Establishing Your Eligibility
Start the process when you are 18 or older. You cannot begin training when you are still a minor. You must be at least 18 before you start the training or application process.
Graduate with a high school diploma or an equivalent diploma. A college education is not necessary for this certification. You only need a high school diploma or an equivalent diploma, such as a GED. You must provide a copy of your diploma or certificate when you apply for certification. High school psychology courses may help you prepare for the work you may do as an RBT.
Pass a criminal background check. Within 180 days of your application, the board will perform a background check on you. Your application may be rejected if you have certain felonies or misdemeanors. It is up to the board to determine if a criminal conviction will disqualify you or not. Generally, the board will not certify anyone with a felony within the last 3 years.
Undergoing Training
Sign up for a 40-hour training course. Most courses are online. This course will teach you how to pass both the assessment and the exam for RBT certification. You must complete your training within 180 days of starting it. You can find online courses through many universities, community colleges, technology institutes, and other online education platforms. You may find in-person training at some universities, community colleges, or from a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst.
Study the BACB task list. Your training will teach you how to go through the BACB task list, which is a list of steps and practices that you must use when working with clients. You will be tested on this task list during your assessment and exam. You can find a copy of the BACB task list here: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/161019-RBT-task-list-english.pdf.
Take a 3-hour ethics course. As part of your 40-hour training, you will need to attend an ethics course. This will course will guide you through the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code of the BACB. You will have to answer questions about the code during the exam. You can find a copy of the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code here: https://www.bacb.com/ethics/ethics-code/
Find a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) to do your assessment. In some cases, your instructors can act as your assessor or refer you to a BCBA who will oversee your assessment. In other situations, you may have to find and contact your own assessor. You can look up a BCBA here: http://info.bacb.com/o.php?page=101127. You might write the person an email when you ask them to be your assessor. You might say, “Dear Dr. Marx, I found your information on the BACB website. I am currently training to become an RBT. Would you mind performing my assessment? Best wishes, M. Smith.” This person can also serve as your responsible certificate when you complete your application.
Complete the assessment after you have completed the course. Your assessor will give you a series of tasks to do with a live patient. They will evaluate how well you can perform the task list while working with the patient. Most exams happen in person. In rare cases where you cannot do it in person, the assessment can take place over Skype. At the end of the assessment, you will receive a copy of the assessment form. Keep it safe. You will need it when you submit your application.
Applying for Certification
Create an account through the BACB’s online portal. You will need to provide your email and create a password to set up an account. You can find the online portal here: https://gateway.bacb.com/Account/Login.aspx.
Scan and upload your certificate and assessment results. You need 3 documents to prove that you are eligible for certification: your certificate of completion of training, your completed assessment form, and your high school diploma or equivalent.
Name your responsible certificant. Your responsible certificant is usually your instructor or the person who did your assessment. Enter their name and information on the application. They will fill out a form to confirm that you passed the course and assessment. As you progress in your career, your responsible certificant may change. Your responsible certificant will be the BCBA who is supervising you as you work.
Pay $50 USD for the application fee. You can pay by credit or debit card through the online portal. You can also mail in a check. Follow the instructions on the application screen to pay.
Appeal within 30 days if your application was rejected. It generally takes 2 weeks to receive a response. If you want to appeal a rejection, use the online form. On this form, put your name and email. From the drop-down menu, describe yourself as “pursuing RBT.” Write a brief summary of why you believe you should be accepted. The Administrative Appeal Request Form can be found here: https://www.bacb.com/appeals/administrative-appeals/.
Taking the Exam
Sign up for the exam once you receive approval from BACB. You will receive an email with instructions on how to sign up for the exam. The exam is given by Pearson VUE. You can locate your closest testing center on Pearson's website. Once you have received approval, you may sign up for the exam through this website: http://www.vue.com/bacb/. Use your BACB login information. You will typically hear from the BACB within 2 weeks of your initial application. While there is no official practice exam available, you may be able to find mock exams or flashcards from online training programs.
Pay Pearson VUE $45 USD to take the exam. When you sign up for the exam with Pearson VUE, you will pay them an exam appointment fee. This will cover the cost of your exam.
Bring 2 forms of ID with you to the exam. Show up to the exam 15 minutes early so that you can check in on time. When you check in, you must show 2 forms of ID. The first and last names on these IDs must match the name on your BACB account exactly. The first form of ID must be a government issued photo ID with your signature on it, such as a driver’s license or state ID. The second form of ID does not require a photograph, but it must have both your name and your signature on it. It is recommended that you use a signed credit or debit card.
Take the exam on the computer for 90 minutes. There are 75 questions on the exam, plus 10 ungraded questions. The questions cover all aspects of the RBT task list and ethics code. Your training course should have covered all of these areas. These questions are broken up as follows: Measurement: 10 questions Assessment: 8 questions Skill acquisition: 24 questions Behavior reduction: 12 questions Documentation and reporting: 10 questions Professional conduct and scope of practice: 11 questions
Retake the exam within a year if you failed the first time. If you did not pass the exam, you have up to a year to retake it. You do not need to reapply through the BACB during this time. After this time, your application will have expired. You must then redo training and start a new application.
Receive approval within a week of your exam results. Your name will be added to the online registry. Note that you will not receive a certificate. Instead, your inclusion in the registry is your proof of certification.
Renew your certification once a year. You must undergo a competency assessment once a year. You can apply for this assessment online through the BACB website. It costs $35 USD. When you pass this assessment, your certification is renewed.
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