Department discretion
The Department may allow this application under the terms of the Act; this provision does not establish a distinct unnamed state examination.
Education
graduate-level education in behavior analysis or a related field with an equivalent approved course of study from a regionally accredited university. Program approval follows 1376.15 and the 2024 BACB handbook edition incorporated there.
Eligibility
225 ILCS 6/25 permits the Department to accept an approved nationally or regionally accredited graduate degree and passage of an authorized competency examination before May 27, 2022. Applications under this provision begin twenty months after that effective date.
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
The score must predate the Act; the currently offered BCBA exam remains the registered leaf under the survey timing rule, and the pre-Act date is an applicant condition.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
At least 500 hours under 225 ILCS 6/30(a)(3). Under 1376.25, the field training for BCBA or BCaBA certification satisfies the statutory 500-hour supervision requirement.
Resume practice after a restitution suspension
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Restoration condition
Pay restitution in full; the statutory prohibition on practice lasts until full restitution. Separate discipline, if any, remains subject to its own restoration requirements.
Suspension
License suspended for court-certified failure to pay restitution under 225 ILCS 6/55.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Restore an expired or inactive license of more than five years with satisfactory active practice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active practice
Document active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department under 225 ILCS 6/50(b). This route excludes applicants without satisfactory active practice, to whom 50(c) permits an unidentified examination.
Additional evidence
Sworn evidence of active practice and a licensing-authority statement that practice was authorized during that period, as required by 1376.55(c)(1). The certification, military-affidavit and supervised-experience alternatives are different applicant evidence, not A/B examinations.
Application
Request the restoration application and instructions from IDFPR; submit application documents and applicable fees.
Continuing education
Provide evidence of the applicable CE completed in the two years before restoration.
Documentation review
The Division may request additional information or a Board interview to clarify discrepancies under 1376.55(f); that documentary interview is not a registered professional oral examination.
Fees
Restoration fee and applicable lapsed renewal fees under 1376.65.
License status
Expired or inactive more than five years.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Restore an expired license of five years or less with satisfactory active practice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active practice
Document active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department under 225 ILCS 6/50(b). This route excludes applicants without satisfactory active practice, to whom 50(c) permits an unidentified examination.
Application
Request the restoration application and instructions from IDFPR; submit application documents and applicable fees.
Continuing education
Provide evidence of the applicable CE completed in the two years before restoration.
Documentation review
The Division may request additional information or a Board interview to clarify discrepancies under 1376.55(f); that documentary interview is not a registered professional oral examination.
Fees
All lapsed renewal fees, subject to the rule fee limits.
License status
Expired five years or less.
Rule cross reference
1376.55(a) points to 1376.60 for CE, while 1376.60 is Rehabilitation; 1376.50 contains the actual CE requirements. The citation discrepancy is preserved here.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Reactivate an inactive license of five years or less with satisfactory active practice
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active practice
Document active practice in another jurisdiction satisfactory to the Department under 225 ILCS 6/50(b). This route excludes applicants without satisfactory active practice, to whom 50(c) permits an unidentified examination.
Application
Request the restoration application and instructions from IDFPR; submit application documents and applicable fees.
Continuing education
Provide evidence of the applicable CE completed in the two years before restoration.
Documentation review
The Division may request additional information or a Board interview to clarify discrepancies under 1376.55(f); that documentary interview is not a registered professional oral examination.
Fees
Current renewal fee.
License status
Inactive five years or less.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Subsequent renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Ce waiver
Before renewal, request a CE waiver with an affidavit and fee. Board-recognized good cause includes military service, temporary incapacitating illness or similar circumstances; an illness waiver requires a fitness statement. A timely pending waiver preserves good standing.
Contact details
Keep the address and email address of record current.
Continuing education
30 approved hours in the preceding 24 months beginning with the 2027 renewal period. Applicable 1130 Subpart E training includes sexual harassment prevention and cultural competency; cultural competency repeats once every six years when CE requirements apply.
Disciplinary compliance
Resolve applicable tax, child-support, workers compensation and disciplinary-payment restrictions.
Fee
Pay the renewal fee of $300.
License status
Hold the relevant Illinois practitioner license. All licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal is during the preceding 60 days.
Online course examinations
1376.50(b)(4) requires examinations within online CE programs; these are course-completion conditions, not independently identified licensing examinations.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2025-06-05.

