By Free RBT Practice Test Editorial Team | Updated October 2026
Looking for the RBT Handbook? The current version is dated June 2026, and you can download it free from the BACB’s RBT Handbook page. It’s long, though, and a lot changed in 2026. So here’s what’s inside, what’s new, and the rules you actually need to know, in plain English.
Which RBT Handbook Is Current?
The latest version is marked “Updated 06/2026”. If someone sends you a 2025 copy, it’s out of date. The BACB lists three recent updates in the handbook’s own version history:
- August 2025: more detail on the switch to the 2026 eligibility and maintenance rules, and “renewal” renamed to “recertification”.
- January 2026: the 2026 eligibility requirements made current, a clarification that the BACB doesn’t offer the 40-hour training, and the UK removed from the BACB’s jurisdiction.
- June 2026: step-by-step instructions added for the new BACB portal account.
Who Can Apply in 2026
The BACB accepts RBT applications from people living in the United States, Canada and Australia. There are a few catches. Ontario residents can no longer apply for RBT certification, the exam is no longer delivered in Quebec or Ontario, and Australian residents won’t be able to apply for BACB certification from January 1, 2027.
To be eligible, you need to:
- Be at least 18 when you submit your application.
- Have at least a high school education or the equivalent.
- Pass a criminal background check and an abuse registry check, each done no more than 180 days before you pay for your application.
- Finish a 40-hour training that meets the 2026 requirements, taking no less than 5 days and no more than 180 days.
- Demonstrate the skills on the RBT Initial Competency Assessment, after your 40-hour training and within 90 days of applying.
Your checks are confirmed on the RBT Certification Application Attestation form, which has to be signed no more than 90 days before you pay. Our guide to RBT certification in 2026 walks through each step, and the competency assessment guide covers the skills check.
The Exam Rules in the Handbook
- The exam has 85 multiple-choice questions: 75 scored and 10 unscored. You get 90 minutes.
- Each question has 4 options and only 1 correct answer.
- You have one year from the day your application is approved to sit the exam.
- Bring one original, government-issued ID. Without valid ID you’re turned away and your fees are forfeited.
- If you don’t pass, you can retake it, up to 8 attempts in 12 months, waiting 7 days between attempts.
- If you pass, the BACB emails you within one week. Your certification starts as inactive until your supervisor adds you as a supervisee, and you can’t practice until it’s active.
Want to know exactly what each fee costs, including rescheduling? Here’s everything the RBT exam costs. And for test day itself, read our RBT exam day guide.
Supervision After You Pass
Passing isn’t the finish line. The handbook says you need supervision for at least 5% of the hours you spend providing behavior-analytic services each calendar month.
Each month that means at least two face-to-face, real-time contacts, and your supervisor has to observe you working in at least one of them. Phone calls and email don’t count. At least one of the two sessions has to be one-on-one.
Recertification: The Big 2026 Change
This is the part most older guides get wrong. The handbook’s own comparison chart shows RBTs moving from recertifying annually to recertifying every two years.
- If you recertify in 2026: you complete the Recertification Competency Assessment one last time, then your 2-year cycle begins. The same 2-year rules apply if you first become certified in 2026.
- From then on: you earn 12 hours of professional development units (PDUs) in each 2-year cycle.
- PDUs can come from: your organization’s in-service training led by a BCaBA, BCBA or BCBA-D, events from an Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) provider, or behavior-analytic university courses passed with a C or higher (or a pass in a pass/fail course).
- What doesn’t count: ongoing RBT supervision, client-specific training and supervised fieldwork toward BCaBA or BCBA certification.
There’s a lot more detail in our RBT recertification guide.
Things You Have to Report
The handbook also lists events you must self-report to the BACB, no more than 30 days after you become aware of them. The list includes ethics violations (like breaking client confidentiality), certain health conditions and substance use, and legal or disciplinary issues. It’s dull reading, but the handbook warns that not following its requirements may lead to BACB action, such as suspension, revocation or invalidation of your certification. If you’re ever unsure, read that section in full or ask your supervisor.
Final Thoughts
The RBT Handbook is the rulebook, so it’s worth reading once from start to finish. Then come back to this page when you need a quick answer. Ready to put the exam rules to work? Try a free full-length RBT practice test and see where you stand. You’ve got this!
