RBT competency assessment — checklist and tips

#Who gives the competency assessment

The RBT competency assessment is administered by a BCBA or BCaBA with at least one year of certification. It can be conducted in person, via live video, or a combination — but role-plays alone are not enough; the assessor must observe you with a real client for several tasks.

#What it covers

The assessment maps to the current RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.): measurement, assessment assistance, skill acquisition, behavior reduction, documentation and reporting, and professional conduct.

You'll be scored on discrete tasks like preparing for session, implementing discrete-trial training, implementing naturalistic teaching, implementing preference assessments, and collecting ABC data — plus professional tasks like communicating with supervisors and maintaining client dignity.

• Preparing for session and gathering materials
• Implementing DTT with high fidelity
• Implementing NET (naturalistic teaching)
• Conducting a preference assessment
• Collecting continuous and discontinuous data
• Implementing reinforcement and extinction procedures
• Responding to mild behavior

#Readiness checklist

Most candidates are ready after shadowing an experienced RBT for 10–15 sessions and practicing each skill three times with feedback.

• You can state the operational definition for each target
• You can run a five-minute DTT block without prompting from your supervisor
• You can score IOA with another observer at ≥80% agreement
• You can redirect mild escape behavior without escalating
• You can write a session note in under 10 minutes