Overview
The BACB will review certain appeals of application denials and examination irregularities. An independent team of individuals not part of the initial determination reviews all appeals to the BACB. Appeals committees include three current or former members of the BACB Board of Directors. Appeals decisions are final and may not be further appealed.
Application Appeals
Any adverse eligibility, certification, or recertification decision including, but not limited to, a denial of a certification application, renewal application, recertification application, or other application submitted to the BACB may be appealed. Supervision deviations that result in certification termination may only be appealed if the basis of the appeal is to correct miscalculated hours. These policies and procedures apply to appeals by trainees, certificants, and Authorized Continuing Education Providers.
BACB requirements, deadlines, procedures, and fees may not be appealed, including the 2023 certification application restrictions outlined on the International Development & Support web page. All certification application appeals requested by applicants residing outside of the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK must be submitted by December 31, 2022. Exceptions to test outside of approved countries will not be granted at any time.
Do not submit an appeal in order to request information about a denied application; you will receive detailed information (i.e., reasons for the denial, steps that need to be taken to correct any deficiencies) at the time of the denial.
How to appeal: You must file a written request for appeal within thirty (30) days of the determination by completing the following Administrative Appeal Request Form.
Examination Appeals
If you experience examination condition irregularities (e.g., poor lighting, disruptive noises, long screen-load times) during your examination, you may file an appeal with the BACB. Note: Pearson VUE sites deliver BACB examinations via a web browser, so some minor Internet bandwidth variances are to be expected. Examination scores, content, questions, answers, procedures, deadlines, fees, and requirements may not be appealed.
How to appeal: You must file a written request for appeal within seven (7) days of your examination appointment by completing the following Administrative Appeal Request Form.
Compassionate Appeals
If you are a current applicant or certificant who has experienced an unforeseen life event or extenuating circumstance that warrants relief (e.g., hospitalization, act of nature) within one year of the determination that you wish to appeal (e.g., the day that your certification expires), you may use the following form to submit this information to the BACB. This form may be used to appeal a denial or likely future denial (e.g., you are undergoing a prolonged medical treatment that will prevent you from submitting a renewal application on time) from the BACB.
This appeal requires documentation that verifies the event or circumstance in question. BACB staff will evaluate the appeal based on the date of the event, its potential impact on your ability to obtain or maintain BACB certification, the amount of time you had to meet the applicable requirements (e.g., whether you are using the two years between recertification to accrue continuing education), and whether you could have taken preventative actions (e.g., applied for voluntary inactive status).
How to appeal: You must file a written request within 6 months of the determination that you wish to appeal (e.g., the day that your certification expires) by completing the following Administrative Appeal Request Form.
Administrative Appeal Request Form