The short answer
In 2025, 51% of first-time BCBA exam candidates passed and 23% of retake candidates passed, according to the BACB. That's the lowest first-time rate in the BACB's published results going back to 2015, when it was 67%. The exam is 185 questions (175 scored, 10 unscored) in 4 hours.
- The 2025 results are the latest year the BACB has published.
- The BACB does not say why pass rates changed, so this page does not either.
BCBA exam pass rates by year
Sources: 2021 to 2025 pass rates and counts: BACB Examination Information. 2015 to 2019: Wayback snapshot. 2020: Wayback snapshot and BACB Annual Data Report.
BCaBA exam pass rates by year
This optional comparison uses the same BACB examination and annual-report sources. A blank cell is shown as n/p when the BACB source did not publish it.
BCBA exam format by edition
The exam format changed across the 4th, 5th, and 6th editions. The current 6th edition outline is linked in the BACB Test Content Outline.
5th vs. 6th edition: questions per content area
Both editions have 175 scored questions, but the distribution changed. Percentages below are rounded as the BACB reports them.
Number of BCBAs over time
The BACB reports 85,587 BCBA certificants as of July 1, 2026. The historical counts come from BACB Certificant Data and the Annual Data Report.
What the data shows
The figures support five clear takeaways: first-time pass rates are lower than a decade ago; retakes are harder to pass; retakes have outnumbered first-time candidates every year since 2022; the scored question count has stayed at 175 since 2022; and the BCBA field has more than doubled since 2019.
- First-time candidates: 67% in 2015 versus 51% in 2025, falling in four of the last five years.
- Retake pass rates stayed between 23% and 32% every year since 2015.
- In 2025, 13,196 retake candidates outnumbered 9,955 first-time candidates.
- The 6th edition moved questions into Behavior Assessment, Ethical and Professional Issues, and Selecting and Implementing Interventions.
- BCBAs increased from 37,859 at the end of 2019 to 81,566 at the end of 2025.
What changes in 2027
On January 1, 2027, new BACB requirements take effect for people applying for BCBA certification. The exam is not changing. The BACB says there are no upcoming changes to the examination or Test Content Outline, so 2027 applicants still test on the 6th edition outline: 185 questions, 175 scored, 4 hours. What changes are the 2 eligibility pathways, restructured pathway 2 coursework that still totals 315 hours, and new fieldwork rules including up to 160 hours a month and 7.5% supervision for concentrated fieldwork. See the 2027 Transition Guidance, 2027 BCBA Requirements, and BACB Newsletter.
What's coming from the BACB
January 1, 2027: new BCBA eligibility and maintenance requirements; pathways 3 and 4 end; exam unchanged. January 1, 2029: pathway 1 degree must be equivalent to a US master's. January 1, 2032: pathway 1 becomes the only BCBA pathway. Future exam and outline updates will happen independently of certification requirement changes, with no date announced.
Take the next step
Take the free BCBA exam practice questions (9-question diagnostic) from Behavior Study Tools. It needs no signup, takes about seven minutes, and shows your score and weakest domain. For full-length practice, take the free BCBA mock exam questions: 185 questions, timed, 4 hours. It requires a free account before you start.
Take the free 9-question diagnostic
| Year | First-time candidates tested | First-time pass rate | Retake candidates tested | Retake pass rate | Total tested | Test content |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3,323 | 67% | 2,748 | 32% | n/p ¹ | 4th ed. Task List |
| 2016 | 4,096 | 66% | 3,251 | 28% | 7,347 | 4th ed. |
| 2017 | 4,785 | 65% | 3,297 | 31% | 8,082 | 4th ed. |
| 2018 | 6,124 ² | 65% | 4,454 | 28% | 10,577 | 4th ed. |
| 2019 | 6,884 | 63% | 6,327 | 27% | 13,211 | 4th ed. |
| 2020 | 6,583 | 66% | 6,166 | 31% | 12,749 | 4th ed. |
| 2021 | 12,107 | 60% | 11,301 | 28% | 23,408 | 4th ed. (last year) |
| 2022 | 7,179 | 55% | 8,575 | 24% | 15,754 | 5th ed. Task List |
| 2023 | 8,255 | 56% | 10,450 | 23% | 18,705 | 5th ed. |
| 2024 | 9,911 | 54% | 11,780 | 25% | 21,691 | 5th ed. (last year) |
| 2025 | 9,955 | 51% | 13,196 | 23% | 23,151 | 6th ed. Test Content Outline |
| 2014 and earlier | n/p ³ | n/p | n/p | n/p | n/p | 3rd ed. |
Sources: 2020 to 2025 totals from BACB annual data; 2016 to 2019 totals from archived annual reports; edition dates from BACB format sources.
| Year | First-time tested | First-time pass | Retakes tested | Retake pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 541 | 71% | 334 | 38% |
| 2016 | 812 | 65% | 341 | 37% |
| 2017 | 1,012 | 65% | 493 | 35% |
| 2018 | 1,253 | 61% ⁴ | 751 | 32% |
| 2019 | 1,450 | 62% | 989 | 36% |
| 2020 | 1,042 | 66% | 667 | 41% |
| 2021 | 2,130 | 61% | 1,275 | 32% |
| 2022 | 1,190 | 49% | 949 | 25% |
| 2023 | 931 | 56% | 855 | 25% |
| 2024 | 1,011 | 54% | 1,040 | 22% |
| 2025 | 1,196 | 60% | 1,019 | 30% |
The 2018 Annual Data Report says 62%; the Examination Information page says 61%.
