The Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) is an undergraduate-level certification. The BACB says BCaBAs may provide behavior-analytic services only under the supervision of a BCBA, and may supervise the work of RBTs. This guide summarizes the exam details in the BACB’s BCaBA Handbook (updated June 2026).
Exam format
| Item | What the BACB says |
|---|---|
| Questions | 150 scored plus 25 unscored |
| Answer choices | 4 per question, 1 correct; all questions equally weighted |
| Time | 4 hours |
| Content outline | BCaBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.): 90 tasks in 9 content areas |
| Scoring | Based on overall performance, not performance in each content area |
Content areas and question counts
| Content area | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations | 10 | 7% |
| B. Concepts and Principles | 18 | 12% |
| C. Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation | 20 | 13% |
| D. Experimental Design | 10 | 7% |
| E. Ethical and Professional Issues | 18 | 12% |
| F. Behavior Assessment | 17 | 11% |
| G. Behavior-Change Procedures | 22 | 15% |
| H. Intervention Development and Monitoring | 20 | 13% |
| I. Supervisory Relationships | 15 | 10% |
| Total | 150 | 100% |
Compared with the BCBA exam, the BCaBA has more weight on foundations and measurement and the last content area is about supervisory relationships instead of personnel supervision and management.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certification application (BACB) | $175 |
| Exam appointment (Pearson VUE) | $125 |
| First attempt total | $300 |
BACB fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
Retake rules
- A retake application appears in your BACB portal within 48 hours of a failed attempt.
- You must wait 30 days between attempts.
- You can attempt the exam a maximum of 8 times within the 2 years after your application is approved.
- You pay the $125 Pearson VUE fee for each new appointment. For the BACB retake application fee, check the current BCaBA Handbook: at the time of writing it lists different amounts in different sections, so we do not quote one here.
See also the BCBA exam guide and all three exams compared.
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Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the BCaBA exam?
150 scored questions and 25 unscored questions. Each has 4 possible answers and only 1 correct answer, and all questions are equally weighted.
How long is the BCaBA exam?
4 hours.
What is the difference between BCaBA and BCBA?
The BACB describes the BCaBA as an undergraduate-level certification, and BCaBAs may provide behavior-analytic services only under the supervision of a BCBA. The BCBA is a graduate-level certification and BCBAs are independent practitioners.