RBT Exam Guide

The Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) is for people who deliver applied behavior analysis (ABA) services under a supervisor’s direction. This guide covers the requirements, the exam, how it’s scored and how to prepare.

Requirements

To apply, you must:

• be at least 18,
• have a high school education or the equivalent,
• pass a criminal background check and an abuse registry check,
• complete a 40-hour training that meets the BACB’s 2026 requirements, and
• pass the RBT Initial Competency Assessment.

Then you take the exam.

The format

The RBT exam has 85 multiple-choice questions, 75 scored and 10 unscored, and you have 90 minutes. Each question has 4 choices and one correct answer. Since January 1, 2026, it follows the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.):

Content area	Scored questions
Behavior Acquisition	19
Behavior Reduction	14
Data Collection and Graphing	13
Ethics	11
Documentation and Reporting	10
Behavior Assessment	8

The exam is given only in English.

Scoring

The exam is pass/fail, and you get your result at the test center. The BACB sets the passing score with a panel of experts and doesn’t publish it as a percentage.

Where to test and retakes

You take it in person at a Pearson VUE test center. Pearson VUE charges $45 for each appointment, on top of the BACB application fee. You can take the exam up to 8 times within 12 months of your application approval, waiting at least 7 days between attempts. Check the BACB’s RBT Handbook for current fees and rules.

How hard is the RBT exam?

Most questions describe a session with a client and ask what the RBT should do or which concept is being shown. The tricky parts are terms that sound alike (such as negative reinforcement versus punishment, or the different prompting and measurement methods) and ethics questions about what’s within an RBT’s role.

How to study

If you have two weeks: focus on Behavior Acquisition and Behavior Reduction, the two largest areas, then measurement and graphing.

If you have four weeks: add a week on ethics and documentation, using the RBT Ethics Code (2.0), then take timed full practice exams. For every miss, explain the right term in your own words.

Start with free practice on the home page.