How to Get BCBA Supervision Hours: A Complete Guide
Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) supervision hours can confuse most trainees. Rules sometimes change, advice conflicts, and one mistake can invalidate months of work.
Here's exactly what counts, what doesn't, and how to finish faster.
What are BCBA supervision hours?
BCBA supervision hours are the required fieldwork hours you must complete before sitting the BCBA exam.
These hours:
- Happen while you are enrolled in (or have completed) approved coursework
- Need to be supervised by a qualified BCBA or BCBA-D (Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral)
- Must follow strict Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) rules
The main goal of supervision hours is to help you apply your Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) skills safely in real settings.
How many BCBA supervision hours do you need?
The total number of supervision hours required depends on which fieldwork pathway you choose:
- Supervised fieldwork: 2,000 hours
- Concentrated supervised fieldwork: 1,500 hours
These hour requirements are the same whether you're applying under current rules or the 2027 requirements.
What is changing in 2027?
While the total hours stay the same, other supervision requirements are changing significantly starting January 1, 2027 (covered in detail below). The BACB recommends that trainees who are unsure when they'll apply should meet both the current and 2027 requirements to be safe.
Many trainees choose concentrated supervised fieldwork because it requires fewer total hours. However, under current rules, it does require more frequent supervision contacts each month.
What counts toward BCBA supervision hours?
Not all work hours count, so you need to be aware of which ones contribute towards your supervision hours.
Something else to bear in mind is that at least 60% of your hours must be unrestricted activities (not direct client implementation). These are tasks that represent the work BCBAs typically do, like assessments, program development, and staff training.
Activities that do count:
Unrestricted activities (must be at least 60% of your hours):
- Conducting assessments
- Writing programs based on data
- Graphing and reviewing data
- Training caregivers or team members
- Observing client sessions
Restricted activities (can be up to 40% of your hours):
- Running behavior plans with clients
- Direct implementation of interventions
Activities that don’t count:
- Paperwork and admin tasks
- Scheduling or coordination
- Billing or insurance work
Who can supervise your BCBA hours?
Not every BCBA can supervise your hours. So before you start logging hours, make sure your supervisor is approved to oversee them.
Your supervisor must be a BCBA or BCBA-D in good standing, have completed their BACB supervision training, or have a current supervision contract with you.
Once you’ve found someone who meets those criteria, they’ll then be responsible for observing your work, providing feedback, and signing off on your hours.
And remember: supervision without proper documentation doesn’t count.
How BCBA supervision is structured
The BACB has detailed monthly requirements that supervisors and trainees track together. There are a few changes to these from 2027.
Current requirements (through 2026):
- At least 5% of your hours supervised (10% for concentrated)
- At least four supervisor contacts per month (six for concentrated)
- At least one observation with you and a client present
Starting January 1, 2027:
- At least 5% of your hours supervised (7.5% for concentrated)
- No minimum contact frequency requirement (the four/six contact rule is eliminated)
- At least one observation with you and a client present
If you miss the target on any of these rules, then the month might not count.
For example, missing the observation means no hours count for that month. Under current rules, missing contacts means your hours will be prorated based on how many contacts you completed.
How to get BCBA supervision hours
How do you start logging supervision hours, then? Here are a few simple steps to get you there.
Step 1: Choose your fieldwork type
Decide between supervised or concentrated fieldwork early. Switching later on can get messy if you aren’t careful.
Step 2: Secure a supervisor before you start
Have your supervisor in mind before you start blindly collecting hours and hoping they count later.
Step 3: Sign a supervision contract
Take care of the proper paperwork before you begin. This protects both you and your supervisor.
Step 4: Track hours weekly
Daily tracking prevents painful backtracking weeks or months further down the line. Log as you go so you don’t forget what you’ve done or miscalculate your hours.
Step 5: Get regular feedback
Supervision should feel active, not like a signature service. Your supervisor will likely have been there and done it themselves, so make sure to check in regularly and ask for advice if you’re unsure about anything.
Common ways to get BCBA supervision hours
Knowing what supervision hours are about is all well and good, but you need to actually get out there and physically go through them for them to count. Here are a few ways you can find them.
1. Through an ABA clinic
Many ABA clinics offer supervision as part of your job. You earn hours while working directly with clients and teams.
Pros: Built-in structure
Cons: Limited flexibility
2. Remote BCBA supervision
Virtual BCBA supervision has grown quickly in recent years. You’ll meet with your supervisor online instead of in person.
Pros: More options, flexible scheduling
Cons: Requires strong self-management
3. University-affiliated supervision
Some graduate programs include supervision alongside coursework. Your fieldwork hours connect closely to what you’re learning in class.
Pros: Clear alignment
Cons: Limited availability
Common mistakes that can delay BCBA hours
There are a few mistakes that show up again and again when trying to log BCBA hours. Stay clear of these to get yours done without any hassle.
