The question every future BCBA® inevitably asks: how hard is it to pass the BCBA® exam? If you’ve heard the stories or seen the data, then you know the exam has a reputation for being difficult. Ask around and you’ll likely hear that it’s sort of like running a marathon. But barefoot, on broken glass, in a giant corn maze, guarded by storm troopers and you can’t remember where you left your lightsaber…oh, and your headphones just died.
While that may seem a little hyperbolic to some, you would be hard pressed to find anyone that likens their experience to a walk in the park. While the BCBA® exam may have a daunting reputation, don’t be discouraged. It is possible to beat the odds. Get the facts on what you need to know about the BCBA® exam, its pass rates, and why candidates find it so challenging.
What Is a BCBA® Certification and Why Get One?
The Board Certified Behavior Analyst® exam (or, BCBA® exam) is a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis administered by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB). Once certified as a BCBA®, you can conduct behavior assessments, develop treatment plans, and work with clients and their families. Certified BCBAs can also supervise Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts® (BCaBAs®), Registered Behavior Technicians® (RBTs®), and other professionals providing behavior-analytic services.
These additional duties, increased responsibility, and the opportunity to work more closely with families and make a difference in people’s lives inspire many to pursue their BCBA® certification. It can also be a way for many in the field to deepen their understanding of the science and take the next step in their career.
The BACB® was established to meet the professional needs of behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior-analytic services. Their mission is to protect consumers of behavior-analytic services by systematically establishing, promoting, and disseminating professional standards of practice. As the regulatory body for the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) across ethics, defining professional standards of care and discipline, the board oversees, in addition to the RBT and BCaBA certifications, the graduate-level BCBA® exam.
Each year, the BACB® releases an annual report with their testing data for the BCBA®, BCaBA®, and RBT® exams. In 2022, more than 15,000 candidates sat for the BCBA® exam (both first-timers and retakers). This was a 35% decrease from 2021, with 23,000 candidates sitting for the exam that year. The previous year, 2021, marked a significant change in ABA, with the BACB® phasing out the 4th Edition Task List. This transition prompted many candidates to take the exam in 2021, before the new 5th Edition Task List took effect on January 1, 2022.
Long before candidates can sit for the exam, prospective BCBAs must meet a series of requirements established by the BACB® and submit an application in order to prove their eligibility. Currently, there are four paths to meet the eligibility requirements, though it’s important to note that the BACB® will be revising the pathways in 2027:
Obtain an ABAI accredited university degree.
Complete the required Behavior Analytic coursework.
Teaching and research as faculty.
Postdoctoral experience.
Regardless of the path, the BACB® requires all candidates to complete a minimum amount of supervised fieldwork in behavior analysis. The base number of hours varies depending on the path and whether a candidate chooses to complete “supervised fieldwork” or “concentrated supervised fieldwork.” The latter calls for fewer hours but has additional supervisory requirements.
Supervised fieldwork gives future BCBAs the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field and includes activities such as conducting assessments, writing behavior plans, and overseeing behavior-analytic programs. These fieldwork hours must be supervised by an active BCBA®; a licensed or registered psychologist certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology who was tested in applied behavior analysis; or an authorized Verified Course Sequence instructor.
Pathway 1: Obtain a Degree From a Program Accredited or Recognized by Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) or the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA)
Candidates pursuing this avenue must receive a master’s or doctorate degree from accredited universities.The BACB® announced in their June 2023 newsletter, that they have expanded their educational requirement to now include universities accredited by APBA, as well as ABAI. These universities have undergone a thorough review to ensure their program meets ABAI’s and APBA’s respective standards, which outlines criteria for the curriculum, coursework, and the administration. Once a candidate has received a degree from an accredited university, they then must complete the necessary supervised fieldwork. Pathway 1 requires 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork, or 1,500 hours of concentrated supervised fieldwork.
Pathway 2: Behavior-Analytic Coursework
Those pursuing a BCBA® certification through coursework must have a graduate degree from a “qualifying institution,” have completed both an acceptable graduate coursework sequence in behavior analysis and supervised fieldwork. The BACB recognizes “qualified institutions” as universities or colleges in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, or Australia which have been accredited by their country’s respective regulatory board. Candidates with degrees from non-qualifying institutions, such as those in other countries, must undergo a degree equivalency evaluation to demonstrate that their degree is equivalent to a U.S. master’s degree or higher. Candidates must also complete at least 315 hours of behavior-analytic coursework, as well as either 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1,500 of concentrated supervised fieldwork.
