BCBA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield BCBA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Delayed prompting with a 5-second constant delay is most directly designed to transfer stimulus control from: → The prompt to the natural SD
2. In a token economy, tokens function as: → Conditioned reinforcers earned for target behaviors and exchanged for backup reinforcers
3. The process by which a neutral stimulus acquires discriminative control through pairing with an existing SD is called: → Conditional discrimination
4. The ____________ design consists of an initial baseline phase followed by an intervention phase followed by a return to baseline. → All of the above
5. A teacher uses the same materials in many different rooms to teach a child to identify colors. This strategy exemplifies: → Generalization programming via common stimuli
6. A contingency contract: → specifies how two people will behave toward each other
7. In a concurrent schedule of reinforcement, the individual: → Has simultaneous access to two or more independent reinforcement schedules
8. Which form of verbal behavior is evoked by a verbal discriminative stimulus and does not have point-to-point correspondence with that verbal stimulus? → Intraverbal
9. Which schedule of reinforcement produces a high, steady response rate and is most resistant to extinction? → Variable ratio
10. Which of the following is not a factor that influences the effectiveness of punishment? → Variation
11. Which procedure involves the systematic removal of a preferred item or activity contingent on problem behavior? → Response cost
12. A BCBA is designing a token economy for a classroom setting. Which of the following is the MOST critical first step in this process? → Identifying and operationally defining the target behaviors.
13. Extinction may involve which of the following: → All of the above
14. All of the following are limitations of the multiple baseline design except: → The behavior under study must be within the subject's repertoire already
15. ________________ involves collecting baselines on the same behavior of several persons, preferably in different settings. → Multiple-baseline across individual design
16. Positive reinforcement is correctly defined as: → Adding a preferred stimulus following a behavior to increase its future frequency
17. A textual response—reading written words aloud—is controlled by which type of antecedent? → Written verbal stimulus
18. Motivating operations and discriminative stimuli: → Have similar evocative effects on behavior
19. Continuous reinforcement (CRF) is MOST appropriate during which phase of learning? → Acquisition phase to initially establish a new behavior
20. A student receives a sticker after every 5 correct math problems. This is an example of which reinforcement schedule? → Fixed ratio FR-5
21. Which of the following is a primary advantage of using a multiple baseline design over a reversal (A-B-A-B) design? → It does not require the withdrawal of an effective intervention.
22. A teacher delivers a preferred snack every 5 minutes regardless of what the student is doing to reduce aggressive behavior. This procedure is: → NCR
23. Which concept describes the idea that punishment is most effective when delivered immediately after the behavior? → Immediacy
24. Which of the following is considered an indirect method of behavioral assessment? → Administering a motivational assessment scale
25. Non-contingent reinforcement (NCR) reduces problem behavior primarily by: → Abolishing the motivating operation maintaining problem behavior
26. The primary reason one might consider using a level system with a token system is that: → Doing so can foster self-management
27. Which of the following is a primary advantage of using a continuous measurement procedure over a discontinuous measurement procedure? → It provides a complete and accurate record of every instance of the target behavior.
28. Multiple exemplar training is primarily used to promote which behavioral outcome? → Generalization across settings and stimuli
29. Equivalence-based instruction capitalizes on which property of stimulus classes? → Transitivity, reflexivity, and symmetry
30. Negative reinforcement is best described as: → Contingent removal of an aversive stimulus that increases future responding