200+ Free BCBA Practice Questions

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Question 1

Score: 0/0

An establishing operation (EO) that increases the effectiveness of food as a reinforcer is:

Food satiation

Food poisoning

Food deprivation

Food variety

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: BCBA Exam

51%

2025 First-Time Pass Rate

BACB Annual Data Report

185

Exam Questions

Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)

4 hours

Exam Duration

Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)

$370

Initial BACB + Pearson Fees

BCBA Handbook

The Board Certified Behavior Analyst exam has 185 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours: 175 scored and 10 unscored pilot questions. The current official TCO6 blueprint has 9 domains and 104 tasks. BACB 2025 data show a 51% first-time BCBA pass rate and 23% retake pass rate. Candidates should plan from official BACB eligibility, fieldwork, application, Pearson VUE, and retake rules rather than an unofficial raw-percent target.

Sample BCBA Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your BCBA exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 200+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which philosophical position emphasizes that behavior is selected by its consequences over the lifetime of the organism?

A.Structuralism

B.Selectionism

C.Mentalism

D.Dualism

Explanation: Selectionism is the philosophical position that behavior (like biological structures) is selected by its consequences. This includes phylogenic selection (evolution), ontogenic selection (learning during an organism's lifetime), and cultural selection. Behavior analysts reject mentalism (explanations involving unobservable mental events) in favor of selectionist explanations based on observable behavior and environmental contingencies.

2A behavior analyst explains a child's tantrum by stating the child is "seeking attention." This explanation would be considered:

A.A functional analysis of behavior

B.A mentalistic explanation

C.A selectionist account

D.A parsimonious interpretation

Explanation: This is a mentalistic explanation because it attributes behavior to an unobservable internal state ("seeking") rather than to observable environmental variables. Behavior analysts prefer to describe how attention functions as a reinforcer that maintains the tantrum behavior. Mentalistic explanations are considered incomplete because they don't lead to testable predictions or effective interventions.

3The "three levels of selection" in behavior analysis include phylogenic, ontogenic, and:

A.Physiogenic

B.Cultural

C.Ontological

D.Epigenetic

Explanation: The three levels of selection in behavior analysis are: (1) Phylogenic selection (evolution of species through natural selection), (2) Ontogenic selection (learning/behavior change during an individual organism's lifetime through operant and respondent conditioning), and (3) Cultural selection (transmission of practices, customs, and traditions across generations through social learning). Understanding all three levels helps behavior analysts appreciate the full context of human behavior.

4Which of the following best describes negative reinforcement?

A.Adding a stimulus that decreases the future frequency of a behavior

B.Removing a stimulus that increases the future frequency of a behavior

C.Adding a stimulus that increases the future frequency of a behavior

D.Removing a stimulus that decreases the future frequency of a behavior

Explanation: Negative reinforcement occurs when the removal (or avoidance/escape) of a stimulus increases the future frequency of a behavior. For example, a child cleans their room to escape their parent's nagging. The behavior (cleaning) increases because it removes an aversive stimulus (nagging). Remember: negative = remove/subtract; reinforcement = behavior increases.

5A student raises their hand and the teacher calls on them. The student then raises their hand more frequently in the future. This is an example of:

A.Positive reinforcement

B.Negative reinforcement

C.Positive punishment

D.Negative punishment

Explanation: This is positive reinforcement because a stimulus (teacher calling on the student/attention) was added (positive) and the behavior (hand raising) increased in frequency (reinforcement). The key is that something desirable was added following the behavior, making that behavior more likely to occur again.

6Extinction occurs when:

A.A behavior is punished consistently

B.Reinforcement that previously maintained a behavior is no longer provided

C.A behavior is reinforced on an intermittent schedule

D.Punishment is removed from the environment

Explanation: Extinction occurs when reinforcement that previously maintained a behavior is discontinued. When the behavior no longer produces reinforcement, the frequency of the behavior decreases over time. An extinction burst (temporary increase in frequency, intensity, or variation of the behavior) typically occurs before the behavior decreases. For example, if a child's tantrums were previously reinforced by parental attention, extinction would involve withholding attention following tantrums.

7A discriminant stimulus (SD) is best defined as:

A.A stimulus that signals that reinforcement is not available

B.A stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced

C.Any stimulus that precedes a behavior

D.A stimulus that decreases the probability of a response

Explanation: A discriminant stimulus (SD) is a stimulus in the presence of which a particular response will be reinforced or punished. SDs develop stimulus control over behavior because they signal the availability of reinforcement for specific responses. For example, a green traffic light is an SD for pressing the accelerator; in its presence, pressing the accelerator is reinforced by forward progress.

