December 2023 BACB Newsletter Updates
The following are updates to the RBT Certification, as of January 1, 2026.
Supervisors must hold a BCaBA, BCBA, or BCBA-D certification AND have completed the 8-hour supervision training.
RBT Recertification Cycle will be every 2 years, instead of annually.
In lieu of renewal competency assessment, RBT will be required to complete 12 hours of in-service training, continuing education, and/or university coursework.
RBT Certification Application Fee will increase to $65 (plus the examination fee paid to Pearson VUE)
RBT Recertification Application will increase to $50 every 2 years
Leading up to this release, there was a lot of talk about updating the RBT Task List and developing the Job Task Analysis. This Newsletter did not disappoint!
The RBT certification requirements have not been reviewed since 2017, so an update was due. The world and the field have changed tremendously in the last 6 years, so naturally the job of RBT would as well. The Job Task Analysis process is the method used for developing the other BACB examinations. This same process was enacted to evaluate the efficacy of the current RBT Examination, eligibility, and training requirements.
Test Content Outline
The Job Task Analysis resulted in changes to RBT examination that will go into effect beginning in 2026. The Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice domain was retitled Ethics. This section now includes 10 specific tasks rather than general references made to the RBT Ethics Code. 8 tasks were added, although some include elements from previous task items.
Eligibility Requirements
No change to the eligibility requirements
Must be at least 18 years of age, have a high-school-level education or equivalent, and have passed a criminal background check and abuse registry check comparable to those required of home health aides, childcare professionals and teachers in their community.
Training Requirements
Content and Duration
No change to the 40-hour duration requirement. However, the curriculum outline includes a minimum training duration for each content section. In addition, the Requirements Committee recommended that 2 of the 40 hours be discretionary, meaning that they be added to any of the content sections.
Trainer Qualifications
The committee also determined that the Responsible Trainer must hold an active BCaBA, BCBA, or BCBA-D certification AND must have completed the 8-hour supervision training course.
Initial Competency Assessment
Content and Structure
After completing the 40-hour training and within 90 days of applying for RBT certification, RBT applications must complete the Initial Competency Assessment. The following three changes were made to the competency assessment:
REMOVED: Stimulus control transfer; This was removed, because demonstration of this skill is now required of an entry-level RBT.
REMOVED: Option to “interview” in the Measurement section
ADDED: Option to “interview” in the Crisis/emergency task item, as applicants may not have yet completed full crisis training.
Assessor Qualifications
Responsible Assessors must hold a BCaBA, BCBA, or BCBA-D certification and have completed the 8-hour supervisor training. Please see my review of the September 2023 BACB Newsletter for more information on this.
Maintenance Requirements
Supervision
Supervision requirements were also reviewed and affirmed changes announced in 2023 BACB Newsletter. As a reminder, RBT certificants must be supervised for at least 5% of their behavior-analytic service hours and must be observed during service delivery at least once a month per organization employed. Supervision must include 2 face-to-face contacts with at least 1 of those contacts taking place in an individual supervision meeting.
Recertification Requirements and Cycle
The annual Renewal Competency Assessment requirement will be replaced with an ongoing professional development requirement of 12 hours of professional development and continuing education and will move to a 2-year recertification cycle (consistent with the BCBA and BCaBA recertification cycles). This is by far the biggest change to the maintenance requirements to maintain the RBT certification. It will also promote continuing education, professional development and growth that will benefit all stakeholders. RBTs be sure to maintain records of your continuing education.
Reentry Competency Assessment (Return to Voluntary Inactive Status)
As of January 1, 2026, those who place their certification on voluntary inactive status will be required to complete a Reentry Competency Assessment as part of the RBT Request to Return from Voluntary Inactive Status Application. This assessment will be the same as the current Renewal Competency Assessment, to ensure that these individuals can still complete the skills necessary for service delivery.
Fees
The current RBT certification application fee is $50 (plus $45 paid to Pearson VUE for each examination appointment). The current RBT renewal application fee is $35. These fees have remained the same since the RBT certification program launched in 2014. However, with the recertification cycle changing from 1 to 2 years in 2026, these fees required review. RBT Certification Application Fee will increase to $65 (plus the examination fee paid to Pearson VUE)
RBT Recertification Application will increase to $50 every 2 years
As a reminder the following changes that were announced in the March 2022 and September 2023 Newsletters are NOW in effect:
Effective January 1, 2024, A rolling 10-year expiration date will be placed on coursework submitted as part of BCBA and BCaBA certification application.
Effective January 1, 2024, The responsible assessor, assistant assessor, and RBT application must be employed at (or all have a contractual relationship with) the same organization where the client is receiving services. Theis requirement applies to the entire assessment.
