Free BCaBA Practice Exam: 50 Questions with Explanations

Correct: A. This answer names actions an observer can see and sets a boundary (10 seconds), so a quick stretch doesn't get counted. Federal FBA guidance calls for a description of behavior that is clear, specific, measurable, observable, and objective, and free from bias and judgment.

B asks the observer to judge how the student feels. Two people can watch the same minute and disagree. C states a cause. The reason for the behavior is what an assessment tries to find out, and this proposed cause is not established by the definition. D is a label, not a behavior. "Attitude" can't be counted.

Review takeaway: If two careful observers could argue about whether it happened, rewrite the definition.

Content area C · Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation · Task C.2 · Item BCABA-C01

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 5, "Description of Behavior"; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), C.2.

Correct: B. This answer matches both examples. In respondent (classical) conditioning, a neutral stimulus (the buzzer) is paired with a stimulus that already produces a response (the loud alarm), and the neutral stimulus comes to bring about a response on its own. The stimulus comes before the response. In operant conditioning, a consequence that follows a behavior (help arriving) changes how likely that behavior is in the future.

A misses the pairing in the first example. Nothing followed the flinch to strengthen it. C misses the consequence in the second example. Asking increased because of what followed it. D swaps the two.

Review takeaway: Respondent: a stimulus paired with another stimulus, before the response. Operant: a consequence after the response.

Content area B · Concepts and Principles · Task B.3 · Item BCABA-B01

Sources: OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, Table 6.1, "Classical and Operant Conditioning Compared"; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), B.3.

Correct: C. This answer follows Ethics Code 1.05: behavior analysts practice only within their identified scope of competence and take on new procedures only after appropriate study, training, supervised experience, consultation, or co-treatment. BCaBAs also work under BCBA supervision, so the supervising BCBA is the right first contact. The start date doesn't establish competence; the procedure must wait until the required preparation is complete.

A practices outside competence on a real client. B values the family's input, which matters, but family preference doesn't give the BCaBA the training they're missing. D quietly changes the plan and hides it. That creates a new problem instead of solving the first one.

Review takeaway: An unfamiliar procedure means training and supervision first. Say so early.

Content area E · Ethical and Professional Issues · Task E.3 · Item BCABA-E01

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §1.05 (p. 9); BACB BCaBA Handbook, p. 1, "What Is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst?".

Correct: C. The current observations support prediction: knowing whether the schedule is posted helps you guess how much work gets done. C moves toward control. Single-case designs demonstrate a functional relation through active manipulation of the independent variable plus replication, such as introducing and withdrawing it or introducing it at staggered times.

A adds more of the same kind of evidence. Something else that happens on schedule days, like a particular staff member, could still explain the pattern. B is an opinion, not a demonstration. D is still a correlation. A strong correlation doesn't rule out a confounding variable.

Review takeaway: A repeated association supports prediction. Systematically changing conditions and replicating the effect supports experimental control.

Content area A · Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations · Task A.1 · Item BCABA-A01

Sources: Kratochwill et al. (2010), What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation, pp. 2–3, overview and methods of replication; OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, "Connect the Concepts": causation and confounding variables.

Correct: D. This answer covers the existing data that federal FBA guidance lists for review: attendance, academic performance, prior behavioral incidents, student health records, and previously implemented interventions. Past interventions matter because their results and implementation history inform the next assessment, and health information can point to something that needs a medical referral (Ethics Code 2.12).

A is too narrow to show patterns over time. B is cherry-picking. It sets the team up to confirm what it already believes. C throws away useful history. Records inform direct assessment. They don't replace it, and skipping them doesn't make observation more objective.

Review takeaway: Review the relevant records you are authorized to access, including what's already been tried, then go observe.

Content area F · Behavior Assessment · Task F.1 · Item BCABA-F01

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), pp. 5–6, "Data Collection" (review existing data); BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §2.12 (p. 12); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), F.1.

Correct: B. Progressive time delay starts with no wait between the instruction and the prompt, then gradually lengthens the wait as the learner becomes more skilled. The prompt itself (a model) stays the same; only the wait changes.

A also starts with no delay, but then uses one fixed wait rather than a wait that keeps growing. C increases the level of assistance when the learner doesn't respond correctly. D fades from more help to less. Here the model and its level of assistance stay the same; only its timing changes.

Review takeaway: Time delay changes the wait, not the prompt. Progressive delay keeps lengthening it; constant delay holds it steady.

Content area G · Behavior-Change Procedures · Task G.5 · Item BCABA-G01

Sources: Texas Education Agency, Texas SPED Support: Time Delay, progressive and constant time delay; Ledford & Chazin (2016), System of Least Prompts, Overview; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), G.5.

