The ABA field is in need of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) to provide effective, ethical care for individuals with diverse needs. There are nearly as many open BCBA positions each year as there are certified BCBAs (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2024). This gap in the availability of clinicians results in delayed care for many people within vulnerable populations. If you are intrigued by a career as a BCBA, right now is the perfect time to pursue certification. Let's dive into the requirements for BCBA certification and get you on the path toward a fulfilling career in a high-demand field.
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Why should you pursue a career as a BCBA?
There are so many reasons to pursue a career as a BCBA. Whether you're brand new to ABA or a seasoned behavior technician or mid-level supervisor, becoming a BCBA offers numerous opportunities for professional growth, personal fulfillment, and the ability to make a meaningful impact.
Becoming a BCBA means you can:
Advance Your Career: Earning BCBA certification allows you to take on new roles in leadership positions, supervise Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), and develop and oversee the implementation of ABA programs.
Increase Your Earning Potential: As a BCBA, your earning potential will be considerably higher to reflect your advanced expertise and increased responsibilities. Pay and benefits can vary quite a bit based on location and organization, but the earning potential for a BCBA is typically in the range of $70,000-$100,000/year.
Make a Difference: Whichever path you take as a BCBA, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to make a true impact by improving the quality of life for your clients and their families.
Pursue Diverse Opportunities: There are many potential career paths a BCBA can take, such as working in independent practice, as a professional fieldwork supervisor, or as an OBM specialist.
Whether you're passionate about helping others, eager to develop behavior-analytic skills, or looking for a rewarding career, becoming a BCBA is a step toward achieving your professional and personal goals.
What are the steps to becoming a BCBA?
There are a few primary steps to becoming certified as a BCBA, which include a master's degree program, supervised fieldwork hours, and an exam. Let's explore what each step entails.
Step 1: Degree
There are currently 4 educational pathways to BCBA certification. However, Pathways 3 and 4 will be eliminated in January 2027. Because of this, we'll focus only on Pathways 1 & 2.
Pathway 1 requires a master's degree from an Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) Accredited Program OR an Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Accredited or Recognized Program. Your degree must have been completed in the last 10 years. Plan for this to take around 2-3 years.
Pathway 2 requires a master's degree PLUS behavior-analytic coursework. If your master's program was in a different discipline and/or not accredited or recognized by the APBA or ABAI, you will take this pathway, which involves a sequence of additional graduate coursework.
Behavior analytic coursework must include courses that cover the following content.
BACB Ethics Code, Code-Enforcement System, and Professionalism: 45 hours
Philosophical Underpinnings and Concepts & Principles: 90 hours
Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation and Experimental Design: 45 hours
Behavior Assessment: 45 hours
Behavior-Change Procedures and Selecting and Implementing Interventions: 60 hours
Personnel Supervision and Management: 30 hours
Pathway 2 takes an extra 12-18 months.
Pathway 1 | Pathway 2 |
Masters Degree From an Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) Accredited Program OR Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Accredited or Recognized Program | Masters Degree + Behavior-Analytic Coursework Sequence |
If you are considering BCBA certification further down the road, be advised that come 2032, the only eligible pathway will be Pathway 1.
What if you fail a course?
You must receive a 'C' or higher in each course. If you fail a course or score below a C, you'll need to retake it.
Step 2: Supervised Fieldwork Hours
Gaining hands-on experience in the ABA field is vital for becoming a successful behavior analyst. The supervised fieldwork experience entails 1,500-2,000 hours working with clients under a Board Certified Behavior Analyst to develop your competencies in behavior analysis.
You can either take the supervised or concentrated supervised fieldwork path—Or a mix of the two. The requirements for each path include the following.
Supervised Fieldwork | Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork | |
Total Number of Hours Needed | 2,000 | 1,5000 |
Percentage of Hours Supervised Each Month | 5% | 10% |
Number of Supervisor Contacts Each Month | 4 | 6 |
Number of Observations With a Client Each Month | 1 | 1 |
The goal of fieldwork is to develop competencies in BCBA-level skills. Because of this, the BACB requires that at least 60% of your total accrued hours be spent engaging in unrestricted activities. These are tasks a BCBA is likely to do, such as analyzing data, developing programs, parent training, creating BIPs, conducting assessments, and training staff. With this, you can accrue up to 40% of your hours doing restricted activities (e.g., RBT-level tasks—working directly with a client, implementing programs as designed by your BCBA). Learn more about the BCBA fieldwork experience here.
