I believe that I meet the eligibility requirements to take one of the certification examinations. When is the next examination and how can I apply?

The dates for the next administration may be found on the Examinations Administration page of this site. If you wish to apply for examination, be sure to review the appropriate Eligibility Standards and these Application FAQs.  

On-Line Application: When you are ready to apply, please visit http://portal.bacb.com to create an account and complete your on-line application.  We highly recommend you apply on-line to expedite the application process.

Paper Application:  Alternatively, you may download and print the application from the download section on BACB.com. and submit a completed paper application.  You may be charged an extra processing fee when submitting a paper application. Please see the Becoming Certified section on BACB.com for details.

However you chose to apply, we strongly encourage you to do so as early as possible.  

Supporting documentation for on-line applications, as well as paper applications with supporting documentation must be submitted to:

BACB
2888 Remington Green Lane, Ste C

Tallahassee, Florida 32308

We have found that the most efficient way to communicate with applicants is via email. We do not guarantee that we will be able to use other modes to communicate with you, given time constraints, so be sure to include your email address and make sure your spam filter is set to accept all messages from BACB.com.

You can apply at any time. However, we strongly encourage you to apply well in advance of the administration deadline in order to give the BACB time to communicate with you via email, should any additional material be required to establish eligibility. Once your application is approved, you will receive instructions on how to schedule your testing appointment with Pearson VUE.

You have two years after approval date to take the examination, after which you must reapply.

We have found that the most efficient way to communicate with applicants is via email, we do not guarantee that we will be able to use other modes to communicate with you, given time constraints, so be sure to include your email address and make sure your spam filter is set to accept all messages from BACB.com. 

No, you must have completed all eligibility requirements by the application deadline date and provide documentation that you have done so at that time. The BACB needs time to process applications, and must notify the examination administration company in advance of the administration dates.

Incomplete examinations will remain open for up to two years after the date they are received, during which time you may submit additional material without having to reapply.

If you wish to apply for certification and your degree or other credentials were obtained from a university outside the United States or Canada, you may be required to obtain an international equivalency assessment.  You should check with the BACB to determine if this will be required in your case.

If you must obtain this assessment, it may be obtained through the "World Education Services" at http://www.wes.org If your transcripts and supporting documentation is in a language other than English, you must provide a translated version of your transcripts and supporting documentation. The translation must be performed by a certified translator or agency that provides professional translations.

BACB staff will notify you of application deficiencies via email and may suggest ways for you to meet the requirements. It is best to apply well in advance of the deadline for the desired administration so that there is adequate time for the BACB to process your application and for you to respond to any deficiencies.  Incomplete applications will remain open for up to two years from the date they are received, during which time you may submit additional material without having to reapply.

You must provide documentation that the content of the courses listed on your transcript and on your Course Content Verification Form (or coursework portion of you on-line application) are behavior analytic in nature and meet the content requirements. If the course titles do not provide this documentation (which is almost always the case), you may provide copies of course syllabi, the names of text books and instructors, official university catalogue course descriptions (these are usually available from the university library), or other course related materials that document that the courses were behavior analytic and meet the content requirements.

If these are not available or are insufficient, the BACB may request that you obtain a letter (or letters) on university letterhead in which the professor, chair of the department, or your major advisor attests that the course was behavior analytic and meets the specific content requirements you have claimed.  Individuals writing such a letter must be a behavior analyst, and the BACB reserves the right to have you submit the faculty's Curriculum Vitae or other documentation.

The letter should contain the name/number of the appropriate course(s) on the transcript and how many classroom contact hours of behavior analytic instruction were accrued in each content area for each course. We strongly suggest that you refer directly to the BCBA and BCaBA course content requirements when preparing the letter.

Non-university courses are not approved by the BACB and, generally, we will accept only courses taught through properly accredited colleges and universities. One exception to this rule is the BACB’s acceptance, on a time-limited basis, of certain non-university courses approved by the State of Florida prior to May 22, 2002; subject to the rules on this website. Applications using this non-university coursework must be submitted prior to 10/01/10.  The BACB does not approve or accept workshops or institutes.