Correct: A. This answer names the condition (a peer says hello at recess), the behavior (saying "hello" or waving), and a criterion (within 5 seconds, 8 of 10 opportunities, 3 days in a row). Federal FBA guidance calls for behavior descriptions that are clear, specific, measurable, and observable, and it refers to measurable annual goals. The numbers here are an example, not a standard.

B is too vague to measure. Which skills, and how much improvement? C describes what staff will do, not what the client will do. D describes a feeling, which can't be observed directly.

Review takeaway: A measurable goal answers: when, what exactly, and how well.

Content area H · Intervention Development and Monitoring · Task H.1 · Item BCABA-H01

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 5, "Description of Behavior"; p. 14, measurable annual goals; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), H.1.

Correct: B. The independent variable is what the team deliberately changes, here the introduction of the token system. The dependent variable is the outcome measured repeatedly to see whether it changes, here math problems completed. So B is correct.

A reverses the two. C treats the passage of sessions as the thing being changed. Time isn't the intervention. D makes session count the outcome. Nobody is trying to change how many sessions happen.

Review takeaway: Independent variable: what you change. Dependent variable: what you measure.

Content area D · Experimental Design · Task D.1 · Item BCABA-D01

Sources: Kratochwill et al. (2010), What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation, p. 2, overview (active manipulation of the independent variable; repeated measurement of the dependent variable); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), D.1.

Correct: D. This answer targets the gap the observation found: performance, not knowledge. The Ethics Code asks behavior analysts to individualize supervision (4.06) and to base it on ongoing data collection and performance monitoring (4.08). A fidelity checklist is a practical way to see which steps need more practice.

A gives everyone the same training, whether or not they need it. B trains knowledge the RBT already has. C confuses being able to describe a procedure with being able to do it.

Review takeaway: Base supervision goals on what the supervisee does, not on what they can describe.

Content area I · Supervisory Relationships · Task I.5 · Item BCABA-I01

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §§4.06, 4.08 (p. 15); Erath et al. (2020), Enhancing the Training Integrity of Human Service Staff Using Pyramidal Behavioral Skills Training, pp. 453–454, response measurement and Table 2 (BST components); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), I.5.

Correct: A. 18 ÷ 24 = 0.75, or 75%. A also gets the meaning right: total count IOA compares only the two totals. The observers could reach similar totals while scoring different events. It doesn't tell you which observer was accurate, either.

B has the right number but reads too much into it. Total count IOA can't show event-by-event agreement. C divides 18 by the combined total of 42, which isn't this formula. D flips the fraction (24 ÷ 18). Agreement can't exceed 100%, and IOA doesn't identify which observer was right.

Review takeaway: Total count IOA checks whether the totals match, not whether the same responses were counted.

Content area C · Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation · Task C.6 · Item BCABA-C02

Sources: Reed & Azulay (2011), A Microsoft Excel 2010 Based Tool for Calculating Interobserver Agreement, author-posted full text, p. 47, “Total count IOA” (formula and limitations); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), C.6.

Correct: A. Something was removed (the fan noise) after the behavior, and the behavior increased. That is A. In this vocabulary, "negative" means taken away, and "reinforcement" means the behavior became more likely.

B would require something to be added after asking. The teacher only switched the fan off. C would mean the behavior decreased. Asking went up. D would also mean the behavior decreased.

Review takeaway: Settle the direction first (up means reinforcement), then ask what was added or removed.

Content area B · Concepts and Principles · Task B.4 · Item BCABA-B02

Sources: OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, Table 6.2 and "Reinforcement" (negative reinforcement); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), B.4.

Correct: C. This answer protects confidentiality. The Ethics Code asks behavior analysts to prevent accidental or inadvertent sharing and to follow applicable requirements, including organization policies (2.03). Confidential information is shared only under listed conditions, such as with informed consent, and only what the purpose requires (2.04). The coworker's request alone establishes neither an authorized disclosure nor an approved way to send the record.

A still sends a clinical document through an unapproved app, and covering a name doesn't make a plan untraceable. B treats working for the same employer as permission. It isn't. D is still a disclosure. It's just a smaller one.

Review takeaway: A shared employer isn't consent. Route requests for client information through the proper process.

Content area E · Ethical and Professional Issues · Task E.5 · Item BCABA-E02

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §§2.03–2.04 (pp. 10–11); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), E.5.

Correct: D. Empiricism means relying on objective observation. Skinner described science as a disposition to deal with the facts rather than what someone has said about them, and a willingness to accept facts even when they are opposed to wishes. D lets the reliable data correct the hunch.

A puts a personal impression ahead of the data. B relies on authority to settle a question the data have already answered. Talking with the supervisor is good practice, but not as a way around the evidence. C avoids the evidence instead of learning from it.

