Free BCBA Practice Questions and Practice Exam
Answer BCBA practice questions written to the 6th-edition test content outline, read the explanation for every answer, then sit a timed 185-question mock exam in the real format, scored for all nine domains.
185 questions in 4 hours, drawn in the official number per domain, scored on the 175 that count, with a percentage for every domain and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drill- 526 original questions with an explanation for every answer
- 10 free drills: one per domain plus a mixed drill
- 104 of the 104 outline tasks covered, and 67 ethics questions on the 2022 Ethics Code
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The BCBA exam at a glance
The BCBA examination is the certification exam of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). You take it after the BACB approves your application, which requires a qualifying graduate degree, behavior-analytic coursework and supervised fieldwork. Since January 1, 2025 every form has been built from the 6th-edition BCBA Test Content Outline.
- Owner
- Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB); delivered in person at Pearson VUE testing centers
- Format
- 185 multiple-choice questions, each with four options and one correct answer: 175 scored and 10 unscored questions that look like the rest
- Time
- 4 hours, which includes the terms and conditions, the navigation tutorial and any review. The clock does not stop for breaks
- Content
- BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.): 104 tasks in 9 domains, in use since January 1, 2025
- Scoring
- Pass or fail, shown at the testing center. The BACB sets the passing score with the modified Angoff method and equates every form, so the number of correct answers needed is not published. Failing candidates get their percentage correct in each content area
- Fees
- $245 certification application, plus $125 to Pearson VUE for each examination appointment
- Retakes
- Wait 30 days, then pay a $140 retake application and a new $125 appointment. Up to 8 attempts within the 2-year period after your application is approved
- Pass rates (2025)
- 51% of 9,955 first-time candidates and 23% of 13,196 retake candidates passed
The nine BCBA domains, and a free drill for each
Every BCBA exam form has the same number of scored questions from each domain of the 6th-edition outline. Each drill is ten questions with an explanation after every answer; create a free account to save your results. Every domain also has its own guide page.
| Domain | Scored questions | What it tests | Drill |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations | 8 (5%) | The goals of behavior analysis as a science, its philosophical assumptions, radical behaviorism, the branches of the field, and the seven dimensions of applied behavior analysis. | 10-question drill |
| B. Concepts and Principles | 24 (14%) | Reinforcement and punishment, schedules, extinction, stimulus control, motivating operations, verbal operants, emergent relations, behavioral momentum and the matching law. | 10-question drill |
| C. Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation | 21 (12%) | Operational definitions, continuous and discontinuous measurement, interobserver agreement, efficiency and procedural-integrity data, graphing and visual analysis. | 10-question drill |
| D. Experimental Design | 13 (7%) | Variables and validity, threats to internal validity, baseline logic, reversal, multiple-baseline, multielement and changing-criterion designs, and comparative, component and parametric analyses. | 10-question drill |
| E. Ethical and Professional Issues | 22 (13%) | The 2022 Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts: core principles, competence, confidentiality, public statements, multiple relationships, discontinuing and transitioning services, cultural humility and legal requirements. | 10-question drill |
| F. Behavior Assessment | 23 (13%) | Record review, skill assessment, preference assessments, descriptive assessments and functional analyses, and turning assessment data into goals and referrals. | 10-question drill |
| G. Behavior-Change Procedures | 25 (14%) | Reinforcement and differential reinforcement, time-based schedules, token economies, prompting and prompt fading, shaping, chaining, group contingencies, generalization, maintenance and punishment. | 10-question drill |
| H. Selecting and Implementing Interventions | 20 (11%) | Measurable goals, choosing interventions by assessment, evidence, preference and contextual fit, replacement behavior, side effects and relapse, and data-based decisions about integrity and progress. | 10-question drill |
| I. Personnel Supervision and Management | 19 (11%) | Why behavior-analytic supervision matters, supervisory relationships and contracts, equity, supervision goals, performance management, performance diagnostics and evaluating supervision. | 10-question drill |
Ready for the full exam?
185 questions in 4 hours, drawn in the official number per domain, scored on the 175 that count, with a percentage for every domain and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillBCBA exam pass rates
The BACB publishes the number of candidates and the share who passed each year. About half of first-time candidates pass, and fewer than one in four retake candidates do. More people now sit the exam as a retake than for the first time.
| Year | First-time candidates | Passed | Retake candidates | Passed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9,955 | 51% | 13,196 | 23% |
| 2024 | 9,911 | 54% | 11,780 | 25% |
How to use this BCBA exam prep
- Take the free mixed drill to see where you stand across all nine domains.
- Drill the big domains first: Behavior-Change Procedures (25 scored questions), Concepts and Principles (24), Behavior Assessment (23) and Ethics (22). Together they are 94 of the 175 scored questions.
- Read every explanation, including on the questions you got right; measurement explanations show the arithmetic and ethics explanations name the Code standard.
- Sit the full 185-question mock exam under the four-hour clock, then drill the two domains with your lowest percentages.
- Repeat the full exam a week or two before your appointment. Each new sitting draws questions you have not seen first.
Common questions
How many questions are on the BCBA exam?
185 multiple-choice questions, each with four options and one correct answer. 175 are scored. The other 10 are unscored questions the BACB is trying out; they look like the scored ones, so answer every question as if it counts. All scored questions are weighted equally.
How long is the BCBA exam?
Four hours. The four hours include reading the terms and conditions and the navigation tutorial, so plan on a little under 80 seconds per question. Breaks are taken on your own time: the clock does not stop.
What is a passing score on the BCBA exam?
The BACB reports pass or fail. A panel of BCBAs sets the passing score with the modified Angoff method, and every form is statistically equated, so the number of correct answers you need varies slightly by form and is not published. Failing candidates receive their percentage correct in each content area to guide further study.
What does the BCBA exam cover?
The BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.): 104 tasks in nine domains with a fixed number of scored questions. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations (8), Concepts and Principles (24), Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation (21), Experimental Design (13), Ethical and Professional Issues (22), Behavior Assessment (23), Behavior-Change Procedures (25), Selecting and Implementing Interventions (20), and Personnel Supervision and Management (19).
What is the BCBA exam pass rate?
In 2025, 51% of 9,955 first-time candidates passed and 23% of 13,196 retake candidates passed. In 2024 the rates were 54% of 9,911 first-time candidates and 25% of 11,780 retake candidates. More people now sit the exam as a retake than for the first time.
How much does the BCBA exam cost?
The BCBA certification application is $245, and Pearson VUE charges $125 for each examination appointment. Each retake needs a $140 retake application and another $125 appointment. Rescheduling or canceling within 30 days of the appointment costs $59, or $69 from 5 days to 48 hours before it.
How many times can I retake the BCBA exam?
Up to 8 attempts within the 2-year period that starts when your application is approved. After a failed attempt the retake application appears in your BACB portal within 48 hours, and you must wait 30 days before testing again.
Is this practice exam the same length as the real BCBA exam?
Yes. The mock exam is 185 four-option questions in four hours: 175 scored questions drawn in the official number per domain (25 behavior-change procedures, 24 concepts and principles, 22 ethics and so on) plus 10 unscored questions mixed in. You can skip, flag and return to questions, and you get a percentage for every domain, as on the BACB score report, plus an explanation for every question.
Ready for exam day?
185 questions in 4 hours, drawn in the official number per domain, scored on the 175 that count, with a percentage for every domain and an explanation for every answer.
Or start with a free drillSources
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the BACB’s BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.) and the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (2022). Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). BCBA® and BACB® are registered trademarks of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.