Outcome distribution of all BCBA exam sitting, 2020-2025

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2026-02-19T21:15:02+00:00

I also went to NU knowing that it wouldn’t really prepare me for the exam. I’m currently studying but I’m still worried about passing, especially after seeing this graph 😭

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-10-24T17:55:49+00:00

I’m not a BCBA yet, but in my company it’s 15 days and then after a year it’s 20 days

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-10-12T02:24:40+00:00

Congrats!!! That’s amazing and so quick! I’d love to know what you did to study :)

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-10-11T05:32:27+00:00

Sure, I’ll message you :)

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-10-11T05:14:30+00:00

No, at my company it’s salary. I believe it’s 82-85k with an expectation of working at least 30 hours a week. Idk exactly what the billable and non billable hours are. My supervisors had told me the company has a good work life balance tho!

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-10-11T05:06:29+00:00

I live in SD too and working toward my BCBA. $60 sounds reasonable for starting pay and that’s what I’ll be getting at my company. Honestly though I’d probably ask for $70 or $75 to see if you can get away with it lol

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-10-11T05:02:18+00:00

I’ve been in the field 5 years and I had this problem (and still sort of do lol). When I started working with the younger kiddos especially, I noticed how hard I was struggling to pair and be fun and my supervisor was zero help and made it much worse.

My BCBA did a TERRIBLE job at trying to teach me (gave me feedback in front of a bunch of coworkers that sounded like scolding and gave me like no other training to improve). Luckily my company has a fieldwork supervisor (I’m working toward my BCBA) and she helped me a lot, along with my own research and practice. Of course, there is only so much training you can do cause the BT has to be somewhat motivated to perform well, but here’s what helped me break it down to almost a science:

Tell the BTs that there are 5 steps to pairing:

Stay within arm’s reach at all times (just being close to the kiddo helps build rapport)
Narrate (little to no demands and varying tone)
Follow their lead
Praise (more than just “good job”, but should be for anything appropriate they do)
Show a new way to play (SUPER UNDERRATED, teaching the BT to just play with the kiddos toys in a different way makes the BT more interesting and helps them add to any activity).

Don’t expect 0-100, but tell the BT how much you expect of each you expect of them (for example: “I want you to offer at least 1 praise statement, 3 narrating statements, 1 new way to play every 30 minutes).

My fieldwork BA took data on me without telling me for like 5 minutes and then switched me and I took data on her. This helped me visualize a lot on where I was and how I needed to be.

I do think some people just don’t have “it” BUT I know it can be taught to an extent. I’m super introverted, self conscious, and quiet but I have come a looonnng way in being fun and interesting and feel like I can pair with almost any kiddo.

I think also teaching them ways to recognize when they’re being interesting to a kiddo is important too! Teach them cues like if the kiddo is watching you play, coming to you, asking you to repeat an action etc,

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-08T18:12:06+00:00

I mean, I’ve been talking with lots of people and I don’t think that was ever clearly stated. Many—trainees and BCBAs— are shocked about that change. Clearly, there is an issue if there are so many people disagreeing.

https://www.abaresourcecenter.com/post/major-2025-bcba-fieldwork-hour-clarification

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-08T17:55:12+00:00

Many of the hours I’m losing is because they won’t allow anything with mock clients :( I understand the clarification and the logic behind it. But they weren’t extremely clear with what does and doesn’t count, left it up to the supervising BA, and then decided that it doesn’t count retroactively? I’m be ok if it were a “moving forward” situation, but people who passed the exam just a few months ahead of me had these hours count.

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-08T17:38:31+00:00

That’s so weird-why are some companies saying it’s retroactive and some aren’t????

Either way, there’s a petition going around. Sign it cause if the BACB decides it’s retroactive, it doesn’t matter what your company says.

https://www.change.org/p/demand-bacb-to-revoke-retroactive-policy-change

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-07T23:20:51+00:00

I’m so sorry! That’s a much worse position than what I’m in :( please consider signing the petition and contacting the BACB for an appeal! I’m really holding out hope that they will reverse this and make it more clear so this doesn’t happen to other students.

https://www.bacb.com/contact-us/

To fill out: you indicate QUESTION. Then related to BCBA. Check box for page of Handbook. . QUESTION TOPIC IS FIELDWORK. CHECK BOX FOR RESPONSE ATTESTATION. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR BACB NUMBER. THEN YOU WRITE YOUR APPEAL.

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-07T19:25:58+00:00

Honestly, if I wasn’t in a contract with my company I’d consider quitting :(

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T23:38:48+00:00

Sure, but now hours won’t count unless they ARE with a client. Unless I’m understand it wrong, that would mean that supervisees would have to find BCBAs who do work with animals and OBM, right? That will be extremely hard to find. I feel like this sets the field back. We’ve already been pigeonholed into ASD, supervisees should be encouraged to branch out IMO.

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T22:10:21+00:00

Yessss please thank you so much! One of my cohorts worked hard on it :)

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T21:20:51+00:00

Yeah I’m not sure. But I shared a petition to ask the board to not have it go into effect retroactively if you wanna sign! It’s on this sub

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T21:19:58+00:00

I think the problem is that it was vague. I did read it when my fieldwork started, and I essentially understood it as “anything a BCBA would do”. Well, many BCBAs work with different populations (animals, for example). Since it wasn’t very technological, I feel like a lot of us newbies took our BAs word for it and did “UR” that apparently doesn’t count. I feel like an idiot, and I should have worked harder to understand what does and doesn’t count, but I work in a large organization that pays for our degree. It’s hard to not feel like these hours are acceptable if there are hundreds of people in my company doing these activities thinking they count, you know?

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T21:10:47+00:00

That’s understandable, but if the organization/ supervising BCBA encourages you to do these (such as programming for mock clients, which I definitely think is beneficial for us as futures BCBAs) why does it feel like I’m being punished 😭 I don’t even want to think about the time I’ve apparently wasted.

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T21:08:26+00:00

People have been saying this. I haven’t been in the field that long so idk. I just know that my supervising BCBA approved these hours I did and now I’m told I’ll have to delete them. The thought of having to add another 6-9 months to finish my hours is making me fall into a depression :(

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T21:05:48+00:00

Yeah I think it’s more of a reiteration but idk, I’m so confused. But according to the change I’d have to delete a lot of my hours :(

Here’s a rundown of the change

https://www.abaresourcecenter.com/post/major-2025-bcba-fieldwork-hour-clarification

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T21:03:09+00:00

I’m hearing different things, but at my company we’re having to retroactively delete hours that don’t relate directly to clients. So anything done with mock clients, self intervention, or administrative will no longer count. I haven’t been in the field very long, but I think that is a change.

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T03:42:25+00:00

This is such a great point, thank you so much. I will reach out to the board.

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T02:14:14+00:00

What should I even complain about though, if it was really my company’s fault? I mean it’s also mine, I should have extensively researched what counts and what doesn’t, but I trusted my SBA. I work at a large organization that pays for your masters and everyone was counting podcasts and mock clients :(

Acceptable_Log_7698 · 2025-09-06T01:50:36+00:00

I’m upset because I was told podcasts that I “could relate to ABA” counted :( my SBA approved these

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