If you have heard that something is changing about BACB continuing education in July 2026, the short version is this: the BACB updated the standards its Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) providers must follow. Specifically, providers must now include participation monitoring - a format standard that ensures learners are actively engaging with content, not just logging time.
What is not changing: your BACB renewal cycle, the number of CEUs you need, your ethics and supervision hour requirements, and your personal renewal deadline. This is a provider-side standard, not a change to what BCBAs or RBTs are required to do.
What this change is NOT: The July 2026 update does not require video content, interactive video, or any specific media format. Some sources have incorrectly described this as a "video mandate" - that is not accurate. The BACB's actual change is a participation monitoring standard: knowledge-check questions with required responses. Text courses, audio, podcasts, and other non-video formats all remain eligible.
The one-sentence version: Starting July 1, 2026, ACE providers must include at least 3 knowledge-check questions per 1.0 CEU - so when you complete CE, you can confirm your provider meets this standard. Your renewal requirements are unchanged.
What is participation monitoring?
Participation monitoring is the BACB's term for requiring that learners actively engage with CE content rather than passively receiving it. The mechanism: providers must include at least three knowledge-check questions per 1.0 CEU of content, and learners must respond to those questions to complete the course and receive credit.
The July 2026 ACE provider standard
ACE providers must include participation monitoring: at least 3 knowledge-check questions per 1.0 CEU, with required learner responses.
July 1, 2026 - applies to CE content delivered by ACE providers on or after this date.
Your certification renewal cycle, required CEU count, ethics/supervision distribution requirements, and individual renewal deadline - all unchanged.
For official requirements, refer to bacb.com and the BACB's ACE Program Standards.
Is the July 2026 change a video requirement?
No. The BACB's July 2026 update does not require video content, interactive video, or any specific delivery format. This is a common mischaracterization that has appeared on some CE-related information sites. The actual standard is a participation monitoring requirement - it specifies how learners must engage with content (via knowledge-check questions), not what format the content takes. We cover this misconception in detail in our post: BACB's July 1, 2026 CE Change: What Participation Monitoring Actually Means.
Text-based online courses, audio programs, podcasts, recorded webinars, journal clubs, and other formats all remain eligible as BACB-authorized CE after July 2026. The requirement is that whatever format a provider uses, it must include at least 3 knowledge-check questions per 1.0 CEU with responses required to complete the course.
What formats still qualify?
The July 2026 standard is a participation requirement, not a format restriction. Online courses, journal clubs, podcasts, live webinars, and other formats can all still qualify as BACB-authorized CE - as long as they include the required knowledge-check questions with learner responses built into the experience.
A course that previously had no knowledge checks, or had them as optional rather than required, would need to be updated by the provider to meet the standard. The responsibility for that update is on the provider, not the learner.
Ask whether their courses include at least 3 knowledge-check questions per 1.0 CEU with required responses. Any legitimate ACE provider should be able to answer this clearly - and confirm their authorization number at bacb.com.
Special Learning and the July 2026 standard
Special Learning is a BACB ACE Provider (authorization #OP-14-2437). We offer 60 BACB-authorized CEU courses across ethics, supervision, and clinical topics for BCBAs, BCaBAs, and related professionals. As the July 2026 standard takes effect, the right question to ask any CE provider is whether their courses include at least 3 knowledge-check questions per CEU with required learner responses.
Do your courses include at least 3 knowledge-check questions per 1.0 CEU, with learner responses required to complete the course? If a provider can answer this clearly and confirm their ACE authorization number, that's a provider you can verify before you buy.
60 BACB-authorized CEU courses - ethics, supervision, clinical content, and more. BACB ACE Provider #OP-14-2437. Immediate certificate on completion.
How to check if a CE provider is current
- Verify ACE status. Confirm the provider is a current BACB ACE provider at bacb.com using the ACE provider registry.
- Ask about participation monitoring. Do their courses include at least 3 knowledge-check questions per 1.0 CEU, with responses required to complete the course?
- Check the course certificate. Certificates should reflect the date of completion and the provider's ACE authorization number.
- Refer to the BACB for authoritative guidance. This article explains the change in plain language - always verify requirements against the official BACB source at bacb.com.
Participation monitoring explained: what counts as compliant CE after July 2026
Does Special Learning meet the BACB July 2026 provider standard?
Will my CEUs count after July 1, 2026? A practical checklist
Why the "video mandate" label is wrong - and what the July 2026 standard actually requires
BCBA recertification checklist 2026: exactly what CEUs you need, including ethics, supervision, and the July 1 participation-monitoring standard
How to plan and track your 32 BCBA CEUs for 2026–2027 — step-by-step, with ethics and supervision mapped out
The new RBT 12-PDU requirement: what it actually means and how to stay ahead of your renewal
BCBAs who provide BACB supervision must complete 3 supervision CEUs per renewal cycle — who qualifies and what counts
CE that meets the July 2026 standard
Special Learning's CE Library offers 60 BACB-authorized CEU courses - ethics, supervision, and clinical content - with participation monitoring built in as a standard part of every course.
Browse the CE LibraryBACB ACE Provider #OP-14-2437 · Immediate certificate on completion
Important: This article explains the BACB's July 2026 ACE provider standard update in plain language for informational purposes. Special Learning is an independent ACE provider and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the BACB beyond its ACE designation. Authorization as a BACB Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) Provider does not imply endorsement or approval of any specific CE event's content by the BACB. For authoritative requirements, refer to bacb.com and the BACB's published ACE Program Standards. BACB ACE Provider #OP-14-2437.
About Special Learning: Special Learning creates professional training and resources for behavior analysts, educators, and families supporting individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. Learn more.