What is the current RBT task list?
The current RBT task list is the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), and it covers RBT exams given from January 1, 2026. The BACB says it describes the content on the RBT certification exam beginning in 2026. It is based on the BACB's most recent job task analysis, a study of what entry-level behavior technicians need.
The name changed, and that is where much of the confusion comes from. The previous document was called the RBT Task List (2nd ed.) and had 37 tasks. The new one is called a Test Content Outline and has 43 tasks in 6 domains. Many people still say "task list" for both, and many search results still show the old 2nd edition.
A quick check tells them apart. If the list you are reading has 37 tasks, or uses area names like Measurement, Skill Acquisition or Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice, it is the old list. If it has 43 tasks and domains called Data Collection and Graphing, Behavior Acquisition and Ethics, it is the current one. If you are new to the role, our guide on what an RBT is covers the basics first.
How is the RBT exam split across the six domains?
The RBT exam's 75 scored questions are split across six domains, and Behavior Acquisition has the most, with 19 questions (25%). Behavior Assessment has the fewest, with 8 questions (11%). The table below shows each domain with its number of scored questions, its share of the exam and its number of tasks.
| Domain | Scored questions | Share of exam | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Data Collection and Graphing | 13 | 17% | 8 |
| B. Behavior Assessment | 8 | 11% | 3 |
| C. Behavior Acquisition | 19 | 25% | 11 |
| D. Behavior Reduction | 14 | 19% | 7 |
| E. Documentation and Reporting | 10 | 13% | 4 |
| F. Ethics | 11 | 15% | 10 |
| Total | 75 (plus 10 unscored) | 100% | 43 |
The exam also includes 10 unscored pilot questions, so you see 85 questions in total. The pilot questions do not count toward your score.
Look at questions per task, not just the share. Behavior Assessment has only 3 tasks but 8 questions, so each of those tasks carries a lot of weight. Ethics has 10 tasks and 11 questions, about one question per task. Behavior Acquisition has 11 tasks and 19 questions, the biggest block of the exam. Data Collection and Graphing (13 questions, 8 tasks), Behavior Reduction (14 questions, 7 tasks) and Documentation and Reporting (10 questions, 4 tasks) make up the rest.
What are all 43 tasks on the RBT task list?
All 43 tasks on the current RBT Test Content Outline are in the table below, grouped by domain and copied word for word from the BACB document. The task codes, such as A.8 or F.10, match the codes in the BACB PDF.
A. Data Collection and Graphing (13 questions)
| Task | Task statement (BACB wording) |
|---|---|
| A.1 | Implement continuous measurement procedures (e.g., frequency, duration, latency, interresponse time). |
| A.2 | Implement discontinuous measurement procedures (e.g., partial & whole interval, momentary time sampling). |
| A.3 | Implement permanent product recording procedures. |
| A.4 | Enter data and update graphs. |
| A.5 | Describe behavior and environment in observable and measurable terms. |
| A.6 | Calculate and summarize data in different ways (e.g., rate, mean duration, percentage). |
| A.7 | Identify trends in graphed data. |
| A.8 | Describe the risks associated with unreliable data collection and poor procedural fidelity. |
B. Behavior Assessment (8 questions)
| Task | Task statement (BACB wording) |
|---|---|
| B.1 | Conduct preference assessments (e.g., multiple stimulus, paired stimulus, free operant). |
| B.2 | Participate in assessments of relevant skill strengths and deficits (e.g., curriculum-based, developmental, social skills). |
| B.3 | Participate in components of functional assessment procedures (e.g., descriptive assessment, functional analysis). |
C. Behavior Acquisition (19 questions)
| Task | Task statement (BACB wording) |
|---|---|
| C.1 | Implement positive and negative reinforcement procedures (e.g., immediately, contingently, according to schedules of reinforcement) along a continuum of dimensions (e.g., magnitude, intensity, variety). |
| C.2 | Implement procedures to establish and use conditioned reinforcers. |
| C.3 | Implement discrete-trial teaching procedures. |
| C.4 | Implement naturalistic teaching procedures (e.g., incidental teaching, natural environment training). |
| C.5 | Implement task analyzed chaining procedures (e.g., forward, backward, total task). |
| C.6 | Implement discrimination training. |
| C.7 | Implement procedures using stimulus and response prompts that include appropriate fading procedures (e.g., errorless, least-to-most, stimulus fading, time delay). |
| C.8 | Implement generalization procedures (e.g., conduct intervention procedures across settings, people, and stimuli). |
| C.9 | Distinguish between maintenance and acquisition procedures. |
| C.10 | Implement shaping procedures. |
| C.11 | Implement token economies. |
D. Behavior Reduction (14 questions)
| Task | Task statement (BACB wording) |
|---|---|
| D.1 | Identify common functions of behavior. |
| D.2 | Implement antecedent interventions (e.g., NCR, high-probability request sequences, demand fading). |
| D.3 | Implement differential reinforcement procedures (e.g., DRO, DRA, DRI, DRL, FCT). |
| D.4 | Implement extinction procedures. |
| D.5 | Implement positive and negative punishment procedures (e.g., time-out). |