8A motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of a stimulus as a reinforcer is called:

A.An abolishing operation

B.An establishing operation

C.A discriminative operation

D.A reinforcing operation

Explanation: An establishing operation (EO) is a motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of a stimulus as a reinforcer and evokes behaviors that have been reinforced by that stimulus. For example, food deprivation is an EO that increases the effectiveness of food as a reinforcer and evokes food-seeking behaviors. Conversely, an abolishing operation (AO) decreases the effectiveness of a reinforcer.

9Shaping is best described as:

A.Punishing successive approximations of a target behavior

B.Reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behavior

C.Prompting each step of a behavior chain

D.Extinguishing behaviors that are not similar to the target behavior

Explanation: Shaping is the differential reinforcement of successive approximations of a target behavior. The behavior analyst reinforces responses that are progressively closer to the desired final behavior while withholding reinforcement for earlier approximations. Shaping is used when the target behavior does not currently exist in the learner's repertoire. For example, teaching a child to say "water" might involve reinforcing "wa," then "wawa," then "water."

10A behavior analyst is teaching a student to brush their teeth. First, they teach the student to pick up the toothbrush, then to apply toothpaste, then to brush, and finally to rinse. This procedure is called:

A.Shaping

B.Chaining

C.Prompting

D.Fading

Explanation: This is an example of chaining, which involves teaching a sequence of behaviors (a behavior chain) where each response produces a stimulus change that serves as both the conditioned reinforcer for the previous response and the SD for the next response. Tooth brushing is a common task taught through chaining. Types of chaining include forward chaining (teaching from the first step), backward chaining (teaching from the last step), and total task chaining (teaching all steps together).

About the BCBA Exam

The BCBA exam tests entry-level behavior analyst knowledge across the BACB Test Content Outline (6th ed.), including behaviorism, concepts and principles, measurement, experimental design, ethics, behavior assessment, behavior-change procedures, intervention implementation, and personnel supervision.

Questions

185 scored questions

Time Limit

4 hours

Passing Score

Pass/fail criterion-referenced scoring

Exam Fee

$245 application + $125 exam appointment (Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB))

BCBA Exam Content Outline

Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations

Science goals, philosophical assumptions, radical behaviorism, practice distinctions, and ABA dimensions.

14%

Concepts and Principles

Core behavioral terms, contingencies, schedules, extinction, stimulus control, motivating operations, verbal behavior, and generalization principles.

12%

Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation

Operational definitions, measurement procedures, graphing, interpretation, validity, reliability, and procedural integrity.

Experimental Design

Single-case design logic, validity threats, visual analysis, and design selection.

13%

Ethical and Professional Issues

Ethics principles, competence, confidentiality, public statements, transitions, cultural humility, and legal requirements.

13%

Behavior Assessment

Records review, cultural variables, skill and preference assessment, descriptive assessment, functional analysis, referral, and goal prioritization.

14%

Behavior-Change Procedures

Reinforcement, differential reinforcement, prompting, shaping, chaining, generalization, maintenance, punishment, and emergent relations.

11%

Selecting and Implementing Interventions

Goal writing, intervention selection, contextual fit, unwanted effects, relapse planning, procedural integrity, and data-based modification.

11%

Personnel Supervision and Management

Supervisory relationships, equity, performance management, function-based staff support, and data-based supervision.

How to Pass the BCBA Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Pass/fail criterion-referenced scoring
Exam length: 185 questions
Time limit: 4 hours
Exam fee: $245 application + $125 exam appointment

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

BCBA Study Tips from Top Performers

1Start with the official TCO6 domain weights and build a checklist across all 104 tasks.

2Practice mixed scenarios that force measurement, assessment, ethics, and intervention decisions in the same item.

3Treat the 4-hour exam as an endurance task: practice pacing, review flags, and breaks without stopping the clock.

4Use an error log that labels each miss by TCO6 domain, decision error, and the exact term or rule confused.

5Review the BCBA Handbook before scheduling so eligibility, ID, exam security, retake, and fee rules are current.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the BCBA exam?

The current BCBA exam has 185 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours. BACB states that 175 questions are scored and 10 are unscored pilot questions.

What is the BCBA exam passing score?

BACB reports the BCBA exam as pass/fail and uses a criterion-referenced modified Angoff process to set the passing score. Do not treat the exam as a fixed raw-percent cutoff.

What is the latest BCBA pass rate?

The BACB 2025 Annual Data Report lists a 51% first-time BCBA pass rate and a 23% retake pass rate. In 2025, 9,955 first-time BCBA candidates and 13,196 retake candidates tested.

How much does the BCBA exam cost?

The BACB certification application fee is $245 and the Pearson VUE examination appointment fee is $125. Retakes require a $140 BACB retake application plus a new $125 Pearson appointment fee.

What fieldwork is required for BCBA eligibility?

Current BACB fieldwork rules require either 2,000 Supervised Fieldwork hours or 1,500 Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork hours. At least 60% of total fieldwork must be unrestricted activities.