Pathway 3: Faculty Teaching and Research
This route requires candidates to have an acceptable graduate degree from a qualifying institution, previously held a full-time faculty position in behavior analysis that includes research and teaching, and completed supervised fieldwork. To qualify, candidates must have worked at an institution, full-time for at least three years (cumulative). This faculty appointment must also include certain characteristics, including teaching at least five sections of behavior-analytic coursework at the graduate level. Candidates are also required to demonstrate their research and must have published at least one journal article related to behavior analysis. As with the others, this approach also requires either 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1,500 hours of concentrated supervised fieldwork.
Pathway 4: Postdoctoral Experience
To apply for BCBA® certification via postdoctoral experience, candidates must have a doctoral degree from a qualifying institution and have 10 years of full-time experience practicing behavior analysis (time spent teaching behavior analysis does not count). That experience must also have occurred under a relevant state/provincial license or national professional credential. Unlike the others, this path requires only 500 hours of supervised fieldwork.
While the journey to certification is different for everyone, and life has a way of interrupting our best-laid plans, it can take an average of 6 to 10 years to receive a BCBA® certification. This includes the time needed to obtain the required undergraduate and master’s degrees, and complete the necessary fieldwork and training. Once a candidate has met the eligibility requirements, and their application has been approved by the board, they can then take the BCBA® exam.
Passing the BCBA® Exam – How Hard Is It?
In order to pass the BCBA® exam, candidates must score at least 76%. The BACB uses the “modified Angoff” method, a “criterion-referenced” method to establish the passing score. With the modified Angoff method, BACB-certified experts review the exam and determine the passing rate, which is then approved by the BACB Board of Directors.
Though the perceived difficulty of the BCBA® exam varies by individual and various factors– like the quality of their academic study, postgraduate coursework and the depth of prep– it is widely considered to be one of the most challenging exams to pass. In terms of difficulty and effort required to prepare, it is often compared to the Bar Exam for attorneys or USMILE (U.S. Medical Licensing Exam) for physicians. While they do share similarities, the BCBA® exam actually has a lower pass rate. In 2022, the BACB® reported a 55% pass rate for first-time test takers. Compare that with the 2022 Bar Exam’s 72% pass rate for first-time test takers. Given the USMILE’s multi-step examination process, it’s a little trickier to draw direct parallels. Overall, however, their 2022 data shows pass rates of 74% and higher for first-time test takers.
Part of what contributes to the BCBA® exam’s reputation for being difficult is the consistent performance gap between exam retakers and exam first-timers. The data shows significantly lower pass rates for those retaking the exam, with the BACB® reporting a 24% pass rate for retakers in 2022 and a 28% pass rate in 2021. This pattern is not unique to the BCBA® exam. Both the Bar Exam and the USMILE report higher pass rates for first-timers. And while the performance gap can’t be attributed to just one factor, PTB co-founder Dana Meller has a theory for why some retakers struggle to pass the BCBA® exam: the score report. After the exam, those who don’t pass are provided with a score report which lists feedback for each section of the Task List. Some candidates who fail use the score report as a guide for their later attempts, and only review the Task List sections they scored poorly on. Meller believes this approach is misguided:
“Many people end up studying only those sections for their next attempt. But guess what? The scores flip-flop. On the other hand, first timers don’t have a score report. They study everything. And I would argue, this is a variable affecting the odds.”
Bottom line: the best way to beat the odds as a retaker is to study like a first-timer. As PTB co-founder Dana Meller advises, all of the Task List sections are connected– so, a weakness in one section can impact understanding, fluency, and scoring in other areas. Studying only certain Task List sections often leads to knowledge gaps. Those taking the exam for the first time don’t have a score report, so they study everything, which gives them a more holistic understanding of the Task List and leaves them better prepared for exam day.
A key factor buried in these pass rates is the degree of the knowledge gap between the coursework and the exam itself. Some graduate programs for behavior analysis may not adequately cover the content of the exam itself, which can leave some candidates feeling unprepared. The BCBA® exam pass rate by university isposted by the board in its annual report. In 2021, the top 10 universities reported a 100% pass rate for their students. The top 3 ranked were Brock University, Western New England University and University of Georgia.
Digging deeper into the success of these top universities, it is clear that small class sizes, lower instructor-to-student ratios, and access to student resources all contribute to their high pass rates. No university with a 100% pass rate had more than 30 first-time candidates sit for the exam in 2021; Brock University topped the list with 24. In addition to that, the top universities offer student resources for career and skill development.