Termination of tax compliance suspension
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
The Department of Revenue must notify IDFPR that the licensee is in compliance with all tax laws it administers. An established satisfactory repayment record may permit issuance or renewal as the statute provides.
Scope
This route terminates the tax-based suspension under 2105-15(g); other independent discipline is not removed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-06-16.

Transitional licensure without the statutory supervised experience
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit the Department application and the nonrefundable application fee of $400. Provide an address and email address of record; notify changes within 14 days.
Application window
Complete the application process within three years; otherwise denial, forfeiture and a new application under current requirements follow.
Certification
Evidence of certification by the national certifying body determined by Department rule.
Documentation
Forwarded certification of successful completion of the examination designated by 1376.30, fingerprints and fees.
Education
A graduate degree in behavior analysis as specified in the controlling statute; official transcript and graduation evidence are required.
Eligibility
Certified behavior analyst applying before July 1, 2028 without the supervised experience required by 225 ILCS 6/30(a)(3). Issuance is discretionary under subsection (b).
Fingerprints
Electronic ISP and FBI fingerprint-based background check through a licensed live scan vendor. Fingerprints must be taken no more than 60 days before application. Nonresident card scans are permitted through an approved vendor.
Identification
Provide a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number under 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15(f-5).
Other compliance
Applicable conviction-review and statutory disqualification provisions, child-support and tax obligations, workers compensation requirements and unpaid disciplinary fines remain applicant conditions under 20 ILCS 2105 and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.
Passing result
BCBA passing score is set by BACB. A passing result obtained before application remains examination evidence; certification and documentary alternatives govern whether the applicant needs to sit again.
Prior portability license
A former military portability licensee who no longer qualifies must meet the full ordinary licensing requirements; 20 ILCS 5/5-717(f)(2) does not automatically convert the restricted license.
Supervised experience
This route permits absence of the statutory supervised experience; national certification, authorized examination passage and the other subsection (b) requirements remain.
Termination of workers compensation suspension
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Condition
The Workers Compensation Commission or Department of Insurance must notify IDFPR that the failure to comply with workers compensation obligations has been corrected or otherwise resolved to its satisfaction.
Scope
This is termination of the suspension under 2105-15(g-5), rather than rehabilitation from independent discipline.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-06-16.

BCaBA Certification Examination

Provider
Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB); delivered by Pearson VUE in person at authorized Pearson VUE testing sites
Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination, continuously available and offered only in English; each question has 4 possible answers and only 1 correct answer; all questions are equally weighted and the result is based on overall performance
Exam questions
175 multiple-choice questions: 150 scored and 25 unscored
Time limit
4 hours
Passing score
Pass/fail; criterion-referenced passing score established by the modified Angoff method
Exam fee
$175 certification application (BACB) plus $125 examination appointment (Pearson VUE)
Examination outline
  • A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations (10 of 150 scored questions) (7%)
    • A.1. Explain the goals of behavior analysis as a natural science (i.e., description, prediction, control).
    • A.2. Explain the philosophical assumptions underlying the science of behavior analysis (e.g., selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, pragmatism).
    • A.3. Describe and explain behavior from the perspective of radical behaviorism.
    • A.4. Distinguish among behaviorism, the experimental analysis of behavior, applied behavior analysis, and professional practice guided by the science of behavior analysis.
    • A.5. Identify and describe dimensions of applied behavior analysis (Baer, Wolf, & Risley, 1968).
  • B. Concepts and Principles (18 of 150 scored questions) (12%)
    • B.1. Identify and distinguish among behavior, response, and response class.
    • B.2. Identify and distinguish between stimulus and stimulus class.
    • B.3. Identify and distinguish between respondent and operant conditioning.
    • B.4. Identify and distinguish between positive and negative reinforcement contingencies.
    • B.5. Identify and distinguish between positive and negative punishment contingencies.
    • B.6. Identify and distinguish between automatic and socially mediated contingencies.
    • B.7. Identify and distinguish among unconditioned, conditioned, and generalized reinforcers and punishers.
    • B.8. Identify and distinguish among simple schedules of reinforcement.
    • B.9. Identify examples of operant extinction.
    • B.10. Identify and distinguish between types of stimulus control.
    • B.11. Identify and distinguish between discrimination and generalization.
    • B.12. Define and identify examples of unconditioned motivating operations.
    • B.13. Identify and distinguish between rule-governed and contingency-shaped behavior.
