BACB Practice Test

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) certifies behavior analysts at the RBT, BCaBA and BCBA levels. Each exam is taken in person at Pearson VUE test sites. This page has free practice sets on ABA principles, measurement, assessment, behavior change, research design, supervision and ethics. It also has worked explanations of sample questions and a plain summary of exam length, retake rules and fees from the official BACB handbooks.

BACB Exam at a Glance

What changed for BACB in 2026

• Oct 25, 2026: Delivery changed to In person, computer-based, at Pearson VUE test sites (previously In person, computer-based, at Pearson VUE test centers (US, Canada, Australia, UK)).^[4]
• Oct 25, 2026: Score release changed to On site immediately; BACB account within about 1 week (previously At the test site immediately; confirmed in BACB account within ~1 week).^[4]
• Oct 25, 2026: Number of questions (BCBA) changed to 185 questions (175 scored + 10 unscored) (previously 185 multiple-choice questions (175 scored + 10 unscored)).^[2]
• Oct 25, 2026: Number of questions (BCaBA) changed to 175 questions (150 scored + 25 unscored) (previously 175 multiple-choice questions (150 scored + 25 unscored), 4 hours).^[1]
• Oct 25, 2026: Number of questions (RBT) changed to 85 questions (75 scored + 10 unscored) (previously 85 multiple-choice questions (75 scored + 10 unscored), 90 minutes).^[3]
• Oct 25, 2026: Passing score (BCBA) changed to Criterion-referenced (modified Angoff) (previously Criterion-referenced (modified Angoff), scaled score).^[2]
• Oct 25, 2026: Retake policy (BCBA) changed to Up to 8 attempts within 2 years; 30-day wait (previously Up to 8 attempts within 2 years; 30-day wait between attempts).^[2]
• Oct 25, 2026: Retake policy (RBT) changed to Up to 8 attempts within 12 months; 7-day wait (previously Up to 8 attempts in 12 months; 7-day wait; no retake application fee).^[3]
• Oct 25, 2026: Other (update 2026-06-30) changed to From June 30, 2026, Ontario residents can no longer apply for BCBA/BCBA-D certification; existing Ontario certificants can maintain it. (previously From June 30, 2026, people living in Ontario can no longer apply for BCBA or BCBA-D certification.).^[2]
• Jun 30, 2026: From June 30, 2026, Ontario residents can no longer apply for BCBA/BCBA-D certification; existing Ontario certificants can maintain it.^[2]

What the BACB is and how it works

According to Behavior Analyst Certification Board, “The BCaBA examination is 4 hours and consists of 175 multiple-choice questions; 150 scored questions and 25”^[1]

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) runs the certification exams for Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA) and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA). Every exam is taken in person on a computer at an authorized Pearson VUE testing site, or at a US military base that meets the BACB's security requirements.

• BCBA: 4 hours, 185 multiple-choice questions (175 scored, 10 unscored).
• BCaBA: 4 hours, 175 multiple-choice questions (150 scored, 25 unscored).
• RBT: 90 minutes, 85 multiple-choice questions (75 scored, 10 unscored).

The BCBA passing score is set with the modified Angoff method. This is a criterion-referenced method, so you are measured against a fixed standard, not against other candidates. You see your result at the test site as soon as you finish. The BACB then confirms it by email, and it appears in your BACB account within about 1 week.

The BCBA exam is available all year, and you have 2 years from approval to pass. BCBA candidates may take up to 8 attempts within a 2-year period and must wait 30 days between attempts. A BCBA retake costs a $140 retake application plus a $125 exam appointment. A BCaBA retake costs $120 plus $125. RBT candidates may take up to 8 attempts within 12 months and must wait 7 days between attempts. Eligibility rules, such as degree, coursework and fieldwork, are different for each credential and can change. Check the current handbook for your credential at bacb.com before you apply.

Worked examples: how to reason through BACB questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: According to the BACB, which of the following is a primary responsibility of a supervising BCBA?

1. Completing all direct service hours themselves
2. Ensuring supervisees develop competencies through feedback, modeling, and ongoing evaluation
3. Delegating all supervision tasks to RBTs
4. Only reviewing data without direct observation

Answer: B. Ensuring supervisees develop competencies through feedback, modeling, and ongoing evaluation

Explanation:

B is correct. A supervising BCBA is responsible for building the supervisee's skills. In practice that means watching them work, modeling procedures, giving specific feedback and checking their performance over time.

