Free RBT Practice Test 2026 — BACB Registered Behavior Technician Exam Questions

Master the BACB Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) exam with 530+ free practice questions covering all 6 RBT Task List 2.0 domains. Each question includes a detailed explanation rooted in applied behavior analysis (ABA) — no signup required.

RBT Exam Overview

Practice by RBT Task List 2.0 Domain

Domain A: Measurement (~16%)

Free RBT practice questions on frequency, duration, interval recording, IOA, percent correct, and graphing. Practice this domain →

Domain B: Assessment (~8%)

Free RBT practice questions on preference assessments, ABC data, environmental assessment, and assisting with functional assessments. Practice this domain →

Domain C: Skill Acquisition (~32%)

Free RBT practice questions on discrete trial training, prompting, prompt fading, reinforcement, shaping, chaining, and task analysis. Practice this domain →

Domain D: Behavior Reduction (~16%)

Free RBT practice questions on extinction, differential reinforcement, antecedent interventions, function-based intervention, and crisis procedures. Practice this domain →

Domain E: Documentation and Reporting (~13%)

Free RBT practice questions on session notes, data reporting, mandatory reporting, HIPAA, and progress reports. Practice this domain →

Domain F: Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice (~15%)

Free RBT practice questions on the BACB Ethics Code, supervision, professional boundaries, scope of practice, and confidentiality. Practice this domain →

10 Free RBT Sample Questions with Answers

Each question below includes 4 answer options, the correct answer, and a detailed explanation. These are real questions from the FlashGenius RBT question bank.

Sample Question 1 — Assessment

A BCBA asks you to help with a preference assessment for Maya, a 6-year-old with autism who rarely approaches toys on her own. The BCBA sets up several toys on the table and tells you exactly how to present two items at a time and record which one Maya chooses. What is the MOST appropriate way for you, as the RBT, to assist with this assessment?

  1. A. Follow the BCBA’s written steps for the preference assessment and record each item Maya chooses. (Correct answer)
  2. B. Change the assessment to only one toy at a time if Maya seems distracted, without checking with the BCBA.
  3. C. Decide which toys should be used in the assessment based on what you think she will like most.
  4. D. Skip recording data and just tell the BCBA which toys you noticed Maya liked.

Correct answer: A

Explanation: The RBT Task List (Assessment) states that RBTs assist with preference assessments by following the BCBA’s procedures and collecting accurate data. - A is correct because it describes the RBT correctly implementing the BCBA’s plan and objectively recording choices. - B is incorrect because changing the assessment procedure without BCBA approval is outside the RBT’s role. - C is incorrect because selecting assessment methods or items without BCBA direction is a clinical decision, which is the BCBA’s job. - D is incorrect because preference assessments require objective data, not just memory or impressions.

Sample Question 2 — Assessment

Your BCBA asks you to help with a free-operant preference assessment for Leo, a 9-year-old with developmental delays. The BCBA places many toys and activities around the room and tells you to observe and record what Leo plays with and for how long. During the assessment, what should you focus on doing?

  1. A. Prompt Leo to try each toy so he doesn’t miss anything.
  2. B. Follow Leo around and record which items he chooses and how long he engages with each one. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Remove any toys Leo doesn’t touch after 1 minute so he has fewer choices.
  4. D. Ask Leo which toy is his favorite and only record that one.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: In a free-operant preference assessment, the RBT observes the client freely interacting with items and records engagement. This fits the RBT Task List item of assisting with preference assessments by collecting data. - B is correct because it describes objective observation and timing of Leo’s engagement with items, as directed by the BCBA. - A is incorrect because prompting Leo to try each toy changes the assessment procedure and may affect results. - C is incorrect because removing toys without BCBA direction changes the assessment design. - D is incorrect because relying only on verbal report and only one item does not follow typical free-operant procedures and does not provide full data.

Sample Question 3 — Behavior Reduction

A BCBA has created a behavior plan for 6-year-old Maya, who frequently screams when her tablet is taken away. The plan says to use extinction by not returning the tablet when she screams and to only give the tablet when she asks appropriately. During your session, you remove the tablet when the timer goes off. Maya screams loudly, falls to the floor, and the screaming gets much more intense compared to previous sessions. What is the MOST appropriate action for you to take in this moment?

  1. A. Stay calm, follow the plan by not returning the tablet while she screams, and reinforce her when she uses the appropriate request. (Correct answer)
  2. B. Give the tablet back right away so she will stop screaming, then tell the BCBA later that extinction is not working.
  3. C. Ignore the behavior plan and try a different strategy that you think will work better in the moment.
  4. D. End the session immediately and leave the room without telling anyone because the behavior got worse.

