Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Examination — Questions and Answers

Question 1: In a functional analysis, the 'attention' condition typically involves the therapist:

Presenting demands and removing them contingent on problem behavior
Ignoring the client while attending to other tasks and briefly attending following problem behavior (Correct answer)
Providing continuous reinforcement for all behaviors
Providing free access to all preferred items

Correct answer: Ignoring the client while attending to other tasks and briefly attending following problem behavior

In the attention condition, the therapist ignores the client and only delivers brief attention contingent on problem behavior to test social-positive reinforcement.

Question 2: Which document outlines the BACB's supervision structure, requirements, and ethical standards for all certificants providing supervision?

BACB Supervision Training Curriculum Outline (Correct answer)
Task List
Ethics Code
RBT Handbook

Correct answer: BACB Supervision Training Curriculum Outline

The BACB Supervision Training Curriculum Outline specifies the content supervisors must cover when providing 8-hour supervision training to meet BACB standards.

Question 3: Which preference assessment method presents items one at a time and measures the client's approach response to each item?

Free operant observation
Paired stimulus (forced choice) assessment
Multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO)
Single stimulus assessment (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Single stimulus assessment

The single stimulus (single item) preference assessment presents one item at a time and measures whether the client approaches or engages with it.

Question 4: In organizational behavior management (OBM), what is a 'performance diagnostic checklist'?

A record of disciplinary actions
A data sheet for measuring client outcomes
A tool to identify whether performance problems are due to skill deficits, motivational issues, or environmental barriers (Correct answer)
A checklist for staff to self-evaluate their own behavior

Correct answer: A tool to identify whether performance problems are due to skill deficits, motivational issues, or environmental barriers

A performance diagnostic checklist is a structured assessment tool in OBM used to determine the root cause of staff performance problems before selecting an intervention.

Question 5: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?

Hypothetical (Correct answer)
Applied
Technological
Conceptually systematic

Correct answer: Hypothetical

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is characterized by seven dimensions: Applied, Behavioral, Analytic, Technological, Conceptually Systematic, Effective, and Generality. 'Hypothetical' is not one of these defining characteristics; ABA focuses on observable and measurable behaviors and interventions with demonstrated effectiveness, rather than theoretical constructs.

Question 6: What is the term for the decrease in responding that occurs during the interval following reinforcement on a fixed interval schedule?

Behavioral contrast
Ratio strain
Post-reinforcement pause (Correct answer)
Extinction burst

Correct answer: Post-reinforcement pause

The post-reinforcement pause is the period of little or no responding that occurs immediately after reinforcement delivery on fixed interval and fixed ratio schedules.

Question 7: Which schedule of reinforcement delivers reinforcement after a fixed number of responses?

Fixed ratio (Correct answer)
Fixed interval
Variable interval
Variable ratio

Correct answer: Fixed ratio

A fixed ratio (FR) schedule delivers reinforcement after a set, unchanging number of responses, producing high and steady rates of responding.

Question 8: Which chaining method teaches all steps of a task simultaneously, with the trainer providing assistance on each step during every session?

Backward chaining
Forward chaining
Total task chaining (Correct answer)
Interrupted chain

Correct answer: Total task chaining

Total task chaining presents every step of a task analysis in each session, with the trainer prompting steps as needed so the learner experiences the complete chain every trial.

Question 9: During a supervision session, a supervisee disclose that they have been implementing behavior analytic procedures without obtaining proper consent from clients. What is the supervisor's ethical obligation?

Advise the supervisee to obtain consent as soon as possible but take no further action.
Report the supervisee's action to the relevant authorities and ensure that proper consent is obtained moving forward. (Correct answer)
Terminate the supervision relationship immediately.
Ignore the disclosure and focus on other topics during supervision.

Correct answer: Report the supervisee's action to the relevant authorities and ensure that proper consent is obtained moving forward.

A supervisor has an ethical obligation to take corrective action when a supervisee engages in misconduct—in this case, implementing procedures without informed consent. This means reporting to relevant authorities and ensuring consent is obtained going forward. Simply advising the supervisee or ignoring the disclosure fails to protect clients, and immediately terminating supervision without addressing the harm is also insufficient.

Question 10: In applied behavior analysis, what is 'shaping'?

Chaining behaviors together
Reinforcing any instance of a target behavior
Using prompts to evoke a behavior
Differential reinforcement of successive approximations toward a target behavior (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Differential reinforcement of successive approximations toward a target behavior

Shaping is the differential reinforcement of successive approximations to a terminal behavior, gradually moving the criterion closer to the desired final form.

Question 11: Antecedent-based interventions aim to reduce problem behavior by modifying which part of the three-term contingency?

The consequence
The response topography
Antecedent conditions and motivating operations (Correct answer)
The reinforcement schedule

Correct answer: Antecedent conditions and motivating operations

Antecedent-based interventions change triggering conditions or motivating operations before the behavior occurs, preventing the problem behavior from being evoked.