Review takeaway: In empiricism, the data outrank the hunch.

Content area A · Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations · Task A.2 · Item BCABA-A02

Sources: B. F. Skinner Foundation, Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2, Quote 1, Skinner (1953), Science and Human Behavior, p. 12; B. F. Skinner Foundation, Science and Human Behavior, Chapter 2, Quote 2, Skinner (1953), p. 12; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), A.2.

Correct: C. Ordering food in the cafeteria using the device is what the client chose, the family values it, and it comes up every school day. The Ethics Code asks behavior analysts to involve clients and relevant stakeholders in selecting goals (2.09). Federal FBA guidance also stresses including the student, as appropriate, and keeping strategies contextually and culturally relevant.

A picks a target for convenience. Nothing suggests it matters in the client's life. B also chooses by convenience. Measurability matters, but it doesn't decide which goal is meaningful. D sets aside the priorities the client and family just expressed.

Review takeaway: Goals should matter in the client's life, and the client gets a say.

Content area F · Behavior Assessment · Task F.3 · Item BCABA-F02

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §2.09 (p. 11); U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 10, collaborative partnerships; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), F.3.

Correct: D. Modeling means demonstrating what the skill looks like, live or on video, so the learner can see it done. D is that demonstration.

A is instructions: describing the skill. B is rehearsal: the learner practicing. C is feedback: specific comments on correct performance and errors.

Review takeaway: Modeling is showing, not telling.

Content area G · Behavior-Change Procedures · Task G.6 · Item BCABA-G02

Sources: Erath et al. (2020), Enhancing the Training Integrity of Human Service Staff Using Pyramidal Behavioral Skills Training, pp. 453–454, response measurement and Table 2 (BST components); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), G.6.

Correct: A. Plan 1 addresses the likely function, teaches a replacement skill, and is something the teacher can actually run. Federal FBA guidance gives a very similar example: for a student avoiding hard writing, strategies can include breaking assignments into smaller segments and teaching strategies for difficult work. The Ethics Code asks that interventions be based on assessment results, prioritize positive reinforcement, and fit the client's context and resources (2.14).

B ignores the function. If disruption is maintained by escape from writing, sending the student out after each disruption delivers the very escape that may be maintaining it. C chooses by ease of writing, not by fit or likely effect. D treats all responses as equal. They aren't when one lines up with the function and the other may work against it.

Review takeaway: Match the plan to the function, and make sure the people involved can actually run it.

Content area H · Intervention Development and Monitoring · Task H.2 · Item BCABA-H02

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), pp. 6–8, function-based review, plan components, and the writing-avoidance example; BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §2.14 (p. 12); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), H.2.

Correct: B. Multiple baseline design across participants: each participant has a baseline (A) and intervention (B) phase, and the intervention starts at a different time for each one. Each participant's data change only after their own intervention begins, while participants still awaiting intervention stay at baseline levels. That staggered start is how the design replicates the effect without withdrawing the intervention.

A would introduce and then withdraw the intervention for the same participant. Nothing is withdrawn here. C would rapidly alternate two or more conditions. D would change a performance criterion in planned steps within one series.

Review takeaway: Staggered starts across participants, settings, or behaviors point to a multiple baseline.

Content area D · Experimental Design · Task D.5 · Item BCABA-D02

Sources: Kratochwill et al. (2010), What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation, p. 3 (methods of replication); pp. 6–7 (Table 1 and multiple baseline description); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), D.5.

Correct: D. This answer follows Ethics Code 4.09: delegate tasks only after confirming the supervisee can perform them competently. Behavioral skills training includes rehearsal and feedback, repeated until the skill is mastered.

A treats attendance as evidence of performance. B checks competence only after weeks of possible errors. C relies on self-report instead of observed performance.

Review takeaway: Delegate after the skill is demonstrated, not after the certificate is printed.

Content area I · Supervisory Relationships · Task I.6 · Item BCABA-I02

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §4.09 (p. 15); Erath et al. (2020), Enhancing the Training Integrity of Human Service Staff Using Pyramidal Behavioral Skills Training, pp. 453–454, response measurement and Table 2 (BST components); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), I.6.

Correct: C. The question is "how long?", so C fits. Duration measures how long a behavior lasts, and the observer can see every start and stop. Federal FBA guidance distinguishes frequency (how often a behavior occurs) from duration (how long it lasts).

A shows how often engagement starts, not how long it lasts. Two sessions with the same count could differ greatly in total time. B measures how quickly engagement begins, not how long it continues. D is an indirect measure, even though direct observation is available.

Review takeaway: Match the measure to the question. "How long?" calls for duration.

Content area C · Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation · Task C.1 · Item BCABA-C03

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 5, "Data Collection" (frequency and duration); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), C.1, C.7.

