BCBA first-time pass rate fell to 51% in 2025: what candidates and supervisors can do
The 30-second answer
In 2025, 51% of first-time BCBA exam candidates passed and 23% passed on retakes, according to the BACB. The first-time rate was 66% in 2020, and 2025 was the first year of the 6th-edition test content outline. BACB data also show a 26.1-point gap between accredited programs and the rest, and a candidate pool concentrated in a few large programs, but no document we found explains why results fell. Study all nine domains of the outline; the rules allow up to eight attempts in two years.
Key facts
The official numbers, 2020 to 2025
In 2025, 9,955 candidates took the BCBA exam for the first time and 51% passed. There were also 13,196 retakes, with a 23% pass rate1. The BACB reports six years of results:
| Year | First-time candidates | First-time pass rate | Retakes | Retake pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 6,583 | 66% | 6,166 | 31% |
| 2021 | 12,107 | 60% | 11,301 | 28% |
| 2022 | 7,179 | 55% | 8,575 | 24% |
| 2023 | 8,255 | 56% | 10,450 | 23% |
| 2024 | 9,911 | 54% | 11,780 | 25% |
| 2025 | 9,955 | 51% | 13,196 | 23% |
The first-time rate fell in four of the five year-to-year changes, and 2025 is the lowest of the six years1. Since 2022 there have been more retakes than first attempts every year1.
What the exam is and what changed in 2025
The exam has 185 multiple-choice questions, 175 scored and 10 unscored, in 4 hours. All questions weigh the same, and the result is pass or fail2. It tests entry-level knowledge of the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.)2, which lists 104 tasks in 9 domains3. The BACB announced in 2022 that the exam would be based on it from January 1, 20254. The exam is offered only in English2; our BCBA 2027 eligibility guide covers what that means for Spanish speakers.
The BACB called the changes from the 5th-edition task list modest4. Scored questions stayed at 175, but the weights moved, as the table in the study plan shows4.
The exam is not graded on a curve5. The BACB sets a new passing score when exam content changes significantly, for example with a new outline2 and does not report how many questions a candidate answered correctly5. We found no published passing score, so the data cannot show whether the 2025 standard is harder or easier.
What the 2025 university report adds
The BACB posted its 2025 university pass-rate reports on October 8, 20266. The BCBA report covers 204 programs and 8,558 first-time candidates, 86.0% of the 9,955 who tested in 20257.
- The mean program pass rate, the average of each program’s own rate, was 79.3% for the 25 ABAI-accredited programs and 53.2% for the other 179, a gap of 26.1 points7.
- Ten programs had more than 100 first-time candidates each: 5,446 candidates in all, 54.7% of first-timers, with a mean program pass rate of 42.9%. The BACB says they had a considerable influence on the overall 51%7.
- The BACB suggests judging each program on its own, not against the national rate, and reading 60% as roughly 3 chances in 58.
Do not line these tables up against older ones: the 2024 report used different inclusion criteria79. From 2032, BCBA applicants will need a degree from an ABAI- or APBA-accredited program7.
What the data can and cannot explain
The decline is long: 66% in 2020, 51% in 20251. 2025 was the first year of the 6th-edition outline7. Large programs with low mean pass rates weigh heavily on the national figure7, and a peer-reviewed analysis of 2015 to 2019 data also found a weak link between larger first-time cohorts and lower pass rates10.
Each point comes from a BACB document or a peer-reviewed paperWhy results fell: we found no BACB document that gives a cause. Whether the 2025 passing standard is harder. What work experience, supervision or study habits did for one candidate: the BACB says pass-rate data by domain or graduation date are not available8. How the 1,397 first-timers left out of the university report did7.
Treat any explanation as a hypothesis; the BACB calls pass rates historical outcomes, not rankings7Retakes: the rules and the cost
You have two years from application approval to pass, with up to 8 attempts at least 30 days apart2. The certification application costs $245 and each exam appointment $125; a retake adds a $140 retake application, so a retake costs $2652. After 8 attempts you wait until the two years end to reapply2.
A candidate who fails gets the percentage correct in each content area, but each task has few items, so the BACB says to restudy all the content, not only the weak areas5. A failure is a reason to change the plan, not only to register again.
