RBT Ethics Code (2.0): Every Standard in Plain English
The RBT Ethics Code (2.0) is the BACB's ethics rulebook for Registered Behavior Technicians: 29 standards in three sections, in effect since January 1, 2022. It applies to applicants as well as certified RBTs; below is what every standard requires, in plain English.
Open the official RBT Ethics Code PDF (BACB) · Last verified September 16, 2026
Find the rule you need
| If your question is about… | Standards | Official PDF page | Also on this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gifts | 1.11 | 3 | The gift check |
| Dating, friendships, side jobs, and other mixed roles | 1.10, 1.12 | 3 | Relationship timelines |
| Your role, competence, and supervision | 1.03, 1.04, 1.06, 2.04, 2.05, 2.06, 3.01 | 3–5 | How the code is tested |
| Honesty, credentials, and records | 1.01, 1.05, 2.02, 3.02 | 3–5 | Practice questions |
| Professionalism and feedback | 1.02, 2.03 | 3–4 | Practice questions |
| Bias, culture, and fair treatment | 1.07, 1.08, 1.09 | 3 | Practice questions |
| Confidentiality and social media | 2.08, 2.09, 2.10 | 4 | Social media |
| Client safety and rights | 2.01, 2.07 | 4 | If someone may be in danger |
| Exams, competency assessments, and intellectual property | 3.03, 3.05 | 5 | Practice questions |
| Self-reporting, BACB notices, and status changes | 3.04, 3.06, 3.07 | 5 | Your own reporting clocks |
Every one of the 29 standards appears once in this list. The topic groupings are ours; the BACB doesn't group the standards this way.
All 29 standards, in plain English
The BACB numbers its standards but doesn't give them titles, so the short labels below are ours. The last column gives our suggested link to an Ethics exam task, not a BACB assignment of standards to questions. Only the official code is authoritative; these meanings are our summaries.
Section 1: General responsibilities (1.01–1.12, PDF p. 3)
| No. | Our label | What it requires | Exam task |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | Honesty and lawful conduct | Be honest and help keep your workplace honest. Don't lead anyone into fraud, illegal acts, or unethical conduct. Follow the law and the rules of the BACB, your employer, and your supervisor. | F.1 |
| 1.02 | Accountability | Act professionally, own your actions, and make an effort to follow through on work and contractual commitments. If you can't keep one, work it out with your supervisor in the way that's best for the client. | F.9 |
| 1.03 | Defined role, close supervision | Provide services under your RBT credential only inside a clearly defined role, with close, ongoing supervision. | F.3 |
| 1.04 | Never your supervisor's employer | You can't employ your supervisor. If you're also earning fieldwork toward BCBA or BCaBA certification, you may contract separately for that fieldwork supervision. | F.3 |
| 1.05 | Accurate claims about yourself | Don't knowingly make false, misleading, or inflated claims about your qualifications or services. Give employers and supervisors your current credentials when they ask. | F.6 |
| 1.06 | Competence first | Provide a service only after your supervisor confirms you've shown you can do it, and keep reviewing your skills together. If you're asked to go beyond your certification or skills, tell your supervisor (or another appropriate person at work) right away and write down that you did. | F.2 |
| 1.07 | Cultural responsiveness | Work with your supervisor to serve people of every background well. Look honestly at your own biases and readiness, and get any training you need under your supervisor's direction. | F.10 |
| 1.08 | No harassment or discrimination | Treat clients, coworkers, and others fairly and inclusively, whatever their age, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, immigration status, relationship status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or other legally protected characteristic. | F.10 |
| 1.09 | Personal biases and challenges | Notice when your biases or life challenges (health, legal, money, relationships) could affect your work. If they might, take steps — for example, a care plan, telling your supervisor, stepping back from clients until it's resolved, or reporting to the BACB — and write down what you did. | F.10 |
| 1.10 | Multiple relationships | Don't mix roles (friend, relative, employer, and so on) with clients, coworkers, or supervisors. If one develops, tell your supervisor right away, work to resolve it, and document it. If it involves your supervisor, go to their manager or another appropriate party, such as HR or the BACB, and document that. | F.7 |
| 1.11 | Gifts | No gifts worth more than $10 (US, or the same buying power in another currency), given or received, with clients, stakeholders, or supervisors. A gift at or below that limit must be an occasional thank-you that doesn't benefit the recipient financially; ongoing gifts can still break the rule if they become a regularly expected source of income or value. A stricter employer policy wins. | F.8 |
