BCBA Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation Practice Questions
Domain C of the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.) · 21 of the 175 scored questions (12%)
185 questions across all nine domains in 4 hours, with a score for measurement so you know where you stand.
Free measurement drillA clinic director must choose between two staff-training packages for running a token economy. Both produce the same final accuracy in staff performance. Which efficiency measure is most useful for choosing between them?
Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation on the BCBA
Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation is 21 of the 175 scored questions. It covers how behavior analysts define, record and check their data, and how they graph and read it. Expect calculations: interobserver agreement, rate and percentage, and questions about which measurement system overestimates or underestimates behavior.
- Share of the exam
- 21 of 175 scored questions (12%) on every exam form
- Outline tasks
- 12 (C.1 to C.12)
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 64 measurement questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What measurement questions test
- Operational definitions and direct, indirect and product measures (tasks C.1–C.2)
- Measuring occurrence (count, rate, percentage, trials to criterion) and temporal dimensions (duration, latency, interresponse time) (tasks C.3–C.4)
- Continuous versus discontinuous measurement: partial-interval, whole-interval and momentary time sampling, and the bias each one carries (tasks C.5–C.6)
- Efficiency measures such as trials to criterion, cost-benefit analysis and training duration (task C.7)
- Validity, accuracy and reliability of measurement, and interobserver agreement methods (task C.8)
- Choosing a measurement procedure that fits the critical dimension of the behavior and the setting (task C.9)
- Equal-interval line graphs, bar graphs and cumulative records, and reading level, trend and variability (tasks C.10–C.11)
- Measuring procedural integrity, including accuracy and dosage (task C.12)
Sit the full exam under the real clock
185 questions across all nine domains in 4 hours, with a score for measurement so you know where you stand.
Free measurement drillHow to study it
- Do the IOA formulas until they are automatic: total count, mean count-per-interval, exact count-per-interval, trial-by-trial, interval-by-interval, scored-interval and unscored-interval.
- Remember the bias rule: partial-interval recording overestimates, whole-interval recording underestimates, and momentary time sampling can go either way.
- Match the measure to the question. If the problem is how long a tantrum lasts, count is the wrong measure no matter how reliable it is.
- On a cumulative record, the slope is the rate and a flat line means no responding. Read one before the exam.
Common questions
Is there math on the BCBA exam?
Yes, but it is simple arithmetic: interobserver agreement percentages, rate per minute, percentage correct and duration totals. No calculator, scratch paper or ruler is allowed in the testing room, so practice doing these calculations in your head.
Which IOA method should I use for interval data?
Interval-by-interval IOA is the general method. Scored-interval IOA is more conservative when the behavior occurs at low rates, and unscored-interval IOA is more conservative when it occurs at high rates, because each removes the intervals where agreement is easy by chance.
185 questions across all nine domains in 4 hours, with a score for measurement so you know where you stand.
Free measurement drillThe other BCBA domains
Sources
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.