By Free RBT Practice Test Editorial Team | Updated September 2026

RBT Exam Glossary (3rd Edition, 2026)

Since January 1, 2026 the RBT exam has been written to the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd edition): 43 tasks in six content areas, tested by 85 multiple-choice questions (75 scored, 10 unscored) in 90 minutes. The 40 terms below are grouped by those six areas, each with a plain-English definition, a session example, and a note on how the exam tends to ask about it.

A. Data Collection and Graphing

Frequency (count)
Frequency is the number of times a behavior happens during an observation. It is a raw tally with no time attached, so it only makes sense when the observation windows are the same length. It suits behaviors that have a clear start and end.
Example: During a 20-minute play session the client hit the table 6 times, so you record a frequency of 6.
On the exam: You are given a count with no time and asked which measure it is, or asked why a count alone cannot be compared across sessions of different lengths.

Rate
Rate is frequency divided by the length of the observation, giving a count per unit of time such as responses per minute or per hour. It lets you compare sessions of unequal length. Rate is the fix for the main weakness of plain frequency.
Example: 15 requests in a 90-minute session is a rate of 10 requests per hour.
On the exam: Expect a small arithmetic item: a count and a session length, and you pick the correct per-minute or per-hour figure.

Duration
Duration is how long a single instance of a behavior lasts, from the moment it starts until it stops. It is the right choice when the concern is how long something goes on rather than how often it starts. Data are usually reported as total duration per session or average duration per episode.
Example: The tantrum began at 2:14 and ended at 2:21, so the duration was 7 minutes.
On the exam: Scenarios describe a behavior that is long-lasting but infrequent and ask which measure captures the problem.

Latency
Latency is the time between a cue or instruction and the start of the response. It measures how quickly a client begins, not how long they take to finish. Short latency is often a treatment goal for following instructions.
Example: You say “Line up” and the client stands 12 seconds later, so latency is 12 seconds.
On the exam: You will be asked to tell latency from duration; latency always starts at the instruction and ends when the behavior begins.

Interresponse time (IRT)
Interresponse time is the gap between the end of one response and the start of the next response of the same kind. It is a timing measure that tells you how spread out responses are. Longer IRTs mean the behavior is happening less densely.
Example: The client bites a nail, stops, and bites again 45 seconds later; the IRT is 45 seconds.
On the exam: IRT appears as a distractor next to latency; remember that IRT is response to response, latency is cue to response.

Partial-interval recording
The observation is split into equal intervals and you mark an interval as positive if the behavior occurred at any point during it, even once and even briefly. It is easy to run alongside teaching. It tends to overestimate how much of the time the behavior really occupied.
Example: In 10-second intervals, a single 2-second scream at the end of an interval still scores that whole interval as “yes.”
On the exam: Questions ask which method overestimates behavior, or which is best for reducing a behavior; partial-interval is the usual answer to both.

Whole-interval recording
The observation is split into equal intervals and an interval is scored only if the behavior lasted the entire interval without stopping. It tends to underestimate the behavior. It is used for behaviors you want to see more of, such as staying on task.
Example: In a 15-second interval the client worked for 14 seconds and looked away for 1, so the interval is scored “no.”
On the exam: Look for words like “throughout the entire interval” and for a goal of increasing a behavior; whole-interval underestimates.

Momentary time sampling
You check on the client only at the exact end of each interval and record whether the behavior is happening at that instant. What happens in between is ignored. It demands little attention from the observer and suits long-lasting behaviors or group settings.
Example: A timer beeps every 2 minutes; at each beep you glance up and note whether the client is seated.
On the exam: Scenarios describe recording only when a timer sounds and ask you to name the method, or ask which discontinuous method lets you keep teaching.

Permanent product
A permanent product is a lasting physical or digital result of a behavior that you can count later without watching the behavior happen. It is an indirect measure because you record the outcome, not the act. It works when the behavior reliably leaves something behind.
Example: After the session you count 8 completed worksheets in the tray rather than watching each one being finished.
On the exam: You are asked which measure requires no real-time observation, or what to record when a supervisor asks for a product of the behavior.

Trial-by-trial data
Trial-by-trial data record the outcome of every single teaching trial, usually as correct, incorrect, or the prompt level needed. The session total is then reported as a percentage or a count of independent responses. It is the standard data form for discrete-trial programs.
Example: Ten trials of “touch red” score + + P + – + + P + +, giving 7 independent correct out of 10.
On the exam: Items show a trial data sheet and ask you to calculate percent correct, or ask which data form matches discrete-trial teaching.