    • B.14. Identify and distinguish among elementary verbal operants.
    • B.15. Define and identify examples of processes that promote emergent relations and generative performance.
  • C. Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation (20 of 150 scored questions) (13%)
    • C.1. Define and identify dimensions of behavior (e.g., count, duration, magnitude).
    • C.2. Describe the form (i.e., topography) and develop operational definitions of behavior.
    • C.3. Distinguish among direct, indirect, and product measures of behavior.
    • C.4. Develop and implement continuous measurement procedures (e.g., duration recording, event recording).
    • C.5. Develop and implement discontinuous measurement procedures (e.g., interval recording, time sampling).
    • C.6. Evaluate the validity and reliability of measurement procedures.
    • C.7. Select a measurement system to obtain representative data given the dimensions of behavior and the logistics of observing and recording.
    • C.8. Graph data to communicate relevant quantitative relations (e.g., equal-interval graphs, bar graphs, cumulative records).
    • C.9. Interpret graphed data.
    • C.10. Develop and evaluate mastery criteria.
  • D. Experimental Design (10 of 150 scored questions) (7%)
    • D.1. Distinguish between dependent and independent variables.
    • D.2. Distinguish between internal and external validity.
    • D.3. Identify the defining features of single-case experimental designs (e.g., individuals serve as their own controls, repeated measures, prediction, verification, replication).
    • D.4. Identify strengths of single-case experimental design.
    • D.5. Distinguish among and implement single-case experimental designs (e.g., reversal, multiple baseline, multielement, changing criterion).
    • D.6. Distinguish among and implement comparative, component, and parametric analyses.
  • E. Ethical and Professional Issues (18 of 150 scored questions) (12%)
    • E.1. Identify and apply core principles underlying the ethics codes for BACB certificants (e.g., benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity).
    • E.2. Identify the risks to oneself, others, and the profession associated with engaging in unethical behavior (e.g., misuse of social media, misrepresentation of one’s credential, making confidential information public).
    • E.3. Identify one’s area(s) of competence and when to seek a supervisor’s guidance.
    • E.4. Identify professional development activities that strengthen and expand areas of competence (e.g., attend conferences, read literature, seek consultation, establish mentors).
    • E.5. Identify and comply with requirements for collecting, using, protecting, and disclosing confidential information.
    • E.6. Identify steps that should be taken when transitioning clients or supervisees to another professional or when a BCaBA transitions to a different supervisor.
    • E.7. Identify types of and risks associated with multiple relationships, and how to mitigate those risks when they are unavoidable.
    • E.8. Identify and apply interpersonal and other skills (e.g., accepting feedback, listening actively, seeking input, collaborating) to establish and maintain professional relationships.
    • E.9. Engage in cultural humility in service delivery and professional relationships.
    • E.10. Apply culturally responsive and inclusive service and supervision activities.
    • E.11. Identify and apply the legal, regulatory, and practice requirements (e.g., licensure, jurisprudence, funding, certification) relevant to the delivery of behavior-analytic services.
  • F. Behavior Assessment (17 of 150 scored questions) (11%)
    • F.1. Review relevant information in available records and data (e.g., educational, medical, historical) at the outset of a case.
    • F.2. Identify conditions that warrant behavior-analytic services.
    • F.3. Identify and prioritize socially significant, client-informed, and culturally responsive behavior-change goals.
    • F.4. Implement assessments of relevant skill strengths and deficits, and contextual fit (e.g., client values, cultural variables, social validity, environmental resources).
    • F.5. Implement preference and reinforcer assessments.
    • F.6. Implement functional assessments of behavior, including indirect, descriptive, and experimental analyses.
  • G. Behavior-Change Procedures (22 of 150 scored questions) (15%)
    • G.1. Develop and implement positive and negative reinforcement procedures, including contingent and noncontingent applications.
    • G.2. Develop and implement procedures to establish and use conditioned reinforcers.
    • G.3. Develop and implement procedures that incorporate motivating operations and discriminative stimuli.
    • G.4. Develop and implement procedures to teach simple and conditional discriminations.
    • G.5. Develop and implement procedures using stimulus and response prompts that include appropriate fading procedures (e.g., errorless, least-to-most, stimulus fading).
    • G.6. Develop and implement modeling procedures.
    • G.7. Develop and implement procedures that use instructions and rules.
    • G.8. Develop and implement shaping procedures.
