A report describes five procedures in enough detail to repeat, and each one worked. It never relates any of them to a behavioral principle. Which dimension of applied behavior analysis is missing?Wikipedia, Applied behavior analysis, Characteristics. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task A.5.
A scientist measures how a pigeon's rate of key pecking changes across reinforcement schedules in a laboratory chamber. The work is not aimed at any client's problem. Which domain of behavior analysis is it?Wikipedia, Experimental analysis of behavior. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task A.4.
A team offers three accounts of a student's refusal to work. A behavior analyst proposes testing first the account built from the fewest elements: a history of escaping tasks. Which philosophical assumption guides that choice?Wikipedia, Occam's razor. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task A.2.
Aggression falls each time an intervention is introduced and rises each time it is withdrawn. Which dimension of applied behavior analysis does this demonstration satisfy?Wikipedia, Applied behavior analysis, Characteristics. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task A.5.
Show all 75 questions (71 more)
B. Concepts and principles 10
A cafe's OPEN sign and a long morning without water both make buying a drink more likely. What distinguishes the two variables?Wikipedia, Motivating operation, Theory. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.17.
A child eats a large lunch right before a session in which crackers are the reinforcer, and she works far less than usual. How is the lunch functioning?Wikipedia, Motivating operation. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.16.
A child flinches at a camera's beep because the beep was always followed by a bright flash. The flash is switched off, the beep sounds alone many times, and the flinching gradually stops. Which process is this?Wikipedia, Extinction (psychology). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.11.
A learner is taught to match the spoken word "dog" to a picture of a dog, and the picture to the printed word DOG. With no further teaching she matches the spoken word to the printed word. In relational frame theory, what is this untaught performance?Wikipedia, Relational frame theory, Combinatorial mutual entailment. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.21.
A student's on-task behavior has earned reinforcement at a high rate in math and at a low rate in reading. A substitute teacher gives no reinforcement in either class. By behavioral momentum theory, where will on-task behavior persist longer?Wikipedia, Behavioral momentum, Resistance to change. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.22.
A teacher alternates periods in which hand raising is always answered with periods in which it is never answered. A green card on the desk marks the first kind of period and a red card the second. Which schedule arrangement is this?Wikipedia, Reinforcement, Compound schedules. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.10.
A teacher says, "Ready, set..." and a child says, "go." Nothing is shown to the child, and her word does not copy the teacher's. Which verbal operant is her response?Wikipedia, Verbal Behavior, Intraverbal. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.19.
Points in a classroom can be traded for snacks, computer time, outings or toys, so they keep working whether a student is hungry, bored or tired. What kind of reinforcer are the points?Wikipedia, Reinforcement, Other reinforcement terms. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.7.
Reinforcement follows the first response made after 10 minutes have passed, every time. The learner pauses after each reinforcer, then responds faster and faster as the 10 minutes run out. Which schedule produces this pattern?Wikipedia, Reinforcement, Effects of different types of simple schedules. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.9.
Two aides answer a child's requests on concurrent variable-interval schedules, and aide A's schedule yields three times as many answers as aide B's. What does the matching law predict?Wikipedia, Matching law. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task B.23.
C. Measurement, data display and interpretation 9
A client's finger tapping runs together so fast that no one can tell where one tap ends and the next begins. Why is event recording a poor choice here?LeBlanc, Raetz, Sellers and Carr (2016), A Proposed Model for Selecting Measurement Procedures for the Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 9(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.9.
A second observer independently scored 10% of all baseline sessions and 35% of all intervention sessions. By the What Works Clearinghouse single-case standards, are the agreement data sufficient?What Works Clearinghouse, Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (Kratochwill and others, 2010). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.8.
A teacher leading a lesson can look at one student only when a timer vibrates every 3 minutes, and she notes whether he is working at that instant. Which measurement procedure is she using?LeBlanc, Raetz, Sellers and Carr (2016), A Proposed Model for Selecting Measurement Procedures for the Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 9(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.9.
