In a perfect world, the combination of comprehensive coursework and strong supervision should be what gets you to the finish line with the BCBA® exam. However, let’s be honest: there are many who feel unprepared to take on the exam after completing their coursework. And many more who may be lacking effective supervision. We know both to be true, thanks to the data published by the BACB® on university pass rates and an increased effort to improve supervision in our field.

So if this is your story, it’s only natural to move forward as best you can, in spite of these unfair circumstances. In doing so, you could end up on the retaker hamster wheel, which PTB wants to help you avoid. Be mindful of potential pitfalls: focusing on passing the exam as the end-all, be-all is not going to work. Taking the Task List, studying the vocabulary and the concepts in isolation is not going to work. Exam prep should serve as review, not a replacement for what you may have missed in school.

The exam is presented in such a way that it requires you to know the science, its principles, philosophies, and practices. Many students, who have had weak coursework are desperate to pass a test about a field that they don’t feel they know well, or, perhaps even understand. It’s the equivalent of someone studying for a nursing exam without a solid education or foundation. You can have all the prep materials available, but if you don’t know the science, you may not pass. Memorizing terms and AKAs, or reviewing mock exams might earn some correct answers. And maybe, combined with some practical experience, you can even get close, but close is not a pass.

Remember your driver’s test? The goal is to know how to drive. Passing the test is a stepping stone to being a safe driver. Surely, you didn’t want to just pass the test. You wanted to actually know how to drive.

So, if you feel that your coursework didn’t prepare you effectively, don’t be discouraged. Unfortunately, you are not alone. Reframe your thinking: like the driver’s test, passing the exam is only a stepping stone, in this case, to a lifelong career. Undoubtedly, you may have some catching up to do, which means you will need to study harder. You will need to put in more work. Instead of reviewing content you don’t know, start learning it. Then review what you learned come exam time.

Here’s the good news: the effort you will put in is not only about passing the test. You will get to know the science, practically and academically, which inevitably will help you pass the test, and become an effective practitioner.

You got this.

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5th Edition Study Manual (Current Version 2.2) FINAL QUANTITY

FINAL 5th Edition Run. Limited Quantity. FINAL SALE - NO RETURNS, REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES AFTER 9/24/24

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