What's tested on Domain I
- Behavioral Skills Training (BST): instruction, modeling, rehearsal, feedback
- Performance management: feedback delivery, performance feedback systems, OBM (organizational behavior management) basics
- Supervisor responsibilities and BACB supervision standards (frequency, observation, contact requirements)
- Documentation: monthly fieldwork verification forms, final verification forms
- Personnel selection and onboarding
- Building trainee competency and managing supervisee performance over time
- Ethical considerations in supervision: dual roles, confidentiality, conflicts
Why this domain matters
On the exam, Domain I shows up as scenarios where a supervisor must respond to a supervisee's specific situation: under-performing, requesting feedback, missing documentation, working outside scope. In practice, the skills you learn here are the ones that determine whether the next generation of analysts you train will be any good.
How to study Domain I for the BCBA exam
- Memorize the four components of BST in order: instruction → modeling → rehearsal → feedback.
- Know the BACB supervision standards for the supervisory period: minimum hours, observation requirements, contact frequency, group-supervision cap (group ≤ 50% of total).
- Distinguish feedback that's behavior-specific and timely from feedback that's general and delayed. The first works; the second mostly doesn't.
- Practice the documentation flow: the Monthly Experience Verification Form vs. the Final Experience Verification Form. They serve different functions.
Frequently asked questions
How many BCBA exam questions are on supervision?
Nineteen questions out of 175, or 11% of the exam.
What is BST and why does it keep showing up on the exam?
Behavioral Skills Training is the evidence-based protocol for teaching a skill: tell them (instruction), show them (modeling), have them practice (rehearsal), and give them specific timely feedback. It shows up on the exam because it's the protocol BCBAs use to train staff, parents, and supervisees; every supervisee scenario tests whether you know to use BST.
Practice Domain I questions
Scenario-based BCBA practice questions for Supervision, with rationales for every option. The free tier includes a curated set of practice questions from across the exam; Core and Pro unlock the full bank across all nine domains.
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