The internet is full of free RBT study material. Most of it was written for the old exam. If you study from it without knowing what changed, you will walk in prepared for a test that no longer exists.
Here is what changed on January 1, 2026, and how to spot outdated material instantly.
The Names Changed
The BACB renamed the document from “Task List” to “Test Content Outline,” and four of the six domains got new names.
| Old Name (2nd Edition) | Current Name (3rd Edition) |
|---|---|
| Measurement | Data Collection and Graphing |
| Assessment | Behavior Assessment |
| Skill Acquisition | Behavior Acquisition |
| Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice | Ethics |
Documentation and Reporting and Behavior Reduction kept their names.
If a study guide, flashcard deck, or YouTube video says “Measurement” or “Skill Acquisition,” it was built for the old exam. It may still contain accurate definitions, but its structure, emphasis, and question weights are wrong.
The Weights Shifted
Skill Acquisition used to dominate with 24 questions.
Behavior Acquisition now carries about 19.
Behavior Assessment grew from 6 to about 8, and Behavior Reduction grew from 12 to about 14.
The exam is more evenly spread than it used to be, which means you cannot safely ignore the smaller domains anymore.
New Content Was Added
The task count grew from 37 to 43.
The additions you must be ready for include:
- Identifying trends in graphed data. Expect questions that show you a graph and ask whether the behavior is increasing, decreasing, or stable.
- Calculating and summarizing data, such as rate, mean duration, and percentage. Expect simple math.
- Functional communication training (FCT) named explicitly alongside the differential reinforcement procedures.
- A fully rebuilt Ethics domain with specific tasks covering core ethical principles, competence, supervision requirements, confidentiality, public statements and social media, and professional boundaries.
- Cultural humility and responsiveness, which is entirely new. Expect at least one scenario about respecting family values, culture, and practices during service delivery.
Some Content Was Removed or Reworded
A few old tasks, like identifying the components of a written skill acquisition plan as a standalone item, were cut or folded into other tasks.
Old practice questions built on removed tasks waste your time.
What This Means for You
Everything in this course is built on the 3rd edition outline.
When you supplement with outside material, check the domain names first.
- If they match the current names above, the material is probably current.
- If not, treat it as background reading only.