Free Task Analysis Data Sheet
A free printable task analysis data sheet for teaching a multi-step skill. List the steps, score each session as independent or prompted, or type into the fillable PDF, then export to Excel to average the percent independent.
- Task Analysis / Chaining
- Default criterion: 80% accuracy in 4 of 5 sessions
- Free printable PDF
- Fillable in browser
A task analysis data sheet breaks a skill into its ordered steps and scores each one separately, so handwashing or a morning routine turns into a row-by-row record of what a learner can already do independently. List the steps down the left column in the order they happen, then mark each session as prompted or independent. The percent independent column at the right shows progress on the whole chain at a glance.
Deciding how to score each step is the important part. Many teams mark a step independent only when the learner starts it without a prompt, and anything prompted counts as not-yet. Keep the scoring rule written on the sheet so a substitute scores the same way. Whether you teach the chain forward, backward, or all steps at once, the same sheet holds the data.
Read the sheet down a column to see today's performance and across a row to see which step is stuck. A step that stays prompted while the rest climb is the one to target with more teaching or a different prompt. The criterion here defaults to 80 percent independent across four of five sessions, a common mastery rule, but the team sets the number that fits the goal.
When to use it
Use a task analysis when the target is a multi-step skill rather than a single behavior, such as dressing, toileting, a vocational routine, or a classroom procedure. It fits teachers and BCBAs running chaining programs and gives a clear picture of which step needs the next round of instruction.
Customization tips
- Rewrite the steps to match how the skill is actually taught in your setting; there is no single correct breakdown.
- Add a prompt-level key at the bottom if staff record how much help each step needed.
- Use the fillable PDF for a clean digital copy, and keep the columns identical to the print version.
- Export to Excel to average the percent-independent column across sessions for a progress note.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a task analysis data sheet?
- It is a sheet that lists the steps of a skill in order and scores each step on its own. Instead of a single pass-or-fail for the whole task, you see exactly which steps a learner does independently and which still need prompting. That detail drives what to teach next.
- How do I break a skill into steps?
- Do the skill yourself and write down each observable action in order, then adjust the grain so each step is teachable. Some teams use a few large steps, others use many small ones. Match the number of steps to the learner and the setting rather than a fixed rule.
- What is the difference between forward and backward chaining?
- In forward chaining you teach the first step to independence, then the next, and so on. In backward chaining you prompt the early steps and teach the last one first, so the learner finishes the routine. Both are scored on the same task analysis sheet.
- How is percent independent calculated?
- Count the steps the learner did without a prompt, divide by the total number of steps, and multiply by one hundred. The sheet gives a percent-independent column for each session so you can watch the whole chain improve over time.
- What mastery criterion should I use?
- A common rule is 80 percent independent across four of five sessions, which is the default on this sheet. The right number depends on the goal and the team, so treat the default as a starting point and set it in the IEP where the goal lives.
- Can I get this sheet with my student's steps already printed on it?
- Yes. Build the goal in the IEP Goal Builder and list the task steps there, either by picking a ready-made routine, having them drafted from the goal, or typing your own. Export the packet and each step prints as its own row down this sheet, with the goal restated above the grid and the prompt key printed underneath. This blank version stays exactly as it is for a skill you would rather write in by hand.
- How does a substitute know how to score it?
- The goal-derived version prints the prompt key on the page: I for independent, V for verbal, G for gestural, M for a model, and P for physical guidance, plus the rule to wait five slow seconds before prompting. Record the least help each step needed. A blank cell means nobody scored that step, not that the student was independent, which matters when you read the sheet back later.