Correct answer: A

Explanation: The BCBA’s plan calls for extinction: not providing the reinforcer (tablet) when the problem behavior (screaming) occurs, and only providing it for appropriate behavior. When extinction is first used, behavior often gets worse temporarily (extinction burst). As an RBT, you must continue to follow the written plan, stay calm, and reinforce the replacement behavior when it occurs. - A is correct because it follows the BCBA’s extinction procedure and focuses on reinforcing appropriate requests, which is exactly what the RBT Task List requires: implementing, not designing, behavior-reduction procedures. - B is incorrect because giving the tablet back when she screams would reinforce the screaming and go against the written plan. - C is incorrect because RBTs must not create or change treatment procedures on their own; they must follow the BCBA’s plan. - D is incorrect because leaving without reporting or following the plan is unsafe and unprofessional. If safety is a concern, you would follow the crisis/safety procedures in the plan and report to your supervisor, not just leave.

Sample Question 4 — Behavior Reduction

You are working with 9-year-old Liam, who has a behavior plan for hitting when asked to clean up. The BCBA’s plan says to use differential reinforcement by giving praise and a token every time Liam cleans up without hitting, and to block hits and give no attention when he hits. During cleanup, Liam starts to clean up calmly. What should you do to correctly follow the differential reinforcement procedure?

  1. A. Wait until the end of the session to give him praise and a token so he doesn’t expect it every time.
  2. B. Immediately praise Liam and give him a token for cleaning up without hitting. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Ignore his appropriate behavior and only respond if he starts hitting.
  4. D. Tell Liam that if he ever hits again, he will lose all his tokens for the day.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: Differential reinforcement means reinforcing appropriate behavior while not reinforcing the problem behavior. The BCBA’s plan says to provide praise and a token each time Liam cleans up without hitting. As an RBT, your job is to implement that exactly. - B is correct because it follows the plan by immediately reinforcing the appropriate behavior (cleaning up without hitting). This helps increase the desired behavior. - A is incorrect because delaying reinforcement until the end of the session does not follow the plan and makes the connection between behavior and reinforcement weaker. - C is incorrect because ignoring appropriate behavior fails to use differential reinforcement and may reduce the desired behavior. - D is incorrect because adding a punishment procedure (taking all tokens) is not in the plan and is outside the RBT’s role to create or change consequences.

Sample Question 5 — Documentation and Reporting

During a home session, 6-year-old Liam (diagnosed with autism) throws a toy and hits his younger sister in the face, leaving a small bruise. The behavior plan does not mention this specific situation. What is the MOST appropriate way for the RBT to document and report this event?

  1. A. Write in the session note that Liam was 'aggressive and out of control' and leave it at that.
  2. B. Objectively describe what happened in the session note and follow the agency’s incident reporting procedures the same day. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Skip writing about it in the session note and only tell the BCBA at the next team meeting.
  4. D. Tell the parent to write it down if they think it is important and do not include it in your documentation.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: RBTs must document and report significant incidents objectively and promptly. - **Correct (B):** The RBT should **objectively describe** what happened (e.g., “Liam threw a plastic car that hit his sister’s face, resulting in a small bruise”) and follow the company’s **incident reporting procedures** the same day. This matches the RBT Task List area of **Documentation and Reporting** (incident reporting and objective session notes). - **A:** Using vague and subjective terms like “aggressive and out of control” is **not objective** and does not clearly describe what occurred. - **C:** Waiting until the next team meeting delays important safety information and does **not** meet expectations for timely reporting. - **D:** The RBT is responsible for documentation; asking the parent to handle it and not documenting it yourself is **not appropriate** and does not follow RBT documentation requirements.

Sample Question 6 — Documentation and Reporting

You are completing your session note for 9-year-old Maya, who has developmental delays. During the session, she had 3 tantrums, each lasting about 2 minutes. Her mother was late coming home, so you stayed 10 extra minutes. Which is the BEST way to write this in your session note?

  1. A. Maya was very bad today and had a lot of tantrums. Mom was irresponsible and came home late, so I had to stay longer.
  2. B. Maya had 3 tantrums, each approximately 2 minutes in duration. Session ended 10 minutes later than scheduled due to parent arriving late. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Maya was upset and mom was late. It was a stressful session.
  4. D. Maya had several tantrums and the session time changed. I will explain the details to the BCBA later instead of writing them.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: RBT session notes must be **objective, clear, and behavior-based**, not emotional or judgmental. - **Correct (B):** Uses **objective language** and includes **specific, measurable information** (3 tantrums, about 2 minutes each, session ended 10 minutes late). This aligns with the RBT Task List requirement to write **objective session notes** and accurately document session times. - **A:** Uses **judgmental and subjective language** (“very bad,” “irresponsible”) which is not appropriate or professional. - **C:** Vague and subjective (“upset,” “stressful”) and missing important details like **frequency, duration, and time change**. - **D:** Too vague (“several tantrums,” “time changed”) and does not meet the requirement to **fully document** what happened in writing; relying only on later verbal explanation is not sufficient.

