Registered Behavior Technician Certification Examination

The RBT® Exam

The RBT exam is the Behavior Analyst Certification Board's certification exam for Registered Behavior Technicians: 85 multiple-choice questions (75 scored, 10 unscored) in 90 minutes, taken in person on a computer at a Pearson VUE testing site. Each attempt costs $45 on top of a $65 application fee, and the result is reported as pass or fail.

At a glance

Questions	85 (75 scored, 10 unscored)
Time limit	90 minutes
Exam fee	$45
Delivery	In person on computer at authorized Pearson VUE testing sites (United States, Canada except Quebec and Ontario, and Australia until January 1, 2027); English only. The $45 exam appointment fee is paid to Pearson VUE for every attempt and is separate from the $65 certification application fee paid to the BACB.
Eligibility	Applicants must be at least 18, hold a high school-level education or equivalent, pass a criminal background check and an abuse registry check, complete a 40-hour training that meets the 2026 curriculum requirements, and pass the RBT Initial Competency Assessment within 90 days before applying. Once the application is approved, the candidate has one year to sit the exam.
Passing standard	Pass/fail. The passing score is criterion-referenced and set with the modified Angoff method by a panel of BACB-certified subject matter experts; all questions are equally weighted and the result is based on overall performance, not per-domain performance. The BACB does not publish the cut score.
Retakes	Up to 8 total attempts within the 12-month authorization period that follows application approval, with a 7-day wait after each attempt. A retake application is required each time (no BACB retake fee at present), plus the $45 Pearson VUE appointment fee. After 8 failed attempts the candidate must wait until the 12-month period ends and reapply.
Outline in force	RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), effective January 1, 2026

Exam facts are taken from BACB’s own published material, last checked October 2, 2026. Source. Confirm fees, dates and rules with the organization you register with before you book.

Who can take it

You apply to the BACB, and the exam comes last. Before applying you must be at least 18, hold a high school-level education or equivalent, pass a criminal background check and an abuse registry check, complete a 40-hour training that meets the 2026 curriculum requirements, and pass the RBT Initial Competency Assessment within the 90 days before you apply.

Once the application is approved you have one year to sit the exam.

Format and content

85 multiple-choice questions, each with four options, in a single sitting of 90 minutes. 75 questions are scored. The other 10 are unscored questions the BACB is evaluating for future use; they look the same as the rest and are not identified.

The content follows the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), in effect since January 1, 2026: six domains and 43 tasks, weighted as shown below.

What it costs

Two separate fees. The certification application costs $65, paid to the BACB. The exam appointment costs $45, paid to Pearson VUE, and it is charged for every attempt.

The 40-hour training and the competency assessment are arranged separately and are not included in either fee.

Where you take it

In person, on a computer, at an authorized Pearson VUE testing site. Sites are available in the United States, in Canada except Quebec and Ontario, and in Australia until January 1, 2027. The exam is offered in English only.

How it is scored

Pass or fail. The passing standard is criterion-referenced, which means you are measured against a fixed standard rather than against other candidates, and it is set with the modified Angoff method by a panel of BACB-certified subject matter experts. All questions are weighted equally, and the decision is based on overall performance rather than on performance in each domain.

The BACB does not publish the cut score. Any specific 'passing percentage' you see quoted for this exam is somebody's estimate.

If you do not pass

You can take the exam up to 8 times within the 12-month authorization period that follows your application's approval, with a 7-day wait after each attempt. Every retake needs a retake application, for which the BACB currently charges no fee, and another $45 fee to Pearson VUE.

After 8 unsuccessful attempts you must wait until the 12-month period ends and apply again.

What is tested

The 6 domains of the current outline and the share of the exam each one carries.

Domain	Weight	What it covers
AData Collection and Graphing8 tasks	17%	Carry out continuous measurement such as frequency, duration, latency, and interresponse time. Carry out discontinuous measurement such as partial-interval, whole-interval, and momentary time sampling. Record behavior from the permanent products it leaves behind. and 5 more tasks
BBehavior Assessment3 tasks	11%	Run preference assessments, including multiple-stimulus, paired-stimulus, and free-operant formats. Assist with assessments of a client's skill strengths and deficits (curriculum-based, developmental, social skills). Assist with parts of a functional assessment, such as descriptive assessment and functional analysis.
CBehavior Acquisition11 tasks	25%	Deliver positive and negative reinforcement correctly (immediate, contingent, on the planned schedule) and vary dimensions such as magnitude, intensity, and variety. Establish conditioned reinforcers and use them in teaching. Run discrete-trial teaching. and 8 more tasks
DBehavior Reduction7 tasks	19%	Identify the common functions of behavior. Use antecedent interventions such as noncontingent reinforcement, high-probability request sequences, and demand fading. Use differential reinforcement procedures (DRO, DRA, DRI, DRL) and functional communication training. and 4 more tasks
EDocumentation and Reporting4 tasks	13%	Pass along concerns and suggestions from caregivers, teachers, and other team members to the supervisor promptly. Seek and prioritize clinical direction from the supervisor promptly, for example on training needs, irregular data, or chain of command. Report and document factors that could affect client progress, such as illness, medication, or schedule changes, without delay. and 1 more task
FEthics10 tasks	15%	Recognize and apply the core principles behind the RBT ethics code: benefiting others, compassion, dignity and respect, and integrity. Deliver behavior technician services only after demonstrating competence in them. Deliver services only under ongoing supervision from supervisors who meet BACB requirements. and 7 more tasks

RBT exam pass rate

2025 (BACB Annual Data Report): 75% of first-time candidates and 38% of retake candidates passed. These figures predate the 3rd-edition outline that took effect in 2026.

This is the BACB's own figure for candidates in 2025, and it describes the exam as it was under the previous RBT Task List (2nd ed.). No pass-rate data for the 3rd-edition outline, which took effect in 2026, has been published yet. It is a statistic about everyone who sat the exam, not a forecast for any one candidate and not a claim about this site's users.

Practice for the RBT exam

See how you would do on questions written to the same outline before you pay the exam fee.

25 questions. No account, no email. Every answer explained at the end.

The RBT exam: common questions

How many questions are on the RBT exam?

85 multiple-choice questions. 75 are scored and 10 are unscored pretest questions that are not identified.

How long is the RBT exam?

90 minutes, for all 85 questions.

How much does the RBT exam cost?

$45 for each exam appointment, paid to Pearson VUE, plus a $65 certification application fee paid to the BACB.

What is the passing score for the RBT exam?

The BACB does not publish it. The exam is reported as pass or fail against a criterion-referenced standard set with the modified Angoff method, based on your overall performance.

Is the RBT exam hard?

The BACB's published figures give a sense of it. 2025 (BACB Annual Data Report): 75% of first-time candidates and 38% of retake candidates passed. These figures predate the 3rd-edition outline that took effect in 2026. The outline's tasks are things a technician does, so recognizing definitions is not enough; you need to be able to apply each procedure to a described situation.

Can I take the RBT exam online?

The BACB's handbook describes the exam as delivered in person at authorized Pearson VUE testing sites.

What is on the RBT exam?

Six domains: Data Collection and Graphing (17%), Behavior Assessment (11%), Behavior Acquisition (25%), Behavior Reduction (19%), Documentation and Reporting (13%) and Ethics (15%), from the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.).

RBT® and Registered Behavior Technician® are registered trademarks of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). This site is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the BACB.