Free BCBA Practice Questions

Question 1

A behavior analyst is working with a teenager who frequently leaves the dinner table before the meal is finished. The analyst sets up a program in which the teen earns 10 minutes of video-game time after dinner if she remains seated for the entire meal. After one week, leaving the table occurs less often and staying seated occurs more often. Which behavior principle best explains the change?

Accepted Answer

Positive reinforcement, because a preferred stimulus is added when the target behavior occurs

Answer

Positive punishment, because an unpleasant dinner is being avoided

Answer

Negative reinforcement, because the teen is escaping the dinner table

Answer

Negative punishment, because video-game time is removed when the teen leaves

Question 2

A BCBA is teaching a client to request help instead of screaming when a task is difficult. During acquisition, the therapist provides immediate assistance and praise after every help request. After two weeks of stable responding, the BCBA wants the client to continue requesting help with thinner, more natural reinforcement. The therapist now provides help and praise only after every third help request. Which schedule transition best describes this change?

Accepted Answer

Fixed ratio 1 (FR 1) to fixed ratio 3 (FR 3)

Answer

Variable ratio 1 (VR 1) to variable ratio 3 (VR 3)

Answer

Fixed interval 1 (FI 1) to fixed interval 3 (FI 3)

Answer

Variable interval 1 (VI 1) to variable interval 3 (VI 3)

Question 3

A child has a history of receiving crackers after handing her mother a picture card that says “cracker.” Before lunch, she hands the card to her mother 12 times in 10 minutes. After lunch, she hands the card only twice in the same period, even though the same picture card and crackers are available. What best accounts for the decrease in card use after lunch?

Accepted Answer

Food satiation functioned as an abolishing operation for the edible reinforcer

Answer

Food deprivation functioned as an establishing operation for the edible reinforcer

Answer

The picture card lost its discriminative stimulus control after lunch

Answer

The crackers became a conditioned punisher after eating

Question 4

Two independent observers record whether a student engages in hand-flapping during a 20-minute session divided into 1-minute intervals. They agree that hand-flapping occurred in 14 intervals and disagree in 6 intervals. What is the interval-by-interval IOA?

Accepted Answer

70%

Answer

60%

Answer

75%

Answer

80%

Question 5

A BCBA is asked to measure a client’s tantrums during clinic sessions. Tantrums are brief but intense, with a clear beginning and end, and they occur 3 to 8 times per hour. Which measurement system is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Frequency recording

Answer

Whole-interval recording

Answer

Partial-interval recording

Answer

Permanent-product recording

Question 6

A BCBA collects baseline data on a client’s self-injury for five sessions and observes an average of 12 episodes per session. She introduces a functional communication intervention; over the next five sessions episodes fall to 10, 8, 6, 5, and 4. She then withdraws the intervention for three sessions and observes 11, 12, and 13 episodes. What does the overall pattern most strongly suggest?

Accepted Answer

The intervention likely suppressed self-injury

Answer

The baseline variability makes the data uninterpretable

Answer

The decrease was caused by maturation alone

Answer

The withdrawal phase shows generalization of treatment effects

Question 7

A BCBA implements a token economy to increase hand-raising in a classroom. After stable responding is observed, she removes the tokens for three sessions and sees that hand-raising returns to near-baseline levels. She then reinstates the tokens. Which experimental design feature is being demonstrated?

Accepted Answer

Reversal (withdrawal) design

Answer

Multiple baseline across behaviors

Answer

Changing-criterion design

Answer

Alternating-treatments design

Question 8

Which outcome best demonstrates experimental control in a single-subject research design?

Accepted Answer

A stable baseline is followed by an immediate and durable behavior change after the intervention, with behavior reversing when the intervention is withdrawn

Answer

Interobserver agreement is above 90% across all phases of the study

Answer

A group comparison yields a statistically significant p-value below .05

Answer

The intervention is replicated across five different participants

Question 9

A BCBA discovers that an RBT she supervises is dating the BCBA’s brother. The BCBA has never discussed personal matters with the RBT and has no social relationship with her. According to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, what is the most appropriate action?

Accepted Answer

Disclose the relationship and arrange alternative supervision to avoid a multiple relationship

Answer

Continue supervision because the relationship is not between the BCBA and the RBT

Answer

Ask the RBT to end the relationship with the BCBA’s brother

Answer

Document the relationship in the supervision log and continue as usual

Question 10

A BCBA has been providing services to a child for six months. She then learns that the child’s parent has just become her new landlord. The BCBA’s rent is below market rate. According to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, what should she do first?

Accepted Answer

Evaluate whether the dual relationship can be managed; if not, arrange an appropriate transition

Answer

Terminate services immediately without a transition plan

Answer

Continue services because the professional relationship began before the landlord relationship

Answer

Disclose the relationship only if the parent raises a concern

Question 11

A BCBA is asked to design and oversee a feeding intervention for a client who has complex medical needs, including a recent aspiration event and active reflux. The BCBA has no training in dysphagia, medical feeding, or interdisciplinary medical collaboration. What is the most appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

Decline the case and refer to a professional with the appropriate training and credentials

Answer

Accept the case and consult a physician after designing the behavior plan

Answer

Accept the case but restrict the plan to non-food items only

Answer

Accept the case because behavior analysts are qualified to address any feeding-related behavior

Question 12

An FBA reveals that a client’s aggression occurs most often when staff present academic demands, is followed by staff removing the demand and providing calming attention, and rarely occurs during unstructured free time. Which function is most likely?

Accepted Answer

Escape or avoidance of demands

Answer

Access to tangible items

Answer

Automatic reinforcement

Answer

Access to peer attention

Question 13

A BCBA conducts a paired-choice preference assessment with four items: A, B, C, and D. Each item is paired against every other item once. The client chooses A over B, C, and D; chooses B over C and D; and chooses C over D. Which item is likely the most preferred?

Accepted Answer

Item A

Answer

Item B

Answer

Item C

Answer

Item D

Question 14

A child screams when he wants access to the iPad. The BCBA teaches him to say “iPad please” and provides the iPad only when he uses that phrase. When he screams, the iPad is not provided. Which procedure best describes this intervention?

Accepted Answer

DRA — differential reinforcement of an alternative behavior

Answer

DRO — differential reinforcement of other behavior

Answer

DRI — differential reinforcement of an incompatible behavior

Answer

Noncontingent reinforcement

Question 15

A classroom token economy awards points that students exchange for backup reinforcers such as extra recess, stickers, and small snacks. After two weeks, the teacher reports that students are less motivated to earn points and exchange rates are dropping. What is the most likely explanation?

Accepted Answer

The backup reinforcers have lost value due to satiation or insufficient variety

Answer

The tokens are functioning as conditioned punishers

Answer

The point schedule is too dense to maintain responding

Answer

The students have acquired all available backup reinforcers

Question 16

Baseline data show that a client’s stereotypy is highest during unstructured downtime and lowest when she is engaged in preferred activities such as puzzles and music. Which intervention is best supported by these data?

Accepted Answer

Increase structured engagement with preferred activities

Answer

Provide continuous attention whenever stereotypy occurs

Answer

Implement overcorrection after each instance of stereotypy

Answer

Apply response cost for all instances of stereotypy

Question 17

A BCBA supervisor meets weekly with each RBT. She reviews a graph of the RBT’s procedural fidelity scores, praises specific improvements, and discusses one or two concrete adjustments for the coming week. After several weeks, fidelity scores improve across the team. Which supervisory practice best describes this approach?

Accepted Answer

Performance feedback

Answer

Behavioral skills training

Answer

Pyramidal training

Answer

Interobserver agreement training

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