College of Ed’s ABA pass rate is highest in Indiana
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) certifies Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBA®) and publishes pass rates for master’s students. Purdue’s College of Education Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) students have had the highest pass rate in the state of Indiana in both 2024 and 2023.
ABA is a science based on the use of learning principles to improve lives and BCBA® certification is a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. BCBA®s are independent practitioners who can provide behavior-analytic services and supervise the work of professionals who implement behavior-analytic interventions.
When students are able to successfully pass the certification exam on their first attempt it helps meet the demand for behavior analytic clinicians, currently reported to be 103,150 in the nation.
“After earning a master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis, most students sit for the certification exam that has a first-time-test-taken pass rate of 54% in 2024,” said Juliana Aguilar, clinical assistant professor of special education and ABA. “The number had been below 60% since 2021, and for online programs, the pass rate is often much lower. The Board announces annual pass rates each year for programs that have had at least six students sit for the exam after the first three years of data. For Purdue, online and residential programs are reported together.”
In 2023, Purdue’s ABA program had a 58% pass rate, the highest pass rate in the state. Then in 2024 the program’s pass rate increased to 82%.
This table compares the past four years’ pass rates for Purdue ABA students taking the ABA certification test:
| Year | Rate | # of students |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 78% | 9 |
| 2022 | 59% | 17 |
| 2023 | 58% | 12 |
| 2024 | 82% | 22 |
Aguilar says that while the certification exam is only a single measure of a candidate’s potential success as a behavior analyst, being able to demonstrate comprehension of the concepts and principles of behavior analysis leads to better application of the science in real world settings.
“The increase in the pass rate is due to the commitment and dedication of our students,” Aguilar said. “In the past few years, our program has made strides to increase students’ ability to practice behavioral principles throughout our courses.”
For example, in Fall 2023, Purdue Special Education faculty updated Foundations and Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (EDPS 54700) and Advanced Applied Behavior Analysis (EDPS 61200) to increase contact with faculty, and also increased active learning activities during class periods and increased the applied assignments in these courses.
Then in Fall 2024, the faculty embedded a new tabletop game learning platform, PORTL, that allows students to implement behavioral principles in a more controlled setting and reflect on their experience as the teacher of behaviors in these assignments.
According to Aguilar, the increased pass rates directly reflect on the quality of students, faculty, and lecturers within the ABA program.
“This demonstrates our program’s commitment to innovation in our teaching and working to provide a quality education to both our residential and online students” said Aguilar. “I am so proud of our students in obtaining this pass rate!”
Source: Juliana Aguilar