| 1.12 | Romantic and sexual relationships | Never with current clients, stakeholders, or supervisors. With former clients or stakeholders, not for at least two years after the professional relationship ends. With former supervisors, not until you can both document that the professional relationship is fully over. Don't take supervision from a past partner until at least six months after that relationship ended. | F.7 |
Section 2: Providing behavior-technician services (2.01–2.10, PDF p. 4)
| No. | Our label | What it requires | Exam task |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.01 | Do no harm; mandated reporting | Act in your clients' best interest and avoid harming them. Know and follow the mandated-reporting rules that apply to you. | F.1 |
| 2.02 | Accurate work and records | Follow your supervisor's direction, carry out services accurately, and fill out every required record accurately — including client data and billing records. | F.1 |
| 2.03 | Professional conduct; use feedback | Be professional in all work activities, including training and supervision. When your supervisor gives feedback, act on it. | F.9 |
| 2.04 | Trained methods and populations only | Don't use interventions, or work with client populations, you haven't been properly trained for. | F.2 |
| 2.05 | Restrictive and punishment procedures | Use them only when they're written into a behavior-change plan and your supervisor has confirmed you can carry them out correctly. | F.2 |
| 2.06 | Send concerns to your supervisor | Bring questions or concerns about your services — your own, or ones from caregivers and coworkers — to your supervisor. | F.9 |
| 2.07 | Protect clients | If you learn a client's legal rights are being violated or a client is at risk of harm, act: tell your supervisor, follow your organization's policies, and document it. Some situations also call for contacting authorities such as law enforcement, the BACB, or a licensure board. | F.1 |
| 2.08 | Confidentiality and privacy | Protect the privacy of clients, stakeholders, and others at work by following BACB, employer, and legal requirements — including whenever you handle client records. | F.5 |
| 2.09 | Nothing identifying online | Don't share identifying client information — photos, videos, or written details — on social media or websites. | F.5 |
| 2.10 | Share only what's needed | Discuss confidential client information only as your supervisor directs, unless the law allows it for a valid reason, such as protecting someone from harm. Put only necessary client details in work emails and documents. | F.5 |
Section 3: Responsibilities to the BACB and your supervisor (3.01–3.07, PDF p. 5)
| No. | Our label | What it requires | Exam task |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.01 | Meet BACB and supervisor requirements | Follow all BACB and supervisor requirements, including supervision, supervision records, and audits. | F.3 |
| 3.02 | Accuracy with the BACB and your supervisor | Be honest and accurate in everything you give the BACB and your supervisor. If you find you sent the BACB something wrong, contact the BACB right away to fix it. If it went to your supervisor or employer, contact them right away and decide whether you also need to self-report. | F.1 |
| 3.03 | No cheating | Don't cheat, or help anyone cheat, on competency assessments or the RBT exam. Follow BACB and test-center rules, including the ones on false information and exam materials. | F.1 |
| 3.04 | Self-report within 30 days | Know what you must report to the BACB and any other required recipients, such as your employer or supervisor. Self-report qualifying events to the BACB within 30 days of the event or of learning about it, including legal charges and related actions; investigations that name you; disciplinary actions such as suspensions or firings for cause; and physical conditions, mental conditions, or substance use that may affect your ability to work safely. | F.1 |
| 3.05 | Respect intellectual property | Don't misuse the BACB's intellectual property, such as certification titles or exam content, or anyone else's, such as your employer's proprietary materials. | F.6 |
| 3.06 | Share BACB notices with your supervisor | If you're named in a Notice of Alleged Violation or receive a required action from the BACB, share it with your supervisor right away and work together to respond and comply. | F.3 |
| 3.07 | Check your account; the 24-hour rule | Check your BACB account regularly (monthly, for example) so your name, email, and mailing address are right. Within 24 hours of learning your certification status changed — inactive, expired, suspended, or revoked — tell your supervisor. Then follow BACB rules on practicing, billing, and using the RBT title. | F.3 |
What sits underneath all 29
Four core principles. The code rests on four ideas: benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity; and ensure your own competence. The code points RBTs to the behavior-analyst code's introduction (pp. 3–4) for more on each one.