A teacher scores an interval only when a student stays on task for all 10 seconds of it. The student is usually on task for 8 or 9 seconds of each interval. What will the data suggest?Fiske and Delmolino (2012), Use of Discontinuous Methods of Data Collection in Behavioral Intervention, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(2), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.6.
An observer marks a 10-second interval as an occurrence if hand flapping happens at any moment in it. Compared with the time the behavior really takes up, what will the record show?Fiske and Delmolino (2012), Use of Discontinuous Methods of Data Collection in Behavioral Intervention, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(2), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.6.
Baseline data swing between 2 and 18 responses per session, with no upward or downward slope. Which feature of the data most limits a prediction of what would come next?What Works Clearinghouse, Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (Kratochwill and others, 2010). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.11.
On a cumulative record, one stretch of the line climbs steeply and the next is nearly flat. What does the difference show?Wikipedia, Experimental analysis of behavior, Cumulative recorder. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.10.
To measure page ripping, a behavior analyst counts the torn pages in a student's workbook at the end of each school day and never watches the ripping itself. Which measurement procedure is this?LeBlanc, Raetz, Sellers and Carr (2016), A Proposed Model for Selecting Measurement Procedures for the Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 9(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.2.
Two observers' records agree, by percentage agreement, at an average of 0.72. How does that compare with the minimum the What Works Clearinghouse documentation cites?What Works Clearinghouse, Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (Kratochwill and others, 2010). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task C.8.
D. Experimental design 5
A behavior analyst wants to test a method for teaching sight words. Once a child can read the words, the skill will not return to baseline when teaching stops. Which design suits the question?What Works Clearinghouse, Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (Kratochwill and others, 2010). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task D.9.
A client can already walk on a treadmill. After baseline, the walking time required for reinforcement rises in preset steps of 5, 10 and 15 minutes, and his walking time tracks each step. Which design is this?What Works Clearinghouse, Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (Kratochwill and others, 2010). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task D.7.
A participant's behavior during intervention is compared with her own behavior measured before the intervention, and not with another group's. Which defining feature of single-case designs is this?What Works Clearinghouse, Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (Kratochwill and others, 2010). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task D.4.
A study reports one participant's baseline phase followed by one intervention phase, and the behavior improved. Why does this A-B design fall short of the What Works Clearinghouse standards?What Works Clearinghouse, Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (Kratochwill and others, 2010). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task D.6.
In an A-B evaluation, a classroom intervention for out-of-seat behavior begins the same week that the school starts a new recess schedule, and the behavior drops. Which threat to internal validity does the recess change pose?What Works Clearinghouse, Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (Kratochwill and others, 2010). Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task D.3.
E. Ethical and professional issues 10
A behavior analyst begins serving families from a community whose customs are new to him. Which response fits the Ethics Code?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 1.07 Cultural Responsiveness and Diversity. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.9.
A behavior analyst refers a family to a speech clinic that her brother owns and that pays her a fee for each referral. What does the Ethics Code require of her?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 3.13 Referrals. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.7.
A behavior analyst wants to post a short video of a client's progress on her personal social media account. The parents have agreed in writing. What does the Ethics Code say?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 5.10 Social Media Channels and Websites. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.5.
A behavior analyst who also teaches children's yoga lists the yoga classes on her practice's website beside her behavioral services. What must appear with the yoga listing?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 5.06 Advertising Nonbehavioral Services. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.5.
A client's aunt, who is not his guardian and is named on no consent form, phones a behavior analyst to ask how therapy is going. No one is at risk and no law compels an answer. What may the analyst tell her?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.04 Disclosing Confidential Information. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.4.
A clinic director asks a behavior analyst to gather quotes from the parents of current clients for a brochure meant to bring in new families. What does the Ethics Code say?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 5.07 Soliciting Testimonials from Current Clients for Advertising. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.5.
A guardian consented to an intervention last year. The behavior analyst now plans a substantial change to it for the 9-year-old client. What does the Ethics Code require?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.11 Obtaining Informed Consent. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.4.
During a hard personal year, a behavior analyst sees that she is missing deadlines and losing patience with families. What does the Ethics Code call for?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 1.10 Awareness of Personal Biases and Challenges. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.11.
