Written to BACB's RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.)
- Data Collection and Graphing 17.3%
- Behavior Assessment 10.7%
- Behavior Acquisition 25.3%
- Behavior Reduction 18.7%
- Documentation and Reporting 13.3%
- Ethics 14.7%
Free · 2026 · 25.3% of the RBT RBT Behavior Acquisition practice questions
Behavior Acquisition is 25.3% of the RBT. Answer 10 questions (6 on Behavior Acquisition) and see your score by domain, with every answer explained. Free, no sign-up.
In early sessions, an RBT gives the instruction and immediately models the answer (0-second delay). Once the learner reliably imitates the model, the RBT waits 4 seconds after the instruction before modeling. The RBT keeps that same 4-second wait on every trial in all later sessions. Which prompting procedure is this?
Tap an answer, or press A to D
Reinforcement and schedules, DTT, naturalistic teaching, chaining, prompting and fading, generalization, shaping and token economies.
What the RBT exam tests in Behavior Acquisition
- Deliver positive and negative reinforcement immediately, contingently and on schedules, varying magnitude, intensity and variety
- Establish and use conditioned reinforcers
- Run discrete-trial teaching (DTT)
- Run naturalistic teaching: incidental teaching, natural environment training
- Teach task-analyzed chains: forward, backward, total-task chaining
- Run discrimination training
- Use stimulus and response prompts with fading: errorless, least-to-most, most-to-least, stimulus fading, time delay
- Program generalization across settings, people and stimuli
- Tell maintenance procedures apart from acquisition procedures
- Use shaping
- Run token economies
High-yield behavior acquisition facts
- 'Positive' means added and 'negative' means removed; neither means good or bad.
- A consequence is a reinforcer only if the behavior increases in the future.
- Effective reinforcement is immediate, contingent (only after the target response), of the right magnitude and intensity, and varied to prevent satiation.
- Establishing operation (e.g., deprivation) makes a reinforcer more valuable. Abolishing operation (e.g., satiation) makes it less valuable.
- Unconditioned reinforcers need no learning: food, water, warmth.
- Conditioned reinforcers gain value through pairing: praise, stickers. Generalized conditioned reinforcers are backed by many others: tokens, money.
| Stimulus added | Stimulus removed | |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior increases | Positive reinforcement | Negative reinforcement |
| Behavior decreases | Positive punishment | Negative punishment |
The full RBT High-Yield Cram Sheet comes with full prep.
Common behavior acquisition traps
- Negative reinforcement INCREASES behavior; it is not punishment.
- Interval schedules require a response after the time passes. Delivery on time alone is fixed-time (noncontingent).
- VR, not FR or CRF, is the most extinction-resistant schedule.
- Backward chaining teaches the last step first.
- Shaping vs chaining: one behavior refined vs several behaviors linked.
- Gestural and model prompts are response prompts. Changing card size or position is a stimulus prompt.
- Stimulus generalization (new setting or person) vs response generalization (new form of the response).
- Mastered skills go to maintenance, not off the program.
Free RBT behavior acquisition practice questions
Question 1
A BCBA chooses backward chaining to teach a learner to complete a 6-piece inset puzzle. The RBT asks why this method was selected. Which explanation best describes the key advantage of backward chaining?
- AEach trial ends with the learner completing the final step and immediately contacting the finished puzzle
- BThe learner practices every step of the puzzle independently in each session
- CThe learner masters the first piece before any later piece is introduced
- DThe learner needs no prompts, because the final step is always the easiest
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Because the learner performs the last step independently, every trial ends with the natural reinforcer of task completion.
Why not B: Practicing all steps in every session, with prompts as needed, describes total-task chaining. It is not the defining advantage of backward chaining.
Why not C: Teaching the first step first describes forward chaining. Backward chaining begins with the final step.
Why not D: Backward chaining still uses prompts and prompt fading. The final step is not necessarily the easiest one.
Remember: In backward chaining the learner always completes the last step, so every trial ends in contact with the natural terminal reinforcer.
Question 2
An RBT is shaping the word "cookie." The client reliably said "koo," so the RBT began reinforcing only the full word. Now the client has stopped attempting the word and is showing frustration. What is the best response?
- AReinforce any vocalization the client makes, including cries and protests
- BKeep withholding reinforcement until the client says the full word "cookie"
- CReturn to reinforcing the last successful approximation, then advance in smaller steps
- DSwitch to backward chaining so the client learns the last syllable first
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. When responding breaks down, going back to the last mastered approximation and using smaller steps keeps shaping moving forward.
Why not A: Reinforcing unrelated vocalizations abandons differential reinforcement and may strengthen problem behavior.
Why not B: Continuing to wait after the step proved too large prolongs extinction and increases frustration without producing the target.
Why not D: Chaining is meant for sequences of separate responses. The issue here is a shaping step that was too large.
Remember: If a shaping step is too big and responding breaks down, go back to the last successful approximation and use smaller steps.
Question 3
An RBT sets a 2-minute timer. When it goes off, she praises the learner the next time he is working quietly, then restarts the same 2-minute timer. Which schedule is she using?
- AFixed-time 2 minutes
- BVariable-interval 2 minutes
- CFixed-interval 2 minutes
- DFixed-ratio 2
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Reinforcement is given for the first target response after a constant 2-minute interval has passed, which defines a fixed-interval schedule.
Why not A: A fixed-time schedule delivers reinforcement when time passes regardless of behavior. Here, the learner must be working quietly to earn praise.
Why not B: A variable-interval schedule uses intervals that change around an average. This timer is always exactly 2 minutes.
Why not D: A fixed-ratio schedule depends on a count of responses, not on time passing.
Remember: A fixed-interval schedule reinforces the first response after a constant amount of time has passed.
Question 4
A learner's plan states that the first appropriate request made after 2 minutes have passed earns attention. During a session, the RBT instead gives attention every time a 2-minute timer beeps, whether or not the learner has made a request. Which schedule is the RBT actually implementing?
- AA variable-interval 2-minute schedule
- BA fixed-ratio 2 schedule
- CA fixed-interval 2-minute schedule
- DA fixed-time (noncontingent) schedule
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Attention is delivered on a time basis alone, with no response required. That is a fixed-time schedule, not the fixed-interval schedule written in the plan.
Why not A: Variable interval uses an average, unpredictable time and still requires a response. Here the time was fixed and no response was needed.
Why not B: Fixed ratio is based on counting responses, such as every 2nd request. This schedule is based on elapsed time.
Why not C: Fixed interval requires the learner to respond after the interval has elapsed. Delivering attention when the timer beeps, with no response, does not meet that requirement.
Remember: Interval schedules require a response after the time passes; delivering a reinforcer on time alone is a fixed-time (noncontingent) schedule.
Question 5
A client can already do most steps of putting on a jacket but still needs help with zipping and with putting the second arm in. The BCBA's plan says the client should attempt every step of the task analysis on every trial, with the RBT prompting only the steps the client cannot yet do. Which procedure is this?
- AShaping
- BBackward chaining
- CTotal-task chaining
- DForward chaining
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. The learner performs the whole chain each trial and receives prompts only on steps not yet mastered, which suits a learner who already has many steps.
Why not A: Shaping reinforces gradual approximations of one response. It is not a way of teaching a multi-step sequence.
Why not B: Backward chaining targets the last step alone first and prompts the earlier steps. The client would not attempt every step independently.
Why not D: Forward chaining targets only the first unmastered step in order. Later steps are completed with full assistance.
Remember: In total-task chaining the learner works through every step on every trial, with prompts only where needed.
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