| D.6 | Describe secondary effects of extinction (e.g., extinction burst, response variation, resurgence, emotional responding) and punishment (e.g., emotional responses, escape and avoidance). |
| D.7 | Implement crisis/emergency procedures. |
E. Documentation and Reporting (10 questions)
| Task | Task statement (BACB wording) |
|---|---|
| E.1 | Communicate concerns and suggestions from the intervention team (e.g., caregivers, teachers, service providers) with a supervisor in a timely manner. |
| E.2 | Seek and prioritize clinical direction from a supervisor in a timely manner (e.g., training needs, data irregularities, following chain of command). |
| E.3 | Report/document variables that might affect client progress in a timely manner (e.g., illness, medication, schedule changes). |
| E.4 | Communicate objectively what occurred during the session in accordance with applicable legal, regulatory, and workplace requirements. |
F. Ethics (11 questions)
| Task | Task statement (BACB wording) |
|---|---|
| F.1 | Identify and apply core principles underlying the BACB’s ethics code for RBT certificants (e.g., benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity). |
| F.2 | Provide behavioral technician services only after demonstrating competence. |
| F.3 | Provide services only under ongoing supervision from supervisors who meet BACB requirements. |
| F.4 | Identify effective supervision practices (e.g., receive training that includes instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback; observation of RBT service delivery). |
| F.5 | Identify and comply with requirements for collecting, using, storing, protecting, and disclosing confidential information. |
| F.6 | Identify and comply with requirements for making public statements about professional activities (e.g., social media activity; misrepresentation of professional credentials, behavior analysis, and service outcomes). |
| F.7 | Identify types of and risks associated with multiple relationships, and how to mitigate those risks when they are unavoidable. |
| F.8 | Adhere to the gift giving and receiving guidelines provided by the BACB’s ethics code for RBT certificants. |
| F.9 | Identify and apply interpersonal and professional skills (e.g., accepting feedback, listening actively, seeking input, collaborating) when representing oneself as an RBT. |
| F.10 | Engage in ongoing cultural humility and responsiveness (e.g., identify personal biases) in service delivery and professional relationships. |
Source: BACB, RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), © 2023 BACB, updated 09/2024. Reproduced for study; the BACB file is the authoritative version.
What changed from the 2nd edition?
The 3rd edition renames the six areas, grows from 37 to 43 tasks, and doubles the Ethics domain from 5 tasks to 10. The table below compares the two documents area by area.
| 2nd edition area (tasks) | 3rd edition domain (tasks) | What is new in the 3rd edition |
|---|---|---|
| A. Measurement (6) | A. Data Collection and Graphing (8) | Calculating and summarizing data, identifying trends, risks of unreliable data and poor procedural fidelity |
| B. Assessment (3) | B. Behavior Assessment (3) | "Assist with" becomes "participate in" skill and functional assessments |
| C. Skill Acquisition (12) | C. Behavior Acquisition (11) | Conditioned reinforcers; telling maintenance apart from acquisition; written-plan tasks no longer separate |
| D. Behavior Reduction (6) | D. Behavior Reduction (7) | Positive and negative punishment procedures; side effects of extinction and punishment |
| E. Documentation and Reporting (5) | E. Documentation and Reporting (4) | Tasks regrouped around timely communication and objective session reporting |
| F. Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice (5) | F. Ethics (10) | Ethics code principles, competence, confidentiality, public statements, multiple relationships, gifts, interpersonal skills, cultural humility |
| Total: 37 tasks | Total: 43 tasks | Exams from January 1, 2026 use the 3rd edition |
The new names map closely to the old ones. Measurement became Data Collection and Graphing. Assessment became Behavior Assessment. Skill Acquisition became Behavior Acquisition. Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice became Ethics. Behavior Reduction and Documentation and Reporting kept their names.
Ethics saw the biggest change. The 2nd edition had five professional conduct tasks, and one of them covered professional boundaries, including dual relationships and social media contacts. The 3rd edition has ten ethics tasks. They cover the core principles of the RBT ethics code, providing services only after demonstrating competence, working only under qualified supervision, confidentiality, public statements including social media (F.6), multiple relationships (F.7), gifts (F.8), interpersonal skills (F.9) and cultural humility (F.10).
Data collection asks more of you too. Three tasks are new: calculating and summarizing data (A.6), identifying trends in graphed data (A.7), and A.8, "Describe the risks associated with unreliable data collection and poor procedural fidelity." You need to read and summarize data as well as record it.
Behavior reduction now names punishment. The 2nd edition had no punishment task. The 3rd edition adds D.5, "Implement positive and negative punishment procedures (e.g., time-out)," and D.6 on the side effects of extinction and punishment. Behavior acquisition adds conditioned reinforcers (C.2) and telling maintenance apart from acquisition (C.9). Shaping, chaining, discrimination training, token economies and crisis procedures appear in both editions.