Where it applies. The code covers your work in every setting and format: home, clinic, community, phone, text, video, and in person. It reaches your personal life only when your personal behavior clearly puts the health or safety of clients, stakeholders, or coworkers at risk. Not knowing a standard is not an excuse.
Who it binds. RBT applicants and certified RBTs. The BACB treats you as an applicant once you've paid your exam application fee (Considerations for Reporting an Alleged Violation Against an RBT, p. 2).
Two terms that matter. A stakeholder is anyone other than the client who is affected by and invested in your services — a parent, caregiver, relative, legal representative, employer, or funder, for example. Many gift and relationship rules cover stakeholders, not just clients. A multiple relationship is any mix of two or more of your roles, such as professional and personal, with a client, stakeholder, supervisor, coworker, or someone close to the client.
When you're unsure. The code tells RBTs to get help from their supervisor, and other appropriate people at work, when applying it. When you do, the law and the client's interests come first.
Source for this section: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), Introduction p. 2, standards pp. 3–5, glossary p. 6.
Gifts, relationships, and social media
The gift check
Use this check to apply the gift rule (standard 1.11, p. 3):
- Is it worth $10 or less?
- Is it an occasional thank-you, rather than a regularly expected source of income or value?
- Does it avoid giving the recipient a financial benefit? Check this whether you are giving or receiving the gift.
- Does your employer's policy allow it? A stricter policy, including a total ban, must be followed.
- Would the same answers hold if you were the one giving it? The rule works in both directions, and it covers your supervisor too.
So a $25 gift card fails on value. An $8 coffee that has become a regularly expected source of value fails the ongoing-gift check. A child's drawing offered as an occasional holiday thank-you can fit the rule when the value, financial-benefit, and employer-policy conditions are met.
Relationship timelines
| Situation | What the code says |
|---|---|
| Current client, stakeholder, or supervisor | No romantic or sexual relationship while the professional relationship exists (1.12) |
| Former client or stakeholder, such as a parent | Not for at least two years after the professional relationship ended (1.12) |
| Former supervisor | Not until you can both document that the professional relationship is over, with all duties complete (1.12) |
| Someone you dated who is now assigned to supervise you | Don't accept their supervision until at least six months after the romantic relationship ended (1.12) |
| Babysitting or other paid work for a client family; becoming roommates or close friends with your supervisor | A multiple relationship. Avoid it. If it develops, tell your supervisor, or their manager or HR if it involves the supervisor, then resolve it and document it (1.10) |
The RBT Handbook (p. 19) adds that an RBT may not be related to, be superior to, employ, or be in a multiple relationship with their RBT Supervisor or RBT Requirements Coordinator.
Social media
Standard 2.09 (p. 4) is short and has no permission clause: don't post identifying client information — photos, videos, or written details — on social media or websites. A parent saying "go ahead" doesn't change that for an RBT. The behavior-analyst code has a consent process for professional accounts, but that rule belongs to BCBAs and BCaBAs, not RBTs.
Friend requests from client families aren't named anywhere in the code. The rule that applies is 1.10: a personal-account connection can mix a personal role into a professional one. Our advice is to decline, tell your supervisor, and check your employer's policy.
Who to tell, and how fast
If someone may be in danger
Protect the client first. Follow the emergency and mandated-reporting rules that apply where you work, tell your supervisor, follow your organization's policies, and document what you did (2.01 and 2.07, p. 4). A report to the BACB never replaces a report the law requires. The BACB's own guidance tells people to make required reports to law enforcement or other agencies before filing anything with the BACB (Considerations for Reporting an Alleged Violation Against an RBT, pp. 1 and 3).
If another RBT may have broken the code
- Bring it to that RBT's supervisor or requirements coordinator. The BACB directs RBT concerns to that supervisor because RBTs are closely supervised. This does not delay required reports to authorities or BACB reporting for the cases below. The supervisor looks into it and decides whether to handle it internally or report it to the BACB. You can find an RBT's supervisor on the BACB Certificant Registry. Your own supervisor is the first person the code sends you to, and can help.
