Obtaining a BCBA certification is a long process that starts when one acquires a master's or
higher degree in a field acceptable by the board and must be from a qualified or approved
institution. The acceptable fields of study by BACB include Psychology, Education, and
Behavior Analysis. However, this is only the first step to BCBA certification as one has to
complete the experience requirements and pass the BCBA examination. This is where the BCBA
task list is essential.
Skills and experience assessment becomes the second step in the BCBA certification process. In
this stage, the supervisor must determine whether the supervisee's skills and expertise are based
on the BCBA task list (Garza et al., 2017). In this step, the supervisor aims to ascertain which
skills the person currently possesses while still determining which ones need to be developed in
the supervision process. Hence it is crucial to acquire the experience and skills in the Task list
items to boost one's performance during the initial assessment. Therefore passing this second
stage is dependent on one's mastery of the Task List Items bringing a person a step closer to
BCBA certification after one passes and obtains the Experience verification forms.
The next step in the BCBA certification is passing the examination. Passing this exam is very
much dependent on the knowledge one has on the BACB'S Fourth Edition Task List. This is
because the exam comprises 150 multiple questions based on the BACB'S Fourth Edition Task
List ("BCBA@ Certification | Step-by-Step Instructions on the Credentialing Process," 2016).
Hence, without acquiring the skills and experience in the entire BACB'S fourth edition task list
items, the board cannot be certified as it would hinder the person from being accepted for the
exam if the person failed the skills assessment process. It can also impede a person's BCBA'S
certification after a person fails the exam as it tests a large part of its questions based on the Task
List items.
References
BCBA Certification | Step-by-Step Instructions on the Credentialing Process. (2016, November
29). How to Become an Applied Behavior Analyst.
https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisedu.org/bcba-certification/
Garza, K. L., McGee, H. M., Schenk, Y. A., & Wiskirchen, R. R. (2017). Some Tools for
Carrying Out a Proposed Process for Supervising Experience Hours for Aspiring Board
Certified Behavior Analysts@. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11(1), 62-70