Why Was the BCBA Exam Task List Updated?

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) recently announced updates to the BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) exam, with the changes set to take effect in 2025. These updates are part of the BACB's commitment to regularly evaluate and adapt the examination content to align with changes in professional practice and adhere to the standards set by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

One of the key processes involved in this evaluation is the job task analysis (JTA), which helps determine the content that will appear on the exam. Historically, the outcome of the JTA has been referred to as a task list. However, the BACB recognizes the need to reconsider the role of the task list and clarify its purpose.

The development of the 6th editions of the BCBA and BCaBA TCOs involved a rigorous process. It began with a job task analysis in April 2021, overseen by the BACB's psychometricians and involving 24 subject matter experts (SMEs) from diverse backgrounds. The SMEs reviewed the previous task list, conducted content validation surveys, and developed a draft TCO based on their expertise and discussions. The draft TCO was then validated through a content-validation survey distributed to current BCBAs.

The final step in the JTA process was the development of examination specifications, including the distribution of content and the number of questions related to each task. This information is essential for candidates, as well as for assembling exam forms and question writing.

The results of the BCBA JTA, including the finalized TCO and examination blueprint, were reviewed and accepted by the BACB Board of Directors in December 2021.

The primary role of the BCBA and BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst) task lists has always been to clearly communicate examination content to potential applicants. These task lists act as guidelines for individuals preparing for the exam, ensuring that they have the necessary knowledge to practice behavior analysis safely and competently.

Although the task lists are often treated as all-encompassing lists of critical behavior-analytic content, this is not their purpose.  The BACB aims to reaffirm the task lists' primary purpose as an outline of examination content.

To emphasize this point, the new editions of the BCBA and BCaBA task lists will be renamed as test content outlines (TCOs), a term used by other professions for similar documents. This change in terminology clarifies that the TCOs are not university curricula or supervised fieldwork curricula. While the TCO content should be included in most curricula and is useful for supervision activities, they are primarily focused on guiding exam preparation.

In the past, new BCBA and BCaBA examinations were implemented alongside revised certification requirements, resulting in lengthy intervals between new exams. To address this, the BACB has said they will now update the examinations and their respective TCOs independently of changes to certification requirements. This allows for more frequent revisions to the exam content in response to changes in the profession, thanks to the relative stabilization of TCO content and certification requirements.

By providing clear guidelines for exam preparation, the TCOs help maintain the integrity and professionalism of the certification process, ensuring that individuals entering the field are well-prepared and capable of providing high-quality behavior-analytic services.