BCBA Exam V1 | Board Certified Behavior
Analyst (BCBA) Examination | Q&A with
Rationale (BCBA Exam) | Behavior Analyst
Certification Board (BACB)
1. A behavior analyst is measuring the time between the teacher’s instruction to ‘start your
math worksheet’ and the student actually picking up their pencil. Which dimension of
behavior is being measured?
A. Duration
B. Latency
C. Inter-response Time (IRT)
D. Rate
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Latency is the measure of the elapsed time between the onset of a stimulus and
the initiation of a subsequent response. In this case, the teacher’s instruction serves as the
stimulus, and picking up the pencil is the response initiation. This measure is essential for
evaluating compliance and processing speed in academic settings.
2. A BCBA is designing a procedure where a student earns a token for every three correct
answers on a quiz. This represents which schedule of reinforcement?
A. Fixed Ratio (FR)
,B. Variable Ratio (VR)
C. Fixed Interval (FI)
D. Variable Interval (VI)
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A Fixed Ratio schedule provides reinforcement after a specific, constant
number of responses have occurred. In this scenario, the requirement of exactly three
correct answers for one token meets the definition of an FR-3 schedule. This schedule
typically produces high rates of responding with a post-reinforcement pause.
3. A BCBA is offered a small holiday gift by a client’s family during a home session. According
to the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, what is the most appropriate action?
A. Accept the gift if it is worth less than $50.
B. Accept the gift to avoid offending the family and maintain rapport.
C. Accept the gift but donate it to a local charity.
D. Politely decline the gift and explain the ethical guidelines regarding dual relationships.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts generally prohibits the acceptance of
gifts because it can create a multiple relationship or a conflict of interest. While the code
allows for very small, infrequent cultural tokens if they meet specific criteria, the safest and
, most standard practice is to decline to maintain professional boundaries. Declining with a
clear explanation helps the family understand the professional nature of the relationship.
4. A child learns that the word ‘apple’, a picture of an apple, and a real apple all represent the
same thing. If the child is taught that A=B and B=C, and then identifies that A=C without
direct training, which process has occurred?
A. Reflexivity
B. Transitivity
C. Symmetry
D. Generalization
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Transitivity is the final stage of stimulus equivalence where an untrained
stimulus-stimulus relation emerges as a product of two other trained relations. Specifically,
if A=B and B=C are taught, the emergence of A=C is transitivity. This demonstrates that the
stimuli have become members of an equivalence class.
5. Which experimental design is most appropriate for evaluating the effects of an
intervention on a single behavior that cannot be reversed?
A. Reversal Design (A-B-A-B)
B. Multiple Baseline Design
C. Alternating Treatments Design
Analyst (BCBA) Examination | Q&A with
Rationale (BCBA Exam) | Behavior Analyst
Certification Board (BACB)
1. A behavior analyst is measuring the time between the teacher’s instruction to ‘start your
math worksheet’ and the student actually picking up their pencil. Which dimension of
behavior is being measured?
A. Duration
B. Latency
C. Inter-response Time (IRT)
D. Rate
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Latency is the measure of the elapsed time between the onset of a stimulus and
the initiation of a subsequent response. In this case, the teacher’s instruction serves as the
stimulus, and picking up the pencil is the response initiation. This measure is essential for
evaluating compliance and processing speed in academic settings.
2. A BCBA is designing a procedure where a student earns a token for every three correct
answers on a quiz. This represents which schedule of reinforcement?
A. Fixed Ratio (FR)
,B. Variable Ratio (VR)
C. Fixed Interval (FI)
D. Variable Interval (VI)
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A Fixed Ratio schedule provides reinforcement after a specific, constant
number of responses have occurred. In this scenario, the requirement of exactly three
correct answers for one token meets the definition of an FR-3 schedule. This schedule
typically produces high rates of responding with a post-reinforcement pause.
3. A BCBA is offered a small holiday gift by a client’s family during a home session. According
to the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, what is the most appropriate action?
A. Accept the gift if it is worth less than $50.
B. Accept the gift to avoid offending the family and maintain rapport.
C. Accept the gift but donate it to a local charity.
D. Politely decline the gift and explain the ethical guidelines regarding dual relationships.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts generally prohibits the acceptance of
gifts because it can create a multiple relationship or a conflict of interest. While the code
allows for very small, infrequent cultural tokens if they meet specific criteria, the safest and
, most standard practice is to decline to maintain professional boundaries. Declining with a
clear explanation helps the family understand the professional nature of the relationship.
4. A child learns that the word ‘apple’, a picture of an apple, and a real apple all represent the
same thing. If the child is taught that A=B and B=C, and then identifies that A=C without
direct training, which process has occurred?
A. Reflexivity
B. Transitivity
C. Symmetry
D. Generalization
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Transitivity is the final stage of stimulus equivalence where an untrained
stimulus-stimulus relation emerges as a product of two other trained relations. Specifically,
if A=B and B=C are taught, the emergence of A=C is transitivity. This demonstrates that the
stimuli have become members of an equivalence class.
5. Which experimental design is most appropriate for evaluating the effects of an
intervention on a single behavior that cannot be reversed?
A. Reversal Design (A-B-A-B)
B. Multiple Baseline Design
C. Alternating Treatments Design
