What is the RBT competency assessment?
It is the hands-on step between training and the exam. Your 40-hour training teaches the material; the competency assessment shows a qualified supervisor that you can actually do it. The assessor observes each task, records whether you performed it competently, and signs an attestation that you upload with your BACB application. Only after the application is approved can you schedule the RBT exam.
There are two versions. The Initial Competency Assessment is for new applicants. The Recertification Competency Assessment has been part of annual renewal and is being retired after 2026.
Who can conduct the competency assessment?
- Responsible assessor: a BCaBA or BCBA who has completed the BACB’s 8-hour supervision training. They oversee the whole assessment, sign the final attestation, and keep records for at least seven years.
- Assistant assessors: the responsible assessor may delegate tasks to people with an active RBT certification or higher who have shown proficiency in the material. The responsible assessor stays accountable for their work.
- Independence: no assessor may be related to you, subordinate to you, or employed by you.
- Same organization: the assessors, you, and the client must all be employed by, or contracted with, the organization serving that client. Any BCaBA assessor, and any RBT assistant, must have a supervisor at that organization too.
Your trainer can also be your assessor. Because of the same-organization rule, the practical route for most people is to be hired as a behavior technician by an ABA provider that runs the assessment in-house. Our guide to ABA jobs with paid training covers what to ask.
When do you complete it?
| 40-hour training | At least 5 days and no more than 180 days to complete |
|---|---|
| Competency assessment | After the training is finished, and no more than 90 days before you submit the application |
| Background and abuse-registry checks | No more than 180 days before you pay for the application |
| Application | Stays active for 90 days; the 2026 application fee is $65 |
| Exam | Pass within 12 months of approval |
The assessment can run over one or several sessions, in person, live over the internet, or through videos recorded for the purpose.
What tasks are on the initial competency assessment?
The 2026 packet lists 19 tasks across six areas. Each task names how it may be assessed. Three of the skill-acquisition and behavior-reduction tasks must be shown with a client; role-play is allowed for the others only when circumstances do not permit a client.
| Area | Tasks | How it is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement | Continuous measurement; discontinuous measurement such as partial and whole interval; entering data and updating graphs | With a client or role-play |
| Assessment | Preference assessments; ABC data | With a client or role-play |
| Skill acquisition and behavior reduction | Discrete-trial teaching, naturalistic teaching, chaining, shaping, discrimination training, prompting and prompt fading, token systems, crisis or emergency procedures, and a behavior-reduction procedure | At least three with a client; crisis procedures may also be assessed by interview |
| Documentation | Objective session notes | With a client, role-play, or interview |
| Professionalism | Client dignity; professional boundaries | Interview |
| Supervision | BACB supervision requirements; when to seek clinical direction | Interview |
How to prepare
- Ask your assessor for the current packet before your first session and read every task description.
- Practice measurement and graphing with real or sample data until you can do it without notes.
- Ask which three skill tasks you will demonstrate with a client, and practice them in supervised sessions first.
- Prepare short, specific examples for the interview tasks: a time you protected a client’s dignity, a boundary you held, and a situation where you would ask your supervisor for direction.
- Write a few practice session notes and ask for feedback on objectivity before the final attempt.
- Keep a signed copy of the completed assessment; you upload it with your application.
Practice feedback is fine, but the packet says the assessor may not give corrective feedback during the final assessment of a task. Be wary of downloadable “answer keys”: the assessment is a live demonstration, not a quiz.
Renewal: the last competency assessments are in 2026
Until now, RBTs recertified every year by completing a Recertification Competency Assessment no more than 45 days before their expiration date. The BACB is replacing that with a two-year cycle based on professional development:
| Year | What current RBTs do |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Recertify with the Recertification Competency Assessment one last time and pay the 2026 fee ($50). The next recertification date becomes two years later. |
| 2027 | No one recertifies. A tab for uploading professional development units appears in the BACB account. |
| 2028 onward | Complete 12 professional development units (PDUs) per two-year cycle and submit a recertification application. No competency assessment is required. |
If your recertification date is still ahead in late 2026, you complete the renewal assessment within 45 days of that date as usual. The renewal assessment is overseen by a BCaBA or BCBA who has completed the 8-hour supervision training; unlike the initial assessment, assistant assessors do not need BACB certification. Miss the date and you have a 30-day reinstatement period with a $50 late fee, during which you are inactive and cannot practice.
What counts as a PDU?
According to the handbook, PDUs can come from in-service training delivered by a BCaBA, BCBA, or BCBA-D at your own organization, from ACE provider events, or from university coursework completed with a C or better. Supervision, client-specific training, and BCBA or BCaBA fieldwork do not count, repeated events count once, and extra units do not carry over. Ask your employer now how it will provide the 12 hours.
Questions to ask an employer
- Who is the responsible assessor, and are they at the same organization as the clients I will work with?
- Is assessment time paid, and does the organization cover any cost?
- How soon after training will the assessment happen, so I stay inside the 90-day window?
- For current RBTs: how will you provide the 12 PDUs needed for 2028 recertification?
Hiring now? Search behavior technician jobs if you need training and an assessment, or RBT jobs if you are already certified.
Sources and review notes
- BACB RBT Initial Competency Assessment Packet, version 01/2026
- BACB RBT Recertification Competency Assessment Packet, version 08/2025
- BACB RBT Handbook, updated June 2026
- BACB guidance for meeting RBT requirements during the 2026 transition
We reviewed these sources on October 23, 2026. Requirements, fees, state rules, and testing details can change. See our editorial policy and confirm important decisions with the issuing organization.
Frequently asked questions
Is the RBT competency assessment hard?
It checks skills your 40-hour training should already have taught, such as measurement, discrete-trial teaching, prompting, and session notes. The assessor gives you a chance to perform each task and decides whether you did it competently. You can practice tasks before the final attempt, but the assessor may not coach you during the final assessment of a task.
Can I do the RBT competency assessment online?
Yes. The 2026 packet allows live internet sessions and observations of videos recorded for the assessment, as well as in-person sessions. Several tasks still have to be shown with a real client receiving services, so you need a setting with clients.
Can I pay someone for the initial competency assessment?
The BACB sets no fee for it. You still have to meet the relationship rule: the assessor, you, and the client must all be with the same organization that serves the client. That is why most people complete it through their employer.
Do I need a competency assessment to renew my RBT in 2027 or 2028?
No. RBTs who recertify in 2026 complete the Recertification Competency Assessment one last time. Nobody recertifies in 2027, and from 2028 recertification uses 12 professional development units instead of an assessment.
How long is the initial competency assessment good for?
You must submit your RBT certification application no more than 90 days after the assessment is completed. If the window passes, you need a new assessment.
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