COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation:

Testing candidates: Check our COVID-19 Update Page to review the health and safety measures in place for testing and find out about any country-specific testing policies.

Appointment availability is limited due to social distancing precautions and varies by location. Please note that our customer service wait-times are also longer than usual right now. For information on rescheduling, refunds, and more, please check out our FAQs.

To schedule, reschedule or cancel an exam:

BACB Certification Testing

BACB Certification Testing

Learn more about testing for Essential Services in the U.S. and Canada during COVID-19. See FAQs »

Learn more about Pearson VUE test delivery during COVID-19.

Please note that if you reside in a country other than the US, Canada or the UK and you are authorized to sit for the examination on January 1, 2021 or later, your authorization will expire on December 31, 2022. Please also note that translated examinations will only be available until the end of 2021. If you still have open authorization after 2021, you will be allowed to schedule the English version of the examination only. A description of how these changes may impact your testing authorization can be found on the Global Certifications page.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board®, Inc. (BACB®) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation established to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, government, and consumers of behavior analysis services.

The BACB’s mission is to develop, promote, and implement a national and international certification program for behavior analyst practitioners.

Online Proctored Testing

The BACB offers live, online, proctored testing for its RBT candidates through Pearson VUE’s online delivery system, OnVUE.

The RBT certification examination can be delivered from almost any location via OnVUE. A live proctor monitors the exam through the webcam on your workstation. Watch the short video on the BACB Online Proctoring page to see how it works. Run the system test and exam simulation before you sign in and register.

Please note that OnVUE is unable to provide candidates with testing accommodations other than adjustable font, color contrast and extra time.

Available Test Centers

In order to view the available sites for your specific exam, please sign into your Pearson VUE account. As you proceed through the scheduling process you will be able to see the sites that are available to deliver your exam.

Announcement

Candidates testing at Pearson Professional Centers are required to store electronic devices, including cell phones inside a plastic bag, that will be sealed and stored in your locker along with any other personal belongings. All electronic devices that are small enough (smart watches, mobile phones, MP3 player, iTouch, iPod, etc.) must be placed in the bag. Bags will be provided by the testing center.

Certification Application

Before scheduling an examination appointment, you must have already:

  1. Applied for your examination through BACB;
  2. Been notified of your eligibility to sit for the examination;
  3. Paid all application fees to BACB.

Please Note: You will need to pay an examination administration fee to Pearson VUE when scheduling your examination.

Acceptable IDs

Admission to the examination site requires candidates to provide two forms of valid identification. Both pieces of identification must show your first and last name exactly as they appear in your BACB account.

Both pieces of identification must have your signature and must be current (i.e., not expired). The primary identification must be government-issued and include both a photo and signature (e.g., a driver’s license or state/national ID). The secondary identification must include a signature but need not include a photo (e.g., a signed credit card with a signature that matches the government-issued identification).

Failure to present two fully valid pieces of identification will prevent your admission to the test center. If this happens, you will be marked absent and you will forfeit the entire examination fee. Also, any name discrepancies will prevent admission to the exam (e.g., providing a nickname in your BACB account, identification that shows a different last name due to marriage). Effective February 1, 2017, Pearson VUE will no longer make exceptions to name discrepancies based on marriage certificates.

Appeals Process

Pearson VUE sites deliver BACB examinations via a web browser. This means there may be Internet bandwidth variances. If candidates encounter bandwidth issues during their examination or experience other examination condition irregularities (e.g., lighting, noise), they may file an appeal with the BACB. Examination content, questions, answers, procedures, deadlines, fees, and requirements may not be appealed.

How to appeal: A written request for appeal must be filed within seven (7) days of taking the examination. To file an appeal, complete the Administrative Appeal Request Form. Appeal decisions are final and may not be further appealed.

Languages

Both the BCBA and BCaBA examinations are offered in (see list below):

  • English
  • Spanish
  • Chinese Simplified
  • Chinese Traditional
  • Hebrew
  • Italian
  • Polish
  • Portuguese-Brazilian
  • Korean
  • Russian

The newest exam, for the Registered Behavior Technician credential, is currently available in English only.

Candidates will be given the opportunity to select their language when making their exam appointment. Note that candidates taking translated examinations can access the English version of each question during the exam.

Computer-Based Testing Demo

The demo presents information on many different kinds of CBT items, not all of which will appear on the BACB examinations. The BACB examinations will consist of basic multiple choice questions; however, some of these will require candidates to open an “exhibit” or “figure” by clicking on a button. We will not be using “hot spot” items or “drag and drop” items in the examinations. View the computer-based testing demo.

Last updated 2020-12-01