Guide · updated October 2026
BCBA fieldwork requirements, explained
To sit for the BCBA exam you need 2,000 hours of Supervised Fieldwork or 1,500 hours of Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork, earned in monthly periods that each meet the BACB’s supervision rules.
The requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Supervised Fieldwork | Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork |
|---|---|---|
| Total hours | 2,000 | 1,500 (each hour ×1.33) |
| Hours per month, before 2027 | 20 – 130 | 20 – 130 |
| Hours per month, 2027 rules | 20 – 160 | 20 – 160 |
| Supervision, before 2027 | 5% of monthly hours | 10% |
| Supervision, 2027 rules | 5% | 7.5% |
| Unrestricted activities | At least 60% of all hours | At least 60% of all hours |
| Completion window | 5 consecutive years | 5 consecutive years |
Monthly hours
Fieldwork is counted per supervisory period, usually a calendar month. A month with fewer than 20 hours doesn’t count. Hours above the cap (130 before 2027, 160 under the 2027 rules) aren’t credited.
Supervision percentage
Your supervisor must be present for a minimum share of each month’s hours: 5% for Supervised Fieldwork, and 10% for Concentrated (7.5% if you apply on or after January 1, 2027). At least half of the supervision must be individual rather than group.
Contacts and observation
Under the rules in place before 2027, each month needs a set number of supervision contacts (4 for Supervised, 6 for Concentrated) including one observation of you working with a client. The 2027 requirements don’t list a number of contacts; instead you need 60 minutes (Supervised) or 90 minutes (Concentrated) of your supervisor observing you with a client each month.
Restricted vs unrestricted hours
Restricted hours are direct therapy, like running teaching programs. Unrestricted hours are the broader work of a behavior analyst: assessment, graphing and analyzing data, writing programs, and training caregivers and staff. At least 60% of your total hours must be unrestricted.
The most common surprise: trainees who mostly deliver direct therapy end up far below 60% unrestricted. Fieldwise tracks your unrestricted share from day one and tells you how many unrestricted hours you still need.
Concentrated hours count more
Each concentrated hour counts as about 1.33 supervised-equivalent hours, which is why 1,500 concentrated hours reach the same 2,000-hour target. You can mix both types across months.
Monthly verification forms
Each month you complete a Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form with each supervisor, or one form per organization signed by the responsible supervisor when several supervisors share an organization. It must be signed by the last day of the following month, and you both keep a copy for at least 7 years. At the end you complete a Final Fieldwork Verification Form, which goes with your application. Which form you need, field by field.
Track these automatically, free
Sources: BACB BCBA Handbook; BACB, Guidance for Meeting the BCBA Requirements During the 2027 Transition. This guide summarizes those documents; the BACB’s current publications always govern.