B. Behavior Assessment

Preference assessment (paired-choice, MSWO, free-operant)
A preference assessment is a structured way to find out what a client likes so that potential reinforcers can be chosen from evidence rather than guesswork. In a paired-choice assessment two items are offered at a time and every item is paired with every other, producing a ranking. In a multiple-stimulus-without-replacement (MSWO) assessment an array is presented, the chosen item is removed, and the rest are re-offered until the array is empty; in a free-operant assessment the client has open access to several items and you time how long they engage with each.
Example: You lay out five toys, the client picks the train, you take it away and re-offer the remaining four, and so on until all five are ranked.
On the exam: You are given a description of the procedure and asked to name it, or asked which format is quickest or least likely to cause problem behavior when items are removed.

ABC data
ABC data record what happened immediately before a behavior (antecedent), the behavior itself, and what happened immediately after (consequence). They are a direct, descriptive record collected in the natural setting. The supervisor uses them to form a hypothesis about why the behavior occurs.
Example: A: RBT says “Time to clean up.” B: Client throws a block. C: RBT removes the clean-up demand for two minutes.
On the exam: Questions present a short narrative and ask you to identify which part is the antecedent or consequence, or ask what the RBT’s role in an assessment is.

Functional behavior assessment (FBA)
An FBA is the overall process of finding out what purpose a behavior serves for the client. It can include interviews and rating scales (indirect), ABC observation (descriptive), and, when a supervisor runs it, a functional analysis that tests conditions directly. The RBT’s job is to collect data and assist as directed, not to design or interpret the assessment.
Example: Your supervisor asks you to collect ABC data across five sessions before the treatment plan is written.
On the exam: You are asked to sort assessment types into indirect, descriptive, or experimental, or asked what the RBT may and may not do during an FBA.

Functions of behavior
The function is the outcome that keeps a behavior going. The four commonly tested functions are attention (social reaction from others), escape or avoidance (getting out of a demand or situation), access to tangibles (getting an item or activity), and automatic (the behavior itself feels good or relieves discomfort with no one else involved). The same behavior can serve different functions for different clients.
Example: A client who screams only when alone and stops when given a chewy toy most likely has an automatic function.
On the exam: The single most common question type in this area: a scenario ends with a consequence and you name the function it points to.

C. Behavior Acquisition

Discrete-trial teaching (DTT)
DTT breaks a skill into short, repeated teaching units that each have a clear instruction, a response, a consequence, and a brief pause before the next trial. The teacher controls the materials and pace, and data are taken on every trial. It is efficient for building new skills that need many repetitions.
Example: “What color?” (instruction), “Blue” (response), “Yes, blue!” plus a token (consequence), two-second pause, next card.
On the exam: You are asked to list the parts of a trial in order or to contrast DTT’s structure with naturalistic teaching.

Naturalistic teaching (NET)
Naturalistic teaching uses the client’s own interests and everyday activities as the teaching moments. Instructions are woven into play or routines, and the reinforcer is usually the natural outcome of the skill. It supports generalization because the skill is learned in the setting where it will be used.
Example: The client reaches for bubbles; you hold the bottle and wait for “bubbles” before blowing them.
On the exam: Scenarios describe teaching during play and ask which approach it is, or ask which approach best promotes generalization.

Chaining (forward, backward, total task)
Chaining teaches a multi-step skill by linking the steps of a task analysis so each completed step cues the next. Forward chaining teaches the first step to mastery, then adds the second, and so on; backward chaining does the reverse, with the RBT completing all but the last step and the client finishing the chain. In total-task presentation the client attempts every step on every trial with prompts wherever needed.
Example: Backward chaining for hand-washing: you do everything up to turning off the tap and the client turns it off, so they end with the finished result.
On the exam: You get a description of which step the client does independently and must name the chaining type; backward chaining is often flagged as the one where the client contacts the natural reinforcer first.

Task analysis
A task analysis lists every step of a complex skill in the order it needs to happen, small enough that each step can be taught and scored. It is written before chaining begins and is refined based on the client’s abilities. Data are usually recorded per step.
Example: Brushing teeth is broken into 12 steps, from “pick up toothbrush” to “put toothbrush back in cup.”
On the exam: You are asked what to create before starting a chaining program, or shown a list of steps and asked what it is.