For months a family has not followed a behavior plan, although the behavior analyst has worked with them repeatedly to remove barriers. What does the Ethics Code allow the analyst to consider?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 3.15 Appropriately Discontinuing Services. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.6.
In a public online parents' group, a mother describes her son's biting and asks a behavior analyst what she should do about it. What does the Ethics Code say?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 5.03 Public Statements by Behavior Analysts. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task E.5.
F. Behavior assessment 10
A client who does not speak began hitting his ear a week ago and has slept badly since. He is referred for the hitting. Before treating it as a behavior problem, what does the Ethics Code require?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.12 Considering Medical Needs. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.7.
A client's face punching is too dangerous to evoke again and again in an analysis. It is reliably preceded by pushing materials away. Which tactic does Hanley (2012) describe for such a case?Hanley (2012), Functional Assessment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.6.
A family has little free time at home and speaks limited English. In choosing assessments for their child, what does standard 2.13 of the Ethics Code ask of the behavior analyst?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.13 Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Assessments. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.2.
A mother and a teacher each fill in the same rating scale about a child's aggression, and the two forms point to different functions. According to Hanley (2012), what does this show about closed-ended indirect assessments?Hanley (2012), Functional Assessment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.5.
A new referral for severe problem behavior arrives. Which sequence does Hanley (2012) suggest for the functional assessment process?Hanley (2012), Functional Assessment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.6.
After an assessment, a behavior analyst writes the goals alone and sends them to the parents for a signature. Which requirement of the Ethics Code was skipped?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.09 Involving Clients and Stakeholders. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.8.
An interview suggests that one thing maintains a child's screaming: access to a tablet. A colleague insists that the functional analysis must still include every standard condition. What does Hanley (2012) say?Hanley (2012), Functional Assessment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.6.
Hand mouthing stays high in a condition in which the client is by himself, with no materials, and no one responds to it. In the standard functional analysis that Hanley (2012) describes, what is that condition testing for?Hanley (2012), Functional Assessment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.6.
In a functional analysis, one condition includes the contingency thought to maintain problem behavior and a second, otherwise matched, condition leaves it out. What is the second condition called?Hanley (2012), Functional Assessment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.6.
In a test condition each instance of aggression ends the task for 30 seconds; in the matched control condition no tasks are given. Aggression is frequent in the test condition and absent in the control. What does the analysis indicate?Hanley (2012), Functional Assessment of Problem Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task F.6.
G. Behavior-change procedures 11
A child greets his therapist reliably in the clinic room where greeting was taught, but he greets no one at school or at home. What should the program have built in?Wikipedia, Applied behavior analysis, Generalization. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.15.
A child's screaming is maintained by attention. Staff now give him attention every 2 minutes by the clock, whatever he is doing at that moment. Which schedule is this?Wikipedia, Reinforcement, Simple schedules. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.3.
A functional analysis shows that attention reinforces a boy's screaming. His team teaches him to tap an adult's arm and say "play with me," which now produces attention, while screaming no longer does. Which intervention is this?Tiger, Hanley and Bruzek (2008), Functional Communication Training: A Review and Practical Guide, Behavior Analysis in Practice 1(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.2.
A learner works steadily while every second response is reinforced. The requirement jumps in one step to every twentieth response, and her responding breaks down. What is this effect called?Wikipedia, Reinforcement. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.16.
A student asks to leave his seat about 20 times in a class. The teacher wants fewer requests, not none, and reinforces any class with 4 or fewer. Which procedure is this?Wikipedia, Reinforcement. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.2.
A teacher sets a timer and gives a token each time 5 minutes pass with no calling out, whatever else the student did in that time. Which procedure is this?Wikipedia, Reinforcement. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.2.
An instructor teaches the first step of shoe tying until it is mastered, then the first two steps together, and keeps adding steps in order. Which procedure is this?Wikipedia, Chaining, Forward chaining. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.12.
On the first day that whining no longer produces candy, a child who has never hit anyone hits his mother. Which known effect of extinction does this illustrate?Wikipedia, Extinction (psychology), Extinction burst. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.18.
