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Quizzes > Health & Medicine > Psychology & Mental Health

Free BCBA Practice Exam - Test Your BCBA Knowledge

Ready for a free mock exam? Try our BCBA practice test now!

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Cara BoyerUpdated Aug 28, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for BCBA practice exam quiz on a dark blue background

The Free BCBA Practice Exam helps you practice exam-style ABA questions and spot gaps before test day. Work through a realistic mock with instant feedback, then keep going with more practice questions or review core ideas in the ABA skills quiz .

In applied behavior analysis, which dimension of behavior is best measured when you need the time between the end of one response and the start of the next?
Rate
Latency
Interresponse time (IRT)
Duration
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A motivating operation that increases the effectiveness of a reinforcer and evokes behavior is best described as which of the following?
Abolishing operation (AO)
Conditioned stimulus (CS)
Discriminative stimulus (SD)
Establishing operation (EO)
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Discrete-trial teaching typically includes which sequence of components?
SD, consequence, prompt, learner response, intertrial interval
SD, prompt as needed, learner response, consequence, intertrial interval
Prompt, SD, consequence, learner response, intertrial interval
Intertrial interval, learner response, SD, consequence, prompt
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Which differential reinforcement procedure reinforces a functionally equivalent appropriate behavior while placing the problem behavior on extinction?
DRL
DRI
DRA
DRO
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Which graphing element best communicates the immediate effect of an intervention introduced mid-session?
Connecting data points across phases
Removing outliers to reduce variability
Using multiple y-axes in one panel
A clear phase change line
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Which schedule of reinforcement produces a high, steady rate of responding without postreinforcement pauses?
Variable interval
Variable ratio
Fixed ratio
Fixed interval
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You want to reduce hand-raising from 30 times per hour to a more appropriate level while keeping the behavior in the repertoire. Which procedure is most appropriate?
DRL
DRO
DRH
Punishment by removal
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Which method is best for assessing treatment integrity across sessions?
Monitor client outcomes only
Increase reinforcement for staff
Use a fidelity checklist and calculate percent correct implementation
Ask staff for self-reports of adherence
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In multiple baseline designs, experimental control is demonstrated by which pattern?
Staggered behavior change only when the intervention is introduced across tiers
Immediate generalization across untreated tiers
Simultaneous behavior change across all tiers before intervention
Cyclical changes in behavior regardless of phase
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When graphing rate, which axis scaling choice most appropriately preserves visual analysis of trend and variability?
Use a logarithmic x-axis and linear y-axis
Use a consistent, equal-interval y-axis with ranges that include all data points
Omit outliers to stabilize the line
Adjust the y-axis each session to maximize slope
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Which IOA method is most appropriate for rate data collected by two observers using event recording over the same session?
Trial-by-trial IOA
Unscored-interval IOA
Scored-interval IOA
Total count IOA
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A BCBA suspects escape-maintained aggression. Which antecedent strategy directly addresses the motivation to escape while preserving instructional demands?
Timeout after each aggression instance
High-probability request sequence before low-probability demands
Response blocking until compliance occurs
Overcorrection for task refusal
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Which statement best characterizes a behavior cusp?
A behavior that is topographically complex and requires chaining
A behavior that is socially reinforced by peers
A behavior that is resistant to extinction
A behavior that opens the person to new environments, reinforcers, or contingencies
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In stimulus equivalence testing, which emergent relation demonstrates transitivity?
Training A-B and testing B-A
Training B-C and testing C-B
Training A-C and testing A-A
Training A-B and B-C, then testing A-C without direct training
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Which design feature most strengthens internal validity in a reversal (ABAB) design when ethical to implement?
Increasing session length across phases
Adding more dependent variables
Replication of effect across at least two reversals
Using a changing criterion within the A phase
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Which is the strongest form of preference assessment for demonstrating reinforcer effectiveness?
Direct reinforcer assessment via concurrent-operants arrangement
MSWO preference ranking
Caregiver interview
Single-stimulus approach
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When measuring severe, low-frequency behavior across long sessions, which measure is most sensitive and appropriate?
Rate per unit time using exact count of occurrences
Partial-interval recording
Percentage of occurrence
Whole-interval recording
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In designing a functional analysis for multiply controlled behavior, which tactic helps isolate distinct functions efficiently?
Rely exclusively on indirect assessment results
Use only an alone condition and compare to play
Alternate extinction and punishment rapidly within test sessions
Trial-based functional analysis with synthesized test conditions as indicated by assessment
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Which strategy best supports maintenance and generalization of a newly taught skill after mastery in 1:1 instruction?
Program common stimuli and thin reinforcement to natural schedules across settings and people
Switch to DRO to reduce errors
Continue massed trials with dense reinforcement in the training setting
Introduce punishment for errors in novel settings
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Which is the most appropriate approach when caregiver treatment integrity is low despite training?
Remove caregivers from all sessions
Implement performance-based feedback with goal setting and ongoing coaching
Switch to an untested intervention
Increase response cost for the client
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand the BCBA Exam Structure -

    Gain clarity on the format and content areas of the BCBA practice exam, including question types and scoring mechanics.

  2. Analyze Sample BCBA Exam Questions -

    Break down real-world-style questions to identify key concepts and improve your test-taking strategies.

  3. Apply ABA Principles to Mock Scenarios -

    Use core Applied Behavior Analysis theories to solve practice problems and reinforce critical thinking.

  4. Evaluate Personal Performance -

    Review your scored responses to pinpoint strengths and target areas for improvement.

  5. Develop a Targeted Study Plan -

    Create a focused revision strategy based on your mock exam results to boost your readiness for the BCBA test.

Cheat Sheet

  1. A-B-C Data Collection Mastery -

    Accurately collecting Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence data allows you to pinpoint environmental triggers and reinforce desired behaviors systematically. For example, note what happens right before and after the target behavior - Antecedent (e.g., request to share a toy), Behavior (child shares), Consequence (verbal praise). Use the mnemonic "ABC Always Brings Clarity" from BACB guidelines to cement the sequence in your memory.

  2. Understanding Schedules of Reinforcement -

    Knowing fixed and variable schedules (FR, VR, FI, VI) is crucial for your bcba practice exam as each yields distinct response patterns. For instance, a VR-5 schedule (variable ratio averaging five responses) produces high, steady rates of behavior, whereas FI-30 (fixed interval 30 seconds) often generates scalloped responding. Remember "FRuits are Fixed, VInes are Variable" to recall the difference between fixed and variable schedules.

  3. Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) Process -

    Master each step of the FBA - indirect assessment, direct observation, hypothesis development, and functional analysis - following BACB standards. Identify the four main functions (Attention, Escape, Tangible, Sensory), often learned with the mnemonic "A.E.T.S.", to classify behavior. Solid FBA skills will help you tackle sample BCBA exam questions on function-based interventions.

  4. Chaining and Task Analysis Techniques -

    Break complex skills into discrete steps using task analysis and select forward or backward chaining based on learner needs. Forward chaining teaches steps in natural order, while backward chaining capitalizes on completing the final, reinforcing step first. Citing University of Kansas research, pairing chaining with prompt fading enhances mastery and generalization.

  5. Measurement, Graphing, and IOA Calculations -

    Accurate data measurement (rate, duration, latency) and clear graphs are essential in both the free BCBA mock exam and real-world practice. Compute interobserver agreement (IOA) with the formula: (smaller count ÷ larger count) × 100 to ensure reliability in your observations. Visual inspection of trend, level, and variability on a line graph is often tested in BCBA test questions for single-subject research design.

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