Free CPD Resources for Ontario RBAs and BCBAs (2026)
Last updated: June 2026 · 8 min read
Completing 50 CPD hours every two years doesn't have to cost a fortune. In fact, with the right resources, you can complete a meaningful chunk of your CPBAO requirements — and your BACB CEUs if you're dual certified — without spending a dollar.
Here's the good news most RBAs don't realize: CPBAO does not require your CPD activities to come from "approved providers." Unlike the BACB, which only accepts CEUs from ACE-authorized providers, the CPBAO accepts any genuine professional development activity that fits into Section A, B, or C — as long as you document it properly and keep a supporting record.
That means the pool of free, legitimate CPD activities is much bigger than you might think. Let's dig in.
Free Live Webinars (Great for Section B — and BACB CEUs)
These providers run free live webinars on a regular schedule. Because they're BACB ACE providers, the certificates also count toward BCBA recertification if you're dual certified.
Behavior University — Two free live webinars every month, each worth 2 CEUs. Topics rotate across clinical practice, ethics, and supervision. Register for a free account, attend live, and download your certificate at no cost. One of the most reliable free CEU sources in the field.
Verbal Beginnings — A free live CEU event every month, typically the fourth Wednesday from 3–5 PM ET, worth 2 CEUs per session.
Behavioral Development Solutions (BDS) — Free live webinars on a regular basis, including ethics-focused sessions. CEU certificates can sometimes be purchased optionally, but for CPBAO purposes, your registration confirmation and notes are a valid supporting record.
ABC Bx Training — Offers a free Supervision Crash Course worth 1.5 CEUs, plus free monthly CEU events. Especially useful if you provide supervision and need to meet your 3-hour supervision content requirement.
Ensora Health — Free one-hour educational videos on topics like ethical marketing and practice management, with ethics CEUs attached to several sessions.
Pro tip: When you attend a webinar, log it the same day while the reflection is fresh. For CPBAO, save the registration email or certificate as your supporting record — both are accepted record types.
Tracking these in a spreadsheet? There's a better way. myCPD logs your hours, content tags, and supporting records in one place — free.
Start tracking freeFree Self-Paced Courses
Behavior Analyst CE (behavioranalystce.com) — Several completely free self-paced courses covering ethics, supervision, and culturally responsive practice. Self-paced courses fit squarely into CPBAO Section B.
CentralReach — Currently offers its Culturally Responsive Care course free, worth 2.5 CEUs. A strong option for dual-certified practitioners since cultural responsiveness content also supports your CPBAO EDI hours when the content addresses equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Podcasts Count Too (Section B)
For CPBAO purposes, listening to professional podcasts is a legitimate Section B activity — "podcasts" are explicitly the kind of self-directed learning the College recognizes. Document the episode, date, time spent, and write a brief reflection.
The Behavioral Observations Podcast — Matt Cicoria interviews leading researchers and practitioners on everything from assessment to ACT to starting a practice. Free to listen everywhere.
ABA Inside Track — Journal-article-driven discussions hosted by practising behaviour analysts. Free to listen; optional paid CEU quizzes are available if you also want BACB credit for an episode.
A note for dual-certified folks: free listening counts for CPBAO, but the BACB only grants CEUs if you purchase and complete the episode quiz through an ACE provider. Same activity, two different rules — log accordingly.
Free Section A Activities You're Probably Already Doing
Section A (Professional Interaction & Interdisciplinary Activities) requires a minimum of 15 hours — and many qualifying activities cost nothing because they're part of professional life:
- Case conferences with colleagues or interdisciplinary teams
- Peer consultation — structured discussions about cases, ethics, or practice challenges
- Mentorship — both providing and receiving
- Professional discussion boards — meaningful participation in moderated professional communities
- Journal clubs — organize one with colleagues; an hour a month adds up fast
- Supervision you provide or receive
The key is documentation: log the date, duration, participants (no client details), and a short reflection on what you took away.
Free Section C Activities
Section C has no minimum, but it's a great place to capture work you're already doing:
- Preparation time for teaching, training, or presentations
- Professional writing (articles, blog posts, resource development)
- Client outcome monitoring and program evaluation work
- Professional leadership roles (committees, associations)
Worth the Investment (Not Free, But Close)
ONTABA membership — Ontario's professional association for behaviour analysis. Membership includes journal access (JABA and JEAB — reading journal articles counts as Section B), discounted annual conference rates, free BACB CEUs at select events, and journal club access. Conference and event attendance with peer interaction maps directly to Section A. If you're serious about staying connected to the Ontario ABA community, ONTABA is worth the annual fee.
A Quick Word on Documentation
Whatever you attend, CPBAO expects you to keep supporting records for at least five years. Accepted record types include CE certificates, registration emails, agendas, meeting invitations, journal articles, supervision logs, and more. Every activity should also have a brief written reflection — that's what makes your log audit-ready rather than just a list of dates.
And remember the 10-hour rule: no single activity can contribute more than 10 hours toward your requirements, even if it ran longer.
myCPD was built around CPBAO's exact requirements — Sections A/B/C, content tags for Ethics, EDI, and Supervision, the 10-hour cap, reflections, and all 19 supporting record types. BCBA? We track your CEUs too, and dual-certified users can log once and count it toward both.
Create your free accountDisclaimer: myCPD is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO) or the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). Requirements can change — always verify current CPD and CEU requirements directly with your regulatory body. Third-party offerings listed here were free at the time of writing; availability and pricing may change.