Important BCBA Fieldwork Forms:
Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form-Multiple Supervisors at One Organization Final Fieldwork Verification Form-Individual Supervisor
Step 3: BCBA Exam
The final step to certification is the BCBA exam! This examination tests your knowledge of behavior-analytic concepts and the application of behavior modification to real-world scenarios. The BCBA exam includes 175 questions which you have 4 hours to complete. There are also 10 unscored questions on the exam that are used as pilot questions for future exams. You will not know which 10 questions are unscored though, so plan to answer 185 questions in total.
As of January 1st, 2025, all BCBA exams are based on the content included in the 6th Edition BCBA Test Content Outline (previously referred to as BCBA Task List).
The 6th Edition BCBA Test Content Outline includes the following number of questions in each domain.
Test Content Domain | Number of Questions | Percentage of Exam |
A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations | 8 | 5% |
B. Concepts and Principles | 24 | 14% |
C. Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation | 21 | 12% |
D. Experimental Design | 13 | 7% |
E. Ethical and Professional Issues | 22 | 13% |
F. Behavior Assessment | 23 | 13% |
G. Behavior Change Procedures | 25 | 14% |
H. Selecting and Implementing Interventions | 20 | 11% |
I. Personnel Supervision and Management | 19 | 11% |
How much does the BCBA exam cost?
The BACB application for certification costs $245. When you are approved to sit for the exam, you will also need to pay $125 to Pearson VUE for an examination appointment. If you don't pass your exam, there is a $140 exam retake application fee paid to the BACB plus another $125 appointment fee paid to Pearson VUE. There are additional fees for canceling and rescheduling testing appointments, so be sure your test date works in your schedule. If you need to cancel or reschedule, do so more than 30 days in advance to avoid rescheduling fees.
What if you need accommodations?
If you have a physical or mental impairment or limitation, you can request accommodations for the exam, such as extra testing time or a separate room for testing. Be prepared to submit supporting documentation when requesting accommodations.
How long will it take to earn BCBA certification?
It can take anywhere from 2-12 years to become certified as a BCBA, depending on where you're at in the process. This figure includes 4 years for an undergraduate degree, 2 years for a graduate degree, 12-18 months for behavior-analytic coursework (Pathway 2), and 1-5 years of supervised fieldwork. It is important to note that you can accrue fieldwork hours while you're in your master's program. This is an excellent way to reduce the time it takes to earn certification. Many analysts finish their supervised hours around the same time they are finishing their master's degree, allowing them to apply for the exam shortly after earning their degree.
Maintaining BCBA certification
After earning certification, you must maintain it through ongoing continuing education. BCBAs need 32 CEUs every 2 years. At least 4 of these must be in ethics. If you supervise, at least 3 CEUs must also be in supervision. In addition to ongoing continuing education, you will submit a recertification application every 2 years to maintain certification. This application is $215.
Tip: To offset the costs of obtaining and maintaining certification, ask your employer about reimbursement. Many ABA organizations reimburse the costs of the exam when you pass, reimburse or provide CEUs, and reimburse biennial recertification.
Final Thoughts
Reviewing the steps to becoming a BCBA is the first step toward a fulfilling career in behavior analysis. If you're unsure whether ABA is the right field for you, I encourage you to gain entry-level experience before taking the leap and beginning the process toward earning certification. Working as a Behavior Technician or Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) is a great way to get a feel for the field and work closely with a BCBA to decide whether this is the right field for you. Search open RBT positions today.
Also, the BACB makes changes to certification requirements from time to time. Stay on top of changes that could affect your pursuit of certification by signing up for BACB newsletter alerts.
We wish you the best of luck in your pathway toward BCBA certification.
References
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2024). US employment demand for behavior analysts: 2010–2023. https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/us_employmentdemand_ba/
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2024). Board certified behavior analyst handbook. Retrieved on January 1st, 2025, from https://www.bacb.com/bcba-handbook