To teach a child to pick the card that says CAT from three word cards, a teacher at first sets the CAT card closer to the child than the other two. What kind of prompt is this?Wikipedia, Applied behavior analysis, Prompting. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.7.
To teach a red-versus-green discrimination, a teacher first shows the incorrect color dim and very briefly, then step by step makes it as bright and as long as the correct one. The learner hardly ever picks it. Which approach is this?Wikipedia, Errorless learning. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.8.
While shaping louder speech, a trainer stops reinforcing a whisper that used to earn praise. The learner then tries several volumes, one of them louder. How can the trainer use this?Wikipedia, Extinction (psychology), Extinction-induced variability. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task G.11.
H. Selecting and implementing interventions 8
A behavior analyst is about to begin a new intervention and has explained it to the parents only by phone. Under standard 2.16 of the Ethics Code, what must be described in writing before implementation?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.16 Describing Behavior-Change Interventions Before Implementation. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task H.1.
A plan is evidence based, drawn from the assessment and built on token reinforcement. It works only while a therapist delivers tokens every 30 seconds in a clinic room, and nothing is arranged for home or school. Which requirement of standard 2.14 of the Ethics Code does the design neglect?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.14 Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Behavior-Change Interventions. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task H.2.
A plan withholds attention for a child's tantrums, and the tantrums ended three weeks ago. Today one occurs again, although nobody has changed the plan. What is this return called?Wikipedia, Extinction (psychology), Spontaneous recovery. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task H.5.
A speech-language pathologist and a behavior analyst on the same team disagree about a client's communication goal. How does the Ethics Code say the analyst should address the conflict?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.10 Collaborating with Colleagues. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task H.8.
A team must choose a communication response to replace a client's quick, easy hitting. One option is typing a full sentence on a device; the other is handing over a single picture card. By Tiger, Hanley and Bruzek (2008), which should be chosen, and why?Tiger, Hanley and Bruzek (2008), Functional Communication Training: A Review and Practical Guide, Behavior Analysis in Practice 1(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task H.3.
A teenager is about to start at a job site where nobody knows the private gestures his family understands. By Tiger, Hanley and Bruzek (2008), which kind of communication response should his team select?Tiger, Hanley and Bruzek (2008), Functional Communication Training: A Review and Practical Guide, Behavior Analysis in Practice 1(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task H.3.
After less intrusive options failed, a team added a restrictive procedure with the review committee's approval. Six weeks of data show no improvement. What does standard 2.15 of the Ethics Code require now?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.15 Minimizing Risk of Behavior-Change Interventions. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task H.4.
Home sessions keep breaking down because a sibling's loud games interrupt every teaching trial. What does standard 2.19 of the Ethics Code direct the behavior analyst to do?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 2.19 Addressing Conditions Interfering with Service Delivery. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task H.7.
I. Personnel supervision and management 8
A behavior analyst agrees to supervise a trainee's fieldwork. According to Sellers, Valentino and LeBlanc (2016), what comes first in establishing an effective supervisory relationship?Sellers, Valentino and LeBlanc (2016), Recommended Practices for Individual Supervision of Aspiring Behavior Analysts, Behavior Analysis in Practice 9(4), PubMed Central, Supervision Contracts. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task I.2.
A staff workshop ends at 4 p.m. whether or not each person can perform the skill. By Parsons, Rollyson and Reid (2012), what would make the training competency-based?Parsons, Rollyson and Reid (2012), Evidence-Based Staff Training: A Guide for Practitioners, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(2), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task I.5.
A supervisee's session notes have been late for a month despite reminders. When a performance problem arises, what does standard 4.08 of the Ethics Code require of the supervisor?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 4.08 Performance Monitoring and Feedback. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task I.7.
A supervisor wants a trainee to lead a parent training session alone next week. Under standard 4.09 of the Ethics Code, what must the supervisor do first?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 4.09 Delegation of Tasks. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task I.5.
A trainee finished fieldwork with a behavior analyst three years ago, and the analyst wants to shred the supervision records to clear space. What does the Ethics Code say?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 4.05 Maintaining Supervision Documentation. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task I.2.