Shaping
Shaping builds a behavior the client cannot yet do by reinforcing gradual approximations that move closer to the final target while no longer reinforcing earlier, cruder versions. Each stage raises the bar slightly. It is used when the behavior does not exist at all yet, so it cannot simply be prompted.
Example: To teach “water,” you first reinforce “wa,” then “wat,” then only the full word.
On the exam: Scenarios describe reinforcing closer and closer versions of a response and ask you to name the procedure; distractors include chaining and fading.

Prompting hierarchy
A prompting hierarchy is an ordered set of assistance levels, from the most intrusive (full physical) through partial physical, model, gestural, and verbal to the least intrusive (independent). The order used in a session is either most-to-least, starting with heavy support and reducing it, or least-to-most, starting with the smallest prompt and adding help only if needed. The plan tells you which direction to use.
Example: The client does not respond to “Clap hands,” so you model clapping; if that fails, you guide their hands.
On the exam: You are asked to rank prompts by intrusiveness or to say which sequence a least-to-most program follows.

Prompt fading
Prompt fading is the planned removal of prompts so the client comes to respond to the natural instruction alone. Methods include moving down the hierarchy, inserting a time delay before prompting, and reducing physical guidance step by step. Fading too slowly creates prompt dependence; fading too quickly causes errors.
Example: You wait 2 seconds before prompting, then 4, then 6, until the client answers before any prompt.
On the exam: Questions ask why prompts must be faded, what prompt dependence looks like, or which fading method is being described.

Stimulus control
Stimulus control exists when a behavior happens reliably in the presence of a particular cue and not in its absence, because that cue has been linked to reinforcement. It is the goal of most teaching: the instruction, not the prompt, comes to control the response. Loss of stimulus control shows up as responding to the wrong cue or to prompts only.
Example: The client says “dog” when shown a dog picture and not when shown a cat, so the picture has stimulus control.
On the exam: You are asked to identify when stimulus control has been achieved, or to explain why transferring control from the prompt to the instruction matters.

Discrimination training
Discrimination training teaches the client to respond one way to a target stimulus and not to respond, or to respond differently, to other stimuli. Correct responses to the target are reinforced; responses to non-targets are not. Over time the client tells the two apart.
Example: You present a red card and a blue card, reinforce touching red when you say “red,” and do not reinforce touching blue.
On the exam: Items ask what procedure produces stimulus control, or present a mixed array of targets and non-targets and ask what is being taught.

Generalization
Generalization means a learned skill holds up when the setting, materials, or people change, or when the client uses it in a new but related way. Teaching should plan for it by varying examples, instructors, and locations. A skill that only works at the table with one RBT is not yet useful.
Example: The client learned “cup” with a blue plastic cup and now labels a white ceramic mug without extra teaching.
On the exam: Scenarios describe a skill that works with one person or in one room only and ask what is missing, or ask which teaching practice supports generalization.

Maintenance
Maintenance is the continued performance of a skill after teaching has stopped and reinforcement has been thinned to natural levels. It is checked through periodic probes rather than ongoing teaching. Skills that are not maintained are usually put back into the active program.
Example: Three weeks after mastery, a probe of “tie shoes” is scored with no prompts to confirm the skill still holds.
On the exam: You are asked to distinguish maintenance (over time) from generalization (across settings or stimuli) and to say why probes are run.

Token economy
A token economy is a reinforcement system in which the client earns tokens for target behaviors and later trades them for a preferred item or activity. The tokens are conditioned reinforcers because they have been paired with the backup items. The number of tokens required and the exchange rules are set in the plan.
Example: The client earns one star per completed task and trades five stars for 10 minutes of tablet time.
On the exam: Questions ask what makes the token a reinforcer, or what the “backup reinforcer” is in a described system.

Mand and tact
A mand is a request: the client asks for something they want and gets that thing as the reinforcer. A tact is a label: the client names something they can see, hear, or feel, and the reinforcer is social, such as praise. The form can be identical; what differs is what prompts the response and what follows it.
Example: Saying “juice” because they are thirsty and then getting juice is a mand; saying “juice” while pointing at a picture is a tact.
On the exam: You are given a short exchange and asked whether it is a mand or a tact based on what motivated it and what reinforced it.

