Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BACB)

The Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification is for individuals with a bachelor’s degree or an undergraduate degree with behavior-analytic coursework who want to provide supervised behavior analysis services. It's offered by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), a nonprofit that sets standards for the field.

• Completion Time: Coursework varies by program, but the exam itself is 4 hours.

• Cost: $175 Application Fee / $125 Exam Fee (Paid to Pearson Vue)

• Retake Cost: $120 Exam Retake Application / $125 Exam Fee (Paid to Pearson Vue)

BACB fees are nonrefundable, nontransferable and payable in U.S. currency only.

Applicants must take the BCaBA certification exam in person at an approved testing center. The exam has 150 scored multiple-choice questions and 25 unscored questions, with 4 hours provided to complete it. It covers a range of topics outlined in the BCaBA Task List, with questions designed to assess both theoretical knowledge and applied skills.

In 2025, the 9 content domains on the BCaBA Task List (5th ed.) were retained with 4 minor title revisions. As of January 1, 2025, the exam includes 90 tasks overall after 5 were removed, 4 were combined into 2 and 6 were added, with the Ethics section restructured. Tasks fall into the following categories:

• Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations: 5 Tasks

  • (Previously Titled Philosophical Underpinnings)

• Concepts and Principles: 15 Tasks

• Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation: 10 Tasks

• Experimental Design: 6 Tasks

• Ethical and Professional Issues: 11 Tasks

  • (Previously Titled Ethics (Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts))

• Behavior Assessment: 6 Tasks

• Behavior-Change Procedures: 20 Tasks

• Intervention Development and Monitoring: 8 Tasks

  • (Previously Titled Selecting and Implementing Interventions)

• Supervisory Relationships: 9 Tasks

  • (Previously Titled Personnel Supervision and Management)
    

The question breakdown as of January 1, 2025, is as follows:

• Behavior-Change Procedures: 22 Questions (15%)

• Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation: 20 Questions (13%)

• Intervention Development and Monitoring: 20 Questions (13%) 

  • (Previously Titled Selecting and Implementing Interventions)

• Concepts and Principles: 18 Questions (12%) 

• Ethical and Professional Issues: 18 Questions (12%) 

  • (Previously Titled Ethics (Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts)

• Behavior Assessment: 17 Questions (11%)

• Supervisory Relationships: 15 Questions (10%) 

  • (Previously Titled Personnel Supervision and Management)

• Experimental Design: 10 Questions (7%)

• Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations: 10 Questions (7%)

  • (Previously Titled Philosophical Underpinnings)
    

The BACB uses the modified Angoff method to establish the BCaBA examination’s passing score. You’ll be notified at the testing site of your pass/fail exam results upon completion of the test. The BACB confirms your results via email, and they appear in your online BACB account within 24 hours. Those who pass should receive their BCaBA certificate in the mail within 4–6 weeks.

Those who don’t pass the exam may retake it up to 8 times within the 2-year period following your initial approval to sit for the exam. You will receive an Examination Retake Application in your BACB account within 48 hours of each failed exam attempt. You must wait 30 days to retake the exam following each previous attempt and pay a $120 retake application fee and a $125 examination appointment fee each time you retake it. If you fail the exam 8 times, you must wait for this 2-year authorization period to expire before applying again.

Meet eligibility requirements through the following steps:

• Degree:

  • Pathway 1: A bachelor's degree or higher from an ABAI-accredited program.​

  • Pathway 2: An undergraduate degree from a qualifying institution.

• Behavior-Analytic Coursework:

  • Pathway 1: Behavior-analytic coursework as part of the ABAI-accredited program.

  • Pathway 2: Acceptable undergraduate-level or higher coursework in behavior analysis.

• Supervised Fieldwork:

  • Completion of supervised fieldwork in applied behavior analysis, which must be either:

    • Supervised Fieldwork: 1,300 hours. 

    • Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork: 1,000 hours (slated to drop to 800 hours in 2027)

Once you meet all eligibility requirements, complete an application through your BACB account, provide attestations in the Eligibility Affidavit section and complete the Ethics Self-Reporting form if applicable. Mail your application fee online with a credit card or mail a check payable to the BACB. You have 90 days from the date of payment to submit your supporting documentation. Missing this deadline will require you to submit a new application and fee and resubmit your documentation.

BACB reviews your application and documentation. You’ll receive an email (which can take up to 45 days from the date of receipt of all required documentation). Once approved, you can schedule your exam.

Recertification must occur every 2 years. To maintain your BCaBA certification, you must complete continuing education (CE), adhere to the BACB’s ethics and self-reporting requirements, meet ongoing supervision requirements and submit a completed recertification application and renewal fees before your recertification date.

Once you’ve entered all your continuing education units (CEUs) into your online account and you’re within 45 days of your certification’s expiration date, you’ll see a recertification application in your BACB account under the recertification tab. Complete the application and pay the $140 recertification fee, ensuring your contact information and mailing address are correct to receive your updated certification. Once your application has been approved, your certification date updates online and you receive a new certification in the mail within 4–6 weeks. If selected for a CEU audit, you must provide the necessary documentation to verify your CEUs.

If you fail to recertify by your recertification date, your certification becomes inactive.​ You have 30 days to reinstate your certification by completing the recertification application and paying a $50 late fee. 9​ If you don’t recertify within this period, your certification expires, and you must reapply and meet the current eligibility requirements to become certified again.

Renewal Costs:

• Recertification Application: $140

• Late Fee: $50

• Insufficient Funds/Returned Check Fee: $45

• Certificate Replacement: $35

You must complete 20 hours of CE each renewal cycle. Of these, 4 must be in Ethics and 3 in Supervision (if applicable). You can earn CE credits through learning, teaching and scholarship activities. CE must cover material beyond the current BCaBA Task List and coursework required to sit for the certification exam. You must enter your continuing education unit into your BACB account as soon as you have supporting documentation.

• BACB Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst Handbook

• Recent & Upcoming Changes to BACB Requirements

• Entry-Level Certification: Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)

• Advanced Certification: Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA)

• Doctoral Level Certification: Board Certified Behavioral Analyst - Doctoral Designation (BCBA-D)