A study plan built on the official outline
The BACB recommends preparing with the outline, the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts and your training materials. It does not endorse study guides, and buying one does not ensure a pass2. These are the scored questions by domain3 and the change from the 5th edition4:
| Domain | Questions | Change from 5th ed. |
|---|---|---|
| G. Behavior-Change Procedures | 25 | -10 |
| B. Concepts and Principles | 24 | -8 |
| F. Behavior Assessment | 23 | +5 |
| E. Ethical and Professional Issues | 22 | +4 |
| C. Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation | 21 | 0 |
| H. Selecting and Implementing Interventions | 20 | +4 |
| I. Personnel Supervision and Management | 19 | +2 |
| D. Experimental Design | 13 | +1 |
| A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations | 8 | +2 |
What supervisors can do
The BACB says effective supervision includes behavioral skills training, observing the trainee with clients and giving feedback, and reviewing written work. It asks supervisors to give documented, timely feedback and to evaluate their own supervision2. In a survey of 317 supervisors, use of recommended practices varied widely, and supervisors used more often those with concrete guidelines and supports, such as behavioral skills training12. These steps are our suggestions, not BACB requirements.
What is current and what can change
The latest year in the BACB annual data is 20251. As of January 2026 the BACB reported no upcoming changes to the exam or the outline13. You must test under the edition in force when you take the exam, even if your application was approved earlier2. For 2027, see our eligibility guide and fieldwork checklist. This is not advice: confirm exam rules and fees with the BACB before you register.
Frequently asked questions
What is the BCBA exam pass rate?
In 2025 the BACB reported that 51% of first-time candidates passed the BCBA exam and 23% passed on retakes. The first-time rate was 66% in 2020, 60% in 2021, 55% in 2022, 56% in 2023 and 54% in 2024.
Why did the BCBA pass rate fall in 2025?
No BACB document we found gives a cause. The published data show a decline that began before 2025, 2025 as the first year of the 6th-edition outline, and a candidate pool concentrated in large programs with low mean pass rates. Explanations such as exam difficulty or candidate preparation are hypotheses these data cannot test.
How many times can I retake the BCBA exam?
Up to 8 attempts in total within 2 years of your application approval, with at least 30 days between attempts. Each retake needs a $140 retake application and a $125 appointment fee, $265 in all. After 8 attempts you must wait until the two years end to reapply.
Should I choose a BCBA program by its pass rate?
Use it as one input. The BACB suggests judging each program's rate on its own, not against the national rate, and alongside cost, format, faculty and fieldwork. The mean program pass rate was 79.3% for ABAI-accredited programs and 53.2% for the rest, and from 2032 BCBA applicants will need a degree from an ABAI- or APBA-accredited program.
What does the BCBA exam cover?
185 multiple-choice questions, 175 of them scored, in 4 hours, based on an outline of 104 tasks in 9 domains. The largest domains are Behavior-Change Procedures (25 questions), Concepts and Principles (24) and Behavior Assessment (23).
Sources
- BACB Annual Data Reports, 2020 to 2025 (testing-related data). Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), accessed Oct 16, 2026.
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst Handbook. Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), updated 06/2026.
- BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.). Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), updated 09/2024.
- BACB Newsletter, February 2022. Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), Feb 2022.
- Examination Information (historical results and scoring). Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), accessed Oct 16, 2026.
- Now Available: 2025 BCBA and BCaBA University Pass Rate Reports. Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), Oct 8, 2026.
- BCBA Examination Pass Rates for University Training Programs (2025). Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), updated 10/2026.
- University Examination Pass Rates (how to use the reports). Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), accessed Oct 16, 2026.
- BCBA Examination Pass Rates for University Training Programs (2024). Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), updated 12/2025.
- Program Characteristics and Certification Examination Pass Rates: A Statistical Analysis of BACB-Published 2015-2019 Data (Guinness and Turner). Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022.
- BACB Newsletter, February 2026. Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), Feb 2026.
- Supervision Behaviors of Board Certified Behavior Analysts With Trainees (Hajiaghamohseni, Drasgow and Wolfe). Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2021.
- Guidance for Meeting the BCBA Requirements During the 2027 Transition. Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), updated 01/2026.