BCBA Practice Exam Free: High-Yield Questions by Task List Domain
- Jamie P
- Sep 15
- 7 min read
You don’t need an expensive course to pressure-test your readiness—the right free practice set, used correctly, can move your score. Below is a domain-by-domain, high-yield practice exam designed around the 2025 Test Content Outline themes (concepts, data/graphs, design, behavior-change procedures, ethics, and supervision/management). Every item is original (not from the BACB) and includes a brief rationale so you can build decision fluency—not just trivia recall.
Use this like a real exam: time yourself, answer decisively, and then debrief with an error log (template included). You’ll also find mini-playbooks for graph reading, ethics triage, and supervision items so you can decode stems faster on test day.
How to Use This Free Practice Exam
Timing: Aim for ~75–90 seconds per item on average.
Pass forecast: If your first-pass score is within ~5–8 points of your target, you’re on pace; focus on why misses happened (reading, reasoning, graph, ethics, math).
Error log (4 fields): Trigger (what baited me), Rule (principle I missed), Cue (reminder for next time), Redo (a cousin item you’ll do in 48–72 hrs).
Graph micro-sequence: Orient → Pattern → Attribution → Action → One-sentence rationale.
Ethics triage (≤2 minutes): Identify client/stakeholders → check consent & competence → pick least-restrictive, function-consistent action that protects dignity & safety → documentable rationale.
Domain 1 — Concepts & Principles (Foundations)
1. A stimulus change follows a response and increases its future probability in similar conditions. Which statement is most accurate? A. It is reinforcement only if tangible items are delivered B. It is reinforcement if response probability increases, regardless of form of consequence C. It is reinforcement only if it decreases response latency D. It is reinforcement only if provided on a fixed schedule
Answer: B. Reinforcement is defined functionally by its effect on future behavior, not by the consequence form or schedule.
2. A child’s manding increases when the iPad is removed from sight and decreases when the iPad is freely available. What is the establishing operation (EO)?
Answer: Restricted access to the iPad. Limited access increases the value of the iPad and evokes mands.
3. A teacher says “touch red,” and the student touches a red card. This best illustrates: A. Motivating operation B. Respondent conditioning C. Stimulus control D. Automatic reinforcement
Answer: C. The SD evokes a response due to a history of reinforcement in its presence.
4. In stimulus equivalence, the emergence of A→C after training A→B and B→C is:
Answer: Transitivity. Untrained relation emerges from trained conditional discriminations.
5. A token board functions as conditioned reinforcement if:
Answer: Tokens have been paired with backup reinforcers and reliably exchangeable.
6. A student’s responding shifts from differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior (DRI) to target behavior reoccurring when the DRI schedule thins. Likely explanation?
Answer: Competing response no longer contacted reinforcement sufficiently; EO for target behavior re-emerged.
7. A loud hallway triggers covering ears even when no noise occurs. This is:
Answer: Stimulus generalization from similar antecedent contexts.
8. Which best describes automatic reinforcement?
Answer: Response produces its own reinforcing stimulation without social mediation (e.g., sensory consequences).
Domain 2 — Measurement, Data Display & Interpretation
9. You must detect brief, discrete bites during feeding sessions. Best measure?
Answer: Event recording (or rate with session length).
10. Team needs to know how long tantrums last.
Answer: Duration per episode.
11. You’re monitoring on-task during 10-minute centers, sampling every 30 seconds, marking occurrence at any time during the interval.
Answer: Partial-interval recording (detects occurrence; may overestimate total duration).
12. IOA for duration data is best calculated as:
Answer: (Shorter duration ÷ Longer duration) × 100 per occurrence, averaged.
13. A graph shows stable baseline, clear level change with intervention, and low variability. What’s the most parsimonious interpretation?
Answer: Intervention produced the change (assuming integrity & confounds addressed).
14. Data trend improves after retraining staff on prompting steps with checklists. What is the most likely mechanism?
Answer: Improved treatment integrity produced better outcomes.
15. Displaying latency to compliance is best shown as:
Answer: Latency graph (or scatterplot if examining temporal patterns across day).
16. You need to visually compare two interventions rapidly while behaviors are reversible and stable across sessions.
Answer: Alternating treatments design (multi-element).
Domain 3 — Experimental Design
17. You must demonstrate control without withdrawing a potentially beneficial intervention.
Answer: Multiple baseline design across behaviors/settings/participants.
18. Baseline shows drift/instability and a strong trend; what’s your first move?
Answer: Stabilize baseline (control variables, check measurement & integrity) before introducing intervention.
19. In an ABAB design, behavior improves but also coincides with a school schedule change. What should you address?
Answer: Potential confound—document and, if possible, stagger phase changes or replicate to separate effects.
20. You need to compare thinning schedules after an effective initial plan. Which design feature helps?
Answer: Parametric analysis within a single-case framework.
21. You suspect the plan works only in one classroom. Which tactic demonstrates generality?
Answer: Probe across settings and common stimuli (or program for generalization) and show replication.
22. Ethical constraint prevents withdrawal; you still want clear effects. Best tactic?
Answer: Multiple probe design or changing criterion if topography allows level shifts.
23. When should you favor reversal despite risks?
Answer: When behavior is reversible, risk is low, and alternative designs cannot demonstrate clear functional relation.
