Brian Kaminski, MA, BCBA

*Disclaimer: This article is not affiliated with the BACB® and all statements are solely based on the author’s opinion.

 

The BCBA exam.

Following rigorous coursework completion and hundreds of hours of fieldwork experience, “The Exam” remains the last remaining hurdle along a behavior analyst’s path to board certification. Success, however, is not guaranteed.

Results posted by the BACB® list the First Time Passing Rate in 2018 at 65%, with Retake Passing Rate dropping to 28%

For recent graduates, the strategy is not simply to pass, but to pass on the first attempt.

It is not surprising then that one of the most burning questions a student of behavior analysis will ask their supervisor is,“What did you do to prepare for the exam?”

That was certainly my case during graduate school, and I would jump at any opportunity to get a new perspective or insight from a senior BCBA at my company.

While some common themes did emerge (“Start studying now!”), advice was otherwise fairly variable, ranging from the amount of time spent studying to the exact study tools used in preparation.

While the differential pass rate would have provided sufficient motivation for my own studying, I was also fueled by a rather seismic life-event:

A week before graduation I had become a new father… of twins.

I was keenly aware that my life was only going to become more, not less, chaotic in the months to follow graduation.

I felt that my best chance at success would be to go all in and take the exam as soon as possible – and that’s exactly what I did.

Two months after graduation, I walked into a Pearson Testing Center for four adrenaline soaked hours, and walked out dazed, confused, and relieved.

My emotions in the weeks to follow would swing from total confidence to complete second-guessing, while I filled my time with countless distractions to keep my mind off the results (in between refreshing my email).

Then on March 22nd at 8:37 pm, I received the very email I was both longing for and dreading:

Subject Line: BACB Examination Results

As I clicked “open,” a million thoughts raced through my mind – this was it! As I strained to refocus my gaze upon the text, I will never forget the feeling I had when I came to my results:

I passed.

A time of critical need

As the field of behavior analysis continuously evolves with the number of exam applicants growing each year, there has never been a time of greater need for systematic training systems and exam preparation tools.

Put simply, the world desperately needs more BCBA’s to help address issues of massive social significance – and that is contingent upon more positive exam results.

For that reason, I would like to share my own experience which allowed me to pass “The Exam,” in hopes that it may inform, challenge, and motivate perspective test-takers.

While my experience may not be universally applicable for all, my hope is it that might provide at least one new insight to BCBA hopefuls.

I also cannot offer a “silver bullet” or “one-size-fits-all” approach guaranteeing certification, but I can share the resources I utilized, strategies I applied, and additional factors for consideration.

Let’s get started.

Study Resources

For some soon-to-be test takers, you may have jumped straight to this section, thinking to yourself, “Where do I start?!”

I would first like to say that while I used a number of study tools (an “intervention package” you could say), it would be impossible for me to attribute my success to any one in particular – they all provided value and assisted with learning to some degree.

However, I would like to share some key considerations for each tool I used, including core features and price.

The following list entails the resources I personally used to study for “The Exam” (ranked in no particular order).

1. StudyABA.com

Cost: Multiple exam bundle deals, with Timed Mock Exams starting at $25

For those test-takers in the market for “mock exams” to hone their craft and assess their knowledge, StudyABA.com offers some of the finest I’ve come across.

In addition to mock-exams, the site also offers Task List focused “content” quizzes across a wide variety of packages to fit your budget.

I personally used the Platinum Exam Prep Package which at the time included:

• Two Full-Length Mock Exams (with Pre-Test and Post-Test)
• 11 Content Area Quizzes

Each Full-Length Mock Exam can be taken twice, allowing you to establish baseline scores to track your progress, with explanations provided for each answer in the Post-Test.

Recent changes at StudyABA.com have expanded the Platinum Package to now include four Full-Length Mock Exams and all 11 Content Area Quizzes, equating to over 900+ total questions.

Other factors I especially liked about the site include:

Strengths:

Exam Structure & Validity

I was first introduced to StudyABA.com by a friend who recently passed the Exam and who raved about the results produced by the site. They have some pretty impressive data to support their product:

Over 13,000 people have taken Mock Exams, with 99.7% of those people who passed our Version-A and Version-B Mock Exams passing the real certification exam. 

(Data last updated in March, 2019)

While ethically I cannot comment on the actual questions of the Exam, I can say that the practice questions on StudyABA.com were qualitatively rich and far-reaching in scope of Task List concepts.

Additionally, the fact that the practice test is offered under similar testing conditions as the Exam (e.g. computer-based, 4-hour time limit, 160 questions), produced a feeling of confidence with repeated practice.

When I was studying for the exam, I would strategically space out the 4 practice exams provided in the Platinum Exam package several weeks apart and apply the feedback provided in each subsequent test to tailor my study sessions.

While there are many different ways to study for the Exam, I highly encourage the use of practice exams to identify areas for improvement, and StudyABA.com has data-driven results which support their validity.

Sound Preparation and Testing Advice

One feature that I really appreciated about StudyABA.com was the “Exam Advice” section on their site which provided sound practical tips for the weeks and hours leading up to the exam.

I personally utilized the strategies and tips which put me at ease in the final moments leading up the Exam – I highly encourage you to give it a read!

Money Back Guarantee 

Like BDS, StudyABA.com offers users the confidence of a money back guarantee:

“We are so confident in our test prep materials, that we offer a Money Back Guarantee!  In order to receive this full purchase refund, you must pass our exams before failing the real certification exam.  However, if you do not pass our exams and also do not pass the real certification exam, you can retake our exams for free!  This Money Back Guarantee is available for our Platinum and Gold Exam Prep Packages ONLY”.