Correct: D. Points have no built-in value. They matter because of what they can be traded for, which makes them conditioned (secondary) reinforcers, so D is correct. Token systems are a standard example, and you can call the points reinforcers here because on-time turn-in increased when points followed it.

A refers to things with innate reinforcing value, such as food or water. Points get their value through learning. B would mean the behavior decreased. It increased. C doesn't fit either: nothing about the points is linked to punishment.

Review takeaway: Points and tokens work because of what they buy, and you know they're reinforcers because behavior went up.

Content area B · Concepts and Principles · Task B.7 · Item BCABA-B03

Sources: OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, "Primary and Secondary Reinforcers" (token economies); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), B.7.

Correct: B. The change must be explained to the client or legally authorized representative, as applicable, and required informed consent obtained and documented before it's implemented. The Ethics Code lists substantial changes to interventions as a point when informed consent is required, and it covers obtaining assent from clients when applicable (2.11). It also calls for describing changes before implementing them (2.16). This reflects the core principle of respecting clients' self-determination and giving them the information they need to make choices about services.

A informs the family after the fact. C assumes original consent carries over. The Code names substantial changes as needing consent. D avoids the people whose consent is needed. That is the opposite of informed consent.

Review takeaway: A substantial change needs consent again, before it starts.

Content area E · Ethical and Professional Issues · Task E.1 · Item BCABA-E03

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, Core Principle 2 (p. 4); §§2.11, 2.16 (pp. 11–12); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), E.1.

Correct: B. The BACB describes behaviorism as the guiding philosophy of behavior analysis, based on the premise that efforts to improve the human condition through behavior change work best when behavior itself is the primary focus. That matches B.

A describes applied behavior analysis: developing techniques to analyze and change behavior. C describes the science's basic research side, often called the experimental analysis of behavior. D describes professional practice guided by the science.

Review takeaway: Philosophy, science, application, practice: related, but not the same thing.

Content area A · Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations · Task A.4 · Item BCABA-A03

Sources: BACB, About Behavior Analysis, opening description of behavior analysis, behaviorism, and ABA; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), A.4.

Correct: C. The skill clearly exists, because the client uses it in one room. C looks for what differs between settings. Federal FBA guidance lists conditions, location, and the people present among the things direct observation should capture, along with environmental factors that may affect whether behavior occurs.

A ignores the evidence that the skill is intact in the resource room. B removes a support that works without knowing why the other room is different. D assigns blame before collecting any data.

Review takeaway: A skill that shows up in one room isn't gone. Find out what's different about the other room.

Content area F · Behavior Assessment · Task F.4 · Item BCABA-F03

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), pp. 5–7, direct data collection and environmental factors; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), F.4.

Correct: D. Shaping reinforces successive approximations of a target behavior. Each time a closer version is reinforced, the previous version stops being reinforced.

A delivers reinforcement for the absence of a target behavior, not for closer and closer versions of one. B changes the wait before a prompt. C adds something to decrease a behavior. Here the plan is building a response.

Review takeaway: Shaping moves the criterion toward the target, one approximation at a time.

Content area G · Behavior-Change Procedures · Task G.8 · Item BCABA-G03

Sources: OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, “Shaping” (steps 1–5); Chazin & Ledford (2016), Differential Reinforcement, “Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)”; Texas Education Agency, Texas SPED Support: Time Delay, progressive time delay; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), G.8.

Correct: B. Using a card to request a short partner check-in with a peer gives the student a new way to get the same reinforcer the humming was getting. The EBIP guidance on differential reinforcement says to choose an alternative that serves the same purpose and to teach it if the student doesn't have the skill yet. Federal FBA guidance likewise says new skills should address the function of the behavior.

A sets a silence goal without giving the student any way to get peer attention. C keeps the same behavior at a lower volume rather than replacing it. D doesn't access peer attention either, so it doesn't compete with humming for the same payoff.

Review takeaway: A replacement behavior has to get the student what the problem behavior was getting.

Content area H · Intervention Development and Monitoring · Task H.4 · Item BCABA-H03

Sources: Chazin & Ledford (2016), Differential Reinforcement, “Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior” and considerations, points 2–3 (feasible alternative and matching reinforcer); U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 6, “Skill Development”; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), H.4.

Correct: D. This answer states what the data can and can't support. It is difficult to draw valid causal conclusions from a two-phase A-B design because, without replication, other explanations are hard to rule out. History, meaning events that happen at the same time as the intervention, is one of the most important threats to internal validity.

A claims more than an A-B comparison can show. B makes the opposite unsupported claim. C confuses "not demonstrated" with "didn't work." Missing experimental control doesn't prove the plan failed.

Review takeaway: One A-to-B change can suggest an effect. It can't prove one.