D. Behavior Reduction

Reinforcement (positive and negative)
Reinforcement is any consequence that makes a behavior more likely in the future. Positive reinforcement adds something after the behavior, such as praise or an item; negative reinforcement removes or postpones something unpleasant, such as a demand. Both increase behavior; the words positive and negative describe adding or removing, not good or bad.
Example: Ending a work task when the client asks “Break, please” is negative reinforcement for the request.
On the exam: The most common trap: “negative reinforcement” as a synonym for punishment. Ask whether the behavior went up (reinforcement) and whether something was added or taken away.

Differential reinforcement (DRA, DRO, DRI)
Differential reinforcement reinforces one class of behavior while withholding reinforcement from another. DRA (alternative) reinforces a specific replacement behavior that serves the same function as the problem behavior. DRO (other) delivers reinforcement when the problem behavior has not occurred for a set interval, whatever else the client did; DRI (incompatible) reinforces a behavior that physically cannot happen at the same time as the problem behavior.
Example: For a client who hits to get attention, giving attention for tapping a shoulder is DRA; giving a token for every 5 minutes without hitting is DRO; reinforcing hands-in-pockets is DRI.
On the exam: A scenario describes what is reinforced and you must pick the matching letters; DRO is the one tied to a time interval, DRI is the one tied to physical incompatibility.

Extinction
Extinction is withholding the reinforcer that previously followed a behavior so that the behavior gradually decreases. Which reinforcer to withhold depends on the function: attention-maintained behavior gets no reaction, escape-maintained behavior does not get out of the demand. It is only used as written in the behavior plan.
Example: The plan says to keep the instruction in place and guide the task through when the client drops to the floor to avoid work.
On the exam: You will be asked to match the correct extinction procedure to the function, and to recognize that “ignoring” is only extinction when attention was the reinforcer.

Extinction burst
An extinction burst is the temporary increase in the frequency, intensity, or variety of a behavior that often follows the start of extinction. It is expected and usually short-lived if the procedure is held consistently. Giving in during the burst reinforces the worse version of the behavior.
Example: On the first day of ignoring whining, the whining gets louder and longer before it starts to fade.
On the exam: A scenario shows behavior getting worse right after extinction starts and asks what is happening and what the RBT should do (keep going and tell the supervisor).

Antecedent intervention
An antecedent intervention changes what happens before a behavior so the problem behavior is less likely to start, rather than reacting after it occurs. Common forms include offering choices, giving warnings before transitions, adjusting task difficulty, and providing free access to a reinforcer before demands. These strategies are written into the plan by the supervisor.
Example: You give a two-minute warning and a visual timer before ending tablet time to reduce transition tantrums.
On the exam: You are asked to pick the option that is proactive, or to distinguish an antecedent strategy from a consequence strategy.

Motivating operation (MO)
A motivating operation is a condition that temporarily changes how valuable a reinforcer is and how likely the related behavior becomes. An establishing operation raises the value (hunger makes food more reinforcing); an abolishing operation lowers it (a full stomach makes food less reinforcing). MOs explain why the same reinforcer works some days and not others.
Example: Running a session right after lunch weakens edible reinforcers because an abolishing operation is in effect.
On the exam: Scenarios describe a change in a client’s state and ask whether it is an establishing or abolishing operation, or why a reinforcer stopped working.

Discriminative stimulus (SD)
A discriminative stimulus is a cue that signals reinforcement is available for a particular response. It sets the occasion for the behavior because that behavior has been reinforced in its presence before. It tells the client “now this will work,” whereas an MO tells them “now this is worth doing.”
Example: The RBT’s instruction “Touch nose” is the SD for the client touching their nose.
On the exam: You are asked to identify the SD in a trial, or to separate an SD (signals availability) from an MO (changes value).

Punishment
Punishment is any consequence that makes a behavior less likely in the future. Positive punishment adds something after the behavior; negative punishment removes something the client values, such as a token or access to an item. It is defined by its effect on behavior, not by how unpleasant it seems, and an RBT uses it only as written in a plan.
Example: Removing a token after hitting, which reduces hitting, is negative punishment.
On the exam: You must classify a consequence as reinforcement or punishment by its effect on the behavior, then as positive or negative by whether something was added or removed.