Waiting too long to find a supervisor
Hours collected without supervision are lost hours. Secure your supervisor before you start logging anything.
Poor documentation
If it’s not written down correctly, it may as well not have happened. Take care when doing your paperwork and logging your hours.
Not meeting monthly requirements
One missed month can invalidate weeks of hard work. Requirements will vary here based on when you're applying:
Through 2026: Missing monthly contact minimums (four for supervised, six for concentrated) means prorated hours.
Starting 2027: No minimum contacts are required, but missing your required observation still invalidates the entire month.
Track your compliance early in the month so you aren't rushing around in a panic towards the end.
Treating supervision as passive
Good supervision can improve your skills, not just the number of hours you can track. Your supervisor is a font of wisdom that can be tapped into to help you grow as a BCBA.
How long does it take to get BCBA supervision hours?
There's no set amount of time or hard and fast rule, so timelines will vary based on how many hours you can dedicate each month. Again, there are some changes coming here from 2027.
Current requirements (through 2026):
- A minimum of 20 hours per month
- A maximum of 130 hours per month
- Completion within five continuous years
Starting January 1, 2027:
- A minimum of 20 hours per month
- A maximum of 160 hours per month
- Completion within five continuous years
The pace you finish at will depend on a few things, such as weekly hours available, supervisor access, and how consistent you are.
Quality supervision matters more than speed. Focus on meeting requirements rather than racing to the finish line.
How technology can help you track BCBA supervision hours
Manually tracking with pen and paper is fine, and it’s done the job well enough for years, but it can leave you open to errors if you aren't careful.
Whereas digital systems can remove the grunt work element and help you:
- Log hours accurately
- Automatically track supervision percentages
- Store contracts and documentation
- Reduce audit stress
Research backs this up, too, as it shows that structured tracking improves compliance and accuracy. So switching to an automated system can make things so much simpler.
Build your BCBA skills in a clinic that runs smoothly
As you work toward your BCBA certification, the quality of your clinical environment matters.
Passage Health helps ABA clinics create a structured, organized setting where supervisees can focus on learning instead of fighting administrative chaos.
With Passage Health, you get:
- Real-time clinical data collection: No more hunting for missing session notes when you need to review client progress with your supervisor.
- Automated supervision reporting: Track supervision hours and oversight across your team, helping BCBAs manage their supervisee workload without spreadsheets.
- Unified scheduling and documentation: When sessions, notes, and billing connect in one system, there's less confusion about what happened when. This is critical for meeting monthly supervision requirements.
- Clear program documentation: Access treatment plans, data, and graphs instantly during supervision meetings, so you can spend time on skill development instead of searching for information.
Strong supervision happens in well-organized clinics. Passage Health gives your practice the infrastructure to support both BCBAs and the professionals they're training.
Book a demo to see how Passage Health can create the foundation for better clinical supervision and training at your practice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start BCBA supervision hours?
You need to secure a qualified supervisor and sign a supervision contract before collecting and logging your hours, otherwise they won’t count.
Can I do BCBA supervision remotely?
Yes. Remote supervision is absolutely allowed if it meets BACB requirements.
Do all work hours count toward BCBA supervision?
No. Only approved behavior-analytic activities count. Such as running assessments, writing programs, training team members, and analyzing client data.
What happens if I miss supervision requirements?
If you don't hit your target, that month's hours may not count toward your total hours. The consequences depend on which requirement you miss and when you're applying.
If you miss the required observation, no hours will count for that month (in both current and 2027 rules). For missing contact minimums, hours are currently prorated based on completed contacts, but contact minimums are eliminated from 2027 to simplify compliance.
Either way, it's important to track your requirements consistently every month.
How do I track BCBA supervision hours correctly?
Use a structured system like Passage Health to help you log your hours, supervision percentages, and documentation consistently.
References
BACB. (n.d.). Home [Homepage]. Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Retrieved from https://www.bacb.com/
BACB. (n.d.). Supervision, assessment, training, and oversight. Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Retrieved from https://www.bacb.com/supervision-and-training/
BACB. (2024). FAQs about BACB supervised fieldwork requirements. Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Retrieved from https://www.bacb.com/faqs-supervised-fieldwork-requirements/
BACB. (2025). Guidance for meeting the BCBA requirements during the 2027 transition. Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Retrieved from https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/BCBA-2027-Requirements-Transition-250609-a.pdf
BACB. (2026). Board certified behavior analyst handbook. Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Retrieved from https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/BCBAHandbook_251223-a.pdf
Sleeper, J. D., LeBlanc, L. A., Mueller, J., et al. (2017). The effects of electronic data collection on the percentage of current clinician graphs and organizational return on investment. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 37(1), 83-95. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01608061.2016.1267065