Content area D · Experimental Design · Task D.2 · Item BCABA-D03

Sources: Kratochwill et al. (2010), What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation, p. 5 (A-B designs); p. 9 (history as a threat to internal validity); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), D.2, D.4.

Correct: A. Behavioral skills training has four parts: instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback, repeated until the skill is mastered. The written steps covered instructions and the video covered modeling. A adds the two missing parts.

B adds more instruction, which the training already had. C checks knowledge, not performance. D adds more modeling, which the training already had.

Review takeaway: If the trainees never practiced and never got feedback, it wasn't behavioral skills training.

Content area I · Supervisory Relationships · Task I.6 · Item BCABA-I03

Sources: Erath et al. (2020), Enhancing the Training Integrity of Human Service Staff Using Pyramidal Behavioral Skills Training, pp. 453–454, response measurement and Table 2 (BST components); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), I.6.

Correct: A. 24 ÷ 12 = 2.0 requests per minute, and 30 ÷ 20 = 1.5 requests per minute, so A is right. Converting counts to a rate is what makes observations of different lengths comparable.

B compares raw counts and ignores how long each observation lasted. C divides minutes by count (12 ÷ 24 and 20 ÷ 30), which flips the rate. D misses the point of calculating a rate: it lets you compare observations of different lengths.

Review takeaway: Different observation lengths? Compare rates, not raw counts.

Content area C · Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation · Task C.4 · Item BCABA-C04

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 5, frequency as a direct measure (the rate formula is supplied in the question); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), C.4.

Correct: B. "Ratio" means reinforcement depends on the number of responses, and "variable" means that number changes unpredictably. That is B, a schedule typically associated with high, steady responding.

A would require the same number of correct answers every time. C reinforces the first response after a fixed interval has elapsed, rather than after a response-count requirement. D also uses elapsed intervals, but their lengths vary.

Review takeaway: Ratio counts responses. Interval makes reinforcement available after time has elapsed, but a response is still required. Fixed or variable tells you whether the requirement stays the same.

Content area B · Concepts and Principles · Task B.8 · Item BCABA-B04

Sources: OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, "Reinforcement Schedules" and Table 6.3; Watson & Griffes (2011), Fixed Interval Schedule, Definition and Description; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), B.8.

Correct: D. This answer follows Ethics Code 1.11: behavior analysts avoid entering into or creating multiple relationships with clients, communicate the risks, and document the actions they take. Paid babysitting adds a personal and financial role to a clinical one. Telling the supervising BCBA also fits the supervisor's accountability for a supervisee's professional activities (4.04).

A still creates the second role. Leaving procedures out doesn't change that. B makes the second relationship more formal, not less. C discloses a multiple relationship that could simply have been avoided.

Review takeaway: If a second role is avoidable, avoid it. Disclosure isn't a substitute.

Content area E · Ethical and Professional Issues · Task E.7 · Item BCABA-E04

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §1.11 (p. 10); §4.04 (p. 15); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), E.7.

Correct: C. This answer is accurate. The Kennedy Krieger protocol notes that top-ranked stimuli are more likely to function as stronger reinforcers. It also cautions that reinforcer effectiveness isn't absolute and depends on the response and on other available reinforcement. A consequence counts as a reinforcer only when it increases the behavior it follows.

A treats a preference ranking as proof of a reinforcing effect for every behavior. B goes too far the other way. Preference rankings tend to predict reinforcer effectiveness. D ignores that preferences can change over time, which is one reason the EBIP preference-assessment guidance advises revisiting them.

Review takeaway: Preference is a strong lead, not proof. Check whether the item actually strengthens the behavior.

Content area F · Behavior Assessment · Task F.5 · Item BCABA-F04

Sources: Kennedy Krieger Institute, Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment: Session Description, pp. 1 and 4; Chazin & Ledford (2016), Preference Assessments, “What is the difference between a highly-preferred item and a reinforcer?”; OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, definition of reinforcement; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), F.5.

Correct: D. Differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) favors a specific, acceptable alternative response with reinforcement: here, raising a hand instead of shouting out. This example also withholds the attention that maintained shouting out. DRA can be arranged with or without extinction; withholding all reinforcement for the undesired behavior is not a universal requirement.

A delivers reinforcement for the absence of the target behavior under the specified DRO schedule, not for a named alternative. B would reinforce closer and closer versions of hand raising. Here the complete response is reinforced right away. C describes a response-contingent loss of access to a reinforcer. Here, the former attention consequence for shouting is discontinued, while hand raising earns attention.

Review takeaway: DRA names the behavior to reinforce. DRO reinforces the absence of the problem behavior.

