How to calculate your fieldwork supervision percentage, with worked examples
Your supervision percentage is supervised hours divided by total fieldwork hours for the month, where the total is independent plus supervised time. It must be at least 5 percent for supervised fieldwork, and for concentrated fieldwork at least 7.5 percent under the 2027 requirements or 10 percent under the 2022 requirements. Because supervised time is part of the total, the quick rule is: at 5 percent you need one minute of supervision for every 19 minutes of independent work.
The formula
For one supervisor and one calendar month:
- Total = independent time + supervised time
- Supervision percentage = supervised time / total x 100
Supervised time means time with your supervisor present, individual and group together. Work in minutes, not decimal hours, so nothing is lost to rounding. Observation time is not a separate addition: it is part of whichever time it happened in.
To find the least supervision a month needs, solve for supervised time: supervised must be at least the percentage times independent, divided by one minus the percentage. At 5 percent that is independent divided by 19. At 7.5 percent it is independent times 3 divided by 37. At 10 percent it is independent divided by 9. Round up to the next whole minute.
Minimum supervised time for a given amount of independent time
| Independent hours | 5 percent | 7.5 percent (2027 concentrated) | 10 percent (2022 concentrated) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 h | 2 h 7 m | 3 h 15 m | 4 h 27 m |
| 60 h | 3 h 10 m | 4 h 52 m | 6 h 40 m |
| 80 h | 4 h 13 m | 6 h 30 m | 8 h 54 m |
| 100 h | 5 h 16 m | 8 h 7 m | 11 h 7 m |
| 120 h | 6 h 19 m | 9 h 44 m | Total passes the 2022 maximum of 130 h |
| 140 h | 7 h 23 m, over 130 h in total so 2027 only | 11 h 22 m | Total passes the 2022 maximum of 130 h |
The percentage is one of several monthly rules. A month can pass 5 percent and still fail because more than half of the supervision was in groups, because observation was short, or because the total is outside 20 to 160 hours (20 to 130 under 2022). The 2027 requirements page lists them all.
When the percentage comes up short
Before the month ends, the fix is more supervised time. After it ends, the handbook's adjustment table says to decrease the month's independent hours until the percentage meets the minimum, and to record the adjusted hours on the monthly form while your own records keep every hour you worked. Concentrated fieldwork may not be adjusted, so a concentrated month that falls short cannot be rescued this way.
The adjustment table is written against the 2022 figures. Agree with your supervisor how you apply it to a 2027 month before anyone signs.
Worked examples
Example 1: a supervised fieldwork month just under 5 percent
95 h of independent time and 4 h 45 m supervised. The total is 99 h 45 m, or 5,985 minutes. 285 supervised minutes divided by 5,985 is 4.76 percent, which is short. The least supervised time for 95 independent hours is 5,700 / 19 = 300 minutes, so 15 more minutes of supervision before the month closes would pass. If the month has already closed, reducing independent time to 90 h 15 m (19 x 285 minutes) makes 285 minutes exactly 5 percent, and the month counts 95 h instead of 99 h 45 m.
Example 2: a concentrated month under the 2027 and 2022 thresholds
100 h independent and 8 h supervised. 480 of 6,480 minutes is 7.41 percent, just under 7.5. It needs 8 h 7 m under 2027, so 7 more minutes. Under the 2022 requirements the same month would need 11 h 7 m to reach 10 percent. At 7.41 percent it still clears 5 percent, so it can meet the supervised fieldwork percentage instead, if every other rule for that type is met.
Example 3: enough supervision, too much of it in groups
110 h independent and 6 h supervised, of which 3 h 30 m was group. 360 of 6,960 minutes is 5.17 percent, which passes. But group time is 58 percent of supervision, over half, so the month fails the individual share rule. One more individual hour before month end fixes it, and raises the percentage too.
To run your own numbers, type them into the free monthly checker. It applies every rule for the 2022 or 2027 requirements and states the exact time to add, allowing for the fact that added supervision also adds to the total.
Common mistakes
- Dividing supervised time by independent time instead of by the total. It makes the percentage look higher than it is.
- Computing 5 percent of independent hours and stopping there. Supervision adds to the total, so the minimum is a little more: independent divided by 19, not by 20.
- Rounding 4.96 percent up to 5. The threshold is met only at 5.00 or above.
- Using decimal hours with two places. 7.33 hours is not 7 h 20 m exactly, and small errors decide close months. Use minutes.
- Adding up two supervisors' hours in one percentage. Each supervisor's month is its own period unless they are coordinated at one organization under a responsible supervisor.
- Assuming a 7.5 percent concentrated month also counts as concentrated under 2022. It does not; 2022 concentrated fieldwork needs 10 percent.
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 the supervision percentage checked each month or over all my hours?
Each month, per supervisory period. The supervisory period is one calendar month, and each monthly form has to meet the percentage on its own. The 60 percent unrestricted rule is the one that is checked over your total hours.
Does group supervision count toward the percentage?
Yes. Supervised time is individual plus group. Group may not be more than half of the month's supervised time, so it counts toward the percentage only up to that point.
Does observation time count as supervised time?
Only when the supervisor is present in real time and gives feedback. A recorded session your supervisor watches later without real time feedback can meet the observation requirement but does not add to supervised hours.
How many supervised hours do I need in a 130 hour month?
At 5 percent of a 130 hour total, 6 h 30 m, leaving 123 h 30 m independent. Under 2027 a concentrated month of the same total needs 9 h 45 m, and under 2022 concentrated fieldwork needs 13 h.
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.
- Commonly Asked Questions About BACB Supervised Fieldwork Requirements, Behavior Analyst Certification Board, last updated 17 April 2025, read 25 September 2026. Used for: Restricted and unrestricted activities, observation by video, and who decides whether an activity counts.
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.