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Virginia Behavior Analyst — Requirements & Free Practice

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Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst

Active Virginia license for assistant behavior analysis practice under a licensed behavior analyst.

Licensing authority: Virginia Board of Medicine · Application information

Reinstatement following suspension for dishonored fee payment
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Cause
License was suspended for a dishonored check, money draft or similar fee payment.
Payment
Pay the fee and penalties required by statute or regulation; this suspension is not Board disciplinary action.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by endorsement
BCaBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit a completed online application and the required fee; an incomplete application expires after 180 days.
Current bacb certification
Hold current BCaBA certification from BACB, obtained by meeting its qualifications and passing its certification examination. Examination passage before application remains part of this route; a new sitting is not automatically required.
Disciplinary status
Document that the relevant professional license or certification has not been suspended or revoked and that there are no pending disciplinary proceedings; obtain BACB disciplinary verification and verification from every other licensing or certifying jurisdiction.
Disclosure
Provide a narrative and supporting documentation for affirmative application disclosures, including court documentation for convictions.
Employer notified temporary practice
Under Code of Virginia 54.1-2408.4, an out-of-state practitioner may practice for one 90-day period after a qualifying hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility, dialysis facility, Virginia Department of Health or local health department employment offer or contract; employer verifies active unencumbered professional licensure, obtains NPDB information where applicable and notifies the Board before practice. A pending Virginia application permits an additional 60 days on employer notice. This is temporary practice on existing out-of-state authority, rather than issuance of an additional Virginia license.
Employment chronology
List all professional activities and gaps during the five years immediately preceding application, or since graduation if fewer than five years.
Licensed supervision
Document supervision by a Virginia licensed behavior analyst; maintain the written supervisory agreement required by 18VAC85-150-120.
Military equivalency
Under Code of Virginia 54.1-118, an honorably discharged service member may receive credit for substantially equivalent military training, education or experience, with documentation as required by the Board; current BACB certification remains the licensure requirement.
Military spouse expedition
Code of Virginia 54.1-119 provides expedited processing for qualifying spouses of active-duty service members or veterans who left active duty within one year, accompanying the spouse to Virginia, an adjoining state or the District of Columbia; substantially equivalent licensure and absence of disqualifying acts are required. An experience requirement may be waived at Board discretion.
Name change
Provide supporting documents for any name change, if applicable.
Npdb
Submit a current NPDB self-query report; the endorsement instructions require resubmission if the application remains incomplete six months after receipt of the report.
Other jurisdiction license
Hold a current, active, unrestricted license in a United States jurisdiction or Canada in good standing; provide direct jurisdiction verification. The implementing endorsement checklist also requests verification that at least one other license is current and unrestricted or, if lapsed, eligible for renewal or reinstatement.
Professional ethics
Document professional practice in accordance with the BACB ethics code and other accepted standards required by the Board.
Initial licensure — first time applicant
BCaBA Certification Examination
Applicant history
Applicant has never practiced the profession and never held licensure in another jurisdiction.
Application
Submit a completed online application and the required fee; an incomplete application expires after 180 days.
Current bacb certification
Hold current BCaBA certification from BACB, obtained by meeting its qualifications and passing its certification examination. Examination passage before application remains part of this route; a new sitting is not automatically required.
Disciplinary status
Document that the relevant professional license or certification has not been suspended or revoked and that there are no pending disciplinary proceedings; obtain BACB disciplinary verification and verification from every other licensing or certifying jurisdiction.
Disclosure
Provide a narrative and supporting documentation for affirmative application disclosures, including court documentation for convictions.