Question 12: In a changing criterion design, experimental control is demonstrated when behavior matches what?

A normative performance standard
Each successive performance criterion specified in the design (Correct answer)
The behavior of a matched control participant
The original baseline level at each phase

Correct answer: Each successive performance criterion specified in the design

In a changing criterion design, experimental control is shown when behavior steps up (or down) to match each new criterion level as it changes across phases.

Question 13: Which verbal operant is controlled by a nonverbal discriminative stimulus and produces generalized conditioned reinforcement?

Mand
Echoic
Intraverbal
Tact (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Tact

A tact is a verbal operant evoked by a nonverbal stimulus (object, event, or property) and maintained by generalized conditioned reinforcement from the listener.

Question 14: In behavior-analytic research, 'visual analysis' of graphed data involves examining which three primary features?

Slope, intercept, and variance
Mean, median, and mode
Level, trend, and variability (Correct answer)
Frequency, duration, and latency

Correct answer: Level, trend, and variability

Visual analysis examines level (average performance), trend (direction of data), and variability (scatter of data) within and between phases to evaluate intervention effects.

Question 15: Which of the following is an example of a conditioned reinforcer?

Praise (Correct answer)
Water
Sleep
Food

Correct answer: Praise

A conditioned reinforcer is a stimulus that has acquired its reinforcing properties through association with a primary (unconditioned) reinforcer or other conditioned reinforcers. Unlike primary reinforcers like food or water, which are inherently satisfying, praise is learned to be reinforcing through experience. For example, a child learns that praise often accompanies other desirable outcomes.

Question 16: Which of the following is an example of data collection?

Writing a report on a client's progress
Conducting a parent interview
Measuring the frequency of a child's hand-raising in class (Correct answer)
Developing a new teaching strategy

Correct answer: Measuring the frequency of a child's hand-raising in class

Data collection in Applied Behavior Analysis involves systematically measuring and recording observable aspects of behavior. Measuring the frequency of a child's hand-raising in class is a direct and quantifiable way to track a specific behavior. This provides objective information about the behavior's occurrence, which is essential for evaluating interventions.

Question 17: Which data display feature describes the overall direction that data are moving over time (upward, downward, or flat)?

Slope magnitude
Trend (Correct answer)
Level
Variability

Correct answer: Trend

Trend refers to the systematic direction of data over successive data points, indicating whether behavior is generally increasing, decreasing, or staying the same.

Question 18: A behavior analyst receives a gift from a client's family as a token of appreciation. According to the BACB ethics code, how should the behavior analyst respond?

Accept the gift but donate it to charity.
Politely decline the gift and explain that accepting gifts is against professional ethics. (Correct answer)
Accept the gift and thank the family
Ask the client's family to give the gift directly to the organization.

Correct answer: Politely decline the gift and explain that accepting gifts is against professional ethics.

The BACB ethics code prohibits behavior analysts from accepting gifts from clients or their families because doing so can compromise objectivity and create a dual relationship. Politely declining while explaining the professional reasoning maintains appropriate boundaries. Accepting the gift outright, donating it, or redirecting it to the organization all still involve accepting something that should be declined.

Question 19: A behavior analyst is invited to participate in a research study that involves the use of invasive procedures on animals. The behavior analyst is unsure if the study adheres to ethical guidelines. What should the behavior analyst do?

Participate in the study without further inquiry because it is being conducted by a reputable institution
Review the ethical guidelines for research involving animals and consult with an ethics board or committee before making a decisions (Correct answer)
Decline to participate in the study to avoid an potential ethical violations.
Agree to participate but refuse to perform any invasive procedures.

Correct answer: Review the ethical guidelines for research involving animals and consult with an ethics board or committee before making a decisions

When uncertain about whether a research study meets ethical standards, a behavior analyst should consult the applicable ethical guidelines and seek review from an ethics board before committing to participation. A reputable institution alone does not guarantee ethical compliance. Declining outright may be premature, and agreeing to participate with partial refusal does not resolve the underlying ethical uncertainty.

Question 20: What does a 'phase change line' on a behavior graph indicate?

A data point that is an outlier
The end of data collection
The average performance across sessions
A change in the experimental condition or intervention (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A change in the experimental condition or intervention

A phase change line is a vertical line drawn on a graph to indicate the point at which an experimental condition or intervention changed.

Question 21: Which of the following is an example of prompting?

Allowing a child to choose between two activities
Removing a toy after a child throws it
Giving a child a verbal cue to pick up toys (Correct answer)
Ignoring a child's tantrum

Correct answer: Giving a child a verbal cue to pick up toys

Prompting involves providing a cue or assistance to help an individual perform a desired behavior. Giving a child a verbal cue, such as saying 'time to pick up your toys,' is a direct instruction that guides them toward the correct action. This is an antecedent strategy designed to evoke the target behavior.