    • G.9. Develop and implement chaining procedures.
    • G.10. Develop and implement procedures to teach elementary verbal operants.
    • G.11. Develop and implement procedures to promote emergent relations and generative performance.
    • G.12. Develop and implement procedures that promote behavioral persistence.
    • G.13. Develop and implement acquisition procedures that are appropriate to the client’s skills and intervention goals (e.g., discrete-trial, free-operant, and naturalistic teaching arrangements).
    • G.14. Develop and implement group contingency procedures.
    • G.15. Develop and implement contingency contracting procedures.
    • G.16. Develop and implement self-management procedures.
    • G.17. Develop and implement procedures to promote stimulus and response generalization.
    • G.18. Develop and implement differential reinforcement procedures with and without extinction.
    • G.19. Define and implement positive and negative punishment procedures (e.g., time-out, response cost, overcorrection).
    • G.20. Develop and implement procedures to promote maintenance of behavior change.
  • H. Intervention Development and Monitoring (20 of 150 scored questions) (13%)
    • H.1. State intervention goals in observable and measurable terms.
    • H.2. Identify potential interventions based on assessment results and scientific evidence.
    • H.3. Develop intervention goals and procedures based on risks and contextual fit (e.g., client preferences and values, cultural variables, social validity, environmental resources).
    • H.4. Identify alternative behaviors to be established or increased when a target behavior is to be decreased.
    • H.5. Identify possible unwanted effects when using reinforcement, extinction, and punishment procedures.
    • H.6. Evaluate client progress and procedural integrity.
    • H.7. Make data-based decisions about the effectiveness of procedures and the need for modification.
    • H.8. Collaborate with and include others who support and/or provide services to clients.
  • I. Supervisory Relationships (15 of 150 scored questions) (10%)
    • I.1. Use behavior-analytic supervision practices and state the potential risks of ineffective supervision (e.g., poor client outcomes, impaired job satisfaction, employee turnover).
    • I.2. Identify and apply strategies for establishing and maintaining effective supervisory relationships (e.g., active listening, providing reinforcement, reciprocal feedback).
    • I.3. Identify and implement methods that promote equity in supervision practices.
    • I.4. Establish clear performance expectations for the supervisor and supervisee.
    • I.5. Select supervision goals based on an assessment of the supervisee’s skills.
    • I.6. Apply empirically validated and competency-based approaches to train supervisees to perform assessment and intervention procedures.
    • I.7. Identify and apply empirically validated and culturally responsive performance management procedures (e.g., modeling, practice, feedback, reinforcement, task clarification, manipulation of response effort).
    • I.8. Apply a function-based approach (e.g., performance diagnostics) to assess and improve supervisee behavior.
    • I.9. Evaluate the effects of supervision (e.g., on client outcomes, on supervisee repertoires).
Examination sources

BCBA Certification Examination

Provider
Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB); delivered by Pearson VUE in person at authorized Pearson VUE testing sites
Format
Computer-based multiple-choice examination, continuously available and offered only in English; each question has 4 possible answers and only 1 correct answer; all questions are equally weighted and the result is based on overall performance
Exam questions
185 multiple-choice questions: 175 scored and 10 unscored
Time limit
4 hours
Passing score
Pass/fail; criterion-referenced passing score established by the modified Angoff method
Exam fee
$245 certification application (BACB) plus $125 examination appointment (Pearson VUE); $140 examination retake application
Examination outline
  • A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations (8 of 175 scored questions) (5%)
    • A.1. Identify the goals of behavior analysis as a science (i.e., description, prediction, control).
    • A.2. Explain the philosophical assumptions underlying the science of behavior analysis (e.g., selectionism, determinism, empiricism, parsimony, pragmatism).
    • A.3. Explain behavior from the perspective of radical behaviorism.
    • A.4. Distinguish among behaviorism, the experimental analysis of behavior, applied behavior analysis, and professional practice guided by the science of behavior analysis.
    • A.5. Identify and describe dimensions of applied behavior analysis.
  • B. Concepts and Principles (24 of 175 scored questions) (14%)
    • B.1. Identify and distinguish among behavior, response, and response class.
    • B.2. Identify and distinguish between stimulus and stimulus class.
    • B.3. Identify and distinguish between respondent and operant conditioning.
    • B.4. Identify and distinguish between positive and negative reinforcement contingencies.
    • B.5. Identify and distinguish between positive and negative punishment contingencies.
