Fieldwork hours tracker vs spreadsheet: what each has to do
A spreadsheet is a perfectly acceptable fieldwork tracker, because the handbook lets you design your own documentation system, but only if you build the checks yourself: totals per supervisor per month, the supervision percentage against total hours, the individual share, observation minutes, the monthly hour range and the 60 percent unrestricted share across everything. A dedicated tracker runs those checks as you log. Choose by how confident you are that your formulas are right every month.
What any system has to record
The handbook lists what your ongoing documentation should hold, whatever tool you use:
| Kind of time | Record for each one |
|---|---|
| Independent session | Date, start time, end time, fieldwork type, supervisor name, restricted or unrestricted |
| Supervision contact | The same, plus individual or group, and a summary of what was covered |
| Observation | Date, start time, end time, fieldwork type, setting name, supervisor name, restricted or unrestricted |
On top of that, your system should show each month meeting its requirements and your total accruing enough unrestricted hours. During the 2027 transition the board also suggests tracking observations both as a count and in minutes, so either rule set can be proven.
Spreadsheet, tracker, or both
| Need | Spreadsheet | Dedicated tracker |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Varies; this one is free today |
| Monthly rule checks | You write and maintain the formulas | Built in, for the 2022 and 2027 rules |
| Exact shortfall before month end | Possible with careful formulas | Shown as time to add |
| Separate periods per supervisor | One tab or filter per supervisor | Automatic |
| Start and end times | Any column you like | Varies; this log records durations and notes |
| Phone entry | Awkward in most spreadsheet apps | Designed for it |
| Control of your data | Your file | This log keeps data in your browser, with JSON export |
Spreadsheets fail quietly. A formula that divides by independent time instead of the total, a range that misses the last row, or a percentage formatted to show 5.0 when it is 4.96 all look fine until a month is lost. If you use one, test it against a month you have worked out by hand.
Many trainees use both: a tracker for daily entry and checks, and an exported file kept with the signed forms. Whatever you use is your documentation system, so it has to be kept for 7 years and produced in an audit.
Worked example: the formulas a spreadsheet needs
Say each row is one session with columns for date, supervisor, type, independent minutes, supervised minutes, group or individual, observation minutes and restricted or unrestricted. For each supervisor and month you then need:
- Total minutes: the sum of independent plus supervised, which must fall between 1,200 and 9,600 minutes (20 to 160 hours) under 2027.
- Percentage: supervised divided by total, at least 0.05, or 0.075 for concentrated.
- Individual share: individual supervised divided by all supervised, at least 0.5.
- Observation: the sum of observation minutes, at least 60, or 90 for concentrated.
- Across all months that pass: unrestricted minutes divided by counted minutes, at least 0.6.
Test it with a month of 112 h 30 m independent and 7 h supervised: the total is 7,170 minutes and the percentage 0.0586. If your sheet disagrees, find out why before you trust it. Or type the same month into the free monthly checker, which does all five checks at once.
Common mistakes
- Tracking hours per month but not per supervisor. Each supervisor's month is a separate period with its own form.
- Rounding displayed percentages up, so a failing month shows the threshold.
- Using decimal hours instead of minutes, which drifts over a long month.
- Forgetting the observation minutes column after moving to the 2027 rules.
- Keeping the only copy on one laptop. Export or back up somewhere you control.
- Adding the 1.33 concentrated factor inside the hours columns, which then flow into your forms.
Check your own months
The free monthly checker tests one month's numbers against every rule as you type, with the exact shortfall. The log keeps every session and checks each month for you, privately in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is a spreadsheet acceptable for documenting fieldwork?
Yes. The handbook lets trainees and supervisors design their own documentation system, as long as it records what the handbook lists and shows the requirements are met. Keep it for 7 years.
Does the board provide an official tracker?
No official tracking app is described in the handbook. It provides the monthly and final verification forms and leaves the ongoing documentation system to you and your supervisor.
Does this tracker replace the official forms?
No. Only the official monthly and final verification forms are accepted. This tracker checks your months and prints the numbers to copy across, and can fill your own downloaded form for you to check and sign.
Where is my data kept in this tracker?
Only in your browser. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account. Export a backup, optionally locked with a passphrase, and keep it with your signed forms.
Sources
Last reviewed 26 September 2026 against:
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst Handbook, Behavior Analyst Certification Board, updated 06/2026, read 25 September 2026. Used for: Supervised Fieldwork Requirements, pages 14 to 25: hours, activities, supervision, documentation, verification forms, adjustments and audits.
- 2027 BCBA Requirements, Behavior Analyst Certification Board, updated 02/2026, read 25 September 2026. Used for: The 2027 overview of fieldwork requirements and the list of 2027 monthly and final forms.
- Guidance for Meeting the BCBA Requirements During the 2027 Transition, Behavior Analyst Certification Board, updated 01/2026, read 26 September 2026. Used for: Meeting both rule sets at once, which forms to keep, and how concentrated hours and the monthly maximum carry across.
- Documenting Fieldwork: Helpful Answers to Your FAQs, Behavior Analyst Certification Board, updated April 2026 for the 2027 requirements, read 25 September 2026. Used for: Correcting a signed monthly form, lost forms, the 1.33 multiplier and which supervisor signs.
This guide is our own summary, not advice about your eligibility. If it disagrees with the current documents, the documents win. Fieldwork Ledger is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board or any other certifying body.