- Document as you go: what happened, the dates, who was involved, what you did, and the outcome.
- Know which cases go to the BACB. The BACB lists four situations for a Notice of Alleged Violation against an RBT:
- abuse or neglect of a client
- the RBT being charged with or convicted of a violation of the law
- a violation of standard 1.03, 1.05, 3.01, 3.02, 3.03, 3.04, or 3.05
- a problem that keeps happening despite reasonable attempts to fix it
For other concerns, the BACB expects the supervisor or requirements coordinator to use a written corrective action plan. The BACB also reserves the right to initiate a Notice for a suspected violation of any standard.
A few practical points from the BACB's reporting pages:
- You don't need to name a standard number. Describe what happened clearly and include supporting documentation.
- Redact supporting documents as the BACB directs, including client names, birth dates, and other protected identifying details. Still complete the required notifier and subject fields in the form.
- Timing matters. Notices generally must be filed within six months of the event, or of when you learned about it. BACB staff can extend this in exceptional circumstances; its RBT guidance says to submit older allegations involving consumer safety or billing fraud rather than assuming the deadline rules them out.
- A standard Notice isn't anonymous. The BACB may share it, including who filed it, with the person named, and a copy goes to that RBT's supervisor.
- Check the permission requirement. For a Notice about services to a specific client, a notifier who is not that client or the client's legal guardian must provide the permission documentation requested by the BACB's reporting form.
- Quitting without notice isn't, by itself, an ethics violation. The BACB says it doesn't enforce RBT employment contracts.
Sources: BACB, Reporting Alleged Violations Against RBTs; Considerations for Reporting an Alleged Violation Against an RBT, pp. 1–3; RBT Ethics Code, Introduction p. 2.
If the concern is about a BCBA or BCaBA
The BACB suggests trying to resolve it directly with the person if that could work without making the situation worse, then talking with someone at their company, such as a supervisor. If the problem continues, you can report it to the BACB using its considerations document for BCaBAs and BCBAs. If the person is your own supervisor, go above them, for example to their manager or HR. (BACB, Reporting to the Ethics Department)
Your own reporting clocks
| When | What to do | Who to tell | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right away | You're asked to do something beyond your certification or skills; say so and document it | Your supervisor, or another appropriate person at work | Code 1.06 |
| Right away | A multiple relationship has developed; start resolving it and document it | Your supervisor, or their manager, HR, or the BACB if it involves the supervisor | Code 1.10 |
| Right away | You find you sent inaccurate or false information | The BACB, if it went to them; your supervisor or employer, if it went to them, then decide whether to self-report | Code 3.02 |
| Right away | You're named in a Notice of Alleged Violation or get a BACB required action | Your supervisor; then respond together by the BACB's deadline | Code 3.06 |
| Right away | You know of, or suspect, exam misconduct by someone else | The BACB | RBT Handbook, Examination Appeals, p. 14 |
| As the law requires | Suspected abuse, neglect, or another mandated-report situation | The agency your local law names; also your supervisor, following organization policy | Code 2.01, 2.07 |
| Within 24 hours | You learn your certification status changed (inactive, expired, suspended, revoked) | Your supervisor; then stop practicing, billing, or using the title as active if the new status requires it | Code 3.07; RBT Handbook, p. 31 |
| Within 30 days | A qualifying event: legal charges and related actions, an investigation naming you, a disciplinary action, a condition that affects safe practice, or your own ethics violation | The BACB, using its self-reporting form | Code 3.04; RBT Handbook, pp. 23–26 |
| Within 30 days | Your name, address, or email changed, or you discovered outdated account information | Update your BACB account. This is not a self-report. | BACB Self-Reporting page; RBT Handbook, p. 23 |
| In a timely manner | You realize you're not meeting supervision requirements | The BACB (self-report) | RBT Handbook, pp. 21 and 23 |
| Regularly, such as monthly | Check that your BACB account information is correct | — | Code 3.07 |
Not sure whether something counts? The RBT Handbook's Ethics and Self-Reporting section (pp. 23–26) lists what must be reported and what doesn't need to be. Parking tickets, for example, are on its "don't need to report" list. The BACB's DUI/DWI exception is narrower: a first offense, no injury to any party, no clients in the vehicle, not during work hours, and no substance use disorder that must otherwise be reported. These are BACB self-reporting exceptions, not exemptions from other legal or workplace obligations. If you've read it and you're still unsure, the handbook says the best course is to self-report. Don't wait for an investigation to finish; for investigations, the 30 days start when you learn about it.
