TEXAS BEHAVIORAL ANALYST
CERTIFICATION EXAM ACTUAL 2026
VERIFIED QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
COMPREHENSIVE & RATIONALE|INSTANT
DOWNLOAD
1. A behavior analyst is conducting a functional behavior assessment
(FBA) for a child who engages in severe aggression during
academic tasks. The aggression consistently occurs after difficult
instructions are presented and immediately results in task removal.
Which behavioral function is most strongly supported by these
observations?
A. Automatic reinforcement
B. Attention seeking
C. Escape from demands
D. Access to tangibles
Answer: C. Escape from demands
Rationale: The antecedent (presentation of difficult academic tasks) and
consequence (removal of demands following aggression) strongly
indicate negative reinforcement in the form of escape. Functional
assessments identify environmental variables maintaining behavior, and
repeated escape following aggression demonstrates an escape-
maintained function.
2. Which measurement system records whether a behavior occurred
at any time during a specified interval?
A. Whole-interval recording
B. Partial-interval recording
1
,C. Momentary time sampling
D. Frequency recording
Answer: B. Partial-interval recording
Rationale: Partial-interval recording scores the interval if the behavior
occurs at any point during the interval. This method tends to
overestimate behavior duration but is useful for behaviors that occur
frequently or at high rates.
3. A behavior analyst reinforces successive approximations toward
independent tooth brushing. This intervention is best described as:
A. Chaining
B. Prompt fading
C. Shaping
D. Modeling
Answer: C. Shaping
Rationale: Shaping involves reinforcing behaviors that progressively
resemble the target behavior until the terminal response is achieved.
Unlike chaining, shaping develops new behaviors rather than linking
existing ones.
4. Which schedule of reinforcement generally produces the highest
and most consistent response rates while demonstrating strong
resistance to extinction?
A. Fixed Ratio
B. Fixed Interval
C. Variable Interval
D. Variable Ratio
Answer: D. Variable Ratio
2
,Rationale: Variable ratio schedules reinforce responses after an
unpredictable number of responses. Because reinforcement is
unpredictable, individuals maintain high response rates, making VR
schedules highly resistant to extinction.
5. During baseline, a student leaves his seat an average of 15 times
per class period. Following intervention, seat leaving decreases to
3 occurrences. This demonstrates:
A. Experimental extinction
B. Behavior reduction through intervention
C. Generalization
D. Response induction
Answer: B. Behavior reduction through intervention
Rationale: Comparing baseline to intervention data demonstrates
substantial improvement attributable to the intervention, assuming
experimental control is established.
6. Which dimension of Applied Behavior Analysis emphasizes that
interventions produce socially meaningful improvements?
A. Technological
B. Applied
C. Effective
D. Analytic
Answer: C. Effective
Rationale: The effective dimension requires interventions to produce
practical, socially significant behavior change rather than statistically
insignificant improvements.
3
, 7. A therapist reinforces hand raising while withholding
reinforcement for shouting out answers. This procedure is known
as:
A. Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)
B. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)
C. Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)
D. Response Cost
Answer: A. Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior
(DRA)
Rationale: DRA reinforces an appropriate alternative behavior while
placing the inappropriate behavior on extinction whenever feasible.
8. Which experimental design is most appropriate when behavior
change is expected to be irreversible?
A. Reversal (ABAB) Design
B. Alternating Treatments Design
C. Multiple Baseline Design
D. Withdrawal Design
Answer: C. Multiple Baseline Design
Rationale: Multiple baseline designs avoid withdrawing effective
interventions, making them appropriate when reversal is impossible or
unethical.
9. Which graph best displays cumulative responding over time?
A. Scatterplot
B. Standard line graph
C. Bar graph
D. Cumulative record
4
CERTIFICATION EXAM ACTUAL 2026
VERIFIED QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
COMPREHENSIVE & RATIONALE|INSTANT
DOWNLOAD
1. A behavior analyst is conducting a functional behavior assessment
(FBA) for a child who engages in severe aggression during
academic tasks. The aggression consistently occurs after difficult
instructions are presented and immediately results in task removal.
Which behavioral function is most strongly supported by these
observations?
A. Automatic reinforcement
B. Attention seeking
C. Escape from demands
D. Access to tangibles
Answer: C. Escape from demands
Rationale: The antecedent (presentation of difficult academic tasks) and
consequence (removal of demands following aggression) strongly
indicate negative reinforcement in the form of escape. Functional
assessments identify environmental variables maintaining behavior, and
repeated escape following aggression demonstrates an escape-
maintained function.
2. Which measurement system records whether a behavior occurred
at any time during a specified interval?
A. Whole-interval recording
B. Partial-interval recording
1
,C. Momentary time sampling
D. Frequency recording
Answer: B. Partial-interval recording
Rationale: Partial-interval recording scores the interval if the behavior
occurs at any point during the interval. This method tends to
overestimate behavior duration but is useful for behaviors that occur
frequently or at high rates.
3. A behavior analyst reinforces successive approximations toward
independent tooth brushing. This intervention is best described as:
A. Chaining
B. Prompt fading
C. Shaping
D. Modeling
Answer: C. Shaping
Rationale: Shaping involves reinforcing behaviors that progressively
resemble the target behavior until the terminal response is achieved.
Unlike chaining, shaping develops new behaviors rather than linking
existing ones.
4. Which schedule of reinforcement generally produces the highest
and most consistent response rates while demonstrating strong
resistance to extinction?
A. Fixed Ratio
B. Fixed Interval
C. Variable Interval
D. Variable Ratio
Answer: D. Variable Ratio
2
,Rationale: Variable ratio schedules reinforce responses after an
unpredictable number of responses. Because reinforcement is
unpredictable, individuals maintain high response rates, making VR
schedules highly resistant to extinction.
5. During baseline, a student leaves his seat an average of 15 times
per class period. Following intervention, seat leaving decreases to
3 occurrences. This demonstrates:
A. Experimental extinction
B. Behavior reduction through intervention
C. Generalization
D. Response induction
Answer: B. Behavior reduction through intervention
Rationale: Comparing baseline to intervention data demonstrates
substantial improvement attributable to the intervention, assuming
experimental control is established.
6. Which dimension of Applied Behavior Analysis emphasizes that
interventions produce socially meaningful improvements?
A. Technological
B. Applied
C. Effective
D. Analytic
Answer: C. Effective
Rationale: The effective dimension requires interventions to produce
practical, socially significant behavior change rather than statistically
insignificant improvements.
3
, 7. A therapist reinforces hand raising while withholding
reinforcement for shouting out answers. This procedure is known
as:
A. Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior (DRA)
B. Differential Reinforcement of Other Behavior (DRO)
C. Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates (DRL)
D. Response Cost
Answer: A. Differential Reinforcement of Alternative Behavior
(DRA)
Rationale: DRA reinforces an appropriate alternative behavior while
placing the inappropriate behavior on extinction whenever feasible.
8. Which experimental design is most appropriate when behavior
change is expected to be irreversible?
A. Reversal (ABAB) Design
B. Alternating Treatments Design
C. Multiple Baseline Design
D. Withdrawal Design
Answer: C. Multiple Baseline Design
Rationale: Multiple baseline designs avoid withdrawing effective
interventions, making them appropriate when reversal is impossible or
unethical.
9. Which graph best displays cumulative responding over time?
A. Scatterplot
B. Standard line graph
C. Bar graph
D. Cumulative record
4