Question 22: A behavior analysist is asked to provide services in an area outside of their competency. What is the most ethical course of action?

Accept the case but provide minimal services.
Refer the client to a colleague who has the necessary expertise. (Correct answer)
Accept the case and learn as they go.
Decline the case without providing any referral

Correct answer: Refer the client to a colleague who has the necessary expertise.

Practicing outside one's area of competency without proper support is an ethical violation under the BACB code, so the correct action is to refer the client to a qualified colleague. Accepting the case and learning on the job, or providing minimal services, puts the client at risk. Declining without a referral leaves the client without needed support, which is also ethically insufficient.

Question 23: A reinforcer assessment differs from a preference assessment in that a reinforcer assessment:

Presents items in a forced-choice format across multiple trials
Tests whether identified preferred items actually increase behavior (Correct answer)
Uses structured interviews with caregivers to rank stimuli
Identifies items the client approaches or engages with most

Correct answer: Tests whether identified preferred items actually increase behavior

A reinforcer assessment empirically tests whether a stimulus increases the future frequency of the behavior it follows, confirming its function as a reinforcer.

Question 24: In data analysis, what does 'variability' refer to?

The number of data points collected
The spread or inconsistency of data points around a central value (Correct answer)
The average level of behavior across a phase
The direction data are moving over time

Correct answer: The spread or inconsistency of data points around a central value

Variability refers to how much individual data points deviate from each other or from a measure of central tendency within or across phases.

Question 25: What is the primary purpose of the BACB's Continuing Education (CE) requirement for certificants?

To replace the need for supervision after certification
To ensure certificants maintain and expand their professional competencies throughout their careers (Correct answer)
To generate revenue for the BACB
To meet state licensure requirements only

Correct answer: To ensure certificants maintain and expand their professional competencies throughout their careers

CE requirements ensure that certificants continuously update their knowledge, skills, and competencies in behavior analysis to provide safe and effective services.

Question 26: Which procedure involves briefly removing the learner from access to all sources of reinforcement contingent on problem behavior?

Sensory extinction
Nonexclusionary time-out
Exclusionary time-out (Correct answer)
Response cost

Correct answer: Exclusionary time-out

Exclusionary time-out physically removes the learner from the reinforcing environment to a less reinforcing setting contingent on problem behavior.

Question 27: Which competency area on the BACB Fifth Edition Task List covers selecting and implementing interventions to address behavioral excesses?

Section B: Concepts and Principles
Section D: Behavior Change Considerations
Section H: Selecting and Implementing Interventions (Correct answer)
Section E: Ethics

Correct answer: Section H: Selecting and Implementing Interventions

Section H of the BACB Fifth Edition Task List addresses selecting, implementing, and evaluating behavior-reduction and behavior-acquisition interventions.

Question 28: A behavior analyst calculates IOA by dividing the number of intervals with agreement by the total number of intervals and multiplying by 100. What method is this?

Trial-by-trial IOA
Total count IOA
Scored-interval IOA
Interval-by-interval IOA (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Interval-by-interval IOA

Interval-by-interval IOA compares each interval independently and expresses overall agreement as a percentage of intervals where both observers recorded the same outcome.

Question 29: What is 'parametric analysis' in ABA research?

Using parametric statistics to analyze group data
Conducting a meta-analysis of single-subject studies
Systematically varying the value or magnitude of an independent variable to find the optimal level (Correct answer)
Comparing two different types of reinforcers

Correct answer: Systematically varying the value or magnitude of an independent variable to find the optimal level

Parametric analysis in ABA involves systematically manipulating different values or intensities of an independent variable to determine which level produces the most desirable behavior change.

Question 30: A scatter plot assessment is best used to:

Identify temporal patterns in when a behavior occurs (Correct answer)
Measure the intensity of a behavior across settings
Identify the specific function of a behavior
Determine the topography of a behavior

Correct answer: Identify temporal patterns in when a behavior occurs

A scatter plot records whether a behavior occurs during specific time blocks across days, revealing temporal patterns that may correlate with environmental events.

Question 31: During an indirect FBA, a behavior analyst interviews a teacher about a student's problem behavior. This method is considered indirect because:

It involves analog conditions in a clinic
It measures behavior using permanent product recording
It relies on secondhand reports rather than direct observation (Correct answer)
It uses structured observation in the natural environment

Correct answer: It relies on secondhand reports rather than direct observation

Indirect assessments gather information through interviews, rating scales, or questionnaires rather than direct observation of the behavior.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Examination

The BCBA examination is a criterion-referenced test that assesses mastery of applied behavior analysis across nine content domains, including foundational concepts, measurement, ethical practice, behavior assessment, behavior-change procedures, and personnel supervision.

Questions

35 min

Time Limit

70%

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