The Applied Behavior Analysis program at Western New England University, for example, partners with the prestigious New England Center for Children and the center’s school that works with more than 500 children diagnosed with autism. The Center provides state-of-the-art education to these children and students which allows students to receive real-world training through the university’s program.
What Makes the BCBA® Exam so Hard?
By comparison to other professional certifications like state Bar exams, the BCBA® exam itself is a single day test, administered over a 4-hour period. It’s a multiple-choice CBT (computer-based test) with 185 questions. As part of the exam’s scoring method, 10 of those are “pilot questions,” which means they are unscored and not included when scoring. Test takers are not told which 10 questions on the exam are the “pilot questions,” so candidates must respond to every one of them on the exam.
All exam questions follow the BACB® Task List, currently in its 5th edition. The BACB handbook provides a breakdown of the 185 questions and their corresponding Task List sections, both by number of questions in each section and by the percentage of the exam. While visibility to the number of questions offers some guidance for test-takers, the exam is well-known for its degree of difficulty in the way the questions are structured. Candidates are advised to read with care and caution, as questions aren’t always straightforward and require absolute clarity, as underscored by Dr. Danyelle s. goitia beal (Psy.D., BCBA), Adjunct Professor at Azusa Pacific University and Executive Director at Loving Hands Family Support Services.
“The test is so difficult because you have to know what is and what isn’t. If you aren’t clear on what the test question is asking, then it is easy to get tripped up.”
How to Pass the BCBA® Exam
While attending a university with a strong ABA program and a high pass rate can improve your odds of passing the BCBA® exam, there are many other reported factors that can influence performance, including study habits, dedicating enough time to test prep, difficulty with standardized testing formats, and overall anxiety– to name a few.
Though the exam may be difficult, it’s not impossible to achieve a passing score. There are several ways students can improve their chances and beat the odds. The right preparation is essential.
Know Your Learning Style
Before you can properly study for the BCBA® exam, you first need to understand your learning style. Knowing how you learn best will help you determine which study methods will be most effective for you. The most common four learning styles follow the VARK model, which stands for visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.
Visual: Visual learners retain information best when it’s presented in a visual format such as graphics, charts, videos, etc; they learn by seeing and observing. For those who prefer visual study aids, the PTB Big Stack Flashcards allow students to add their own definitions, tips, notes, and other visual cues to help make the information more salient for them. The PTB Study Manual also features graphics and helpful visuals, making it another great option for visual learners.
Auditory: Auditory learners absorb information through listening and conversation. These learners prefer to understand concepts through lectures, group discussions, and other audio-based media, like the PTB Streaming Lecture Series.
Reading/Writing: This group learns best through reading and other written materials. Reading/writing learners typically prefer books, written exercises, and word problems. For these learners, the PTB Study Manual will be especially helpful, as will the fluency drills included in the PTB Big Exam Prep Workshop.
Kinesthetic: This type of learning focuses on doing and experiencing. Kinesthetic learners best absorb information through hands-on activities, experiments, and interactive experiences. The SAFMEDS (Say All Fast, a Minute Every Day, Shuffled) protocol can be particularly helpful for kinesthetic learners as this hands-on modality focuses on rote memorization. Check out the PTB Small Stack SAFMEDS with 500+ expertly curated terms and definitions.
Study Effectively
It’s not enough to just study, it’s imperative to learn the material thoroughly. Studying effectively is the key to achieving a passing score. Take it from ABA veteran Dr. Stephen Eversole (BCBA-D), founder of Behavior Development Solutions (BDS), and notably, PTB co-founder Dana Meller’s mentor. “Success on the BCBA® exam is best achieved when the learner focuses on meaningful discriminations–i.e., differentiating instances of a concept from near-instances.”
The BCBA® Task List can be overwhelming but good habits can make studying more manageable. Things like having a set plan, routinely reviewing the material, and using active learning techniques can all help you feel more prepared on exam day.
Structuring Your Study Plan
Time management is essential for studying effectively, which is why creating a plan is so crucial. Having a plan in place can help you allocate enough time to review every Task List section and concept, ensuring you have a thorough understanding of the material. If you’re not sure where to start, the PTB Big Exam Prep Workshop can help you create an effective study strategy that breaks down and organizes the Task List– so you can stay on track and know exactly what to study each week.