| 4th ed. Task List | 5th ed. Task List | 6th ed. Test Content Outline | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Used for exams | Feb 2015 to Dec 2021 | Jan 2022 to Dec 2024 | Jan 1, 2025 to present |
| Total questions | 160 | 185 | 185 |
| Scored | 150 | 175 | 175 |
| Unscored (pilot) | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Time | 4 hours | 4 hours | 4 hours |
| Content areas | 11 (A to K, in 2 sections) | 9 (A to I) | 9 (A to I) |
| Tasks | n/p ⁵ | 92 | 104 |
| Base-form passing score published | 76% (114 of 150), Feb 2015 base exam | n/p | n/p |
The BACB sets a new passing score with each new base exam form and equates other forms to it, so the number correct needed can vary by form.
| Content area (6th ed. title) | 5th ed. questions (%) | 6th ed. questions (%) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations (was Philosophical Underpinnings) | 6 (4%) | 8 (5%) | +2 |
| B. Concepts and Principles | 32 (18%) | 24 (14%) | -8 |
| C. Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation | 21 (12%) | 21 (12%) | 0 |
| D. Experimental Design | 12 (7%) | 13 (7%) | +1 |
| E. Ethical and Professional Issues (was Ethics) | 18 (10%) | 22 (13%) | +4 |
| F. Behavior Assessment | 18 (10%) | 23 (13%) | +5 |
| G. Behavior-Change Procedures | 35 (20%) | 25 (14%) | -10 |
| H. Selecting and Implementing Interventions | 16 (9%) | 20 (11%) | +4 |
| I. Personnel Supervision and Management | 17 (10%) | 19 (11%) | +2 |
| Total scored | 175 | 175 | 0 |
| Year (end of year) | BCBA certificants | Year | BCBA certificants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 28 | 2013 | 12,625 |
| 2000 | 392 | 2014 | 16,376 |
| 2001 | 731 | 2015 | 19,795 |
| 2002 | 1,037 | 2016 | 22,891 |
| 2003 | 1,467 | 2017 | 26,879 |
| 2004 | 2,057 | 2018 | 32,013 ⁶ |
| 2005 | 2,566 | 2019 | 37,859 |
| 2006 | 3,071 | 2020 | 44,025 |
| 2007 | 3,811 | 2021 | 54,223 |
| 2008 | 4,747 | 2022 | 59,976 |
| 2009 | 5,731 | 2023 | 66,339 |
| 2010 | 6,948 | 2024 | 74,125 |
| 2011 | 8,582 | 2025 | 81,566 |
| 2012 | 10,376 | July 1, 2026 | 85,587 |
Newly certified BCBAs per year: 2016: 3,617; 2017: 4,154; 2018: 5,255; 2019: 6,072; 2020: 6,243; 2021: 10,460; 2022: 5,980; 2023: 6,948; 2024: 8,164; 2025: 8,021.
Source notes
- The BACB pages list 2015 first-time and retake counts separately but no 2015 total.
- The 2018 Annual Data Report lists 6,123 first-time BCBA candidates; the Examination Information page lists 6,124. Both are BACB figures.
- The 2014-and-earlier values were not found on bacb.com or its archived snapshots during this research pass.
- The 4th edition task count was not confirmed from a BACB document in this research pass.
- The 2018 certificant count is 32,013 in one source and 32,008 in the 2018 Annual Data Report.
Full source list:
- BACB Examination Information
- BACB Annual Data Report and BACB Certificant Data
- Wayback Examination Information, 2019, 2021, and 2022
- Wayback Annual Data Report, 2019 and 2020
- BCBA 6th Edition Test Content Outline, 5th Edition Task List, and BCBA Handbook
- BACB Newsletter, February 2022, November 2014, May 2015, January 2017, and December 2025
- 2027 BCBA Requirements, 2027 Transition Guidance, and BACB Upcoming Changes
- Behavior Study Tools diagnostic and free mock exam
Check bacb.com for the latest data.
Frequently asked questions
What is the BCBA pass rate in 2025?
51% for first-time candidates (9,955 tested) and 23% for retake candidates (13,196 tested), according to the BACB. 2025 is the latest year the BACB has published.
Is the BCBA exam getting harder?
The BACB hasn't said so. What the data shows is that a smaller share of first-time candidates pass: 67% in 2015, 55% to 56% in 2022 and 2023, and 51% in 2025. The BACB sets the passing score with the modified Angoff method and sets a new one when the test content outline changes; other forms are statistically equated. Pass rates also depend on who is testing, so the numbers alone can't tell you why they moved.
How many BCBAs are there?
85,587 as of July 1, 2026, according to the BACB. There were 81,566 at the end of 2025 and 37,859 at the end of 2019.
How many questions are on the BCBA exam?
185 multiple-choice questions in 4 hours: 175 scored and 10 unscored pilot questions. Your result is based on your overall score, not on each content area.
Is the BCBA exam changing in 2027?
No. New BCBA eligibility, coursework, and fieldwork rules take effect January 1, 2027, but the BACB says there are no upcoming changes to the BCBA exam or its test content outline. 2027 applicants still test on the 6th edition outline: 185 questions, 175 scored, 4 hours.
What's the BCaBA pass rate?
In 2025, 60% of first-time BCaBA candidates passed and 30% of retake candidates passed (BACB).