The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) is the nonprofit organization responsible for:
- Setting certification eligibility requirements and standards for ABA professionals
- Maintaining and updating certification requirements and standards through task lists, among others
On that note, what is the BACB Task List? It’s a critical tool for aspiring behavior analysts preparing for their certification exams.
Why? Because it’s a comprehensive guide on ABA competencies. With it, you’ll learn:
- What you’ll be tested on in the certification exam
- What you must have in knowledge and skills as a behavioral analyst
Indeed, if you want to pass your certification exam, read the task list first. Here, we’ll discuss its definition, content, and structure. Then, we’ll integrate it into other BACB exam preparation tips.
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What Is the BACB Task List?
The BACB Task List is the official document published outlining the core competencies:
- Covered in the Verified Course Sequence (VCS) for aspiring BCaBAs and BCBA
- Tested in the respective certification exams for BCaBA and BCBA candidates
The BACB certification exam guide is different for BCaBA and BCBA candidates. But the task lists share most content areas.
Note, too, that the RBTs have a separate RBT Task list. Also, the BACB Task List is now known as Test Content Outlines in recent editions.
The BACB publishes the Task List on its official website and in newsletters. The BACB Task List 5th Edition became effective on January 1, 2022. The 6th Edition Test Content Outline took effect on January 1, 2025.
The BACB Task List explained above also covers theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The combination is a must to practice behavior analysis ethically and effectively.
Structure of the Task List
The BACB Task List has clearly defined behavior analyst exam competencies. The clear definitions aid candidates in preparing for the exam, among other purposes.
Content Areas
The content areas cover both theory and practice. The theory provides a strong foundation for the practice to adhere to BACB standards.
- Foundations: The Foundations section covers ABA’s historical, philosophical, and conceptual foundations. Radical behaviorism, selectionism, and determinism are examples.
- Concepts and Principles: The Concepts and Principles section covers ABA’s basic building blocks. Gain an in-depth understanding of these concepts and analyze a client’s behavior, and develop effective interventions:
- Reinforcement
- Stimulus control
- Punishment
- Motivating operations
- Extinction
- Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation: Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation are crucial to effective interventions. This section focuses on behavioral data and how to:
- Collect
- Graph
- Analyze
- Experimental Design: The Experimental Design section covers the structure and interpretation of research. It is an important section because of its impact on behavior change. With it, you can create BIPs based on scientifically valid evidence. Candidates must learn how to:
- Identify critical variables
- Choose the right designs
- Assess internal and external validity
- Ethics: It is a section that covers the BACB’s ethical guidelines and their practical applications. Topics include core principles, risks and consequences, and cultural humility. Ethical competence is a must because it does the following:
- Protect client welfare through the delivery of quality and client-centered interventions.
- Maintain professional integrity and, thus, promote public trust.
- Behavior Change Procedures: In this section, candidates show their ability to develop BIPs for diverse clients across different settings. Topics include:
- Prompting
- Chaining
- Shaping
- Selecting and Implementing Interventions: In this section, candidates highlight their ability to achieve lasting behavior change for their clients. It focuses on:
- Making the right choices in intervention strategies
- Using data for decision-making purposes
- Ongoing assessment to determine BIP effectiveness
- Personnel Supervision: The Personnel Supervision section acknowledges the fact that BCBAs supervise BCaBAs and RBTs. Candidates must show the skills to train, support, and assess supervisees.
Number of Tasks
The best BACB Task List study resources cover the 100 task statements. Again, the tasks reflect the competencies expected on the certification exams.
How the Task List Connects to the BACB Exam
Gaining an in-depth understanding of the Task List is among the best ways of preparing for the BACB exam. Here are the reasons why.
The task list is the blueprint for the BCBA and BCaBA exams.
The structure and content of the exams and the Task List are directly aligned. Every BACB certification exam guide recommends reading the Task List first.
The exam questions are derived directly from task list items.
