BCBA Fieldwork Documentation Requirements

The Monthly Fieldwork Verification Form (M-FVF) only captures the summary of your month. To back up those numbers in the event of an audit, the BACB requires you to maintain a continuous, highly detailed documentation system (typically an Excel spreadsheet).

The BACB dictates the exact fields that must be recorded for every single session. Missing these fields can result in those hours being thrown out during an audit.

Independent Hours

For every session where you worked independently (no supervisor present), you must record:

• Date
• Start time and end time
• Fieldwork type (Supervised or Concentrated)
• Supervisor name
• Activity category (Restricted or Unrestricted)

Supervised Contacts

When you meet with your supervisor, the documentation burden increases. You must record all of the independent fields, plus:

• Supervision type (Individual or Group)
• Summary of supervision activity: This is a critical requirement. You must write a brief summary of what was discussed (e.g., "Discussion of activities completed during independent hours, feedback provided on behavior plan writing, progress toward goals discussed").

Client Observations

For any session where your supervisor observed you with a client, you must record all the supervised fields, plus:

• Setting name: Where the observation occurred (e.g., "ABC Autism Center", "Home - Client JS").
• Duration in minutes: This is especially critical for anyone applying in 2027 or later, as the observation requirement becomes cumulative minutes rather than a simple count of sessions.

7-Year Retention Policy

You and your supervisor must retain all fieldwork documentation—including the M-FVFs, the Final Fieldwork Verification Form (F-FVF), the supervision contract, and this detailed documentation system—for at least 7 years after you complete your fieldwork.