• A is wrong: supervision is about developing another person's skills, not doing all the client work yourself. Handing direct services to trained staff is normal.
• C is wrong: the qualified supervisor keeps responsibility for supervision. RBTs receive supervision; they do not provide it on the BCBA's behalf.
• D is wrong: reviewing data alone misses how procedures are actually carried out. Direct observation is a core part of supervision.

Rule to remember: supervision is active and skill-based. You observe, model, give feedback and evaluate.

Example 2

Question: Whole-interval recording tends to do which of the following relative to the true occurrence of a behavior?

1. Overestimate
2. Underestimate
3. Accurately estimate
4. Produce no systematic bias

Answer: B. Underestimate

Explanation:

B is correct. Whole-interval recording scores an interval only if the behavior happens for the entire interval. If the behavior happens for part of an interval, or stops briefly, the interval is scored as a non-occurrence. As a result, the record shows less behavior than actually happened.

• A is wrong: overestimating is typical of partial-interval recording, which scores an interval if the behavior happens at any point in it.
• C is wrong: neither interval method measures behavior exactly; both are estimates.
• D is wrong: the bias is systematic and predictable, and it always runs toward underestimating.

Rule to remember: whole-interval recording suits long-lasting behaviors you want to increase, such as on-task behavior. Partial-interval recording suits behaviors you want to decrease.

Example 3

Question: What is the primary mechanism of functional communication training (FCT)?

1. Punishing problem behavior and ignoring communication
2. Teaching a communicative response that produces the same reinforcement as the problem behavior
3. Using extinction alone to reduce problem behavior
4. Providing noncontingent reinforcement to eliminate the MO

Answer: B. Teaching a communicative response that produces the same reinforcement as the problem behavior

Explanation:

B is correct. FCT starts from a functional assessment. Once you know what the problem behavior gets the person (attention, escape or a tangible item), you teach an appropriate communicative response, such as a sign, a picture card or a phrase, that produces the same reinforcer. The new response becomes the easier way to get it, so the problem behavior is needed less.

• A is wrong: FCT is based on reinforcement, and ignoring communication would defeat its purpose.
• C is wrong: extinction alone is a separate procedure. FCT is often paired with extinction, but what defines it is teaching the replacement response.
• D is wrong: that describes noncontingent reinforcement, which delivers the reinforcer on a time schedule and does not teach a new skill.

Rule to remember: FCT teaches a replacement response that matches the function of the problem behavior and earns the same reinforcer.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official handbook and test content outline for your credential (RBT, BCaBA or BCBA) on bacb.com. List every topic it covers and read how exam day works, so nothing surprises you.

1. Take a baseline. Do the BACB practice test without notes. Write down which topics cost you points.
2. Work on your weakest areas. Use the topic sets: ABA Principles and Concepts, Measurement and Data Collection, Behavior Assessment, Behavior Change Procedures, Experimental Design and Research, Systems, Supervision, and Management and Ethics. For each question you miss, write the rule in your own words and check it against your coursework texts or the BACB ethics code.
3. Learn to tell similar terms apart. Many questions depend on the difference between related terms, such as whole-interval and partial-interval recording, or FCT and noncontingent reinforcement. Keep short lists that contrast them.
4. Build stamina. As test day gets closer, do longer timed sessions with mixed topics that match your exam length: 4 hours for BCBA and BCaBA, 90 minutes for RBT.
5. Check logistics. Confirm your Pearson VUE appointment, the ID rules and the retake policy in your handbook.

Sources & last verified

1. Behavior Analyst Certification Board — number of questions, time limit, retake fee (official source). “The BCaBA examination is 4 hours and consists of 175 multiple-choice questions; 150 scored questions and 25” Verified Oct 25, 2026.
2. Behavior Analyst Certification Board — number of questions, time limit, passing score, retake fee (official source). “The BCBA examination is 4 hours and consists of 185 multiple-choice questions; 175 scored questions and 10” Verified Oct 25, 2026.
3. Behavior Analyst Certification Board — retake policy, number of questions, time limit (official source). “You may retake the RBT examination for a maximum of 8 total attempts within a 12-month period following” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 23, 2026.
4. Behavior Analyst Certification Board — delivery, score release (official source). “The BACB contracts with Pearson VUE to deliver BACB examinations in person at authorized Pearson VUE testing sites and US military bases that meet the…” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 25, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.