No, all coursework must be in-university classroom instruction in which the student has on-going interaction with the instructor. This classroom instruction may include role-playing or other learning exercises providing that the instructor is present and actively involved in the learning process.

Practicum, fieldwork or research hours may be used to meet coursework requirements only if they contain classroom instruction as specified above, and the applicant provides a letter on university letterhead from the instructor at the time of application.  The letter should contain the name/number of the appropriate course (s) on the transcript and how many classroom contact hours of behavior analytic instruction were accrued in each content area for each course. We strongly suggest that you refer directly to the BCBA and BCaBA course content requirements in the letter.

You may be able to qualify under 1) the Doctorate/BCBA Review Option if you have a doctorate, have been practicing behavior analysis for at least 10 years post degree, and have your experience verified by BCBAs, or 2) the College Teaching Option if you have taught behavior analysis full-time in a college or university for a year and have done research and published in the field.  See the eligibility requirements for these two options for particulars.  

The individual must be a BCBA or be approved by the BACB as a faculty member in a BACB approved course sequence.  The supervisor must qualify under one of these options prior to any supervision taking place.  See BCBA or BCaBA Experience Standards.

Effective 10/01/10 "Old" experience will not be accepted to qualify for examination and only current experience will be accepted.  All applications for examination using "old" experience must be complete applications received before 10/01/10.

Are there any limits on:

1. When in my career I can have accrued my experience
2. How many different sites I may obtain experience
3. How many mentors or supervisors I may have, 
4. Number of hours per week that I must be engaged in behavior analysis

1. You may not start accumulating experience until you have begun the coursework required to meet the BACB coursework requirements.
2. You may obtain your experience in any number of sites.
3. You may have multiple supervisors.
4. You must meet the requirements in the experience categories in which you obtain experience.

Additional information is available on the Become Certified Old and Experience Standards pages and BCBA-BCaBA Applications.

Effective 10/01/10 "Old" experience will not be accepted to qualify for examination and only current experience will be accepted.  All applications for examination using "old" experience must be complete applications received before 10/01/10.

Experience Standards:  Please see a detailed description under the experience categories in which you obtain experience in the New BCBA or BCaBA Experience Standards.

Effective 10/01/10 "Old" experience will not be accepted to qualify for examination and only current experience will be accepted.  All applications for examination using "old" experience must be complete applications received before 10/01/10.

CONTESTED EXPERIENCE  The Supervisor relationship should be a clear and structured relationship.  On occasion, if a candidate is unable to obtain the signature of their Supervisor, then the candidate may supplement their application with proof of the following:

1. Copies of their contracts with their supervisor, and BACB Fieldwork and Practicum Experience Supervision Forms completed during the experience.
2. Copies of agreed upon assessments/ treatment plans signed off by the supervisor/mentor (confidential client information should be deleted).
3. Copies of evaluations and goals/ learning objectives.
4. Letters or other documentation from third-parties who observed the supervisory relationship.

IMPORTANT:  Applicants also must provide the supervisor with copies of the documentation they are submitting to the BACB and must include proof of your provision of this information to the supervisor (such as a certified mail receipt along with a letter from the applicant to the supervisor).  The BACB may attempt to contact the supervisor to confirm their receipt of this information and to provide them with an opportunity to address this matter in writing.  Supervisors will be asked to provide documentation of dissatisfaction/concerns regarding the experience previously provided to applicants claiming a contested supervision. If the application is denied based on the lack of proof of supervision, applicants will have a right to appeal this denial to a Review Committee.

Although you must have direct contact with the client during the experience of designing, implementing, and monitoring, other activities directly related to this behavioral program process may qualify as well.  For example, you may be able to count activities normally performed by behavior analysts such as attending planning meetings regarding the behavior analysis program, researching the literature related to the program, talking to individuals about the program, etc.  Your supervisor will determine if activities qualify.