Review, Review, Review
When devising your study strategy, it’s important to schedule time to regularly review (and re-review) your materials. Not only is this an effective study habit, reviewing what you’ve already learned helps to reinforce that knowledge and improve memorization. This is why knowing your learning style can be especially beneficial, as it can help you determine which study methods work best and make the information more salient for you. PTB offers study aids that are the ideal quick reference tool for a variety of learning types. Review on-the-go, anytime, anywhere, with the PTB Flashcards and SAFMEDS.
Active Learning
“Active learning” is a hands-on approach that uses interactive methods and modalities to help students learn through actively engaging with the material. This includes tactics such as group discussions, active-outlining, taking notes, collaborative projects, and interactive quizzes or mock exams. The PTB Big Mock Exam uses many active learning techniques, including a 175-question mock exam with video reviews for each question that cover the answers in-depth.
Use Quality Study Materials
The material used to study is perhaps the most critical piece of exam prep. It is imperative to use quality materials that are comprehensive. This cannot be emphasized enough. There are a lot of free BCBA® exam prep resources floating around the web. But are they reliable? Are they accurate? Are they valid? Candidates are being tested on Task List fluency and it’s important to rely on sources with definitions that are accurate and grounded in the science of ABA. If relying on BCBA® exam prep on Quizlet, or mock exams sourced from a Facebook Group, be sure to assess the quality of the materials before blindly trusting. Avoid the extra stress that unreliable materials can create.
The journey to certification can be expensive, from the travel expenses while doing your coursework, to the cost of the exam itself, not to mention the expenses that come with preparing for the exam. However, it’s important to consider your prep as an investment. Many exam prep providers, like PTB, understand the financial strain it places on students and are increasingly offering payment plan options, such as Klarna and AfterPay. Some companies, including PTB, even offer need-based scholarships to further offset the costs of certification.
When it comes to quality, the expression “garbage in, garbage out” sums it up best. If you’re keen on studying with questionable materials, prepare for the very real possibility of having to retake the exam and endure the entire exam prep process all over again– not to mention, consider all the time wasted. To identify good quality exam prep, consider the source. Ensure the materials are up to date and follow the current BACB Task List Guidelines. Look for materials that are peer reviewed, too, as this provides additional credibility.
Tyra Sellers, J.D., Ph.D., BCBA-D, CEO of of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA), expanded on this in an interview with PTB, sharing her advice for discriminating between quality materials and sources: “Have some philosophic doubt. Don’t take things on face value. If something is packaged really beautifully, that’s awesome but dig a little deeper. For example, if it’s an organization or a company that is offering a product that you might purchase. Can you find their mission statement on their website and… if you can, can you see any evidence that they engage in activities that are well aligned with that mission? If it’s a speaker on a topic, can you do a little bit of research to see that they have some scholarly work?”
When in doubt, trust the ABA source materials– you can’t go wrong with the classics. Foundational texts, like Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis for Lasting Change, are essential for understanding the core principles of ABA. While these books can be dry (and aren’t exactly what you’d call a “relaxing read”), they are the source of truth for the science of ABA. For those who need help distilling this dense information, the PTB ABA Study Manual is the gold standard for breaking down the Task List and the ABA concepts included in the exam. Check out PTB’s Books We Love pagefor a list of recommended reading.
Reduce Test Anxiety
It’s common for students to experience anxiety when taking tests, which can negatively impact performance. Beyond the physical effects– like problems sleeping, procrastinating, and an increased heart rate– anxiety can also disrupt concentration and decision making, and make it more difficult to think clearly.
On exam day, achieving a passing score relies on you feeling and performing your best. The negative effects of anxiety can impact your ability to make accurate discriminations. This increases your chances of making simple mistakes and getting answers wrong, even if you know the material.
While it might not be possible to eliminate all of your anxiety and pre-exam jitters, there are strategies that can help you manage and alleviate some of the mental pressure.
Set Goals
Setting goals for yourself, such as completing certain sections by a certain date, can help you stay motivated and maintain your momentum while studying. When you reach a studying goal, reward yourself with a refreshing drink, a day off, or your favorite special treat. As any behavior analyst can tell you, reinforcement will strengthen those good study habits.
Take a Break if Needed
Studying for the BCBA® exam is like a marathon, which means it’s crucial for students to pace themselves. Study burnout is a real concern. Remember to take breaks from studying if you need to. There is such a thing as studying too much. Sometimes, it’s better to take a day off and revisit the material with fresh eyes.