Limitation:

(Currently) “Assessment Tool” Only

At the time of my testing cycle (February 2019), I would describe StudyABA.com as a site which offered comprehensive “assessment tools,” which were evaluations used to assess current levels of understanding.

Assessment tools are incredibly valuable – just as a behavior analyst uses assessment tools like the VB-MAPP or ABLLS to identify skill deficits to guide an intervention, students must determine where their knowledge gaps exist in order to inform their studies.

However, one should not solely rely on an assessment tool as their only source of preparation – they must then go one step further and look to primary sources to dig deep and refine areas in need of improvement.

When I used StudyABA.com (as was the case with BDS), it provided great “assessment” capabilities, but fell short of the “intervention” functionality.

However, StudyABA.com, is currently in the development phases of “a 200+ page study guide designed to help you become more knowledgeable in applied behavior analysis and will help you study for the big exam – includes definitions, charts, graphics, examples, and explanations to help you grasp the concepts within applied behavior analysis.”

Following this impressive addition, the site will look to offer an effective “one-two punch” to set prospective test-takers up for success!

 2. BDS Modules

Cost: Pricing ranging from $299-$639 depending on license length (See full pricing details)

Most students of behavior analysis have either heard of or personally used the Behavior Development Solutions (BDS) model, and for good reason. Since 1998, BDS has offered a well-established instructional platform for behavior analysts in training.

I started using BDS about half-way through my Master’s program to target the content I learned in previous semesters (e.g. After taking “Research Methods,” I would review modules on Task List “Section B – Experimental Design” within BDS).  Based on my experience, other factors worth considering include:

Strengths:

Extensive content library

Of all of the study tools I used for the exam, BDS had certainly the most robust content offering, with over 193 modules derived from the BACB Task List.  Each module would contain around 10-25 focused multiple-choice questions surrounding each Task List item. Most importantly, specific feedback, including text citations from primary sources, were provided following an incorrect response or “hint” request during Acquisition modules.  Such feedback was incredibly valuable if it became clear that I needed to do additional reading on a particular concept.

Data tracking

Another feature I appreciated about BDS was the ability to generate and send custom reports on your progress with each module. This lends itself perfectly to performance management systems and for a few semesters, I would actually email my weekly results to my supervisor for an additional level of accountability.

“Money Back Guarantee“

In spite of the hefty price tag, one feature which may attract users is the ability to qualify for a money-back guarantee if you do not pass the exam despite using the product.  See site for complete details.

Limitations:

Price

There is no getting around this point – BDS is expensive.

For some, the price tag might be enough to deter them from using the platform altogether.

For others, the cost might actually serve as a source of motivation, using the “gym membership mentality,” with the logic of, “Well, if I am already paying this much money, it will force me to have to use it.”

This ultimately comes down to individual preference and what you are looking for out of a study product. If you are simply looking for a few strategically placed practice exams to gauge your exam readiness, I would encourage you to continue reading!

Fluency Considerations 

Modules within BDS fall under two general categories: Acquisition and Fluency.

Acquisition modules must be completed within 60 minutes. Fluency modules, on the other hand, must be completed in a significantly shorter period of time (ranging anywhere from 3-7 minutes depending on the number of questions). While questions and possible answers are randomized between attempts, the content remains the same between Acquisition and Fluency modules (at least this was the case when I used the product).

Now, a few comments on fluency training in general:

First, I would like to recognize that fluency training holds great value. The ability to respond correctly and efficiently is a vital skill we utilize every day, with important health and safety implications (E.g. “Correctly” responding to the red light in front of you while driving) and a wide range of applications across other areas of our daily lives.

Many behavior analysts even incorporate fluency training into their work with clients (e.g. Consider a timed test in math where a student attempts to produce the most correct answers in one minute), with growing empirical support for fluency-based strategies like Precision Teaching (PT).

Under certain contexts, fluency training is even appropriate for the review of some behavior analytic concepts, such as terms and definitions.

All of that said, I would urge a degree of caution in the manner in which BDS Fluency modules are completed for at least two reasons:

First, I would assert that “exam taking behavior” is far more nuanced and requires far more fine-tuned discriminations than other traditional applications. During the actual exam, several possible answers will appear “right” which requires you to weigh multiple contextual and ethical factors against one another to arrive at the “best” possible solution.

The trapping here is that Fluency and Acquisition modules within BDS are essentially the same. Therefore, users run the risk of “skimming” a question in search of one “key word” in a correct answer while failing to master the overall concept.

While BDS provides explicit instructions in its “Strategies for Success” section to prevent such “faulty stimulus control” (e.g. advising users to rotate between 3-4 modules and not taking the same fluency module repeatedly or directly following its corresponding Acquisition module) the manner in which its “module completion” contingency is designed (requiring a 100% to complete the unit) may inadvertently engineer this “suboptimal test-taking behavior” if used improperly.

Secondly, it should be noted that the time constraints produced by the Fluency sections is not reflective of the time allocation one encounters during the actual BCBA exam.

For example, the BCBA exam consists of 160 questions which test-takers have up to 4 hours to complete.

4 hours = 240 minutes = 14,400 seconds = 90 seconds per question

A typical BDS Fluency section, however, might consist of 20 questions which must be completed in 5 minutes.

5 minutes = 300 seconds = 15 seconds per question 

Overall, my experience and that shared by many colleagues, is that one has more than sufficient time to complete “The Exam” within the 4 hour time frame provided.

While fluency training is important, I would argue that thoroughly reading and cautiously selecting each question is far more important.  “Test taking behavior” is a skill, and as such should be practiced repeatedly in such a manner that matches the testing environment – slowly, with precision, every time.

To be continued …

 

Check back in for Part 2 for:

– Additional study tool reviews

– Suggested reading

– An answer to the frequently asked question, “How much did you study?”

– and my “3 greatest assets to passing ‘The Exam!’”