    • B.6. Identify and distinguish between automatic and socially mediated contingencies.
    • B.7. Identify and distinguish among unconditioned, conditioned, and generalized reinforcers.
    • B.8. Identify and distinguish among unconditioned, conditioned, and generalized punishers.
    • B.9. Identify and distinguish among simple schedules of reinforcement.
    • B.10. Identify and distinguish among concurrent, multiple, mixed, and chained schedules of reinforcement.
    • B.11. Identify and distinguish between operant and respondent extinction as operations and processes.
    • B.12. Identify examples of stimulus control.
    • B.13. Identify examples of stimulus discrimination.
    • B.14. Identify and distinguish between stimulus and response generalization.
    • B.15. Identify examples of response maintenance.
    • B.16. Identify examples of motivating operations.
    • B.17. Distinguish between motivating operations and stimulus control.
    • B.18. Identify and distinguish between rule-governed and contingency-shaped behavior.
    • B.19. Identify and distinguish among verbal operants.
    • B.20. Identify the role of multiple control in verbal behavior.
    • B.21. Identify examples of processes that promote emergent relations and generative performance.
    • B.22. Identify ways behavioral momentum can be used to understand response persistence.
    • B.23. Identify ways the matching law can be used to interpret response allocation.
    • B.24. Identify and distinguish between imitation and observational learning.
  • C. Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation (21 of 175 scored questions) (12%)
    • C.1. Create operational definitions of behavior.
    • C.2. Distinguish among direct, indirect, and product measures of behavior.
    • C.3. Measure occurrence.
    • C.4. Measure temporal dimensions of behavior (e.g., duration, latency, interresponse time).
    • C.5. Distinguish between continuous and discontinuous measurement procedures.
    • C.6. Design and apply discontinuous measurement procedures (e.g., interval recording, time sampling).
    • C.7. Measure efficiency (e.g., trials to criterion, cost-benefit analysis, training duration).
    • C.8. Evaluate the validity and reliability of measurement procedures.
    • C.9. Select a measurement procedure to obtain representative data that accounts for the critical dimension of the behavior and environmental constraints.
    • C.10. Graph data to communicate relevant quantitative relations (e.g., equal-interval graphs, bar graphs, cumulative records).
    • C.11. Interpret graphed data.
    • C.12. Select a measurement procedure to obtain representative procedural integrity data that accounts for relevant dimensions (e.g., accuracy, dosage) and environmental constraints.
  • D. Experimental Design (13 of 175 scored questions) (7%)
    • D.1. Distinguish between dependent and independent variables.
    • D.2. Distinguish between internal and external validity.
    • D.3. Identify threats to internal validity (e.g., history, maturation).
    • D.4. Identify the defining features of single-case experimental designs (e.g., individuals serve as their own controls, repeated measures, prediction, verification, replication).
    • D.5. Identify the relative strengths of single-case experimental designs and group designs.
    • D.6. Critique and interpret data from single-case experimental designs.
    • D.7. Distinguish among reversal, multiple-baseline, multielement, and changing-criterion designs.
    • D.8. Identify rationales for conducting comparative, component, and parametric analyses.
    • D.9. Apply single-case experimental designs.
  • E. Ethical and Professional Issues (22 of 175 scored questions) (13%)
    • E.1. Identify and apply core principles underlying the ethics codes for BACB certificants (e.g., benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity).
    • E.2. Identify the risks to oneself, others, and the profession as a result of engaging in unethical behavior.
    • E.3. Develop and maintain competence by engaging in professional development activities (e.g., read literature, seek consultation, establish mentors).
    • E.4. Identify and comply with requirements for collecting, using, protecting, and disclosing confidential information.
    • E.5. Identify and comply with requirements for making public statements about professional activities (e.g., social media activity; misrepresentation of professional credentials, behavior analysis, and service outcomes).
    • E.6. Identify the conditions under which services or supervision should be discontinued and apply steps that should be taken when transitioning clients and supervisees to another professional.
    • E.7. Identify types of and risks associated with multiple relationships, and how to mitigate those risks when they are unavoidable.
    • E.8. Identify and apply interpersonal and other skills (e.g., accepting feedback, listening actively, seeking input, collaborating) to establish and maintain professional relationships.
    • E.9. Engage in cultural humility in service delivery and professional relationships.
    • E.10. Apply culturally responsive and inclusive service and supervision activities.
