Domain A: Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations
8 questions · 5% of exam
Editorial study tip: items often test whether you can distinguish behavior-analytic assumptions from mentalistic or non-scientific explanations.
6th Edition Test Content Outline
BCBA 6th Edition task list: nine domains, 104 tasks, and how to study each one
The BACB publishes the Test Content Outline, not a passive checklist. Domain counts and weights below come from the official 6th Edition document; study tips are editorial guidance from Behavior School.
- Nine official TCO domains (A–I)
- 175 scored questions on the BCBA exam
- Linked to BACB source documents
What changed from the 5th Edition task list—and why it matters for study order
The 6th Edition Test Content Outline keeps lettered domains A through I but removes the old Foundations versus Applications split. Tasks increased from 92 to 104, and the BACB publishes how many scored exam questions come from each domain in the official PDF linked below.
The exam delivers 175 scored items plus unscored pilot questions in a four-hour session, per the BACB. Behavior Study Tools reports practice and mock performance by the same domain labels so you can align retrieval practice with those official weights.
Reading the PDF alone rarely transfers to exam items. Each domain card below lists official weight, then an editorial study tip—clearly separate from BACB task wording.
Official weights: BACB Test Content Outline (6th ed.) PDF. Editorial tips: Behavior School study guidance only.
Official structure
How the BACB organizes the 104 tasks across nine domains
Per the official 6th Edition outline: Domain B (Concepts and Principles) and Domain G (Behavior-Change Procedures) each contribute 14% of scored items. Domains C, E, F, and H each sit between 11% and 13%. Domain D (Experimental Design) is 7%, and Domain A (Philosophical Foundations) is 5%.
That distribution means equal calendar time per domain is usually inefficient. Candidates with strong coursework in concepts still need deliberate reps in supervision, intervention selection, and assessment because those domains carry multiple questions per task.
Behavior Study Tools organizes practice sets and mock results by domain so you can compare your accuracy pattern to these official weights—not guess from one overall percentage.
Study loop
Turn each domain row into a weekly practice assignment
Start with a Quick domain check—nine questions, one per domain—to surface domains that may deserve a closer look. That is not a complete weakness ranking from nine items alone, and it is not the same as a baseline from a finished full 185-question mock or a completed domain mini mock.
Assign one primary domain per week based on need, not alphabet order. Add mixed timed sets once single-domain accuracy improves. Schedule full mocks only when you need pacing evidence across all nine domains.
After each block, write one sentence on why the correct answer beat the best distractor. That habit matters most in Ethics, Assessment, and Intervention Selection where two answers often look acceptable.
- Quick domain check for orientation
- One primary domain focus per week
- Mixed timed sets for transfer
- Full mock for pacing across domains
- Rationale notes on missed items
Why this page stays here
Why this TCO guide lives on behaviorstudytools.com
We redirected the schedule and school BCBA landers because BehaviorSchool already owns those canonical topics.
This outline guide stays on the marketing site to map official BACB domains to Behavior Study Tools practice labels—a distinct search intent from schedule planning or school-context product pages on behaviorschool.com.
BCBA 6th Edition Test Content Outline: all nine domains
Official domain counts from the BACB PDF linked in Sources. Study tips are editorial.
Domain B: Concepts and Principles
24 questions · 14% of exam
Editorial study tip: pair reading with applied questions on reinforcement, punishment, stimulus control, and motivating operations—not definitions alone.
Domain C: Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation
21 questions · 12% of exam
Editorial study tip: practice graph selection, IOA, and measurement-system decisions before drilling calculations.
Domain D: Experimental Design
13 questions · 7% of exam
Editorial study tip: focus on when each design fits a practical question, not design names in isolation.
Domain E: Ethical and Professional Issues
22 questions · 13% of exam
Editorial study tip: scenario items reward the most appropriate Ethics Code action, not the most intensive intervention.
Domain F: Behavior Assessment
23 questions · 13% of exam
Editorial study tip: connect indirect, direct, and functional assessment methods with applied vignettes.
Domain G: Behavior-Change Procedures
25 questions · 14% of exam
Editorial study tip: review antecedent and consequence interventions, skill acquisition, and reduction procedures with applied items.
Domain H: Selecting and Implementing Interventions
20 questions · 11% of exam
Editorial study tip: the official 6th Edition TCO titles this domain Selecting and Implementing Interventions. Practice matching client context, barriers, and monitoring plans to the most appropriate next step.
Domain I: Personnel Supervision and Management
19 questions · 11% of exam
Editorial study tip: include performance feedback, training systems, and organizational behavior management in mixed timed sets.
Connect each TCO domain to your next practice block
Behavior Study Tools maps questions and mock results to the same A–I domain labels in the official outline.
01 Confirm tasks in the official PDF
Download the current BCBA Test Content Outline from the BACB and skim task verbs—not only domain titles.
02 Practice with domain scoring
Answer applied questions and review which domains underperform relative to official exam weight.
03 Adjust weekly focus
Move study time toward high-weight domains where your accuracy still lags.
TCO and task-list questions from BCBA candidates
Where do I download the official 6th Edition outline?
Use the Test Content Outlines page on bacb.com and download the BCBA Test Content Outline (6th ed.) PDF. Linked on this page for verification.
Is the task list the same as the test questions?
No. Tasks describe content the exam may cover; individual items are scenario-based. You still need applied questions and explanation review for each domain.
Which domains deserve the most study time?
Weight study time by official exam share from the BACB PDF and your own domain results. B and G are largest; F, E, C, H, and I are mid-weight; D and A are smaller but still mandatory.
What is a Quick domain check?
A nine-question pass with one item per domain to orient your first study block—it can surface domains worth a closer look, not a full ranking from nine items alone. A baseline, in Behavior Study Tools language, comes from finishing a full 185-question mock or a completed domain mini mock.
How does Behavior Study Tools label domains?
Practice and mock results use the same A–I domain names as the 6th Edition TCO so you can map performance directly to the official outline.
Sources and verification
Related BCBA study guides
Best BCBA exam prep apps: what each option is actually good for
BCBA mock exam scores: how to turn results into the next study block