Guide · updated October 2026
How to track BCBA fieldwork hours
Tracking ABA fieldwork hours well is less about the total and more about each month: every month has to meet the BACB’s supervision rules on its own, and a month that falls short doesn’t count. Here is how to log hours so every month counts.
The six steps
- Choose your fieldwork type and requirements
Decide whether each month is Supervised Fieldwork (2,000 hours in total) or Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork (1,500 hours), and whether you will apply before or after January 1, 2027. The monthly rules differ, so this decides what every month is checked against.
- Log every session the day it happens
Record the date, start and end time, whether your supervisor was present, whether the work was restricted or unrestricted, which supervisor and organization, and for supervised time whether it was group or individual, in person or online, and whether your supervisor observed you with a client.
- Check the month as you go, not at the end
Each month needs at least 20 hours (and no more than 130, or 160 under the 2027 rules), the minimum supervision percentage, and the required contacts or observation. Checking weekly leaves time to fix a gap before the month closes.
- Watch your unrestricted share across all months
At least 60% of all your fieldwork hours must be unrestricted: assessment, data analysis, program writing, caregiver and staff training. Direct therapy is restricted. Track the running share so you aren’t short at the end.
- Complete and sign the monthly verification form
After each month, complete the official BACB Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form with your supervisor. It must be signed by the last day of the following month, and you both keep a copy for at least 7 years.
- Keep your records for the long term
Keep your session log and every signed monthly form. At the end, the Final Fieldwork Verification Form summarizes your fieldwork and goes with your application.
What to record for each session
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date, start and end time | Monthly totals, and which month the hours belong to |
| Supervised or independent | The supervision percentage for the month |
| Restricted or unrestricted | The 60% unrestricted requirement across all hours |
| Supervisor and organization | Which verification form the hours go on, and who signs it |
| Group or individual supervision | Group supervision can be at most half of supervised time |
| Observation with a client | Required each month (one observation before 2027; 60 or 90 minutes under the 2027 rules) |
| A short description | What you did, so you and your supervisor can review the month |
The monthly checks
| Each month needs | Supervised Fieldwork | Concentrated |
|---|---|---|
| Hours (before 2027) | 20 – 130 | 20 – 130 |
| Hours (2027 rules) | 20 – 160 | 20 – 160 |
| Supervision (before 2027) | 5% | 10% |
| Supervision (2027 rules) | 5% | 7.5% |
| Contacts (before 2027) | 4 | 6 |
| Client observation | 1 per month before 2027; 60 minutes under the 2027 rules | 1 per month before 2027; 90 minutes under the 2027 rules |
The full rules, including the 5-year completion window, are in BCBA fieldwork requirements, and what changes in 2027 is in BACB 2027 requirements.
Mistakes that cost trainees hours
- Finding out at the end of the month. A month under 20 hours, or under the supervision minimum, doesn’t count. Check weekly.
- Too much direct therapy. Trainees who mostly run sessions end up below 60% unrestricted and need extra months of unrestricted work.
- No observation logged. Every month needs your supervisor to observe you with a client; it’s easy to forget to record it.
- Late signatures. The monthly form has to be signed by the last day of the following month.
- Mixing up concentrated hours. When you combine both types, concentrated hours are multiplied by 1.33 toward 2,000, but the forms always show your actual hours.
Spreadsheet or app?
A spreadsheet works if you are disciplined about formulas for every rule. A dedicated tracker does the checks for you. Fieldwise ABA is free: log a session by typing a sentence, speaking, or filling a short form, see each month’s requirements turn green as you meet them, and get the official BACB form filled from your hours. Coming from Ripley? Bring every month across.
Sources: BACB BCBA Handbook; BACB guidance on the 2027 requirements. This guide summarizes those documents; the BACB’s current publications always govern.