You Can’t Take Your Exam — the Computers are Broken!
When I started in the field of ABA, the pass rate for becoming a BCBA was around 60–65%. That made me pretty nervous, as I am not the most confident test taker. I will never forget arriving at the testing center in Midtown NYC in May 2011. I was so ready to take the exam. When I arrived, there were several test takers who looked angry, and someone said, “The computers are broken!”
That made no sense to me. How could a testing center have broken computers? Well, the testing center did have broken computers, and I wasn’t able to take the exam!
This was a problem because it was the end of May, and at the time, you could only take the BCBA exam during a few testing windows each year (I think it was May, November, and February?). I somehow managed to find another testing center a few days later, and I ended up taking the exam on May 31st in Long Island, NY.
Then came the waiting. I had to wait over a month to get my results. Fortunately, I passed!
Today, test takers can sign up for the exam throughout the year and receive their results the same day. I am definitely jealous that BCBA candidates no longer have to endure that long wait!
But today’s test takers are also dealing with something I wasn’t exposed to in 2011: social media.
Yes, I had Facebook, but there were no exam-prep Facebook groups like there are today. These groups can be really jarring. The amount of information being shared with BCBA candidates must create a whole new level of overwhelm that I simply wasn’t exposed to.
Here are some of the things I am seeing:
BCBAs who just passed (like, within 24 hours) advertising paid tutoring or selling their study materials.
Students reviewing mock-exam questions that have incorrect answers.
Students sharing how many times they have failed and the extreme pressure or frustration they are feeling.
Complaints about how difficult the exam is, along with frequent references to the low passing rate.
Studying that is focused almost entirely on mock exams.
Talk about a lot of pressure!
I fully support the intent behind these groups: people want to support one another and help each other pass the exam. But there is a lot of information being shared, and I am becoming increasingly concerned about testimonial-style statements about how people passed and the amount of inaccurate information that can circulate.
I’m also seeing a lot of blame placed on the BACB for making the exam more difficult in order to make more money. I don’t really want to enter that debate here, but based on some of the things I’m observing, I’m not sure I would blame the BACB!
I am currently working on an upcoming training focused on recommendations for preparing for the BCBA exam, drawing on research from various fields related to test taking and learning. My hope is to offer students practical recommendations that are grounded in research—and maybe, just maybe, we’ll see those pass rates rise.