Certification pathways
Every BACB pathway. One tracker.
All 8 BACB® certification pathways in one place: BCBA® or BCaBA®, supervised or concentrated, under the pre-2027 or the 2027 standards, plus RBT® ongoing supervision. Find yours, see what each month asks, and let ABA FT check it for you, free.
At a glance
All nine, side by side
Every number for every pathway. Tap one for its rules, explained.
| Pathway | Total hours | Hours a month | Supervised each month | Observation each month | Supervision contacts | Unrestricted, overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 standards for applications from January 1, 2027 | ||||||
| BCBA Supervised, 2027 standards | 2,000 | 20 to 160 | 5% | 60 min in total | Not required | 60% |
| BCBA Concentrated, 2027 standards | 1,500 | 20 to 160 | 7.5% | 90 min in total | Not required | 60% |
| BCaBA Supervised, 2027 standards | 1,300 | 20 to 160 | 5% | 60 min in total | Not required | 40% |
| BCaBA Concentrated, 2027 standards | 800 | 20 to 160 | 10% | 90 min in total | Not required | 40% |
| Pre-2027 standards for applications before January 1, 2027 | ||||||
| BCBA Supervised, pre-2027 standards | 2,000 | 20 to 130 | 5% | At least 1 | 4 a month | 60% |
| BCBA Concentrated, pre-2027 standards | 1,500 | 20 to 130 | 10% | At least 1 | 6 a month | 60% |
| BCaBA Supervised, pre-2027 standards | 1,300 | 20 to 130 | 5% | At least 1 | 4 a month | 40% |
| BCaBA Concentrated, pre-2027 standards | 1,000 | 20 to 130 | 10% | At least 1 | 6 a month | 40% |
Coming January 1, 2027
What changes in 2027
Five changes, decided by when the BACB receives your complete application. Everything else stays the same.
- Monthly hour cap
130160 hoursAll eight pathways - Supervision contacts
4 or 6Not requiredAll eight pathways - Observation
1 a month60 or 90 minutes60 supervised, 90 concentrated - BCBA concentrated supervision
10%7.5%BCBA only: BCaBA concentrated stays at 10% - BCaBA concentrated total
1,000800 hoursBCaBA only
In the app
Your pathway, checked every month
Choose your pathway once, at sign-up. Each entry updates the month's checks for your exact rules, pre-2027 or 2027. It flags, it never blocks.
Showing: BCBA supervised fieldwork, 2027 standards. Pick another above and this follows.
What are the fieldwork pathways?
There are eight fieldwork pathways: BCBA or BCaBA, through supervised fieldwork or concentrated supervised fieldwork, under the pre-2027 or the 2027 standards. RBTs have their own monthly supervision requirements, with no pre-2027 or 2027 split.
Which standards apply to me, pre-2027 or 2027?
It depends on when the BACB receives your complete application, not when you started fieldwork. If your complete application (including payment and all required documents) is received by December 31, 2026, the pre-2027 standards apply. After that, the 2027 standards apply.
What is the difference between supervised and concentrated supervised fieldwork?
Concentrated supervised fieldwork needs fewer total hours and a larger share of each month supervised: for the BCBA, 1,500 hours instead of 2,000. Under the 2027 standards it asks for 90 minutes of observation a month instead of 60, and a concentrated month that falls short can't be prorated.
How many fieldwork hours do I need?
For the BCBA, 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1,500 of concentrated supervised fieldwork, under either standards. For the BCaBA, 1,300 supervised, or concentrated: 1,000 under the pre-2027 standards and 800 under the 2027 standards.
What changes in 2027?
For all eight pathways, the monthly hour cap rises from 130 to 160, supervision contacts are no longer counted, and observation becomes a monthly total: 60 minutes for supervised fieldwork, 90 for concentrated. BCBA concentrated supervision drops from 10% to 7.5%, and BCaBA concentrated total hours drop from 1,000 to 800.
What supervision does an RBT need?
At least 5% of each month's behavior-analytic service hours, across at least two face-to-face, real-time contacts (one of them individual) and at least one direct observation with a client, met separately at each organization.
Every pathway, one free tracker
All eight fieldwork pathways and RBT ongoing supervision, pre-2027 and 2027, checked month by month as you log.
- Free for everyone
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- Pre-2027 and 2027 rules