Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Certification Examination — exam facts
International (BACB certification)
Every source below was read on 2026-10-15
| Administering body | Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. (BACB) — exam delivered by Pearson VUE The examination is taken in person at an authorised Pearson VUE testing center. Source: BACB — Registered Behavior Technician Handbook (PDF, updated 06/2026) (2026-10-15) |
|---|---|
| Questions | 85 questions (75 scored, 10 unscored pretest) The scored items are distributed across the six content areas of the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd edition). All questions are equally weighted. Source: BACB — Registered Behavior Technician Handbook (PDF, updated 06/2026) (2026-10-15) |
| Time limit | 90 minutes The 90 minutes is not pure question time: BACB states it includes reviewing the terms and conditions, the navigation tutorial and the load-time prompt. Breaks are taken on your own time and the clock does not stop. Source: BACB — Registered Behavior Technician Handbook (PDF, updated 06/2026) (2026-10-15) |
| Passing score | Not published by BACB The RBT examination is pass/fail. BACB states that the passing point is criterion-referenced and set by a modified Angoff method, and publishes no percentage, no raw cut score and no scaled score. PrepPass states none. What we read and found nothing in: BACB — Registered Behavior Technician Handbook (PDF, updated 06/2026) (2026-10-15) |
| Fees |
There is currently no BACB fee to submit a retake application, but a new Pearson VUE appointment fee applies to each attempt and a seven-day wait is required. Attempts are capped: the Handbook allows "a maximum of 8 total attempts within a 12-month period following your initial application approval" (checked 2026-09-23). RBT recertification moves from an annual to a two-year cycle from 2026, so an annual recertification figure is out of date. Source: BACB — Registered Behavior Technician Handbook (PDF, updated 06/2026) (2026-10-15) |
| Languages offered | English English only, stated affirmatively. BACB adds that check-in is conducted in English and that translators or interpreters — print, electronic or in person — are not allowed at testing centers without an approved accommodation. Source: BACB — Registered Behavior Technician Handbook (PDF, updated 06/2026) (2026-10-15) |
| Outline and weights | RBT examination: RBT examination 75 (90 min) = 75 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest. BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) (updated 09/2024; the outline the RBT examination uses beginning in 2026) gives the scored items in each section: Data Collection and Graphing 13, Behavior Assessment 8, Behavior Acquisition 19, Behavior Reduction 14, Documentation and Reporting 10, Ethics 11. The outline lists 43 tasks in six domains and prints the number of scored questions per domain; the examination also carries 10 unscored pilot questions. Last checked 2026-10-15. Source: BACB — RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) (PDF, updated 09/2024) (2026-10-15) |
Change log
- 2026-10-15The BACB RBT Handbook (still the edition updated 06/2026), the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed., updated 09/2024) and the Examination Information page were re-read: 85 questions (75 scored, 10 unscored) in 90 minutes, $65 application fee, $45 appointment fee, the 7-day wait and the cap of 8 attempts in 12 months are unchanged. The outline's scored-question counts per domain are now on this sheet as the outline of record.
- 2026-09-23Added the retake cap from the RBT Handbook (updated 06/2026, "Retaking Your Examination"): a maximum of 8 total attempts within a 12-month period following initial application approval, with a seven-day wait between attempts.
- 2026-09-03Fact sheet created from the RBT Handbook updated 06/2026. The passing-score row is recorded as not published; no percentage is stated anywhere on the site for this exam.
- 2026-01-01BACB moved RBT recertification from an annual cycle to a two-year cycle, with a two-year recertification application processing fee.