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Massachusetts Behavior Analyst — Requirements & Free Practice

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Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst

Ordinary license under M.G.L. c.112 §165 and 262 CMR 10.03.

Licensing authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions · Application information

Active duty military renewal and validity
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active service
Existing licensee in active US armed-forces service; license valid until release and at least 90 days thereafter.
Benefit
Department states automatic renewal without renewal fees or continuing education during active duty.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Biennial renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
30 Board-recognized contact hours each cycle; BACB ACE-provider courses accepted. First-cycle proration under CE policy: Jan-Jun even year 22.5; Jul-Dec even 15; Jan-Jun odd 7.5; Jul-Dec odd zero. Keep evidence for audits.
License
Existing Massachusetts license; complete renewal application and fees, biennial cycle ending December 31 of odd years.
Training
Approved domestic/sexual violence training, not repeated after previous approved completion unless required by the Board.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial licensure by Board approved examination
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Completed Board-prescribed application signed under penalties of perjury; current DPH online licensing process, photograph and notarized CORI acknowledgement.
Certification
Submit the relevant BACB certification; applicants without BACB certification must contact the Board for additional application instructions. The registered examination remains involved.
Character
Good moral character and no conduct warranting refusal under M.G.L. c.112 §169.
Coursework
Pre-2015 degrees: 1 ethics; 3 definitions/principles/processes/concepts; 2 assessment/outcomes; 1 evaluation; 1 measurement/data; 3 change/support; 49 doctoral or 19 master discretionary credits. On/after January 1, 2015: 3 ethical/professional conduct; 3 principles; 3 research methods; 7 applied analysis (3 change procedures, 2 problem/assessment, 2 systems/implementation/management/supervision); 44 doctoral or 14 master discretionary credits. Submit education attestation for pre-2015 degrees.
Education
Recognized doctoral degree with 60 graduate credits or master degree with 30 graduate credits meeting 10.03(3); alternatively human-services doctoral/master degree plus Board-approved behavior-analysis certificate and approved sequence under 10.03(4).
Experience
1500 independent-fieldwork hours (75 supervised, once per two weeks, 5%); or 1000 practicum hours (75 supervised, weekly, 7.5%); or 750 intensive-practicum hours (75 supervised, weekly, 10%). Combinations allowed, one category at a time. Accrue 10-30 hours weekly after beginning required coursework.
Fees
Ordinary initial application $117 and license fee $155 as stated in the current checklists; military fee waivers are separate conditions.
Grandfathering
262 CMR 10.03(6) and 10.04(5) limit grandfathering to applications received before June 5, 2017; this is not a current new-application pathway.
Supervision
In Massachusetts: before 2015, licensed ABA or BCBA; 2015-2017, licensed ABA or BACB-qualified BCBA; after January 1, 2018, licensed ABA qualified by BACB. Outside Massachusetts: locally licensed ABA, or BCBA when the jurisdiction does not license ABAs; BACB qualification is required after January 1, 2015. Supervisor cannot be related, subordinate to or employed by supervisee; compensation for supervision is permitted.
Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying.
Verification
Official education transcripts and official verification of every current or previous professional license in another jurisdiction; a copy of the license is insufficient.
Reinstatement after more than six years — massachusetts
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Complete notarized reinstatement application, CORI, CE documentation and other-jurisdiction license verifications; Board approval discretionary.
Education
Policy item 4 calls for 90 CE hours within last six years; meet regulation CE and applicable domestic/sexual violence training.
Exam waiver
Retake and pass the examination required for this license unless continuously licensed in good standing elsewhere throughout the lapse; waiver is a condition and the examination remains a leaf.
Fees
For practice in Massachusetts: all back, late and current fees. For no practice: current renewal and late fees. Policy describes two current renewal fees and late fee; regulation controls disagreement.
Lapse
License expired more than six years.
Practice
Practiced in Massachusetts while expired; acknowledge the practice under 9.01(2)(a).
Reinstatement after more than six years — no practice
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Complete notarized reinstatement application, CORI, CE documentation and other-jurisdiction license verifications; Board approval discretionary.
Education
Policy item 4 calls for 90 CE hours within last six years; meet regulation CE and applicable domestic/sexual violence training.
Exam waiver
Retake and pass the examination required for this license unless continuously licensed in good standing elsewhere throughout the lapse; waiver is a condition and the examination remains a leaf.
Fees
For practice in Massachusetts: all back, late and current fees. For no practice: current renewal and late fees. Policy describes two current renewal fees and late fee; regulation controls disagreement.
Lapse
License expired more than six years.
Practice
No practice during lapse; submit perjury affidavit under 9.01(2)(b).
Reinstatement after more than one cycle while practicing elsewhere
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Implementation disagreement
Policy 17-001 item 4 states: take and pass the examination required for licensure unless the licensee has maintained a license in good standing in another jurisdiction during the entire period the license was expired; and The higher-ranked exhaustive 9.01(2)(c) requirements do not demand re-examination for this route; the lower-ranked continuous-license demand is retained as a condition.
