The RBT Practice Test

Sample Practice Questions

Try these sample questions from our 1000-question RBT bank, built on the new 3rd edition outline (effective January 2026). Click "Answer and explanation" under each question to check yourself.

1. Jordan's behavior plan targets eating too quickly. The supervisor asks the RBT to record the number of seconds from when Jordan finishes swallowing one bite until he puts the next bite in his mouth. What type of measurement is the RBT using?

   • A) Rate of responding
   • B) Latency recording
   • C) Duration recording
   • D) Interresponse time
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: D

   D is correct. Interresponse time (IRT) is the time between the end of one response and the start of the next response. Here the RBT times from the end of one bite to the start of the next bite. A is wrong. Rate is a count of responses divided by time, such as bites per minute. It does not measure the seconds between two responses. B is wrong. Latency is the time from a cue or instruction to the start of a response. No instruction is being timed here, only the gap between two bites. C is wrong. Duration is how long one response lasts from start to finish, such as how long one bite takes to chew. The RBT is timing the gap between bites instead.

2. An RBT is using 10-second partial-interval recording for hand flapping. During the third interval, Leo flaps his hands for about 2 seconds and then stops for the rest of the interval. How should the RBT score the third interval?

   • A) Score it as a nonoccurrence, since the behavior did not last for the entire interval
   • B) Write down 2 seconds for that interval so the supervisor can see how long it lasted
   • C) Score it as an occurrence, since the behavior happened at some point in the interval
   • D) Score it only if Leo is still flapping at the exact moment the interval ends
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: C

   C is correct. In partial-interval recording, an interval is scored if the behavior occurs at any time during it, even briefly. A is wrong. That is the rule for whole-interval recording, where the behavior must continue for the entire interval. B is wrong. Recording seconds is duration recording. Partial-interval data are scored only as occurred or did not occur for each interval. D is wrong. Checking only at the end of the interval is momentary time sampling, not partial-interval recording.

3. An RBT uses 5-minute momentary time sampling to record whether Priya is on task. During one interval, Priya works for about 4 and a half minutes. At the exact moment the interval ends, she is looking out the window and not working. How should the RBT score that interval?

   • A) Off task, since only the moment the interval ends is scored
   • B) On task, because she was working for most of the 5-minute interval
   • C) Wait a few more seconds, and score on task if she goes back to work
   • D) On task, because she was working at some point during the interval
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A

   A is correct. Momentary time sampling scores only what is happening at the instant the interval ends. Priya was not working at that moment, so the interval is scored off task, even though she worked for most of it. B is wrong. How long she worked during the interval does not matter in momentary time sampling. Only the moment the interval ends is scored. C is wrong. The observation must happen at the scheduled moment. Waiting and then scoring changes the procedure and makes the data inaccurate. D is wrong. Scoring behavior that happens at any point in the interval is partial-interval recording, not momentary time sampling.

4. The supervisor asks the RBT to use permanent product recording for Ava's goal of folding laundry. Which method fits this request?

   • A) Watch Ava the entire time and make a tally mark every time she folds an item
   • B) Check every 2 minutes whether Ava is folding at that exact moment
   • C) Use a stopwatch to time how long it takes Ava to fold the whole basket
   • D) After Ava finishes, count how many items in the basket are folded correctly
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: D

   D is correct. Permanent product recording measures the lasting result of a behavior after it is done. The folded laundry stays there to be counted later. A is wrong. Tallying each item as it happens is frequency (event) recording, which requires watching the behavior as it occurs. B is wrong. Checking at set moments is momentary time sampling, a discontinuous method. C is wrong. Timing the task is duration recording, not permanent product recording.

5. Sam's line graph shows the percentage of correct responses. Sessions 1 to 10 were baseline, and a phase change line was drawn after session 10 because teaching started in session 11. Today is session 11, and Sam got 7 of 10 trials correct. How should the RBT graph today's data?

   • A) Plot 70% at session 11 and draw a line connecting it to the session 10 data point
   • B) Plot 7 at session 11, because Sam had 7 correct responses in today's session
   • C) Leave session 11 blank until there are three teaching sessions to average together
   • D) Plot 70% at session 11 as the first point of a new data path after the phase line
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: D

   D is correct. Seven out of 10 is 70%. Data points are not connected across a phase change line, so the teaching phase starts a new data path. A is wrong. Connecting points across a phase change line blends baseline and teaching data, which makes it harder to see the effect of the change. B is wrong. The y-axis on this graph is percentage correct, so 7 of 10 must be entered as 70%, not as a count of 7. C is wrong. Each session's data should be entered after that session. Holding data back delays information the supervisor needs.

6. You count every time a client says the word "no" during a 30-minute session. Which measurement procedure are you using?

   • A) Frequency
   • B) Duration
   • C) Latency
   • D) Momentary time sampling
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A

   Frequency is counting how many times a behavior happens. Every occurrence counts as one, which makes it a continuous measurement procedure: you capture every single instance, not just a sample. Tally marks on a clipboard are the classic frequency tool.

7. Every time a client says "help," you hand them the toy they want. Soon the client says "help" much more often. This is an example of:

   • A) Positive reinforcement
   • B) Negative reinforcement
   • C) Positive punishment
   • D) Extinction
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A

   Positive reinforcement means something was ADDED (the toy) and the behavior increased as a result. Remember: in ABA, positive only means added, not good.

8. A behavior maintained by attention no longer earns any attention. At first the behavior gets louder and more intense, with some new forms. This temporary worsening is called:

   • A) An extinction burst
   • B) Spontaneous recovery
   • C) Response generalization
   • D) Stimulus generalization
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: A

   An extinction burst is the temporary increase in frequency, intensity, or duration right after reinforcement stops. It is actually a sign the procedure is working, but you must ride it out safely and stay consistent.

9. Which session note entry is objective and appropriate for a clinical record?

   • A) "Client was happy and cooperative today"
   • B) "Client completed 8 of 10 DTT trials independently"
   • C) "Client had a bad attitude during work tasks"
   • D) "Session went really well overall"
   Answer and explanation

   Correct answer: B

   Objective documentation sticks to observable, measurable facts: counts, durations, and exact responses. Opinions like happy, cooperative, or bad attitude are subjective and do not belong in a clinical record.

10. A parent asks you to change the behavior plan because it is not working fast enough. The correct response is to:

    • A) Adjust the plan, since you know the client best
    • B) Explain that only the BCBA can change the plan, and share the parent's concern with your supervisor
    • C) Try the parent's idea quietly for a week and see what happens
    • D) Tell the parent to find a different BCBA
    Answer and explanation

    Correct answer: B

    Only the BCBA designs, modifies, or discontinues behavior plans. That boundary protects the client and protects you. Listen respectfully, explain the boundary, and pass the concern to your supervisor right away.