A few 2nd edition tasks are no longer separate items, such as preparing for data collection and identifying the parts of a written skill acquisition or behavior reduction plan. If you studied from an old guide, check your notes against the current list.
How does the task list connect to training, the competency assessment and the exam?
The task list describes what the exam tests, while the 40-hour training and the competency assessment are separate requirements with their own BACB documents. The competency assessment overlaps with the task list, so work on one helps with the other.
Your 40-hour training must follow the BACB's "RBT 2026 40-Hour Training Requirements and Curriculum Outline." That curriculum outline is a different document from the Test Content Outline, so ask your trainer how their course lines up with the 43 tasks. If you have not started training, see our list of free 40-hour RBT training options, or look at entry-level ABA jobs with paid training.
The RBT Initial Competency Assessment, effective January 1, 2026, is where you show you can do the work. You demonstrate tasks such as continuous measurement, entering data and updating graphs, preference assessments, ABC data, discrete-trial teaching, naturalistic teaching, chaining and shaping. Several of these are done with a client. Shaping, for example, is also its own task on the 3rd edition outline. Our RBT competency assessment guide covers the assessment in detail.
The exam is where the task list is tested directly. According to the RBT Handbook (updated June 2026), it has 85 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, taken in person at Pearson VUE. Each appointment costs $45, and you get up to 8 attempts within 12 months of your application approval. The BACB reports a 75% first-time pass rate for the RBT exam in 2025. Our RBT exam guide covers format and cost, and our guide on how to become an RBT lays out every step.
How should you study the RBT task list?
Study the task list by giving each domain time in proportion to its share of the exam, then practicing every task until you can do it and explain it. Start with Behavior Acquisition, since it carries a quarter of the scored questions, but do not skip Behavior Assessment just because it has only 3 tasks.
The table below splits study time by each domain's share of scored questions. It is our own simple plan built from the published percentages, not a BACB recommendation, so shift time toward the areas where you feel weakest.
| Domain | Share of scored questions | Of every 10 study hours |
|---|---|---|
| C. Behavior Acquisition | 25% | 2.5 hours |
| D. Behavior Reduction | 19% | 1.9 hours |
| A. Data Collection and Graphing | 17% | 1.7 hours |
| F. Ethics | 15% | 1.5 hours |
| E. Documentation and Reporting | 13% | 1.3 hours |
| B. Behavior Assessment | 11% | 1.1 hours |
A useful way to "review the task list" is to go through it one task at a time and ask three things. Can you define it? Can you do it? Can you spot it in a session?
Explain each task in your own words. Read the task, close the document, then say what it means out loud or write a two-line summary. Add a real example from your own sessions. If you cannot do this without looking, that task needs more time.
Practice tasks with your supervisor. Ask to run a preference assessment, a discrete trial, a chaining procedure or a token economy while they watch and give feedback. Doing a task with feedback shows you which steps you skip.
Use real session data. Take a week of your own data, following your employer's privacy rules, and practice calculating and summarizing it, graphing it and naming the trend. That covers several Data Collection and Graphing tasks at once, including the newer ones on trends and unreliable data.
For Ethics, read each of the 10 tasks next to the RBT ethics code. Then talk through example situations with your supervisor, such as a family offering you a gift or a client's parent sending you a friend request on social media.
Where do you get the official RBT task list PDF?
You get the official PDF from the BACB: the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) on bacb.com. The version we checked on October 24, 2026 is marked updated 09/2024. Use the BACB file rather than copies on study sites, because many older copies online are the 2nd edition with 37 tasks.
If you are already working toward the job, you can browse current RBT jobs while you study.
Sources and review notes
- BACB, RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), updated 09/2024: the 43 tasks, domains and question counts.
- BACB, RBT Task List (2nd ed.): the previous 37-task list used for the comparison.
- BACB RBT Handbook (updated June 2026): exam length, fees and attempts.
- BACB RBT page: the RBT Initial Competency Assessment (effective January 1, 2026) and 40-hour curriculum outline.
We reviewed these sources on October 24, 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
Which task list is on the RBT exam now?
The RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), with 43 tasks in 6 domains. It covers RBT exams given from January 1, 2026.
Is the 2nd edition RBT task list still valid?
Not for exams from January 1, 2026, which follow the 3rd edition. The 2nd edition had 37 tasks, so use it only to compare with the current list.
Which domain has the most questions on the RBT exam?
Behavior Acquisition has the most, with 19 of the 75 scored questions (25%). Behavior Assessment has the fewest, with 8 (11%).
How many questions are on the RBT exam?
There are 85 multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes. Of those, 75 are scored and 10 are unscored pilot questions.
How many times can I take the RBT exam?
You get up to 8 attempts within 12 months of your application approval. Each appointment costs $45.
Does the task list matter after I pass the exam?
The outline is based on the BACB's job task analysis of what entry-level behavior technicians need, so it reflects the work itself. You can compare it with how employers describe the role in current behavior technician jobs.
Find current ABA openings
Compare employer openings and check each listing's credential requirements.