Licensed supervision
Document supervision by a Virginia licensed behavior analyst; maintain the written supervisory agreement required by 18VAC85-150-120.
Military equivalency
Under Code of Virginia 54.1-118, an honorably discharged service member may receive credit for substantially equivalent military training, education or experience, with documentation as required by the Board; current BACB certification remains the licensure requirement.
Name change
Provide supporting documents for any name change, if applicable.
Professional ethics
Document professional practice in accordance with the BACB ethics code and other accepted standards required by the Board.
Initial licensure — applicant with prior practice or licensure
BCaBA Certification Examination
Applicant history
Applicant has previously practiced the profession or held licensure in another jurisdiction; provide the employment history, jurisdiction license verification and NPDB self-query specified in the traditional initial application checklist.
Application
Submit a completed online application and the required fee; an incomplete application expires after 180 days.
Current bacb certification
Hold current BCaBA certification from BACB, obtained by meeting its qualifications and passing its certification examination. Examination passage before application remains part of this route; a new sitting is not automatically required.
Disciplinary status
Document that the relevant professional license or certification has not been suspended or revoked and that there are no pending disciplinary proceedings; obtain BACB disciplinary verification and verification from every other licensing or certifying jurisdiction.
Disclosure
Provide a narrative and supporting documentation for affirmative application disclosures, including court documentation for convictions.
Licensed supervision
Document supervision by a Virginia licensed behavior analyst; maintain the written supervisory agreement required by 18VAC85-150-120.
Military equivalency
Under Code of Virginia 54.1-118, an honorably discharged service member may receive credit for substantially equivalent military training, education or experience, with documentation as required by the Board; current BACB certification remains the licensure requirement.
Name change
Provide supporting documents for any name change, if applicable.
Npdb currency
The initial application checklist requires resubmission if the application is not completed within three months of receipt of the NPDB report.
Professional ethics
Document professional practice in accordance with the BACB ethics code and other accepted standards required by the Board.
Renewal of a license lapsed for two years or less
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Bias reduction training
Code of Virginia 54.1-2928.4 requires biennial bias-reduction training as implemented by Board regulations; comply with Board-designated practice-related training.
Continuing education
Attest to 20 BACB-recognized continuing education hours during the last biennium, including four ethics hours; the first biennial renewal following initial Virginia licensure is exempt. Keep supporting records for four years; provide them within 30 days if audited.
Continuing education adjustments
Up to two continuing education hours may be earned through documented uncompensated services to qualifying low-income patients, at three service hours per credit hour. The Board may grant an extension of up to one year for good cause or an exemption for circumstances beyond the licensee's control.
Deployment extension
Code of Virginia 54.1-117 extends qualifying overseas military or diplomatic-service license validity, including an accompanying military spouse, through 60 days after return, subject to a maximum extension of five years beyond expiration.
Lapse
The license has been lapsed for two years or less; pay the renewal and late fees and document compliance with continuing education requirements. Do not practice while lapsed.
Renewal cycle
Renew in the birth month of each odd-numbered year and pay the applicable renewal fee.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after lapse of more than two years
BCaBA Certification Examination
Additional board requirements
The Board may specify education, experience or reexamination. An additional examination not identified by the Board in the published rule is an applicant condition, rather than an invented examination leaf.
Application
File the reinstatement application with the fee, direct verification of licenses from other jurisdictions, NPDB self-query, name-change records where applicable, and documentation of affirmative application disclosures.
Board denial
The Board may deny reactivation or reinstatement for conduct violating Code of Virginia 54.1-2915 or 18VAC85-150.
Competency alternatives