Content area G · Behavior-Change Procedures · Task G.18 · Item BCABA-G04

Sources: Chazin & Ledford (2016), Differential Reinforcement, DRA and DRO descriptions; MacNaul, Cividini-Motta, & Randall (2024), Differential Reinforcement without Extinction, publisher-provided full text, §2.9 (FCT without extinction) and §4 (Discussion); OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, Table 6.2; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), G.18.

Correct: A. 9 ÷ 12 = 0.75, so A (75%) is correct. The skipped step still applied, so it stays in the denominator, and the 2 incorrect steps don't count as correct.

B drops the skipped step from the denominator (9 ÷ 11 ≈ 82%). C counts every attempted step as correct (11 ÷ 12 ≈ 92%). D treats the skipped step as missing data. The step applied and wasn't done, so it counts against integrity.

Review takeaway: A skipped step that applied counts against integrity. It doesn't disappear from the math.

Content area H · Intervention Development and Monitoring · Task H.6 · Item BCABA-H04

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 7, implementation fidelity; Erath et al. (2020), Enhancing the Training Integrity of Human Service Staff Using Pyramidal Behavioral Skills Training, pp. 453–454, response measurement and Table 2 (BST components); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), H.6.

Correct: C. This answer is clear and behavior-specific. It acknowledges what was done correctly, names the error and the fix, and gives another chance to practice. The Ethics Code also calls for timely feedback designed to improve performance (4.08).

A is pleasant but doesn't mention the missed step. B is vague. It doesn't say what to change. D delays feedback while the error keeps being practiced.

Review takeaway: Name the step, show the fix, and practice it again.

Content area I · Supervisory Relationships · Task I.7 · Item BCABA-I04

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §4.08 (p. 15); Erath et al. (2020), Enhancing the Training Integrity of Human Service Staff Using Pyramidal Behavioral Skills Training, pp. 453–454, response measurement and Table 2 (BST components); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), I.7.

Correct: C. 8 ÷ 10 = 80%. The prompted response isn't independent, so it doesn't count toward the numerator, but that opportunity stays in the denominator. In a typical line graph of session data, sessions run along the horizontal axis and the measure goes on the vertical axis, so C is right.

A counts the prompted response as independent (9 ÷ 10). B puts the measure on the axis that shows sessions. D plots a count, but the graph is defined as a percentage.

Review takeaway: Plot exactly the measure the graph defines, and keep sessions on the horizontal axis.

Content area C · Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation · Task C.8 · Item BCABA-C05

Sources: Kratochwill et al. (2010), What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation, Appendix B, Figure 1 (sessions on the horizontal axis, percentage on the vertical axis); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), C.8.

Correct: B. Extinction: the response no longer produces the reinforcer that used to follow it. Here the term identifies the discontinued response–reinforcer contingency; the stem does not yet show how quickly button pressing changes.

A would arrange a response-contingent loss of access to a reinforcer. Here the video simply stopped following the press. C would remove something unpleasant after the behavior, which would increase it. D would add a consequence after the behavior and reduce its future occurrence.

Review takeaway: Extinction means the behavior stops paying off. It isn't the same as taking something away.

Content area B · Concepts and Principles · Task B.9 · Item BCABA-B05

Sources: OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, "Reinforcement Schedules" (extinction of a reinforced behavior) and Table 6.2; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), B.9.

Correct: B. This answer reflects cultural humility, and the BCaBA should also bring the change to the supervising BCBA and reflect on the assumption behind the draft. The Ethics Code asks behavior analysts to evaluate their own biases and build cultural responsiveness (1.07, 1.10) and to involve clients and stakeholders in selecting goals (2.09). Federal FBA guidance notes that parents know their child's unique history and that strategies should be contextually and culturally relevant.

A imposes the BCaBA's assumption on the family. C skips the conversation. If the family has a real sleep concern, it gets lost. D replaces one assumption with a stereotype.

Review takeaway: Ask before you assume, and check your own assumptions too.

Content area E · Ethical and Professional Issues · Task E.9 · Item BCABA-E05

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §§1.07, 1.10 (p. 9); §2.09 (p. 11); U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 10, collaborative partnerships; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), E.9, E.10.

Correct: C. With 7 items, each item is paired with each of the other 6 once, so the puzzle was presented 6 times. 5 ÷ 6 ≈ 83%, so C is correct. The same protocol ranks items by this percentage to build a preference hierarchy.

A divides by the total number of possible pairs (5 ÷ 21 ≈ 24%). B divides by the number of items (5 ÷ 7 ≈ 71%) instead of the puzzle's 6 presentations. D ignores the one presentation where the puzzle wasn't chosen.

Review takeaway: When every pair is presented once, each item appears (number of items − 1) times.

