ABS Kids Competency Ultimate Exam
Question 1. **What does the “A” in the three-term contingency (A-B-C) stand for?**
A) Action
B) Antecedent
C) Aversive stimulus
D) Assessment
Answer: B
Explanation: In the three-term contingency, “A” refers to the antecedent, the event that occurs before
the behavior and cues it.
---
Question 2. **Which of the following is NOT one of the seven dimensions of ABA?**
A) Generalization
B) Effective
C) Predictability
D) Analytic
Answer: C
Explanation: The seven dimensions are Generalization, Effective, Technological, Applied, Conceptually
Systematic, Analytic, and Behavioral. Predictability is not listed.
---
Question 3. **A behavior that occurs to obtain a preferred toy is an example of which function?**
A) Escape
B) Attention
C) Tangible
D) Sensory
Answer: C
, ABS Kids Competency Ultimate Exam
Explanation: When a behavior is performed to gain access to an item or activity, its function is Tangible
(access to a concrete reinforcer).
---
Question 4. **Which measurement system records whether a behavior occurred at any point during a
fixed interval?**
A) Whole-interval recording
B) Partial-interval recording
C) Momentary-time-sampling
D) Permanent-product recording
Answer: B
Explanation: Partial-interval recording marks the interval as “yes” if the behavior happened at least once
during that interval.
---
Question 5. **In Discrete Trial Training, the “prompt hierarchy” is used to:**
A) Determine the order of reinforcement schedules
B) Fade prompts from most intrusive to least intrusive
C) Rank the difficulty of tasks in a chain
D) Measure latency of responses
Answer: B
Explanation: Prompt hierarchy arranges prompts from most to least intrusive so they can be
systematically faded as the learner gains independence.
---
Question 6. **Which of the following best describes “shaping”?**
A) Teaching a response by presenting multiple stimuli simultaneously
, ABS Kids Competency Ultimate Exam
B) Reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behavior
C) Using a token system to deliver reinforcement
D) Recording data only when a behavior is absent
Answer: B
Explanation: Shaping involves reinforcing closer and closer approximations of the desired final behavior.
---
Question 7. **A therapist records the exact moment a child raises his hand at the end of each 10-second
interval. This is an example of:**
A) Whole-interval recording
B) Partial-interval recording
C) Momentary-time-sampling
D) Permanent-product recording
Answer: C
Explanation: Momentary-time-sampling records whether the behavior occurs at the precise moment the
interval ends.
---
Question 8. **Which reinforcement schedule delivers reinforcement after a fixed number of responses?
**
A) Fixed-ratio (FR)
B) Variable-ratio (VR)
C) Fixed-interval (FI)
D) Variable-interval (VI)
Answer: A
Explanation: Fixed-ratio schedules provide reinforcement after a set number of correct responses.
, ABS Kids Competency Ultimate Exam
---
Question 9. **When a child’s problem behavior is reduced by removing the attention that previously
maintained it, the strategy being used is:**
A) DRA (Differential Reinforcement of Alternative behavior)
B) DRO (Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior)
C) Extinction
D) Functional Communication Training (FCT)
Answer: C
Explanation: Extinction involves stopping reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, often
leading to an extinction burst before the behavior declines.
---
Question 10. **In a Preference Assessment using “Multiple Stimulus without Replacement (MSWO)”,
the child is presented with:**
A) One stimulus at a time and allowed to choose any number of times
B) All stimuli simultaneously, and chosen items are removed after selection
C) Two stimuli at a time, with repeated presentations of each pair
D) A single stimulus repeatedly until the child stops responding
Answer: B
Explanation: MSWO presents all items together; after a selection, the chosen item is not replaced,
allowing ranking of preferences.