Crisis procedure
A crisis procedure is the pre-approved plan for keeping everyone safe when behavior becomes dangerous, such as severe aggression or self-injury. It states what the RBT does during the event, when to call for help, and how to document and report afterward. RBTs follow only the procedures they have been trained on and never improvise physical intervention.
Example: When the client begins head-banging, you block with a cushion as trained, move other children away, and radio the supervisor.
On the exam: Scenarios put you in an emergency and ask for the correct first action; the safe, plan-based, supervisor-informed option is the answer, and documentation follows.

E. Documentation and Reporting

Objective session note
An objective session note records what was observed and done in a session in factual, measurable language, without opinions, guesses about feelings, or labels. It includes the data collected, programs run, any problem behavior with the response given, and anything the supervisor needs to know. Notes are completed promptly, are legible, and follow employer and legal rules for storage and privacy.
Example: Write “Client cried for 4 minutes after the demand to clean up” rather than “Client was upset and had a bad day.”
On the exam: You are shown two note excerpts and asked which is objective, or asked when to report a variable (illness, medication change, injury) to the supervisor.

F. Ethics

Client dignity
Maintaining client dignity means treating each client as a person with worth and rights, in the way you speak to them, speak about them, and involve them in choices. It covers privacy during personal care, respectful language, age-appropriate materials, and not discussing the client where others can hear. Dignity applies regardless of the client’s age or ability.
Example: You ask a teenage client which task to start with instead of telling them, and you close the door before helping with toileting.
On the exam: Scenarios describe a small slip, such as talking about a client in a hallway or using baby talk with an adult, and ask what was violated.

Professional boundaries
Professional boundaries keep the RBT-client relationship strictly a service relationship. That means no dual relationships (friendships, babysitting, social media contact), no gifts beyond what the employer policy allows, and no personal disclosures that shift the focus to the RBT. Boundary questions go to the supervisor before, not after, a decision is made.
Example: A parent asks you to babysit on weekends; you explain that you cannot and tell your supervisor about the request.
On the exam: The correct answer almost always involves declining the request politely and reporting to the supervisor rather than deciding alone.

Supervision requirement (5%)
An RBT must be supervised for at least 5% of the hours they spend providing behavior-analytic services each calendar month, and that supervision must include at least two face-to-face contacts, at least one of them individual. Supervision comes from a qualified RBT Supervisor or RBT Requirements Coordinator. RBTs are responsible for knowing whether they are meeting the requirement and for documenting it.
Example: In a month with 100 service hours you need at least 5 hours of supervision, including two in-person or real-time contacts.
On the exam: Straight recall of the percentage, plus scenario items about what to do if supervision falls short (raise it with the supervisor and the BACB rules, do not continue unsupervised).

Frequently asked questions

How many content areas does the 3rd-edition RBT exam have?
Six: Data Collection and Graphing, Behavior Assessment, Behavior Acquisition, Behavior Reduction, Documentation and Reporting, and Ethics. Together they contain 43 tasks.

Which content area carries the most questions?
Behavior Acquisition, with 19 of the 75 scored questions. Behavior Reduction is next with 14, then Data Collection and Graphing with 13.

How many questions are on the exam and how long do I get?
85 multiple-choice questions, of which 75 are scored and 10 are unscored pilot items, in 90 minutes. Each question has four options and one correct answer.

Did the content area names change from the 2nd edition?
Yes. Measurement became Data Collection and Graphing, Assessment became Behavior Assessment, Skill Acquisition became Behavior Acquisition, and Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice became Ethics. Documentation and Reporting kept its name.

Is negative reinforcement the same as punishment?
No. Negative reinforcement removes something and makes the behavior more likely; punishment, positive or negative, makes the behavior less likely.

What is the difference between latency and interresponse time?
Latency runs from an instruction or cue to the start of the response. Interresponse time runs from the end of one response to the start of the next.

How is the exam scored?
Results are pass or fail, with the passing standard set by a modified Angoff method. The BACB does not publish a passing percentage or a per-area cutoff; the result is based on overall performance.

Do I need to memorize the Ethics Code section numbers?
The exam tests what the RBT Ethics Code (2.0) requires you to do in a situation, not the numbering. Focus on recognizing the right action: protect the client, stay within your role, and involve your supervisor.

Ready to test the terms? Take a free RBT practice test or drill one area with the quizzes for Data Collection and Graphing, Behavior Assessment, Behavior Acquisition, Behavior Reduction, Documentation and Reporting and Ethics.