Content area F · Behavior Assessment · Task F.5 · Item BCABA-F05

Sources: Kennedy Krieger Institute, Paired Stimulus Preference Assessment: Session Description, pp. 1–3, procedure and data summary; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), F.5.

Correct: B. Time-out from positive reinforcement is intended to reduce behavior by removing access to reinforcement. Here, leaving the art table also removes a task the child avoids. The increase in throwing is consistent with escape reinforcing it, so B is the most likely problem—not a demonstrated functional relation. The Ethics Code also requires that punishment-based procedures be evaluated continually and modified or discontinued if they are ineffective (2.15), so the BCaBA should bring these data to the supervising BCBA.

A assumes the length is the problem. Nothing in the data points to that. C overgeneralizes. An outcome in one case cannot establish that time-out never reduces behavior in young children. D adds another punishment-based element without addressing why the first one backfired.

Review takeaway: A procedure's name does not establish its effect. Check what consequence the behavior actually produces.

Content area G · Behavior-Change Procedures · Task G.19 · Item BCABA-G05

Sources: OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, "Everyday Connection": time-out; BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §2.15 (p. 12); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), G.19.

Correct: A. The results do not establish how the plan would work when implemented as written, because it was only half delivered. A addresses that first, for example by retraining staff with rehearsal and feedback. Federal FBA guidance says plans should state how they will be implemented with fidelity and how effectiveness will be evaluated. The Ethics Code calls for continual evaluation and corrective action when outcomes aren't being reached (2.18).

B judges a plan that was never delivered as written. C adds a more restrictive procedure before less intrusive steps have been fully tried (Ethics Code 2.15). D throws away data about a possible contributor to the flat results; low fidelity is not proof that it is the only cause.

Review takeaway: Before judging the plan, make sure the plan actually happened.

Content area H · Intervention Development and Monitoring · Task H.7 · Item BCABA-H05

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 7; BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §§2.15, 2.18 (p. 12); Erath et al. (2020), Enhancing the Training Integrity of Human Service Staff Using Pyramidal Behavioral Skills Training, pp. 453–454, response measurement and Table 2 (BST components); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), H.6, H.7.

Correct: C. This answer measures effects. The Ethics Code asks behavior analysts to evaluate their own supervisory practices continually, using feedback from others along with client and supervisee outcomes (4.10).

A shows that supervision happened, not that it worked. B is one kind of feedback, but liking isn't the same as improved performance. D measures activity, not outcomes.

Review takeaway: Judge supervision by what changes for supervisees and clients, not by the hours logged.

Content area I · Supervisory Relationships · Task I.9 · Item BCABA-I05

Sources: BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §4.10 (p. 16); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), I.9.

Correct: A. Trend is the slope of the best-fitting straight line through the data in a phase, and these data rise steadily. A also stays within what the graph shows. Showing a cause requires deliberately changing conditions and replicating the effect, and there is no phase change here at all.

B ignores the steady climb from 2 to 7. C reverses the direction. D names a cause the graph can't support. No intervention phase is shown.

Review takeaway: Describe level, trend, and variability first. Claim a cause only when the design supports it.

Content area C · Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation · Task C.9 · Item BCABA-C06

Sources: Kratochwill et al. (2010), What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation, p. 18 (level, trend, and variability); pp. 2–3 (manipulation and replication); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), C.9.

Correct: A. The client now responds differently to the two cards after a history in which the answer was reinforced in the presence of one card and not the other. That is A: responding under the control of one stimulus and not another, similar one.

B would look like the client also saying "blue" to the green card, responding the same way to a similar stimulus. C describes a response no longer producing its reinforcer. Here the answer is still reinforced with the blue card. D builds a response through successive approximations. It doesn't describe responding differently to two stimuli.

Review takeaway: Discrimination: different responding to different stimuli, because of different reinforcement histories.

Content area B · Concepts and Principles · Task B.11 · Item BCABA-B06

Sources: OpenStax, Psychology, 6.3 Operant Conditioning, "Shaping" (stimulus discrimination in operant conditioning); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), B.10, B.11.

Correct: D. The BCaBA Handbook states that BCaBAs provide behavior-analytic services under the supervision of a BCBA and may not provide them without it. A plan written by a BCBA isn't supervision. The Ethics Code also asks behavior analysts to act to avoid service interruptions and to communicate the steps being taken when one happens (3.14). That's why D pairs declining with helping the agency and family continue services under a qualified BCBA.

A treats a document as if it were a supervisor. B provides unsupervised services now and promises supervision later. C substitutes a peer for the required BCBA. Another BCaBA doesn't meet the requirement.

Review takeaway: A BCaBA's services require BCBA supervision. Protect continuity by finding a qualified BCBA, not by working around the rule.

