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RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) Examination
The RBT Examination is the computer-based, 85-question (75 scored + 10 unscored), 90-minute certification examination that candidates must pass — after completing a 40-hour training, an Initial Competency Assessment and an approved application — to earn the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) paraprofessional certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board; it is built on the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) introduced with the 2026 RBT requirements and delivered in person, in English only, at Pearson VUE test centers.
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Questions85 questions: 75 scored plus 10 unscored
Testing time90 minutes (the allocation includes reviewing the Terms and Conditions, the exam navigation tutorial, a load-time prompt, and the examination plus any review)
ScoringPass/fail against a criterion-referenced passing score set with the modified Angoff method by a panel of BACB-certified subject matter experts and approved by the BACB Board of Directors; forms are statistically equated so the raw number of correct answers required varies by form and is not reported; failing candidates receive a list of the RBT tasks they answered incorrectly
Exam feeUSD 65 RBT certification application processing fee (paid to the BACB, 2026) plus USD 45 examination appointment fee collected by Pearson VUE at scheduling; BACB fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable and the BACB accepts only US currency; a new USD 45 Pearson VUE appointment fee applies to each retake (no retake application fee is currently required)
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Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- BACB
- Category
- Behavior Analysis
- Current version
- RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) — the basis of the current RBT examination under the 2026 RBT requirements
- Where it applies
- International / multi-country
- Exam languages
- English
- Score scale
- Scaled scores are reported on score reports (scale anchored so the passing score is fixed across forms); the numeric scale range is not published on the pages opened
- Testing provider
- Pearson VUE
- Format
- In-person, computer-based testing (CBT) at Pearson VUE testing centers; no online/remote delivery option
- Availability
- Available by appointment at Pearson VUE test centers once the application is approved; candidates have one year from application approval to sit for the examination (8 attempts within that 12-month authorization)
- Results
- Pass/fail notification at the testing site as soon as the examination is completed; BACB confirms results via email and in the BACB account within approximately one week
- Remote testing
- Not available
Exam structure
85 four-option single-correct-answer multiple-choice questions (75 scored, 10 unscored, all equally weighted) across 6 content areas: Data Collection and Graphing 13 (17%), Behavior Assessment 8 (11%), Behavior Acquisition 19 (25%), Behavior Reduction 14 (19%), Documentation and Reporting 10 (13%), Ethics 11 (15%); the Test Content Outline covers 43 tasks
Where rules vary
One uniform examination, but the BACB accepts new RBT certification applications only from residents of the US, Canada (Quebec and Ontario excluded) and Australia (applications end January 1, 2027); Ontario residents can no longer apply for RBT certification, and effective July 1, 2024 the RBT examination is no longer delivered in Ontario.
Eligibility
At least 18 years old; high-school-level education or equivalent; pass background and abuse registry checks; complete a 40-hour training (no fewer than 5 and no more than 180 days); complete the RBT Initial Competency Assessment; approved RBT Certification Application (USD 65) before scheduling with Pearson VUE; must reside in BACB jurisdiction (US; Canada except Quebec and Ontario; Australia)
Retake policy
Maximum of 8 total attempts within the 12-month period following initial application approval, with at least 7 days between attempts; no fee for the Examination Retake Application, but each new appointment requires a new USD 45 Pearson VUE scheduling fee