24. Which increases internal validity in multi-element designs?
Answer: Randomize sequence, use distinct discriminative stimuli, ensure rapid alternation with integrity checks.
Domain 4 — Behavior-Change Procedures
25. Function = attention. Best next step?
Answer: Attention extinction (when appropriate) + DRA for appropriate attention-seeking, with caregiver/teacher training.
26. Teaching a chained task where earlier steps are already in repertoire?
Answer: Backward chaining or total-task based on learner variables; backward often yields earlier contact with terminal reinforcer.
27. Fading prompts to maintain independence requires:
Answer: Systematic prompt fading (e.g., most-to-least or time delay) and differential reinforcement for independent responses.
28. A schedule thinning plan after FR1 token reinforcement for appropriate requests may move to:
Answer: VR or FI/VI with DRO/DRA supports, monitoring for ratio strain.
29. Goal is tolerance for delayed reinforcement. What should you add?
Answer: Delay tolerance training (signals, brief alternative reinforcement, gradually increased delays).
30. For severe behavior maintained by escape, an effective approach is:
Answer: Functional communication training (FCT) for break requests, escape extinction where appropriate, plus skill building.
31. Behavior occurs in clinic but not at home.
Answer: Program generalization (train loosely, common stimuli, sequential modification) and coach caregivers.
32. If data show improvement but integrity fluctuates, priority is to:
Answer: Stabilize implementation (BST + performance feedback) before changing procedures.
Related: How to Build a Team
Domain 5 — Ethics & Professionalism
33. A caregiver requests a restrictive procedure for non-dangerous behavior. First step?
Answer: Clarify consent, educate on risks/alternatives, and propose least-restrictive, function-consistent plan, documenting rationale.
34. You discover a colleague’s data were copied between sessions to “save time.” Your obligation?
Answer: Protect client welfare and data integrity: address promptly via appropriate channels, consult policies/ethics code, and document steps.
35. You’re asked to practice outside your competence under time pressure.
Answer: Seek supervision/consult or refer; do not exceed competence.
36. A school asks for reports to include parent names and unrelated student data for “efficiency.”
Answer: Limit PHI to minimum necessary, follow privacy laws/policies, and push back with alternatives.
37. A payer denies hours; admin wants you to inflate severity to win appeal.
Answer: Decline; provide accurate, data-based justification aligned with medical necessity and ethics.
38. You supervise across states via telehealth. What must be ensured?
Answer: Licensure/scope compliance where clients are located, proper telehealth consent, secure platforms, and supervision meeting requirements.
39. Dual relationship risk arises with a family friend referral.
Answer: Disclose conflict, evaluate risks, seek guidance; avoid if it compromises objectivity or client welfare.
40. A teacher repeatedly refuses to implement a safety-critical plan.
Answer: Escalate appropriately (train, support, document; involve leadership as required) to protect client safety and dignity.
Domain 6 — Supervision, Training & Performance Management
41. A new RBT misapplies least-to-most prompting. Best first action?
Answer: BST: model, rehearse, feedback; verify with competency check and scheduled follow-ups.
42. Integrity drops on Fridays during transitions.
Answer: Pinpoint the performance, add environmental supports (checklists, visual cues), brief booster training, and prompted feedback.
43. To build durable skills in staff, emphasize:
Answer: Performance-based feedback, goal setting, public posting (when appropriate), reinforcement, and maintenance probes.
44. Supervision plan for a practicum student should include:
Answer: Observation cadence, meeting frequency, unrestricted activities opportunities, feedback cycle, and evaluation criteria.
45. Data show variability tied to one staff member. Best step?
Answer: Observe that staff member directly, conduct task analysis, provide targeted BST, and monitor with integrity checks.
46. Your team expands to a new site with different resources.
Answer: Assess context, adapt procedures/SOPs, and train with local common stimuli; monitor with staggered probes.
47. How to prevent drift after initial mastery?
Answer: Planned maintenance (scheduled probes), booster training, and reinforcement for integrity over time.
48. You must allocate limited supervision time across four cases.
Answer: Triage by risk & need: prioritize severe behavior/safety, low-integrity cases, and new staff; schedule brief high-frequency observations for stability.
Scoring, Debrief, and What to Do Next
Score this set (48 items). If you’re close to target, keep practicing processes (graph, ethics, supervision) rather than rereading entire chapters.
Debrief by process: label each miss as reading, reasoning, graph, ethics, or math. Fix the why, not just the topic.
Create near-transfer cousins for your top three mistakes and solve them in 48–72 hours.
Schedule two mocks in the next two weeks with full post-mortems.
Mini-Playbook: Error Log You’ll Actually Use
Trigger: “Ignored integrity note,” “Phase line missed,” “Absolute wording bait.”
Rule: “Fix integrity before changes,” “Check attribution at phase lines,” “Least-restrictive first.”
Cue: “Integrity <80% → retrain,” “Phase line? Ask causality,” “Consent check.”
Redo: Write a cousin item using the same rule; solve in two days.
Keep the log to one page so you’ll review it before every practice set.
Mini-Playbook: Heuristics Card
Integrity Before Change.
Function Drives Selection.
Least-Restrictive First.
Generalize on Purpose.
Measurement Fits Behavior.
Consent & Scope Check.
Plan Supervision (BST + Competency).
Graph Read: Orient → Pattern → Attribution → Action → Sentence.
Read the card morning and evening during your final week.
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