Fieldwork, read from the source
Requirements change, and not always loudly. Everything here is written from the current BACB documents, with the passages quoted so you can check them.
Guides and articles
Longer reads on the requirements, written from the BACB documents.
Common BCBA fieldwork tracking mistakes
Fieldwork rarely goes wrong on purpose. Fifteen mistakes that quietly cost trainees hours, what the BACB actually requires in each case, and the five-minute check that catches almost all of them before the month closes.
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What has to be in your BCBA supervision contract
The contract is signed on day one and reopened only when something goes wrong. What the BACB requires it to contain, the two checks to run on your supervisor before you sign, and why the clause setting out when they will refuse to sign your forms decides what happens if it is ever contested.
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Your supervisor does not have to be in the room: how recorded and remote observation counts
Recorded and live video observation has been allowed for years, under the current BCBA requirements as well as the 2027 ones. What a recorded observation counts as, why watching it later creates no supervised hours, the double-counting trap, and the one timing question the BACB has not answered.
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Never let your employer be the only place your BCBA fieldwork records live
The BACB requires the trainee, personally, to retain fieldwork records for seven years, and an audit gives you about 14 days to produce them. Why employer-held records fail, what the contested-fieldwork route quietly assumes you already have, and what a complete personal copy contains.
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Applying for BCBA near the 2027 cutoff: which requirements will apply to you
New BCBA requirements take effect on January 1, 2027. Which set your application is reviewed under depends on when your complete application is received, not when you did the work. What "complete" means, the transcript step that catches people out, and what changes if you miss it.
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The 60% unrestricted rule in BCBA fieldwork: what counts, and how to catch up
At least 60% of BCBA fieldwork hours must be unrestricted, but not every month. How the ratio really works, what never counts, and how to work out where you stand if you are already behind.
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BCBA fieldwork observation in 2027: what counts toward your 60 minutes
Under the 2027 BCBA requirements, each month of fieldwork needs 60 minutes of observation with a client, or 90 for Concentrated. What counts toward those minutes, what does not, and how the BACB scenarios sort out feedback, video and recordings.
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2027 Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form revision for BCBA trainees: which version to use
In June 2026 the BACB revised both 2027 Monthly Fieldwork Verification Forms that BCBA trainees use. What changed, whether months signed on the older 02/2026 version still count, and the one thing worth checking on older forms.
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Applying for BCBA in 2027? Qualifying hours on 2022 forms need to be transferred to 2027 forms
If you apply for BCBA certification on or after January 1, 2027, months already signed on 2022 verification forms have to meet the 2027 requirements and move onto 2027 forms. Which months qualify, and the signature date rule that catches people out.
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37 unrestricted activity ideas for BCBA fieldwork
Concrete unrestricted activities a BCBA trainee can actually start, each with what it involves, how to ask your supervisor for it, and a model log entry.
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BCBA fieldwork in 2027: what changes
A source-cited comparison of the 2022 and 2027 BCBA supervised fieldwork requirements: hours, supervision, observation minutes, monthly caps, and whether your hours carry over.
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How to track your BCBA fieldwork hours
A step-by-step system for tracking BCBA fieldwork: what to record each session, the 60/40 unrestricted ratio, monthly supervision and observation, signing monthly forms, and seven-year storage.
Read article →Restricted vs unrestricted BCBA fieldwork hours
Every BCBA fieldwork hour is classified twice: who was there, and what you were doing. What has to be true before an hour counts at all, why the same task can go either way, and how group supervision quietly pushes the percentage wrong in both directions.
Read article →Every month checked against the rules that apply to you
Log your hours, send monthly verification forms for signature, and see which months are complete. Supervisors are always free.
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Fieldwork Hours Calculator
How many unrestricted hours you still need, and your projected finish date.
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The 40% unrestricted rule and the BCaBA hour goals, worked out for you.
Open →Fieldwork A–Z Glossary
32 fieldwork terms in plain English, each with an example.
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Quick answers about requirements, forms, storage and plans.
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