Sample Question 7 — Measurement

You are working with Maya, a 6-year-old with autism. The BCBA’s program says: “Record the number of times Maya hits the table during work time.” The session is 30 minutes long. During that time, Maya hits the table 3 times. What type of measurement are you using?

  1. A. Duration
  2. B. Frequency (Correct answer)
  3. C. Latency
  4. D. Interresponse time (IRT)

Correct answer: B

Explanation: You are counting how many times a behavior happens in a set period of time. This is frequency recording, which is on the RBT Task List under Measurement. - B (Frequency) is correct because you are tallying each instance of table hitting during the 30-minute session. - A (Duration) would be used if you were timing how long Maya hits the table, not how many times. - C (Latency) would be used if you were timing how long it takes for Maya to start hitting after a specific instruction or event. - D (IRT) would be used if you were timing the time between one hit and the next hit. Here, you are not timing between responses, just counting them.

Sample Question 8 — Measurement

Your BCBA asks you to measure how long it takes for Leo to start brushing his teeth after you give the instruction, “Go brush your teeth.” You start a timer as soon as you give the instruction and stop it when Leo begins brushing. What type of measurement are you collecting?

  1. A. Duration
  2. B. Frequency
  3. C. Latency (Correct answer)
  4. D. Whole-interval recording

Correct answer: C

Explanation: You are measuring the time from when you give an instruction to when Leo starts the behavior. This is latency, which is part of the Measurement section of the RBT Task List. - C (Latency) is correct because you are timing the delay between the instruction and the start of brushing. - A (Duration) would be used if you were timing how long Leo brushes his teeth from start to finish. - B (Frequency) would be used if you were counting how many times Leo brushes his teeth (for example, number of times per day), not the time to start. - D (Whole-interval recording) is a type of discontinuous measurement where you mark if a behavior happened for the entire interval. That is not what you are doing here.

Sample Question 9 — Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice

You have been working with Mateo, a 6-year-old with autism, for three months. His mother tells you, "You’re so good with him. I’d like to pay you extra to come babysit on weekends, but please don’t tell the BCBA because they might say no." What is the MOST appropriate response as an RBT?

  1. A. Agree to babysit but keep it secret since it’s outside of session time.
  2. B. Decline the offer and explain that you cannot have a separate paid relationship with clients’ families. (Correct answer)
  3. C. Agree to babysit only once a month so it doesn’t interfere with therapy.
  4. D. Tell the parent you will think about it and ask other RBTs what they do.

Correct answer: B

Explanation: RBTs must avoid dual relationships and conflicts of interest with clients and their families. Being both the therapist and paid babysitter is a dual relationship and is not within professional boundaries. - **Correct (B)**: Declining and briefly explaining that you must follow professional ethics and cannot have a separate paid relationship is consistent with the RBT Task List area of Professional Conduct & Scope of Practice. You maintain clear boundaries and protect the therapeutic relationship. - **A** is incorrect because keeping it secret and accepting the job violates ethical standards and agency policies, and hides information from your supervisor. - **C** is incorrect because doing it “less often” does not remove the dual relationship; it is still unethical. - **D** is incorrect because this is not a matter of opinion or what others do; it is a clear boundary issue. You should not consider it or delay; you should decline and, if needed, inform your supervisor.

Sample Question 10 — Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice

During a home session, you notice a large bruise on 4-year-old Lily’s arm that was not there yesterday. When you gently ask what happened, Lily shrugs and says, "I don’t know." Her father quickly says, "She’s always bumping into things. Don’t write that down. It’s nothing." What should you do as the RBT?

  1. A. Respect the father’s request and do not document the bruise since he said it’s nothing.
  2. B. Take a picture of the bruise on your personal phone and send it to your coworkers for advice.
  3. C. Objectively document what you observed and follow your organization’s policy for reporting concerns. (Correct answer)
  4. D. Ask the father more personal questions until he gives you a detailed explanation.

Correct answer: C

Explanation: RBTs must protect client welfare, maintain accurate and objective documentation, and follow reporting procedures for possible safety concerns. You do not investigate like a social worker, but you must report and document according to policy. - **Correct (C)**: Writing an objective note (e.g., “New 3-inch purple bruise on left upper arm observed. Client stated, ‘I don’t know.’ Parent stated, ‘She’s always bumping into things.’”) and following your agency’s mandated reporting procedures is consistent with the RBT Task List under Documentation & Reporting and Professional Conduct. - **A** is incorrect because you must not ignore potential safety concerns or change documentation based on a parent’s request. - **B** is incorrect because using your personal phone and sharing client information with coworkers violates confidentiality and privacy requirements. - **D** is incorrect because it is not your role to interrogate or investigate. You simply document and report according to policy and supervisor direction.

Quick 10-Question RBT Practice Test

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