Provide one of: continued practice in another jurisdiction under a relevant license or BACB certification during the inactive or lapsed period; 10 continuing education hours per inactive or lapsed year, capped at three years; or recertification by passing the BCaBA certification examination. Continued practice or continuing education may satisfy competency without another examination.
License status
License has been lapsed for more than two years. The application instructions say not to use the reinstatement form for lapse of less than two years or for an inactive license; at exactly two years, 18VAC85-150-70(B) permits late renewal.
Npdb currency
Resubmit the NPDB self-query if the application remains incomplete six months after receipt.
Military license portability — CAMO / SCRA pathway
BCaBA Certification Examination
Application and affidavit
Submit the Board application and fee, NPDB or corresponding disciplinary report, and a notarized affidavit affirming identity, complete and correct application statements, good standing, and that the applicant understands, meets and will comply with Virginia licensure requirements and scope of practice.
Continuing requirements
DHP Policy 76-90.06, revised July 13, 2026, treats a CAMO license as current and active, subject to the issuing Board's licensure, practice and renewal requirements; licensees self-certify continuing military orders at renewal.
Covered license
Hold an equivalent professional license with a similar scope that is current, unrestricted and in good standing; no revocation, discipline, pending unprofessional-conduct investigation or voluntary surrender while under such investigation.
Military relocation
Reside in Virginia because of a service member's military orders; submit the orders and, for a spouse, a marriage certificate. The orders need not station the service member in Virginia.
State certification requirement
The state certification examination is retained because 18VAC85-150-60 requires current BCaBA certification and 50 U.S.C. 4025a(c)(3)(C)-(D) asks the applicant to affirm Virginia licensure requirements; this record does not assert that every portability applicant must take a new examination.
Reactivation of an inactive license
BCaBA Certification Examination
Application
Contact the Board for its inactive-to-active application.
Board denial
The Board may deny reactivation or reinstatement for conduct violating Code of Virginia 54.1-2915 or 18VAC85-150.
Competency alternatives
Provide one of: continued practice in another jurisdiction under a relevant license or BACB certification during the inactive or lapsed period; 10 continuing education hours per inactive or lapsed year, capped at three years; or recertification by passing the BCaBA certification examination. Continued practice or continuing education may satisfy competency without another examination.
Fee
Pay the difference between current inactive and active renewal fees.
License status
Existing Virginia license is currently inactive.
Active license biennial renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Bias reduction training
Code of Virginia 54.1-2928.4 requires biennial bias-reduction training as implemented by Board regulations; comply with Board-designated practice-related training.
Continuing education
Attest to 20 BACB-recognized continuing education hours during the last biennium, including four ethics hours; the first biennial renewal following initial Virginia licensure is exempt. Keep supporting records for four years; provide them within 30 days if audited.
Continuing education adjustments
Up to two continuing education hours may be earned through documented uncompensated services to qualifying low-income patients, at three service hours per credit hour. The Board may grant an extension of up to one year for good cause or an exemption for circumstances beyond the licensee's control.
Deployment extension
Code of Virginia 54.1-117 extends qualifying overseas military or diplomatic-service license validity, including an accompanying military spouse, through 60 days after return, subject to a maximum extension of five years beyond expiration.
Renewal cycle
Renew in the birth month of each odd-numbered year and pay the applicable renewal fee.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after revocation
BCaBA Certification Examination
Burden of proof
Show by clear and convincing evidence that practice will be safe and competent; the Board investigates causes for denial and reinstatement requires an affirmative vote of three-fourths of members at the hearing.
Examination discretion
Current BCaBA certification obtained by examination is retained through the original-licensure requirements. The Board may grant reinstatement without further examination.
License status
Previous Virginia license has been revoked by the Board.
New application
Apply in the same manner as original licensure, satisfy the Board order's additional requirements and pay the reinstatement fee.
Waiting period
Ordinarily wait at least three years after revocation; wait five years for revocation under Code of Virginia 54.1-2915(A)(19).

