March 18, 2020 Update: In response to the COVID–19 pandemic, Pearson VUE has closed all its testing centers in the US and Canada. Please visit the Pearson VUE website for the latest updates and to reschedule your BACB examination for a later date. You can cancel up to 24 hours before your scheduled examination without being charged a cancellation fee.
March 17, 2020 (Modified August 12, 2020)
The COVID–19 pandemic has implications for every aspect of society. Given this unprecedented situation and the impact it will continue to have on our certificants, clients, families, and trainees, we are offering the following information for BACB certificants and trainees in a number of areas related to our requirements.
Experience, Fieldwork, and Supervision for Trainees, RBTs, and BCaBAs
Our certification requirements were developed to provide flexibility in how they are met across a variety of conditions. In special circumstances, however, we have a compassionate–exception appeals process in which reasonable deviations that still meet the intent of our requirements may be accepted. This process may include greater leniency around specific requirements that involve interactions with clients (e.g., number of trainee- or RBT–client observations, minimum number of experience hours in a month). It is particularly important that you keep detailed documentation in the event you are subject to a BACB–requirements audit. That documentation should include information about how the pandemic impacted your services, supervision, etc., and the steps you took to try to meet the requirements. Finally, we encourage every BACB certificant and trainee to seek guidance from their supervisors about how supervision and service delivery might be impacted in the weeks ahead. Please see the “Temporary Allowances for Experience/Fieldwork and Competency Assessments” COVID–19 update for more information.
Examinations
Pearson VUE has implemented additional safety procedures and is providing regular updates to ensure the safety of our candidates. Remember that all BACB examinations are available on demand and you can schedule your examination for a later date. Additionally, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your scheduled examination without being charged a cancellation fee.
Continuing Education
The number of recent conference cancellations and the use of social distancing measures might impact how some of you with upcoming recertification dates were planning to obtain continuing education. Although we can't recommend specific continuing education providers, please note that there are many options available online. In addition, the new CEU requirements implemented in January 2020 no longer restrict types of CE activities, so some of you might be able to earn CEUs from other sources.
Application Submissions
Because mail service and processing may be impacted by changes to delivery timelines, the more information you submit electronically, the better.
Finally, we have implemented measures to ensure the health and safety of our employees, including remote work for employees beginning on March 17th. Although we have discontinued phone–based customer service during this period, we will continue to process applications and respond to emails. To reach a customer service representative, please use our online Contact Us form.