A trainer explains a prompting procedure to staff, hands out a written summary and demonstrates it once. Staff still carry it out poorly. Which steps of the protocol in Parsons, Rollyson and Reid (2012) were left out?Parsons, Rollyson and Reid (2012), Evidence-Based Staff Training: A Guide for Practitioners, Behavior Analysis in Practice 5(2), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task I.5.
As part of supervised fieldwork, a trainee posts a public statement about the clinic's services that turns out to be misleading. Under the Ethics Code, who is accountable?BACB, Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 4.04 Accountability in Supervision. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task I.2.
Staff rarely restock the therapy rooms. A performance assessment shows that they know how, but the supplies are kept two floors away. By Carr and colleagues (2013), why is retraining a poor first choice?Carr, Wilder, Majdalany, Mathisen and Strain (2013), An Assessment-based Solution to a Human-Service Employee Performance Problem, Behavior Analysis in Practice 6(1), PubMed Central. Outline: BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), BACB, task I.6.
How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.) of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, the outline of the examination since 2025 (https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/bcba-outline-6thEd/, updated 09/2024, read 2026-10-11): A. Behaviorism and philosophical foundations 5%, B. Concepts and principles 14%, C. Measurement, data display and interpretation 12%, D. Experimental design 7%, E. Ethical and professional issues 13%, F. Behavior assessment 13%, G. Behavior-change procedures 14%, H. Selecting and implementing interventions 11%, I. Personnel supervision and management 11%. The bank holds 4, 10, 9, 5, 10, 10, 11, 8, 8 questions, in that order. Every fact was read on 2026-10-11 in the public source the question names: the BACB's Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (updated 08/2024), the What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Design Technical Documentation (2010), seven articles of Behavior Analysis in Practice that are free to read on PubMed Central, and twelve Wikipedia articles on behavior analysis, read in the version of that day. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.
How it works
These BCBA test practice items are 75 short cases of our own, spread over the nine content areas of the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.). Unofficial: not affiliated with or endorsed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).
Read the full guide
What the exam covers
The outline, read October 11, 2026, splits the 175 scored questions: A foundations 8, B concepts and principles 24, C measurement 21, D experimental design 13, E ethics 22, F behavior assessment 23, G behavior-change procedures 25, H selecting and implementing interventions 20, I personnel supervision and management 19. This bank keeps those shares.
Where the answers come from
Ethics answers cite the BACB's Ethics Code by standard number. Design answers cite the What Works Clearinghouse single-case standards. Assessment, measurement and staff training answers cite Behavior Analysis in Practice articles, free on PubMed Central; concepts cite Wikipedia. No textbook or paid mock exam was used.
Timing
Exam mode asks 40 questions in 52 minutes, the pace of the real exam: 185 questions in four hours.
Three content areas hold 72 of the 175 scored questions: behavior-change procedures, concepts and principles, and behavior assessment.
A missed ethics case names its standard. Many standards list related ones beside the title, as 3.14 points to 2.02: read those too.
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the BCBA exam?
185 multiple-choice questions, of which 175 are scored and 10 are unscored. Each question has 4 possible answers and 1 correct answer, and every question carries the same weight, by the BCBA Handbook updated in June 2026.
How long is the BCBA exam?
4 hours, by the BCBA Handbook. The time covers the terms and conditions, the navigation tutorial, the questions and any review of your answers. The exam is offered only in English.
What is the passing score for the BCBA exam?
The BACB prints no number. BACB-certified subject matter experts on a panel set the passing score with the modified Angoff method, the Board of Directors approves it, and your result is reported as pass or fail.
How many times can you take the BCBA exam?
A maximum of 8 attempts in the 2 years after your application is approved, by the BCBA Handbook. You wait 30 days after an attempt and file a new retake application each time.
Are free BCBA practice tests like the real exam?
Not this one: every question is our own, written from the public outline and public sources. The BACB says it cannot endorse particular study guides or other preparation materials, and a score here predicts nothing about the real exam.