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Active Virginia license for behavior analysis practice.

Licensing authority: Virginia Board of Medicine · Application information

Reinstatement following suspension for dishonored fee payment
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Cause
License was suspended for a dishonored check, money draft or similar fee payment.
Payment
Pay the fee and penalties required by statute or regulation; this suspension is not Board disciplinary action.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Licensure by endorsement
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Submit a completed online application and the required fee; an incomplete application expires after 180 days.
Current bacb certification
Hold current BCBA certification from BACB, obtained by meeting its qualifications and passing its certification examination. Examination passage before application remains part of this route; a new sitting is not automatically required.
Disciplinary status
Document that the relevant professional license or certification has not been suspended or revoked and that there are no pending disciplinary proceedings; obtain BACB disciplinary verification and verification from every other licensing or certifying jurisdiction.
Disclosure
Provide a narrative and supporting documentation for affirmative application disclosures, including court documentation for convictions.
Employer notified temporary practice
Under Code of Virginia 54.1-2408.4, an out-of-state practitioner may practice for one 90-day period after a qualifying hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility, dialysis facility, Virginia Department of Health or local health department employment offer or contract; employer verifies active unencumbered professional licensure, obtains NPDB information where applicable and notifies the Board before practice. A pending Virginia application permits an additional 60 days on employer notice. This is temporary practice on existing out-of-state authority, rather than issuance of an additional Virginia license.
Employment chronology
List all professional activities and gaps during the five years immediately preceding application, or since graduation if fewer than five years.
Military equivalency
Under Code of Virginia 54.1-118, an honorably discharged service member may receive credit for substantially equivalent military training, education or experience, with documentation as required by the Board; current BACB certification remains the licensure requirement.
Military spouse expedition
Code of Virginia 54.1-119 provides expedited processing for qualifying spouses of active-duty service members or veterans who left active duty within one year, accompanying the spouse to Virginia, an adjoining state or the District of Columbia; substantially equivalent licensure and absence of disqualifying acts are required. An experience requirement may be waived at Board discretion.
Name change
Provide supporting documents for any name change, if applicable.
Npdb
Submit a current NPDB self-query report; the endorsement instructions require resubmission if the application remains incomplete six months after receipt of the report.
Other jurisdiction license
Hold a current, active, unrestricted license in a United States jurisdiction or Canada in good standing; provide direct jurisdiction verification. The implementing endorsement checklist also requests verification that at least one other license is current and unrestricted or, if lapsed, eligible for renewal or reinstatement.
Professional ethics
Document professional practice in accordance with the BACB ethics code and other accepted standards required by the Board.
Initial licensure — first time applicant
BCBA Certification Examination
Applicant history
Applicant has never practiced the profession and never held licensure in another jurisdiction.
Application
Submit a completed online application and the required fee; an incomplete application expires after 180 days.
Current bacb certification
Hold current BCBA certification from BACB, obtained by meeting its qualifications and passing its certification examination. Examination passage before application remains part of this route; a new sitting is not automatically required.
Disciplinary status
Document that the relevant professional license or certification has not been suspended or revoked and that there are no pending disciplinary proceedings; obtain BACB disciplinary verification and verification from every other licensing or certifying jurisdiction.
Disclosure
Provide a narrative and supporting documentation for affirmative application disclosures, including court documentation for convictions.
Military equivalency
Under Code of Virginia 54.1-118, an honorably discharged service member may receive credit for substantially equivalent military training, education or experience, with documentation as required by the Board; current BACB certification remains the licensure requirement.
Name change
Provide supporting documents for any name change, if applicable.
Professional ethics
Document professional practice in accordance with the BACB ethics code and other accepted standards required by the Board.
Initial licensure — applicant with prior practice or licensure
BCBA Certification Examination
Applicant history
Applicant has previously practiced the profession or held licensure in another jurisdiction; provide the employment history, jurisdiction license verification and NPDB self-query specified in the traditional initial application checklist.
Application
Submit a completed online application and the required fee; an incomplete application expires after 180 days.
Current bacb certification
Hold current BCBA certification from BACB, obtained by meeting its qualifications and passing its certification examination. Examination passage before application remains part of this route; a new sitting is not automatically required.
Disciplinary status
Document that the relevant professional license or certification has not been suspended or revoked and that there are no pending disciplinary proceedings; obtain BACB disciplinary verification and verification from every other licensing or certifying jurisdiction.
Disclosure
Provide a narrative and supporting documentation for affirmative application disclosures, including court documentation for convictions.
Military equivalency
Under Code of Virginia 54.1-118, an honorably discharged service member may receive credit for substantially equivalent military training, education or experience, with documentation as required by the Board; current BACB certification remains the licensure requirement.
Name change
Provide supporting documents for any name change, if applicable.
Npdb currency
The initial application checklist requires resubmission if the application is not completed within three months of receipt of the NPDB report.
Professional ethics
Document professional practice in accordance with the BACB ethics code and other accepted standards required by the Board.
Renewal of a license lapsed for two years or less
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Bias reduction training
