When the BACB® announced that the RBT® Task List was being replaced by the RBT Test Content Outline, a lot of us had the same reaction: How different can it really be?
This post gives you the full picture, a domain-by-domain comparison of what changed between the RBT Task List (2nd ed.) and the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), including what was added, what was removed, and what the practical implications are for your clinic's materials and practices.
The RBT Task List (2nd ed.) was the content framework that defined what RBTs should know and be able to do, and was often used as the basis for training, competency assessment, and the certification exam from 2018 through 2025. The RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) replaces it entirely as of January 1, 2026.
The name change is meaningful. The 2nd Edition was framed as a list of tasks an RBT might perform. The 3rd Edition is framed as a description of the content that will appear on the RBT certification examination, which is a subtle but important shift in emphasis from the more encompassing name "Task List". It also introduces new exam question weightings for each domain.
The BACB conducted a job task analysis in 2023 to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities most important for entry-level behavior technicians. The 3rd Edition is the result of that analysis, with the idea that the TCO reflects what RBTs are actually doing in practice.
Both editions organize content into six domains, but the names and scope of those domains shifted in the 3rd Edition.
| 2nd Edition Task List | 3rd Edition Test Content Outline |
| A. Measurement | A. Data Collection and Graphing |
| B. Assessment | B. Behavior Assessment |
| C. Skill Acquisition | C. Behavior Acquisition |
| D. Behavior Reduction | D. Behavior Reduction |
| E. Documentation and Reporting | E. Documentation and Reporting |
| F. Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice | F. Ethics |
The renaming of Domain A from "Measurement" to "Data Collection and Graphing" better reflects the practical scope of what RBTs do. Domain C's shift from "Skill Acquisition" to "Behavior Acquisition" aligns with more precise behavioral terminology. And the replacement of "Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice" with simply "Ethics" signals a significant expansion of that domain's scope, which the content bears out.
The 3rd Edition also introduced new exam question weightings for each domain, giving BCBAs and training programs a clearer picture of where to focus training emphasis:
| Domain | Number of Exam Questions | Percentage of Exam |
| A. Data Collection and Graphing | 13 | 17% |
| B. Behavior Assessment | 8 | 11% |
| C. Behavior Acquisition | 19 | 25% |
| D. Behavior Reduction | 14 | 19% |
| E. Documentation and Reporting | 10 | 13% |
| F. Ethics | 11 | 15% |
| Total | 75 (+ additional 10 pilot questions) | 100% |
Behavior Acquisition accounts for 25% of the exam, which is the largest single domain.
The 2nd Edition included six tasks in this domain (A-1 through A-6). The 3rd Edition expands this to eight tasks (A.1 through A.8), adding three new items that were not present before.
A.6 — Calculate and summarize data in different ways (e.g., rate, mean duration, percentage). This is a meaningful addition. The 2nd Edition asked RBTs to enter data and update graphs; the 3rd Edition adds the expectation that RBTs can calculate and summarize data in multiple formats. This reflects a higher level of data literacy than was previously expected at the entry level.
A.7 — Identify trends in graphed data. This task asks RBTs to interpret visual data displays, which is a skill that connects directly to clinical decision-making in partnership with the supervisor, which was not explicitly assessed in the 2nd Edition.
A.8 — Describe the risks associated with unreliable data collection and poor procedural fidelity. This is a conceptual addition, asking RBTs not just to collect data accurately, but to understand why accuracy matters and what the consequences of poor fidelity are. It connects data collection to clinical outcomes in a way the 2nd Edition did not.
The 2nd Edition's A-1 ("Prepare for data collection") does not have a direct equivalent in the 3rd Edition, having been absorbed into broader preparation tasks.
This domain includes three tasks in both versions, with some slight modifications to the tasks.
The 2nd Edition's B-1 ("Conduct preference assessments") becomes B.1 in the 3rd Edition with added specificity: it now lists examples including multiple stimulus, paired stimulus, and free operant assessments.
The 2nd Edition's B-2 ("Assist with individualized assessment procedures") becomes B.2 with similar examples retained.
The most notable change is in the functional assessment task. The 2nd Edition's B-3 asked RBTs to "assist with functional assessment procedures." The 3rd Edition's B.3 reframes this as "participate in components of functional assessment procedures (e.g., descriptive assessment, functional analysis)", which a subtle but important distinction that acknowledges the RBT's active role while clarifying the scope of that participation.