    • E.11. Identify personal biases and how they might interfere with professional activity.
    • E.12. Identify and apply the legal, regulatory, and practice requirements (e.g., licensure, jurisprudence, funding, certification) relevant to the delivery of behavior-analytic services.
  • F. Behavior Assessment (23 of 175 scored questions) (13%)
    • F.1. Identify relevant sources of information in records (e.g., educational, medical, historical) at the outset of the case.
    • F.2. Identify and integrate relevant cultural variables in the assessment process.
    • F.3. Design and evaluate assessments of relevant skill strengths and areas of need.
    • F.4. Design and evaluate preference assessments.
    • F.5. Design and evaluate descriptive assessments.
    • F.6. Design and evaluate functional analyses.
    • F.7. Interpret assessment data to determine the need for behavior-analytic services and/or referral to others.
    • F.8. Interpret assessment data to identify and prioritize socially significant, client-informed, and culturally responsive behavior-change procedures and goals.
  • G. Behavior-Change Procedures (25 of 175 scored questions) (14%)
    • G.1. Design and evaluate positive and negative reinforcement procedures.
    • G.2. Design and evaluate differential reinforcement (e.g., DRA, DRO, DRL, DRH) procedures with and without extinction.
    • G.3. Design and evaluate time-based reinforcement (e.g., fixed-time) schedules.
    • G.4. Identify procedures to establish and use conditioned reinforcers (e.g., token economies).
    • G.5. Incorporate motivating operations and discriminative stimuli into behavior-change procedures.
    • G.6. Design and evaluate procedures to produce simple and conditional discriminations.
    • G.7. Select and evaluate stimulus and response prompting procedures (e.g., errorless, most-to-least, least-to-most).
    • G.8. Design and implement procedures to fade stimulus and response prompts (e.g., prompt delay, stimulus fading).
    • G.9. Design and evaluate modeling procedures.
    • G.10. Design and evaluate instructions and rules.
    • G.11. Shape dimensions of behavior.
    • G.12. Select and implement chaining procedures.
    • G.13. Design and evaluate trial-based and free-operant procedures.
    • G.14. Design and evaluate group contingencies.
    • G.15. Design and evaluate procedures to promote stimulus and response generalization.
    • G.16. Design and evaluate procedures to maintain desired behavior change following intervention (e.g., schedule thinning, transferring to naturally occurring reinforcers).
    • G.17. Design and evaluate positive and negative punishment (e.g., time-out, response cost, overcorrection).
    • G.18. Evaluate emotional and elicited effects of behavior-change procedures.
    • G.19. Design and evaluate procedures to promote emergent relations and generative performance.
  • H. Selecting and Implementing Interventions (20 of 175 scored questions) (11%)
    • H.1. Develop intervention goals in observable and measurable terms.
    • H.2. Identify and recommend interventions based on assessment results, scientific evidence, client preferences, and contextual fit (e.g., expertise required for implementation, cultural variables, environmental resources).
    • H.3. Select socially valid alternative behavior to be established or increased when a target behavior is to be decreased.
    • H.4. Plan for and attempt to mitigate possible unwanted effects when using reinforcement, extinction, and punishment procedures.
    • H.5. Plan for and attempt to mitigate possible relapse of the target behavior.
    • H.6. Make data-based decisions about procedural integrity.
    • H.7. Make data-based decisions about the effectiveness of the intervention and the need for modification.
    • H.8. Collaborate with others to support and enhance client services.
  • I. Personnel Supervision and Management (19 of 175 scored questions) (11%)
    • I.1. Identify the benefits of using behavior-analytic supervision (e.g., improved client outcomes, improved staff performance and retention).
    • I.2. Identify and apply strategies for establishing effective supervisory relationships (e.g., executing supervisor-supervisee contracts, establishing clear expectations, giving and accepting feedback).
    • I.3. Identify and implement methods that promote equity in supervision practices.
    • I.4. Select supervision goals based on an assessment of the supervisee’s skills, cultural variables, and the environment.
    • I.5. Identify and apply empirically validated and culturally responsive performance management procedures (e.g., modeling, practice, feedback, reinforcement, task clarification, manipulation of response effort).
    • I.6. Apply a function-based approach (e.g., performance diagnostics) to assess and improve supervisee behavior.
    • I.7. Make data-based decisions about the efficacy of supervisory practices.
Examination sources