---
Question 11. **Which of the following is a characteristic of “automatic” (sensory) reinforcement?**
A) The behavior is maintained by external social attention
B) The behavior is performed to avoid a demand
C) The behavior produces internal sensory stimulation
Question 1. **What does the “A” in the three-term contingency (A-B-C) stand for?**
A) Action
B) Antecedent
C) Aversive stimulus
D) Assessment
Answer: B
Explanation: In the three-term contingency, “A” refers to the antecedent, the event that occurs before
the behavior and cues it.
---
Question 2. **Which of the following is NOT one of the seven dimensions of ABA?**
A) Generalization
B) Effective
C) Predictability
D) Analytic
Answer: C
Explanation: The seven dimensions are Generalization, Effective, Technological, Applied, Conceptually
Systematic, Analytic, and Behavioral. Predictability is not listed.
---
Question 3. **A behavior that occurs to obtain a preferred toy is an example of which function?**
A) Escape
B) Attention
C) Tangible
D) Sensory
Answer: C
, ABS Kids Competency Ultimate Exam
Explanation: When a behavior is performed to gain access to an item or activity, its function is Tangible
(access to a concrete reinforcer).
---
Question 4. **Which measurement system records whether a behavior occurred at any point during a
fixed interval?**
A) Whole-interval recording
B) Partial-interval recording
C) Momentary-time-sampling
D) Permanent-product recording
Answer: B
Explanation: Partial-interval recording marks the interval as “yes” if the behavior happened at least once
during that interval.
---
Question 5. **In Discrete Trial Training, the “prompt hierarchy” is used to:**
A) Determine the order of reinforcement schedules
B) Fade prompts from most intrusive to least intrusive
C) Rank the difficulty of tasks in a chain
D) Measure latency of responses
Answer: B
Explanation: Prompt hierarchy arranges prompts from most to least intrusive so they can be
systematically faded as the learner gains independence.
---
Question 6. **Which of the following best describes “shaping”?**
A) Teaching a response by presenting multiple stimuli simultaneously
, ABS Kids Competency Ultimate Exam
B) Reinforcing successive approximations toward a target behavior
C) Using a token system to deliver reinforcement
D) Recording data only when a behavior is absent
Answer: B
Explanation: Shaping involves reinforcing closer and closer approximations of the desired final behavior.
---
Question 7. **A therapist records the exact moment a child raises his hand at the end of each 10-second
interval. This is an example of:**
A) Whole-interval recording
B) Partial-interval recording
C) Momentary-time-sampling
D) Permanent-product recording
Answer: C
Explanation: Momentary-time-sampling records whether the behavior occurs at the precise moment the
interval ends.
---
Question 8. **Which reinforcement schedule delivers reinforcement after a fixed number of responses?
**
A) Fixed-ratio (FR)
B) Variable-ratio (VR)
C) Fixed-interval (FI)
D) Variable-interval (VI)
Answer: A
Explanation: Fixed-ratio schedules provide reinforcement after a set number of correct responses.
, ABS Kids Competency Ultimate Exam
---
Question 9. **When a child’s problem behavior is reduced by removing the attention that previously
maintained it, the strategy being used is:**
A) DRA (Differential Reinforcement of Alternative behavior)
B) DRO (Differential Reinforcement of Other behavior)
C) Extinction
D) Functional Communication Training (FCT)
Answer: C
Explanation: Extinction involves stopping reinforcement for a previously reinforced behavior, often
leading to an extinction burst before the behavior declines.
---
Question 10. **In a Preference Assessment using “Multiple Stimulus without Replacement (MSWO)”,
the child is presented with:**
A) One stimulus at a time and allowed to choose any number of times
B) All stimuli simultaneously, and chosen items are removed after selection
C) Two stimuli at a time, with repeated presentations of each pair
D) A single stimulus repeatedly until the child stops responding
Answer: B
Explanation: MSWO presents all items together; after a selection, the chosen item is not replaced,
allowing ranking of preferences.
---
Question 11. **Which of the following is a characteristic of “automatic” (sensory) reinforcement?**
A) The behavior is maintained by external social attention
B) The behavior is performed to avoid a demand
C) The behavior produces internal sensory stimulation