Code of Virginia 54.1-2928.4 requires biennial bias-reduction training as implemented by Board regulations; comply with Board-designated practice-related training.
Continuing education
Attest to 32 BACB-recognized continuing education hours during the last biennium, including four ethics hours; the first biennial renewal following initial Virginia licensure is exempt. Keep supporting records for four years; provide them within 30 days if audited.
Continuing education adjustments
Up to two continuing education hours may be earned through documented uncompensated services to qualifying low-income patients, at three service hours per credit hour. The Board may grant an extension of up to one year for good cause or an exemption for circumstances beyond the licensee's control.
Deployment extension
Code of Virginia 54.1-117 extends qualifying overseas military or diplomatic-service license validity, including an accompanying military spouse, through 60 days after return, subject to a maximum extension of five years beyond expiration.
Lapse
The license has been lapsed for two years or less; pay the renewal and late fees and document compliance with continuing education requirements. Do not practice while lapsed.
Renewal cycle
Renew in the birth month of each odd-numbered year and pay the applicable renewal fee.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after lapse of more than two years
BCBA Certification Examination
Additional board requirements
The Board may specify education, experience or reexamination. An additional examination not identified by the Board in the published rule is an applicant condition, rather than an invented examination leaf.
Application
File the reinstatement application with the fee, direct verification of licenses from other jurisdictions, NPDB self-query, name-change records where applicable, and documentation of affirmative application disclosures.
Board denial
The Board may deny reactivation or reinstatement for conduct violating Code of Virginia 54.1-2915 or 18VAC85-150.
Competency alternatives
Provide one of: continued practice in another jurisdiction under a relevant license or BACB certification during the inactive or lapsed period; 16 continuing education hours per inactive or lapsed year, capped at three years; or recertification by passing the BCBA certification examination. Continued practice or continuing education may satisfy competency without another examination.
License status
License has been lapsed for more than two years. The application instructions say not to use the reinstatement form for lapse of less than two years or for an inactive license; at exactly two years, 18VAC85-150-70(B) permits late renewal.
Npdb currency
Resubmit the NPDB self-query if the application remains incomplete six months after receipt.
Military license portability — CAMO / SCRA pathway
BCBA Certification Examination
Application and affidavit
Submit the Board application and fee, NPDB or corresponding disciplinary report, and a notarized affidavit affirming identity, complete and correct application statements, good standing, and that the applicant understands, meets and will comply with Virginia licensure requirements and scope of practice.
Continuing requirements
DHP Policy 76-90.06, revised July 13, 2026, treats a CAMO license as current and active, subject to the issuing Board's licensure, practice and renewal requirements; licensees self-certify continuing military orders at renewal.
Covered license
Hold an equivalent professional license with a similar scope that is current, unrestricted and in good standing; no revocation, discipline, pending unprofessional-conduct investigation or voluntary surrender while under such investigation.
Military relocation
Reside in Virginia because of a service member's military orders; submit the orders and, for a spouse, a marriage certificate. The orders need not station the service member in Virginia.
State certification requirement
The state certification examination is retained because 18VAC85-150-60 requires current BCBA certification and 50 U.S.C. 4025a(c)(3)(C)-(D) asks the applicant to affirm Virginia licensure requirements; this record does not assert that every portability applicant must take a new examination.
Reactivation of an inactive license
BCBA Certification Examination
Application
Contact the Board for its inactive-to-active application.
Board denial
The Board may deny reactivation or reinstatement for conduct violating Code of Virginia 54.1-2915 or 18VAC85-150.
Competency alternatives
Provide one of: continued practice in another jurisdiction under a relevant license or BACB certification during the inactive or lapsed period; 16 continuing education hours per inactive or lapsed year, capped at three years; or recertification by passing the BCBA certification examination. Continued practice or continuing education may satisfy competency without another examination.
Fee
Pay the difference between current inactive and active renewal fees.
License status
Existing Virginia license is currently inactive.
Active license biennial renewal
No examination is required for this applicant pathway.
Bias reduction training
Code of Virginia 54.1-2928.4 requires biennial bias-reduction training as implemented by Board regulations; comply with Board-designated practice-related training.
Continuing education
Attest to 32 BACB-recognized continuing education hours during the last biennium, including four ethics hours; the first biennial renewal following initial Virginia licensure is exempt. Keep supporting records for four years; provide them within 30 days if audited.
Continuing education adjustments
Up to two continuing education hours may be earned through documented uncompensated services to qualifying low-income patients, at three service hours per credit hour. The Board may grant an extension of up to one year for good cause or an exemption for circumstances beyond the licensee's control.
Deployment extension
Code of Virginia 54.1-117 extends qualifying overseas military or diplomatic-service license validity, including an accompanying military spouse, through 60 days after return, subject to a maximum extension of five years beyond expiration.
Renewal cycle
Renew in the birth month of each odd-numbered year and pay the applicable renewal fee.

Official no-examination sources

Effective from 2026-09-22.

Reinstatement after revocation
BCBA Certification Examination
Burden of proof
Show by clear and convincing evidence that practice will be safe and competent; the Board investigates causes for denial and reinstatement requires an affirmative vote of three-fourths of members at the hearing.
Examination discretion
Current BCBA certification obtained by examination is retained through the original-licensure requirements. The Board may grant reinstatement without further examination.
License status
Previous Virginia license has been revoked by the Board.
New application
Apply in the same manner as original licensure, satisfy the Board order's additional requirements and pay the reinstatement fee.
Waiting period
Ordinarily wait at least three years after revocation; wait five years for revocation under Code of Virginia 54.1-2915(A)(19).

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