Content area E · Ethical and Professional Issues · Task E.6 · Item BCABA-E06

Sources: BACB BCaBA Handbook, p. 1, "What Is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst?"; BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §3.14 (p. 14); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), E.6.

Correct: C. Federal FBA guidance separates direct data, such as classroom observations, from indirect data, such as interviews. Both feed a function-based review that produces a hypothesis about function. Demonstrating a functional relation experimentally requires actively manipulating conditions, and neither activity does that. So C is accurate.

A misclassifies the interview. The BCaBA didn't observe those events directly. B misnames the ABC recording. It records conditions as they naturally occur and changes nothing. D confuses confidence with evidence.

Review takeaway: Interviews and ABC records point to a hypothesis. An experimental test requires systematic manipulation of relevant conditions.

Content area F · Behavior Assessment · Task F.6 · Item BCABA-F06

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), pp. 5–6, "Data Collection" and "Function-Based Behavior Review"; Kratochwill et al. (2010), What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation, p. 2 (active manipulation and causal relations); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), F.6.

Correct: A. This answer is what Stokes and Baer called "train sufficient exemplars": teaching with enough different people and settings that the response comes under broader control.

B is what Stokes and Baer called "train and hope," meaning waiting for generalization rather than planning for it. C strengthens the response in the one situation where it already happens. D treats mastery in one setting as mastery everywhere.

Review takeaway: Generalization is programmed, not hoped for.

Content area G · Behavior-Change Procedures · Task G.17 · Item BCABA-G06

Sources: Stokes & Baer (1977), An Implicit Technology of Generalization, full text, pp. 351–352, “Train and Hope,” and pp. 355–357, “Train Sufficient Exemplars”; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), G.17.

Correct: D. Visual analysis looks at level, trend, and variability, and it includes examining external factors and anomalies, such as a sudden change in level within a phase. One low point after a steady rise is a question to investigate, so D is the right next step, including checking for events or implementation changes around that session. The Ethics Code asks behavior analysts to use data to make decisions (2.17) and to be truthful (1.01).

A overreacts to one point after seven sessions of improvement. B under-reacts. The drop might signal a real problem, such as an implementation change or an illness. C misrepresents the data.

Review takeaway: One data point is a question, not an answer.

Content area H · Intervention Development and Monitoring · Task H.7 · Item BCABA-H06

Sources: Kratochwill et al. (2010), What Works Clearinghouse Single-Case Designs Technical Documentation, pp. 16–18 (external factors and anomalies; level, trend, and variability); BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §1.01 (p. 9); §2.17 (p. 12); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), H.7.

Correct: B. The criterion requires every one of the 4 consecutive sessions to be at least 80%. The 70% session breaks that, so B is correct. This criterion is an example written into one plan, not a universal standard.

A applies an averaging rule the criterion doesn't use. The average is 80%, which is exactly the trap. C counts sessions that met the bar, but the rule requires four in a row. D invents a 100% requirement.

Review takeaway: Apply the mastery criterion exactly as written.

Content area C · Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation · Task C.10 · Item BCABA-C07

Sources: BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), C.10 (the criterion is supplied in the question).

Correct: B. This answer does three useful things. It fades the added token reinforcement gradually, consistent with EBIP guidance on reducing reinforcement frequency. It keeps the natural consequence (getting help) in place, which Stokes and Baer described as introducing the behavior to natural maintaining contingencies. And it checks later whether the skill actually lasted.

A removes the added token reinforcement abruptly instead of fading it. C never moves toward the stated goal of reducing intensive teaching supports. D leaves the team with no way to know whether the skill maintained.

Review takeaway: Fade the extra reinforcement gradually, keep the natural payoff, and keep checking.

Content area G · Behavior-Change Procedures · Task G.20 · Item BCABA-G07

Sources: Chazin & Ledford (2016), Differential Reinforcement, considerations, point 4 (gradual fading); Stokes & Baer (1977), An Implicit Technology of Generalization, full text, pp. 353–355, “Introduce to Natural Maintaining Contingencies”; BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), G.20.

Correct: D. This answer addresses the real problem: two versions of one plan. Federal FBA guidance says everyone responsible for a plan should have access to it and understand it, and it stresses collaboration between educators and parents so behavior is addressed consistently at home and at school. The Ethics Code calls for collaborating in the client's best interest (2.10).

A decides for the family instead of with them. B makes a unilateral change that no one else knows about. C leaves the inconsistency in place and removes the data that would show its effects.

Review takeaway: When two settings run two versions of one plan, bring the people together.

Content area H · Intervention Development and Monitoring · Task H.8 · Item BCABA-H07

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning Environments (Nov. 2024), p. 7 (access to and understanding of the plan); p. 10 (collaborative partnerships); BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, §2.10 (p. 11); BACB BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.), H.8.