BCBA Fieldwork Glossary: Key BACB Terms Defined

The BACB employs specific terminology to describe fieldwork requirements. Understanding these definitions — as outlined in the BCBA Handbook — is essential to maintaining compliance. You can also verify your supervisor's credentials on the BACB Certificant Registry.

Client

Any person (or group of people) for whom behavior-analytic services are appropriate. The trainee and supervisor must have a formal relationship with the client. Trainees may not be related to the client or the client's primary caregiver.

Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork

A fieldwork type requiring 1,500 total hours, characterized by a higher required supervision percentage (10% currently, 7.5% in 2027) and more frequent supervisor contacts (6 per period) compared to Standard Supervised Fieldwork. See our full concentrated vs. supervised fieldwork comparison.

Consulting Supervisor

A qualified BCBA who provides monthly consultation to a supervisor who has been certified for less than one year. This oversight ensures the new supervisor is providing appropriate guidance to their trainees. Learn more in our guide to finding a BCBA supervisor.

F-FVF (Final Fieldwork Verification Form)

The official BACB document signed at the end of a fieldwork segment (or when changing supervisors). It consolidates the totals from all M-FVFs and is the primary document submitted with the certification application.

Independent Hours

Fieldwork hours accrued while engaged in behavior-analytic activities without the supervisor present. For monthly caps and limits, see our fieldwork hours guide.

M-FVF (Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form)

The official BACB document that must be signed by the trainee and supervisor no later than the last day of the calendar month following the month in which hours were accrued. See our complete M-FVF guide for deadlines and tips.

Observation

A session in which the supervisor directly observes the trainee interacting with a client. Currently required at least once per period; transitioning to a cumulative minutes requirement (60 or 90 minutes) in 2027. See client observation requirements for details.

Restricted Activities

Activities involving the direct implementation of therapeutic and instructional procedures. These activities are capped at 40% of total fieldwork hours. See our restricted vs. unrestricted activities guide for examples.

Supervised Fieldwork (Standard)

A fieldwork type requiring 2,000 total hours, requiring a minimum of 5% supervision and 4 supervisor contacts per supervisory period.

Supervision Contact

A real-time interaction (in-person or synchronous video) between the supervisor and the trainee on a given calendar day.

Supervisory Period

One calendar month during which fieldwork is accrued. The period dictates the boundaries for calculating supervision percentages and minimum/maximum hour caps.

Unrestricted Activities

Activities that most closely resemble the duties of an independent behavior analyst, such as designing programs, analyzing data, and training staff. These must comprise at least 60% of total fieldwork hours for BCBA candidates. See our restricted vs. unrestricted activities breakdown.