The 26 terms that actually matter for BACB fieldwork and RBT ongoing supervision, in plain language. Pick a term to see it explained.
RBT Supervision6
Fieldwork Hours6
Supervision4
Compliance & Timing3
Certification4
Roles3
RBT Supervision
RBT Ongoing Supervision
Monthly · resets each month
The supervision an RBT must receive every month they provide services.
Each calendar month, at least 5% of an RBT's behavior-analytic service hours must be supervised, across at least two real-time contacts, with at least one direct observation of the RBT working with a client. It resets every month with no cumulative total and no end state, and it is met separately at each organization.
A month with zero service hours requires no supervision that month.
At least 5% of an RBT's monthly service hours must be supervised.
Calculated on behavior-analytic service hours, not payroll or scheduled time. Unlike fieldwork supervision, it is measured per calendar month and resets, so there is no running total to fall behind on.
100 service hours in a month means at least 5 supervised.
The RBT service time the monthly 5% is measured against.
Only the hours an RBT spends delivering behavior-analytic services count toward the supervision base. Paperwork, meetings, and other non-service duties are excluded, and a month with no service hours owes no supervision.
A real-time supervision meeting; RBTs need at least two each month.
Contacts must be face-to-face and real-time, in person or by live video. Phone and email do not count. At least one of the two must be individual, with no other RBTs present.
A supervisor watching the RBT work directly with a client.
At least one monthly contact must include the supervisor directly observing the RBT delivering services to a client. Live video is fine; passively recorded video with no real-time interaction or feedback does not count.
The monthly document showing an RBT's supervision was met.
Records the service days, supervision dates and durations, session format, direct-observation dates, and supervisor names. Retained at least seven years by both the RBT and the supervisor, and kept for audit rather than routinely submitted to the BACB.
The analytic work of a behavior analyst, with a minimum share required.
Assessments, designing behavior plans, training caregivers, and analyzing data. BCBA candidates need at least 60% of total hours unrestricted and BCaBA candidates at least 40%, measured cumulatively across all fieldwork.
Designing a behavior plan is unrestricted; running it with a client is restricted.
Direct delivery of therapy, capped as a share of total hours.
Implementing behavior plans and running teaching sessions directly with clients. Capped at 40% of total hours for BCBA candidates and 60% for BCaBA candidates, measured cumulatively.
Hours worked without the supervisor present in real time.
The autonomous majority of fieldwork, done without the supervisor in the room or on the call. Still inside a supervisory relationship, and still counted toward the supervision percentage when combined with supervised hours.
The standard fieldwork track: more total hours, lower monthly intensity.
One of two fieldwork types. Requires 2,000 total hours for BCBA or 1,300 for BCaBA at a 5% supervision minimum. It is the more flexible, gradual path most candidates choose.
The intensive track: fewer hours, stricter supervision.
Requires 1,500 total hours for BCBA, or 1,000/800 for BCaBA, but a higher supervision minimum: 10% pre-2027, or 7.5% for BCBA concentrated under 2027 standards. It suits full-time placements.
The full hour count you must reach, set by your pathway.
Depends on certification (BCBA or BCaBA), fieldwork type (supervised or concentrated), and standards year. The eight possible totals range from 800 to 2,000 hours, and every other requirement is measured relative to this total.
The share of fieldwork hours that must be supervised, measured cumulatively.
5% for supervised fieldwork, 10% for concentrated pre-2027, and 7.5% for BCBA concentrated under 2027 standards (BCaBA concentrated stays 10%). Because it is cumulative, falling behind early is difficult to recover.
A supervisor directly watching a trainee deliver services.
The 2022 standards count a set number of observations per period; the 2027 standards switch to duration, at least 60 minutes for supervised or 90 minutes for concentrated fieldwork. Client-present observations are the most valued.
Supervision with several trainees at once, capped at half your supervised hours.
Efficient and useful for peer learning, but no more than 50% of supervised hours can come from group settings. Excess group hours simply stop counting, so at least half of supervision must be individual.
Under the 2022 standards, supervised fieldwork needs 4 contacts a month and concentrated needs 6. The 2027 standards remove the contact count entirely, relying on the supervision percentage and observation instead.
The most fieldwork hours that count in a single month.
130 hours per month under pre-2027 standards, raised to 160 under the 2027 standards. Anything above the cap in a given month does not count and does not carry over.
The fewest hours a claimed fieldwork month can have.
If you log any fieldwork in a month, it must reach 20 hours or the month may not count. Taking a month fully off is fine; logging only a handful of hours is what creates a shortfall.
The window monthly requirements are measured over.
Usually one calendar month. Per-period rules such as hour caps, minimums, and observations are judged inside each month, while cumulative rules such as supervision percentage span the whole experience.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst, the independent-practice credential.
Requires a graduate degree, fieldwork (2,000 supervised or 1,500 concentrated hours), and passing the exam. BCBAs practice independently and can supervise BCaBAs, RBTs, and fieldwork trainees.
Registered Behavior Technician, the frontline ABA credential.
Delivers behavior-analytic services under supervision, following plans written by a BCBA or BCaBA. RBTs meet a monthly ongoing-supervision requirement and often move up toward BCaBA or BCBA. RBT service hours do not automatically count as BCBA/BCaBA fieldwork.
The updated BACB fieldwork rules taking effect in 2027.
They raise the monthly cap to 160 hours, switch observation from a count to a duration (60 or 90 minutes), drop the contact-count requirement, and set BCBA concentrated supervision to 7.5%. RBT ongoing supervision is unchanged by 2027.
The certificant who oversees and verifies fieldwork hours.
Meets the BACB supervisor requirements and holds a documented supervisory relationship with the trainee before hours can count. The supervisor verifies the trainee's experience for certification.
The certificant who provides an RBT's monthly supervision.
An active BCBA, BCBA-D, or BCaBA in good standing who completed the 8-hour supervision training before supervising. An RBT may have more than one supervisor.
The BCBA accountable for an RBT's requirements at an organization.
Must be a BCBA or BCBA-D; a BCaBA cannot serve in this role. An organization may have several coordinators, but an RBT has only one coordinator per organization.
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