Although you must have direct contact with the persons for whom you are providing oversight during the experience of overseeing the implementation of behavior analysis programs by others, other activities directly related to this behavioral programming process may qualify as well.  For example, you may be able to count activities normally performed by behavior analysts such as attending planning meetings regarding the behavior analysis program, researching the literature related to the program, talking to individuals about the program, plus any additional activities related to oversight of behavioral programming such as behavior analyst supervision issues, evaluation of behavior analysts' performance, etc.  Your supervisor will determine if activities qualify.

The BACB does not retain a list of qualified supervisors, finding an individual is the responsibility of the applicant, however here are a few suggestions:

1. Read the mentoring and supervision definitions carefully. Note that the supervisor meetings do not have to be face to face, but rather may be handled electronically. You may know someone who meets the qualifications and would be willing to serve.
2. Check the Certificant Registry on this site for individuals in your area and contact them. Certificants who are willing to provide supervision are indicated in the registry.
3. Check the Approved University Training page on this site for a university near you with a BACB approved course sequence. Although the approved course sequence does not necessarily include an experience component they may be of help.
4. Check with your state or regional association for behavior analysis.

You are authorized to take the examination as many times as are available during the two-year period following your initial approval.  You may contact Person VUE to schedule an appointment once you receive your Authorization to Test (ATT) email from the BACB, which will include instructions on the scheduling process.  Person VUE will schedule for the upcoming administration only, not for future administrations.

If you need to reschedule an appointment within the examination window, you may do so by calling Pearson VUE. If you need to cancel your appointment, you must do so no later than 24 hours prior to your appointment.  If you miss your appointment or cancel less than 24 hours in advance, you will forfeit your appointment fee.

If you would like to schedule an appointment for a future administration, you must wait until the current administration window closes.  Scheduling for the next administration typically opens eight days following the current window closes.

Q:

The BACB establishes the general passing scores for its examinations based on an extensive psychometric profile of the examination. The final passing score is established periodically by a committee that uses a criterion referenced passing score process. 

After each administration, the examination forms used for that administration undergo psychometric statistical equating to assure that scores on different forms of the examinations are adjusted for differing levels of difficulty. Therefore, the actual passing score for each examination may vary depending on the form given.  

In addition, after each administration an expert panel of certificants is convened to review examination items, and make changes when warranted.  The comments you make on you examination are not used to grade your examination.  They are used in the expert panel item review process mentioned above.  If review process results in a change to a question or answer accepted, examinations are all re-scored and the change is applied to everyone who took the examination.

After all of the procedures and safeguards outlined above have been completed score reports are mailed to the candidates. All scores for a given administration are mailed at one time, usually within 45 days of when the administration window closes.

If you pass the examination, you will receive notice that you passed.  You will not receive any additional score information.

If you do not pass the examination, you will receive notice that you did not pass and will be provided with your percentage of correctly answered items in primary content areas. This may enable you to identify areas of weakness and to properly prepare to retake the examination.

The BACB does not provide an opportunity for those who failed the examinations to review their answers or have their examination hand-scored, nor does the it permit individuals to challenge specific items on the examination.

Yes, you have two years from your original approval date to take the examination, after which you must reapply. You may re-take the examination as many times as it is offered during that period. However, if you fail an examination you must submit a retake application and pay additional fees to take the examination again.

Once I have BACB Board Certification, is there anything I need to do to keep it? Must I re-take the examination periodically

Certificants must obtain a specified number of hours of Continuing Education (depending on their certification type) within a three-year Renewal/Recertification cycle to recertify at the end of the three-year cycle. BCBAs must have 36 hours over a three-year recertification cycle and BCaBAs must have 24 hours. Currently, certificants do not have to re-take the examination periodically to maintain BACB Certification, although they may choose to do so in lieu of accumulating CEUs over the three-year cycle.

All certificants must pay an annual renewal fee and adhere to Conduct and other standards established by the BACB. See the Maintaining Certification pages on this site for additional information.