ABOUT THE BACB

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc.^® (BACB^®) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior analysis services. The BACB’s certification requirements, examination content, and procedures undergo regular review according to established standards for organizations that grant professional credentials. All BACB requirements and examination content are developed by experts in the discipline. Learn more about the BACB and its activities.

Mission and Vision

Mission: To protect consumers of behavior analysis services worldwide by systematically establishing, promoting, and disseminating professional standards of practice.
Vision: To help solve a wide variety of socially significant problems by increasing the availability of qualified behavior analysts around the world.

Role

In the profession of behavior analysis, the BACB’s primary role is to operate certification programs, which is similar to the responsibilities of a regulatory entity. In this role, the BACB establishes practice standards, administers examinations, and provides ethics requirements and a disciplinary system for each of its certification programs. Another core aspect of the BACB’s operations as a regulatory-like entity is the involvement of subject matter experts, or SMEs. Our SMEs are current practitioners in ABA and inform many aspects of the BACB’s activities.

Due to the BACB’s 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, regulatory-like function, and NCCA accreditation, certain activities are limited, such as engagement in political activity. To learn more about our role and limitations, read our blog post, The BACB: What it is, What it Does, and Why, and listen to Episode 11 of our podcast, Inside the BACB.

Accreditation

The BCBA^®, BCaBA^®, and RBT^® certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. The NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs were the first standards developed for professional certification programs to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public. NCCA Standards highlight the essential elements of a high-quality program.

Nondiscrimination Policy

As provided in the BACB’s bylaws, in conducting its activities, the BACB shall comply with all applicable laws that prohibit discrimination in employment or service provision because of a person's race, religion, gender, age, disability, national origin, ethnicity, or because of any other protected characteristic.