This domain saw the most significant reorganization. The 2nd Edition had 12 tasks (C-1 through C-12); the 3rd Edition has 11 (C.1 through C.11). But the content was substantially revised, not just renumbered.
The most important change is the consolidation and refinement of reinforcement-related tasks. The 2nd Edition's C-3 ("Use contingencies of reinforcement") becomes C.1 in the 3rd Edition, but with considerably more specificity: it now reads "Implement positive and negative reinforcement procedures (e.g., immediately, contingently, according to schedules of reinforcement) along a continuum of dimensions (e.g., magnitude, intensity, variety)." This is a more rigorous and clinically precise description of what competent reinforcement implementation looks like.
C.2 ("Implement procedures to establish and use conditioned reinforcers") is a new addition that was not explicitly present in the 2nd Edition as a standalone task.
The prompt-related tasks were also consolidated. The 2nd Edition had separate tasks for stimulus control transfer (C-8) and prompt and prompt fading (C-9). The 3rd Edition combines these into a single, more comprehensive task: C.7 ("Implement procedures using stimulus and response prompts that include appropriate fading procedures (e.g., errorless, least-to-most, stimulus fading, time delay)").
C.9 ("Distinguish between maintenance and acquisition procedures") is a new conceptual task with no direct equivalent in the 2nd Edition.
The 2nd Edition's C-1 ("Identify the essential components of a written skill acquisition plan") and C-2 ("Prepare for the session as required by the skill acquisition plan") do not have direct equivalents in the 3rd Edition.
This domain expanded from six tasks to seven, with several meaningful additions.
D.2 ("Implement antecedent interventions (e.g., NCR, high-probability request sequences, demand fading)") is substantially more specific than the 2nd Edition's D-3 ("Implement interventions based on modification of antecedents such as motivating operations and discriminative stimuli"). The 3rd Edition names specific evidence-based antecedent strategies rather than describing the general category.
D.3 expands the differential reinforcement task to explicitly include DRI (Differential Reinforcement of Incompatible Behavior), DRL (Differential Reinforcement of Low Rates of Behavior), and FCT (Functional Communication Training), none of whiche were named in the 2nd Edition's D-4.
D.5 ("Implement positive and negative punishment procedures (e.g., time-out)") is a new addition. The 2nd Edition did not include a standalone task on punishment procedures.
D.6 ("Describe secondary effects of extinction (e.g., extinction burst, response variation, resurgence, emotional responding) and punishment (e.g., emotional responses, escape and avoidance)") is also new. This task asks RBTs to understand and describe the side effects of common behavior reduction procedures, which is a conceptual addition that reflects a more sophisticated understanding of behavior reduction than the 2nd Edition required.
This domain was largely preserved in structure but refined in language. The 2nd Edition's five tasks map reasonably closely to the 3rd Edition's four tasks, with some consolidation.
The most notable change is the reframing of the communication tasks. The 2nd Edition's E-1 ("Effectively communicate with a supervisor in an ongoing manner") and E-2 ("Actively seek clinical direction from supervisor in a timely manner") are consolidated and refined in the 3rd Edition. E.1 now reads "Communicate concerns and suggestions from the intervention team (e.g., caregivers, teachers, service providers) with a supervisor in a timely manner", expanding the scope from supervisor communication to communication about the full intervention team.
E.2 adds specificity: "Seek and prioritize clinical direction from a supervisor in a timely manner (e.g., training needs, data irregularities, following chain of command)."
This is where the 3rd Edition makes its most dramatic departure from the 2nd Edition. What was a five-task domain becomes a ten-task domain, doubling in size and accounting for 15% of the certification exam.
The 2nd Edition's Domain F was relatively brief: describe supervision requirements, respond to feedback, communicate with stakeholders, maintain professional boundaries, and maintain client dignity. The 3rd Edition's Ethics domain is a substantive expansion. It retains the spirit of the original tasks while adding entirely new content:
F.1 introduces the concept of "core principles underlying the BACB's ethics code for RBT certificants (e.g., benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity)", which is a values-based framing that was absent from the 2nd Edition.
F.5 ("Identify and comply with requirements for collecting, using, storing, protecting, and disclosing confidential information") addresses data privacy and confidentiality, which was previously covered under documentation and reporting in the 2nd Edition's E-5.
