The RBT Initial Competency Assessment is one of the things you finish before you apply for RBT certification. It is separate from the 40-hour training and separate from the exam. This page summarizes the BACB RBT Handbook (updated 06/2026) and the BACB’s 2026 transition guidance (08/2025). Anything that affects your application should be confirmed on the BACB site.
The short version
- You demonstrate, with an assessor, that you can competently perform the tasks on the RBT Initial Competency Assessment: Effective January 1, 2026.
- You do it after you finish the 40-hour training and no more than 90 days before you submit your application.
- You upload the completed assessment with your application. Your assessor may not be related to you, subordinate to you, or employed by you.
- Passing the assessment does not make you an RBT. You still need an approved application and a passing exam result.
Where it fits: the order of steps
- Basic eligibility. At least 18, a high school-level education or equivalent, and a criminal background check and an abuse registry check reviewed by an attestor.
- 40-hour training that meets the BACB’s RBT 2026 40-Hour Training Requirements and Curriculum Outline.
- Initial Competency Assessment with your assessor, after the training.
- Application in your BACB portal: attestation form, training certificate and completed assessment, plus the $65 processing fee. The application stays active for 90 days.
- Determination. The BACB’s diagram says to allow two weeks for processing.
- Exam. After approval you take the RBT exam at Pearson VUE. See exam format, fees and retakes.
Once you pass, your certification is inactive until a qualified RBT Supervisor or RBT Requirements Coordinator adds you as a supervisee in their BACB portal account.
Training, assessment and exam compared
| Step | What it is | Rules that matter |
|---|---|---|
| 40-hour training | A course that follows the 2026 curriculum outline. It may be offered by an employer, a university or an online program. The BACB does not provide the training, certificates or provider recommendations. | Takes no less than 5 and no more than 180 days (start and end dates count). The provider may not be related to, subordinate to or employed by you. Trainers must be active BCBAs or BCaBAs who completed an 8-hour supervision training; they may have assistants who hold RBT certification or higher. |
| Initial Competency Assessment | You show an assessor that you can competently perform the tasks listed on the assessment. | Done after the training, and no more than 90 days before you submit. The handbook calls the person you complete it with a “Responsible Assessor”; Assistant Assessors must hold RBT certification or higher. The assessing certificant may not be related to, subordinate to or employed by you. |
| RBT exam | 85 multiple-choice questions (75 scored) in 90 minutes, based on the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.). | Taken after your application is approved. Up to 8 attempts within 12 months of approval, with a 7-day wait between attempts. |
What the training certificate must say
For applications on or after January 1, 2026, the BACB says the certificate must include this statement: “This training program is designed to meet the 2026 training eligibility requirement for RBT certification. The training is offered independent of the BACB.” If it does not, ask your provider before you spend time on the assessment.
The 2026 update
The BACB updated the assessment for 2026, with slight changes to content and assessment options. If you complete the 2026 training, you need the updated assessment, completed after that training. The BACB also says there is no bridge course for training completed under the previous requirements, so you would repeat the full training.
The assessment you complete should be the version the BACB lists as current when you apply. See RBT 2026 changes for the transition rules, including what happens if an earlier approval expired.
Timing mistakes to avoid
- Doing the assessment before the training is finished. The handbook says it comes after.
- Letting more than 90 days pass between the assessment and your application submission.
- Letting the application lapse. If you do not meet every requirement within the 90-day application period, you must reapply, pay a new application fee and meet the requirements current at that time. The BACB recommends waiting to apply until every requirement is met.
- Choosing an assessor who is related to you, subordinate to you or employed by you. The BACB does not allow it.
- A name that does not match your ID. Your portal name must match your government-issued ID exactly or you will not be able to test.
What this assessment is not
It is not the exam, and it is not the competency assessment RBTs complete later to recertify. That is a different BACB document, the RBT Recertification Competency Assessment. The BACB publishes the Initial Competency Assessment itself in the “Eligibility and Applying for Certification” resources listed in the handbook. We do not reproduce its task list here, so use the BACB’s current version.
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Frequently asked questions
When do I complete the RBT Initial Competency Assessment?
After you finish the 40-hour training, and no more than 90 days before you submit your RBT certification application, according to the BACB Handbook (updated 06/2026).
Who can assess me?
The BACB Handbook says the assessing certificant may not be related to you, subordinate to you, or employed by you. The BACB's 2026 transition guidance adds that Assistant Assessors must hold an RBT certification or higher. Check the current assessment document for the full assessor rules.
Do I need a new assessment if I applied before 2026 and my approval expired?
Per the BACB's transition guidance, if your approval expired before January 1, 2026 you need the most up-to-date version of the assessment after the training. Whether you also need new training depends on whether your earlier certificate carried the updated approval statement.
What happens if my application is not finished within 90 days?
Applications are active for 90 days. If you do not meet all the requirements in that period, you must reapply, pay the fee for a new application and meet the requirements current at the time you submit.