Policy ce
Policy describes 30 contact hours beyond two and below four years; 60 within last four beyond four and below six; 90 within last six beyond six. Published endpoints are not repaired by inference.
Practice
Expired more than one cycle, practiced in another jurisdiction and not Massachusetts.
Requirements
Current renewal and late fees, official record/certified statement of good standing from other licensing authority, all required CE and applicable training under 9.01(2)(c); reinstatement form, CORI and official license verifications.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after lapse of one cycle or less
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Discretion
Policy 17-001 makes approval discretionary.
Form
Reinstatement instructions prescribe online renewal below 20 months and reinstatement application above 20 months; the form threshold does not change the examination boundary.
Lapse
One two-year renewal cycle or less.
Requirements
Pay back, late and current fees and provide required CE evidence under 9.01(1); complete applicable training and any other Board requirements. Policy item 1 describes current renewal and late fees and attestation to 30 contact hours; regulation controls conflicting fees.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Expedited reciprocal licensure for military spouses
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Complete Board-prescribed application, required fees, official license verification and applicable domestic/sexual violence training.
Lower ranked exam demand
The general Board FAQ states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. Controlling 262 CMR 10.03(7) expressly permits reciprocal issuance without examination; the lower-ranked FAQ demand is recorded as a condition.
Military spouse
Licensed/certified outside Massachusetts; spouse is a US armed-forces member transferred to Massachusetts; applicant left employment to accompany spouse. Present satisfactory evidence.
Processing
Within 30 days issue a license or temporary license or state unmet requirements/missing materials under §1B(d). Commonwealth initial application/license fees waived under §1B(g).
Qualification
Current equivalent license, certification or registration issued by another state or jurisdiction; good standing and good moral character; Board determines standards substantially equivalent to or exceeding Massachusetts requirements.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial licensure with military qualification credit
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Completed Board-prescribed application signed under penalties of perjury; current DPH online licensing process, photograph and notarized CORI acknowledgement.
Certification
Submit the relevant BACB certification; applicants without BACB certification must contact the Board for additional application instructions. The registered examination remains involved.
Character
Good moral character and no conduct warranting refusal under M.G.L. c.112 §169.
Coursework
Pre-2015 degrees: 1 ethics; 3 definitions/principles/processes/concepts; 2 assessment/outcomes; 1 evaluation; 1 measurement/data; 3 change/support; 49 doctoral or 19 master discretionary credits. On/after January 1, 2015: 3 ethical/professional conduct; 3 principles; 3 research methods; 7 applied analysis (3 change procedures, 2 problem/assessment, 2 systems/implementation/management/supervision); 44 doctoral or 14 master discretionary credits. Submit education attestation for pre-2015 degrees.
Education
Recognized doctoral degree with 60 graduate credits or master degree with 30 graduate credits meeting 10.03(3); alternatively human-services doctoral/master degree plus Board-approved behavior-analysis certificate and approved sequence under 10.03(4).
Experience
1500 independent-fieldwork hours (75 supervised, once per two weeks, 5%); or 1000 practicum hours (75 supervised, weekly, 7.5%); or 750 intensive-practicum hours (75 supervised, weekly, 10%). Combinations allowed, one category at a time. Accrue 10-30 hours weekly after beginning required coursework.
Fee waiver
Commonwealth initial application and license fees are waived under §1B(g).
Fees
Ordinary initial application $117 and license fee $155 as stated in the current checklists; military fee waivers are separate conditions.
Grandfathering
262 CMR 10.03(6) and 10.04(5) limit grandfathering to applications received before June 5, 2017; this is not a current new-application pathway.
Military credit
Present satisfactory evidence of relevant armed-forces or military-reserve education, training or service; §1B(b) accepts it toward the corresponding qualifications without dispensing with the professional examination.
Supervision
In Massachusetts: before 2015, licensed ABA or BCBA; 2015-2017, licensed ABA or BACB-qualified BCBA; after January 1, 2018, licensed ABA qualified by BACB. Outside Massachusetts: locally licensed ABA, or BCBA when the jurisdiction does not license ABAs; BACB qualification is required after January 1, 2015. Supervisor cannot be related, subordinate to or employed by supervisee; compensation for supervision is permitted.
Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying.
Verification
Official education transcripts and official verification of every current or previous professional license in another jurisdiction; a copy of the license is insufficient.
Licensure by reciprocal recognition
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Complete Board-prescribed application, required fees, official license verification and applicable domestic/sexual violence training.
Lower ranked exam demand
The general Board FAQ states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. Controlling 262 CMR 10.03(7) expressly permits reciprocal issuance without examination; the lower-ranked FAQ demand is recorded as a condition.
Qualification
Current equivalent license, certification or registration issued by another state or jurisdiction; good standing and good moral character; Board determines standards substantially equivalent to or exceeding Massachusetts requirements.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Temporary Permit — Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst

Discretionary permit under M.G.L. c.112 §167, up to one year while application is processed or first written examination is awaited; profession qualifier identifies the applicable permit.

Licensing authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions · Application information

Temporary permit pending original application or examination
BCBA Certification Examination
Pending
Underlying original application is processed or first written examination after filing is awaited.
Qualifications
Original-license qualifications under §165 and 262 CMR 10.03/10.04 remain applicable; examination may follow temporary issuance and remains involved.
Term
Board discretion, up to one year.
Temporary permit pending reciprocal application
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Pending
Reciprocal application is processed; equivalent license in good standing, substantially equivalent standards, moral character, complete application and applicable training.
Term
Board discretion, up to one year; underlying reciprocal route expressly dispenses with examination.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensed Assistant Applied Behavior Analyst

Ordinary license under M.G.L. c.112 §165 and 262 CMR 10.04.

Licensing authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions · Application information

Active duty military renewal and validity
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Active service
Existing licensee in active US armed-forces service; license valid until release and at least 90 days thereafter.
Benefit
Department states automatic renewal without renewal fees or continuing education during active duty.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Biennial renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Continuing education
30 Board-recognized contact hours each cycle; BACB ACE-provider courses accepted. First-cycle proration under CE policy: Jan-Jun even year 22.5; Jul-Dec even 15; Jan-Jun odd 7.5; Jul-Dec odd zero. Keep evidence for audits.
License
Existing Massachusetts license; complete renewal application and fees, biennial cycle ending December 31 of odd years.
Training
Approved domestic/sexual violence training, not repeated after previous approved completion unless required by the Board.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial licensure by Board approved examination

At least one of the following alternatives:

Application
Completed Board-prescribed application signed under penalties of perjury; current DPH online licensing process, photograph and notarized CORI acknowledgement.
Certification
Submit the relevant BACB certification; applicants without BACB certification must contact the Board for additional application instructions. The registered examination remains involved.
Character
Good moral character and no conduct warranting refusal under M.G.L. c.112 §169.
Coursework
Rule 10.04(3)(a)1 describes nine credits: 0.5 ethics; 2 definitions/principles/processes/concepts; 1 assessment/outcomes; 1 evaluation/measurement/data; 2 change procedures/support; 2 discretionary. Alternative (a)2 describes twelve credits: 1 ethical/professional conduct, 3 principles, 1 research methods, 7 applied behavior analysis; published subitems list 3 change methods, 2 problem/assessment, 1 systems/implementation/management/supervision. The missing credit is not supplied by this survey; submit the applicable coursework form.
Education
Recognized bachelor degree with at least 135 classroom hours of behavior analysis instruction, or bachelor degree with Board-approved sequence/coursework, under §165 and 262 CMR 10.04(3).
Exam source conflict
The assistant-specific application states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in order to become licensed. If you have already passed the exam, please list the date you passed the exam when prompted in the application. The general licensing FAQ instead states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. The currently linked assistant checklist requests BCaBA certification. These sources identify competing professional examinations for the same singular slot. Both are retained under anyOf; this is a conservative conflict representation, not evidence that the Board expressly authorizes a free choice or demands both examinations.
Experience
1000 independent-fieldwork hours (50 supervised, once per two weeks, 5%); or 670 practicum hours (50 supervised, weekly, 7.5%); or 500 intensive-practicum hours (50 supervised, weekly, 10%). Combinations allowed, one category at a time. Accrue 10-30 hours weekly after beginning required bachelor coursework; submit experience forms. Checklist narrative says twice weekly intensive supervision; the rule and signed form say once weekly, and the rule governs.
Fees
Ordinary initial application $117 and license fee $155 as stated in the current checklists; military fee waivers are separate conditions.
Grandfathering
262 CMR 10.03(6) and 10.04(5) limit grandfathering to applications received before June 5, 2017; this is not a current new-application pathway.
Practice scope
Supervised practice under licensed ABA, or qualified physician or psychologist consistently with their professional standards, under §163.
Supervision
In Massachusetts: before 2015, licensed ABA or BCBA; 2015-2017, licensed ABA or BACB-qualified BCBA; after January 1, 2018, licensed ABA qualified by BACB. Outside Massachusetts: locally licensed ABA, or BCBA when the jurisdiction does not license ABAs; BACB qualification is required after January 1, 2015. Supervisor cannot be related, subordinate to or employed by supervisee; compensation for supervision is permitted.
Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying.
Verification
Official education transcripts and official verification of every current or previous professional license in another jurisdiction; a copy of the license is insufficient.
Reinstatement after more than six years — massachusetts

At least one of the following alternatives:

Application
Complete notarized reinstatement application, CORI, CE documentation and other-jurisdiction license verifications; Board approval discretionary.
Education
Policy item 4 calls for 90 CE hours within last six years; meet regulation CE and applicable domestic/sexual violence training.
Exam source conflict
The assistant-specific application states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in order to become licensed. If you have already passed the exam, please list the date you passed the exam when prompted in the application. The general licensing FAQ instead states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. The currently linked assistant checklist requests BCaBA certification. These sources identify competing professional examinations for the same singular slot. Both are retained under anyOf; this is a conservative conflict representation, not evidence that the Board expressly authorizes a free choice or demands both examinations.
Exam waiver
Retake and pass the examination required for this license unless continuously licensed in good standing elsewhere throughout the lapse; waiver is a condition and the examination remains a leaf.
Fees
For practice in Massachusetts: all back, late and current fees. For no practice: current renewal and late fees. Policy describes two current renewal fees and late fee; regulation controls disagreement.
Lapse
License expired more than six years.
Practice
Practiced in Massachusetts while expired; acknowledge the practice under 9.01(2)(a).
Reinstatement after more than six years — no practice

At least one of the following alternatives:

Application
Complete notarized reinstatement application, CORI, CE documentation and other-jurisdiction license verifications; Board approval discretionary.
Education
Policy item 4 calls for 90 CE hours within last six years; meet regulation CE and applicable domestic/sexual violence training.
Exam source conflict
The assistant-specific application states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in order to become licensed. If you have already passed the exam, please list the date you passed the exam when prompted in the application. The general licensing FAQ instead states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. The currently linked assistant checklist requests BCaBA certification. These sources identify competing professional examinations for the same singular slot. Both are retained under anyOf; this is a conservative conflict representation, not evidence that the Board expressly authorizes a free choice or demands both examinations.
Exam waiver
Retake and pass the examination required for this license unless continuously licensed in good standing elsewhere throughout the lapse; waiver is a condition and the examination remains a leaf.
Fees
For practice in Massachusetts: all back, late and current fees. For no practice: current renewal and late fees. Policy describes two current renewal fees and late fee; regulation controls disagreement.
Lapse
License expired more than six years.
Practice
No practice during lapse; submit perjury affidavit under 9.01(2)(b).
Reinstatement after more than one cycle while practicing elsewhere
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Implementation disagreement
Policy 17-001 item 4 states: take and pass the examination required for licensure unless the licensee has maintained a license in good standing in another jurisdiction during the entire period the license was expired; and The higher-ranked exhaustive 9.01(2)(c) requirements do not demand re-examination for this route; the lower-ranked continuous-license demand is retained as a condition.
Policy ce
Policy describes 30 contact hours beyond two and below four years; 60 within last four beyond four and below six; 90 within last six beyond six. Published endpoints are not repaired by inference.
Practice
Expired more than one cycle, practiced in another jurisdiction and not Massachusetts.
Requirements
Current renewal and late fees, official record/certified statement of good standing from other licensing authority, all required CE and applicable training under 9.01(2)(c); reinstatement form, CORI and official license verifications.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after lapse of one cycle or less
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Discretion
Policy 17-001 makes approval discretionary.
Form
Reinstatement instructions prescribe online renewal below 20 months and reinstatement application above 20 months; the form threshold does not change the examination boundary.
Lapse
One two-year renewal cycle or less.
Requirements
Pay back, late and current fees and provide required CE evidence under 9.01(1); complete applicable training and any other Board requirements. Policy item 1 describes current renewal and late fees and attestation to 30 contact hours; regulation controls conflicting fees.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Expedited reciprocal licensure for military spouses
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Complete Board-prescribed application, required fees, official license verification and applicable domestic/sexual violence training.
Lower ranked exam demand
The general Board FAQ states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. Controlling 262 CMR 10.04(6) expressly permits reciprocal issuance without examination; the lower-ranked FAQ demand is recorded as a condition.
Military spouse
Licensed/certified outside Massachusetts; spouse is a US armed-forces member transferred to Massachusetts; applicant left employment to accompany spouse. Present satisfactory evidence.
Processing
Within 30 days issue a license or temporary license or state unmet requirements/missing materials under §1B(d). Commonwealth initial application/license fees waived under §1B(g).
Qualification
Current equivalent license, certification or registration issued by another state or jurisdiction; good standing and good moral character; Board determines standards substantially equivalent to or exceeding Massachusetts requirements.
Reciprocal application
Board-hosted assistant form permits leaving the BCaBA examination section blank; provide a letter of standing and the requirements in force when first licensed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Initial licensure with military qualification credit

At least one of the following alternatives:

Application
Completed Board-prescribed application signed under penalties of perjury; current DPH online licensing process, photograph and notarized CORI acknowledgement.
Certification
Submit the relevant BACB certification; applicants without BACB certification must contact the Board for additional application instructions. The registered examination remains involved.
Character
Good moral character and no conduct warranting refusal under M.G.L. c.112 §169.
Coursework
Rule 10.04(3)(a)1 describes nine credits: 0.5 ethics; 2 definitions/principles/processes/concepts; 1 assessment/outcomes; 1 evaluation/measurement/data; 2 change procedures/support; 2 discretionary. Alternative (a)2 describes twelve credits: 1 ethical/professional conduct, 3 principles, 1 research methods, 7 applied behavior analysis; published subitems list 3 change methods, 2 problem/assessment, 1 systems/implementation/management/supervision. The missing credit is not supplied by this survey; submit the applicable coursework form.
Education
Recognized bachelor degree with at least 135 classroom hours of behavior analysis instruction, or bachelor degree with Board-approved sequence/coursework, under §165 and 262 CMR 10.04(3).
Exam source conflict
The assistant-specific application states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in order to become licensed. If you have already passed the exam, please list the date you passed the exam when prompted in the application. The general licensing FAQ instead states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. The currently linked assistant checklist requests BCaBA certification. These sources identify competing professional examinations for the same singular slot. Both are retained under anyOf; this is a conservative conflict representation, not evidence that the Board expressly authorizes a free choice or demands both examinations.
Experience
1000 independent-fieldwork hours (50 supervised, once per two weeks, 5%); or 670 practicum hours (50 supervised, weekly, 7.5%); or 500 intensive-practicum hours (50 supervised, weekly, 10%). Combinations allowed, one category at a time. Accrue 10-30 hours weekly after beginning required bachelor coursework; submit experience forms. Checklist narrative says twice weekly intensive supervision; the rule and signed form say once weekly, and the rule governs.
Fee waiver
Commonwealth initial application and license fees are waived under §1B(g).
Fees
Ordinary initial application $117 and license fee $155 as stated in the current checklists; military fee waivers are separate conditions.
Grandfathering
262 CMR 10.03(6) and 10.04(5) limit grandfathering to applications received before June 5, 2017; this is not a current new-application pathway.
Military credit
Present satisfactory evidence of relevant armed-forces or military-reserve education, training or service; §1B(b) accepts it toward the corresponding qualifications without dispensing with the professional examination.
Practice scope
Supervised practice under licensed ABA, or qualified physician or psychologist consistently with their professional standards, under §163.
Supervision
In Massachusetts: before 2015, licensed ABA or BCBA; 2015-2017, licensed ABA or BACB-qualified BCBA; after January 1, 2018, licensed ABA qualified by BACB. Outside Massachusetts: locally licensed ABA, or BCBA when the jurisdiction does not license ABAs; BACB qualification is required after January 1, 2015. Supervisor cannot be related, subordinate to or employed by supervisee; compensation for supervision is permitted.
Training
Complete Board-approved domestic and sexual violence training before applying.
Verification
Official education transcripts and official verification of every current or previous professional license in another jurisdiction; a copy of the license is insufficient.
Licensure by reciprocal recognition
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Application
Complete Board-prescribed application, required fees, official license verification and applicable domestic/sexual violence training.
Lower ranked exam demand
The general Board FAQ states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. Controlling 262 CMR 10.04(6) expressly permits reciprocal issuance without examination; the lower-ranked FAQ demand is recorded as a condition.
Qualification
Current equivalent license, certification or registration issued by another state or jurisdiction; good standing and good moral character; Board determines standards substantially equivalent to or exceeding Massachusetts requirements.
Reciprocal application
Board-hosted assistant form permits leaving the BCaBA examination section blank; provide a letter of standing and the requirements in force when first licensed.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Temporary Permit — Licensed Assistant Applied Behavior Analyst

Discretionary permit under M.G.L. c.112 §167, up to one year while application is processed or first written examination is awaited; profession qualifier identifies the applicable permit.

Licensing authority: Massachusetts Board of Registration of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professions · Application information

Temporary permit pending original application or examination

At least one of the following alternatives:

Exam source conflict
The assistant-specific application states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in order to become licensed. If you have already passed the exam, please list the date you passed the exam when prompted in the application. The general licensing FAQ instead states: All applicants must pass the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) to become licensed. The currently linked assistant checklist requests BCaBA certification. These sources identify competing professional examinations for the same singular slot. Both are retained under anyOf; this is a conservative conflict representation, not evidence that the Board expressly authorizes a free choice or demands both examinations.
Pending
Underlying original application is processed or first written examination after filing is awaited.
Qualifications
Original-license qualifications under §165 and 262 CMR 10.03/10.04 remain applicable; examination may follow temporary issuance and remains involved.
Term
Board discretion, up to one year.
Temporary permit pending reciprocal application
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Pending
Reciprocal application is processed; equivalent license in good standing, substantially equivalent standards, moral character, complete application and applicable training.
Term
Board discretion, up to one year; underlying reciprocal route expressly dispenses with examination.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

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

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