F.6 ("Identify and comply with requirements for making public statements about professional activities (e.g., social media activity; misrepresentation of professional credentials, behavior analysis, and service outcomes)") is entirely new, a direct response to the realities of social media and online professional presence addressed in the Ethics Code.
F.7 expands the dual relationships task to include "identify types of and risks associated with multiple relationships, and how to mitigate those risks when they are unavoidable".
F.10 ("Engage in ongoing cultural humility and responsiveness (e.g., identify personal biases) in service delivery and professional relationships") is perhaps the most significant new addition. Cultural humility was not addressed in the 2nd Edition at all. Its inclusion in the 3rd Edition as a standalone task worth exam questions, which reflects a meaningful evolution in the field's values and expectations for entry-level practitioners.
| 2nd Edition Task List | 3rd Edition TCO |
| A. Measurement | A. Data Collection and Graphing |
| A-1: Prepare for data collection | — |
| A-2: Continuous measurement | A.1: Continuous measurement (expanded) |
| A-3: Discontinuous measurement | A.2: Discontinuous measurement |
| A-4: Permanent product recording | A.3: Permanent product recording |
| A-5: Enter data and update graphs | A.4: Enter data and update graphs |
| A-6: Observable/measurable terms | A.5: Observable/measurable terms |
| — | A.6: Calculate and summarize data |
| — | A.7: Identify trends in graphed data |
| — | A.8: Risks of unreliable data / poor fidelity |
| 2nd Edition Task List | 3rd Edition TCO |
| B. Assessment | B. Behavior Assessment |
| B-1: Assist with preference assessments | B.1. Conduct preference assessments (e.g., multiple stimulus, paired stimulus, free operant). |
| B-2: Assist with individualized assessment (e.g., curriculum-based, developmental, social skills). | B.2. Participate in assessments of relevant skill strengths and deficits (e.g., curriculum-based, developmental, social skills). |
| B-3: Assist with functional assessment procedures | B.3. Participate in components of functional assessment procedures (e.g., descriptive assessment, functional analysis) |
| 2nd Edition Task List | 3rd Edition TCO |
| C. Skill Acquisition | C. Behavior Acquisition |
| C-1: Components of skill acquisition plan | — |
| C-2: Prepare for session |
— |
| C-3: Contingencies of reinforcement | C.1: Positive and negative reinforcement (expanded) |
| — | C.2: Conditioned reinforcers |
| C-4: Discrete-trial teaching | C.3: Discrete-trial teaching |
| C-5: Naturalistic teaching | C.4: Naturalistic teaching |
| C-6: Task analyzed chaining |
C.5: Task analyzed chaining (with examples) |
| C-7: Discrimination training |
C.6: Discrimination training |
| C-8: Stimulus control transfer |
C.7: Stimulus/response prompts with fading (combined) |
| C-9: Prompt and prompt fading | C.7: (combined with above) |
| C-10: Generalization and maintenance | C.8: Generalization procedures |
| — | C.9: Distinguish maintenance vs. acquisition |
| C-11: Shaping | C.10: Shaping |
| C-12: Token economy | C.11: Token economies |
| 2nd Edition Task List | 3rd Edition TCO |
| D. Behavior Reduction | D. Behavior Reduction |
| D-2: Functions of behavior | D.1: Common functions of behavior |
| D-3: Antecedent interventions | D.2: Antecedent interventions (with specific examples) |
| D-4: Differential reinforcement | D.3: Differential reinforcement (DRI, FCT added) |
| D-5: Extinction | D.4: Extinction |
| — | D.5: Positive and negative punishment |
| — | D.6: Secondary effects of extinction and punishment |
| D-6: Crisis/emergency procedures |
D.7: Crisis/emergency procedures |
| 2nd Edition Task List | 3rd Edition TCO |
| E. Documentation and Reporting | E. Documentation and Reporting |
| E-1/E-2: Supervisor communication | E.1/E.2: Supervisor communication (refined and expanded) |
| E-3: Report variables affecting client | E.3: Report variables affecting client progress |
| E-4: Session notes | E.4: Communicate what occurred during session |
| E-5: Legal/regulatory compliance | — (Covered in F.5.) |
| 2nd Edition Task List | 3rd Edition TCO |
| F. Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice | F. Ethics |
| F-1: Supervision requirements | F.3: Services under ongoing supervision |
| F-2: Respond to feedback | F.9: Interpersonal and professional skills |
| F-3: Communicate with stakeholders | E.1 (moved to Documentation domain) |
| F-4: Professional boundaries | F.7: Multiple relationships |
| F-5: Client dignity | F.1: Core ethics principles |
| — | F.1: Core ethics principles |
| — | F.2: Demonstrate competence before service |
| — (Previously covered in E-5) | F.5: Confidential information requirements |
| — | F.6: Public statements and social media |
| — | F.8: Gift giving and receiving guidelines |
| — | F.10: Cultural humility and responsiveness |
If your organization is using materials that reference the 2nd Edition Task List, here is a practical checklist of what needs to be reviewed and updated.