Get Community Support
Stress can lead some students to self-isolate, which only compounds those anxious feelings. Keep yourself accountable and make studying more enjoyable with the power of community. Connect with other students or those who have been in your shoes before. Hearing from others who are also studying, struggling, and stressed out can help you feel less alone and can help you overcome those feelings– together.
Stay Positive
Maintaining a positive outlook and attitude can do wonders for managing exam day anxiety. Replace negative thoughts and self-talk with positive affirmations whenever you catch yourself in a moment of doubt. Redirecting your negative thoughts follows the self-management strategy of “habit reversal.” Originally coined by B.F. Skinner, this technique involves identifying events that precede one’s own challenging behavior and engaging in alternative behaviors when those precursor events occur.
Make Time for Self-Care
Self-care is an essential part of managing stress, but it’s often the first thing to slip when juggling a busy schedule. Make it a priority to take care of yourself and for those things that make you feel your best, like getting enough sleep, exercising, and eating a balanced diet.
Ask for Help
If the stress is too much for you to manage on your own, don’t be afraid to seek out professional help. Talking to a counselor or therapist who specializes in anxiety can help you better manage everything on your plate.
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to pass, sometimes it can help to remember your reason for becoming a BCBA®, to reconnect with your purpose. “Identify your why for taking the test to create some distance from the thoughts that create anxiety about taking the test,” said Dr. Nasiah Cirincione-Ulez (Ed.D, BCBA, LBA), CEO and founder of ULEZI, LLC. “My reason for taking the test was to earn my credential and have more of a voice in the field of behavior analysis. When I started this practice, answering each question was a deeper step into my valuing of sharing my own voice in the field of applied behavior analysis. What’s your why?”
But What If I’m a Bad Test Taker?
Everyone tests differently. While some excel at standardized tests, others find them difficult and have trouble choosing the right answer, especially if more than one option seems correct. So, for those who already struggle with multiple choice tests, the notoriously-tricky BCBA® exam can be even more challenging. This is why PTB co-founder Dana Meller offers many tips to help students make better discriminations on exam day.
That said, not all hope is lost. Test taking, like studying, is a skill. So, even if you weren’t born with it, you can learn it. The best way to deal with a difficult testing format is practice, practice, practice. This advice doesn’t just apply to getting to Carnegie Hall (see old dad jokes for more on this).
Mock exams are a great way to build test taking skills. They can help you assess your knowledge, gauge preparedness for the real exam, and are invaluable to those candidates who struggle with the multiple choice testing format. However, as with any study material, quality is essential to your preparedness and success. Look for mock exams that mimic the actual BCBA® exam experience– same number of questions, corresponding to the same percentage of the Task List sections, administered as a CBT (computer based test)– will help acclimate candidates to the experience, which has the benefit of reducing test anxiety. Another sign of a good-quality BCBA® mock exam: receiving immediate test results, detailed by Task List section. A mock score report that is true to the actual BCBA® exam can be a helpful guide to identifying knowledge gap, like the PTB Big Mock Exam or the PTB MiniBig. It can also be helpful to assess your test-taking behavior, like with the PTB Self-Monitor Test Taking Form, which can offer critical insight into whether missed questions were an issue of knowledge or behavior. Was something mis-read? Did you have trouble narrowing down the correct answer? Identifying the issues and addressing them behavior analytically can mean the difference between a passing score or a failing one.
Crossing the Certification Finish Line
The path to the BCBA® exam is long, and as challenging as it may be, you can pass and cross the certification finish line. It’s a marathon that, like any other, takes determination, hard work, and training. On the other side, is a rewarding career and future filled with new opportunities.
“Preparing oneself and studying does not end when you pass your board exam,” said Isaac Bermudez (MA, BCBA), Chief Innovation Officer at Brett DiNovi & Associates. Passing your BCBA® exam is just the beginning of a lifelong journey of learning, fine tuning and then sharing that knowledge to the next generation of behavior analysts.”
Set yourself up for exam day success by having a plan of action, using quality study materials, and taking steps to manage your anxiety. With the right preparation and support, the journey doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
For more than a decade, PTB has been a leading study partner for thousands of candidates preparing for the BCBA® exam. As a pioneer in interactive exam prep, PTB’s multi-modal and academically rigorous framework of strategies and tools are designed using ABA strategies, produced for a variety of learning styles and optimized for accountability. Explore all of PTB’s trusted test prep tools.