Every question on the exam is covered in the Task List. So, the more you master the Task List, the higher the probability of correct answers.
It emphasizes applied knowledge, not just memorization.
Rote recall has its merits. But the exams demand both conceptual and practical understanding of ABA.
Understanding each task area is essential for passing the exam on the first attempt.
About 60% of candidates pass the certification exams on their first attempt. This means 40% retake the exam. So, it’s vital to prepare well for the exam (i.e., no skipping and skimming).
Why the Task List Matters for Exam Preparation
Do you want to know how to study for the BCBA exam and succeed at it? Use the Task List as a strategy – use it as a study guide and checklist in one.
It organizes your study plan and ensures all competencies are reviewed.
The Task List has a clearly defined outline for all the topics that you must know. You can then create a study plan based on its structure and, thus, avoid overlooking any area.
It helps identify strengths and weaknesses early in your exam preparation.
As you work through the Task List, you’ll identify your strengths and weaknesses. Your early assessment can help you focus on your weaknesses.
It encourages focused studying and prevents wasting time on irrelevant material.
You’re studying exactly what you need to study. As such, you’re more focused instead of wasting your study time.
It aligns with Verified Course Sequence (VCS) objectives from ABA programs.
The best ABA programs use the Task List and VCS to design their curriculum. So, your review time is an extension of your ABA training time.
Of course, you should still take heed of BACB exam preparation tips, as described below.
Using the Task List Effectively: Study Tips and Strategies
Here are effective tips on how to study for the BCBA exam and pass it:
- Break it down by section. Do the following:
- Set weekly goals to master at least one – or two, if you can, section at a time.
- Create study guides, flashcards, or visual mind maps for every task.
- Apply real-world examples. The applied behavior analysis exam content isn’t only about concepts – it’s about practice, too.
- Relate tasks to case studies or your fieldwork experiences.
- Practicing application helps with scenario-based questions.
- Use BACB-approved study tools. Go directly to the source and you’ll maximize your study time.
- Use practice exams and prep guides (e.g., Pass the Big ABA Exam, ABA Wizard app).
- Review materials from VCS-aligned institutions or official BACB Task List study resources.
- Conduct group study and mock testing. Learning with a group and testing your exam skills boost your chances, too.
- Discuss complex topics with peers or mentors.
- Take timed quizzes to simulate test conditions.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using the Task List
Don’t beat yourself if you make mistakes while preparing for the BACB exam. Just learn from them and move on. Better yet, take note of these mistakes so you can avoid making them.
- Treating it like a checklist rather than a learning framework.
- Skipping conceptual foundations or ethical components.
- Overlooking field application in favor of pure theory.
- Not aligning study resources directly to the task list.
As the BACB Task List explained above shows, it’s a powerful study tool. But it’s so easy to misuse it, too. The best way to use it to your advantage is to avoid these mistakes.
How the Task List Evolves: Staying Updated
You must stay on top of updated BACB standards, too, because of their impact on your practice.
- BACB updates the task list periodically based on field needs and feedback. The BACB Task List isn’t a static document. Instead, it’s updated based on practitioner and client feedback, among others.
- Always use the most current version available on the BACB website. Avoid relying on outdated versions in your exam preparation. Otherwise, you’ll miss topics or lose focus on the covered topics.
- Follow BACB announcements for future shifts. The BACB Task List 5th edition won’t be in use anymore. So, it’s important to keep tabs on the 6th Edition as it’s the one in use for current and future exams.
Conclusion
So, what is the BACB Task List? Think of it as your roadmap to passing the certification exam, among other purposes.
Use it as a central part of your study strategy, as it clearly outlines what you must learn in the behavior analyst exam competencies. Doing so means you can prepare for the exam more efficiently and confidently.
Keep these BACB exam preparation tips in mind, too. Start early, use trusted tools, and approach each domain as a stepping stone to mastery.