Supervision documentation forms: If your supervision notes or observation forms reference specific task list items, those references need to be updated.
Onboarding and training materials: Any training content that was built around the 2nd Edition structure, including learning objectives, quizzes, and practice activities, should be reviewed against the 3rd Edition to ensure coverage of new content areas, particularly the expanded Ethics domain and the new Behavior Reduction tasks. You'll also need to make sure your training is full aligned with the new 2026 40-Hour Training requirements, including content minimums.
Staff communication: BCBAs and supervisors who have been using the 2nd Edition as a reference for feedback conversations with RBTs should familiarize themselves with the new framework so that their guidance aligns with what RBTs are being trained and tested on.
At Sidekick Learning, our 40-Hour RBT Training and competency tracking tools are built around and go beyond the 3rd Edition Test Content Outline. If you're in the process of updating your clinic's materials and want to talk through what that looks like in practice, we're happy to help.
The RBT Task List (2nd ed.) was replaced by the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) as of January 1, 2026. The new document reorganizes the six content domains, adds new tasks (particularly in Ethics and Data Collection), introduces new exam question weightings, and serves as the content framework for both RBT training and the certification examination, though there are also new 40-Hour Course requirements and training objectives that must also be followed.
The most dramatic change is in the Ethics domain (formerly "Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice"), which doubled from five tasks to ten. New additions include cultural humility, social media guidelines, confidentiality requirements, and a values-based framing of the ethics code using the core principles. The Data Collection domain also expanded with three new tasks, including data interpretation and understanding the risks of poor procedural fidelity.
No. Beginning January 1, 2026, the RBT certification exam is based on the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), not the Task List (2nd ed.). The 3rd Edition also includes new exam question weightings for each domain.
The RBT certification exam consists of 75 questions based on the 3rd Edition Test Content Outline. The largest domain is Behavior Acquisition (19 questions, 25%), followed by Behavior Reduction (14 questions, 19%), Data Collection and Graphing (13 questions, 17%), Ethics (11 questions, 15%), Documentation and Reporting (10 questions, 13%), and Behavior Assessment (8 questions, 11%).
Yes. If your competency assessment spplements, supervision forms, or onboarding checklists reference the 2nd Edition Task List, they need to be updated to reflect the 3rd Edition Test Content Outline. This is particularly important for the Ethics domain, which has five entirely new tasks, and for the Data Collection domain, which has three new tasks.
F.10 of the 3rd Edition Test Content Outline requires RBTs to "engage in ongoing cultural humility and responsiveness (e.g., identify personal biases) in service delivery and professional relationships." This task was not present in the 2nd Edition Task List at all and represents a meaningful evolution in the field's expectations for entry-level practitioners.
This post reflects our interpretation of publicly available BACB documents and is intended for informational purposes only. It does not represent the BACB. Always refer to bacb.com for the most current and authoritative guidance.
References:
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2023). RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.). https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RBT-3rd-Edition-Test-Content-Outline-240903-a.pdf
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2018 ). RBT Task List (2nd ed.). https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/RBT-2nd-Edition-Task-List_240830-a.pdf
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2023 ). RBT 2026 40-Hour Training Requirements and Curriculum Outline. https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2026-RBT-40-Hour-Training-Curriculum-250303-a.pdf
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2025 ). Guidance for Meeting RBT Requirements During the 2026 Transition. https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/RBT-2026-Requirements_250723-a.pdf
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. RBT Handbook. https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/RBTHandbook_260116-a.pdf