To self-report: Open the BACB self-reporting instructions, complete its Self-Reporting Statement, and submit it with the Ethics Self-Reporting Form. Don't file a Notice of Alleged Violation against yourself.
What changed from the 2018 code
The current code replaced the 2018 version on January 1, 2022. If a flashcard or handout gives one of the 2018 answers below, it's teaching a retired rule.
| Topic | The 2018 code said | The current code (2.0) says |
|---|---|---|
| Gifts | No gifts to or from clients, at any value | Up to $10, occasional, no financial benefit; covers clients, stakeholders, and supervisors; a stricter employer policy wins (1.11) |
| Romantic and sexual relationships | No sexual relationships with clients or supervisors; two years after the relationship ended for former clients or former supervisors | Romantic or sexual. Never with current clients, stakeholders, or supervisors; two years for former clients and stakeholders; a documented end for former supervisors; six months before a past partner can supervise you (1.12) |
| Recording sessions | Get separate permission from each person before recording | No longer a standalone rule; now covered through 1.03, 2.02, and 2.08 |
| Non-behavioral activities | Don't mention or use your RBT credential when delivering non-behavioral interventions | No longer a standalone rule; now covered through 1.01, 1.03, 1.05, and 2.02 |
| Talking with clients | Communicate in simple, easy-to-understand language | No longer a standalone rule; now covered through 2.02 |
| Name, address, or email changes | Report them to the BACB within 30 days | Not a self-report. Check your account regularly (3.07) and update it within 30 days (RBT Handbook) |
| Certification status changes | Tell employers and supervisors immediately | Tell your supervisor within 24 hours of learning about the change (3.07) |
Seven numbered standards were added in 2.0: 1.04, 1.07, 2.03, 2.05, 2.06, 3.06, and 3.07.
The numbers moved, too. Social media was 2.05 in 2018 and is 2.09 now. Multiple relationships moved from 1.06 to 1.10. Check both the standard number and the topic against the current code; a mismatched pair may be using retired numbering or may simply be wrong.
One printing detail. The current BACB file says "Updated 08/2024." Use that official file to check a saved copy rather than treating an older printing date as proof that its wording is identical.
Source: BACB, Crosswalk for RBT Ethics Codes (a historical document), pp. 1–3.
Five claims that aren't in the RBT code
- "There's a 2026 RBT Ethics Code." No. What changed on January 1, 2026, was the exam's content outline. As of September 16, 2026, the BACB's Ethics Codes page lists 2.0 as the current RBT code, and its Recent & Upcoming Changes table lists no RBT code revision.
- "RBTs get informed consent before starting an intervention." The RBT code does not assign a separate informed-consent duty in those words. The BACB assigns responsibility for required informed consent to behavior analysts in standard 2.11 of their code, p. 11. That is not permission for an RBT to bypass required consent: RBTs still follow their defined role, supervision, and applicable legal requirements (1.01, 1.03, 2.02).
- "The code has five core principles." It names four.
- "The code bans friend requests from client families." No standard mentions friend requests. See Social media for the rule that does apply.
- "Report every ethics problem straight to the BACB." For another RBT, involve that RBT's supervisor and follow the BACB's RBT-specific reporting criteria above. Immediate danger is different: that goes to the proper authorities first.
How the code is tested on the RBT exam
Ethics is content area F of the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), which has governed the exam since January 1, 2026. It accounts for 11 of the 75 scored questions (the BACB rounds that to 15%) and covers ten tasks. The BACB doesn't publish how many questions each task gets.
| Task (our paraphrase) | Where to study it | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| F.1 Apply the core principles | Introduction; 1.01, 2.01, 2.02, 2.07, 3.02–3.04 | The outline's example list names three principles; the code names four |
| F.2 Provide services only after showing competence | 1.06, 2.04, 2.05 | Telling your supervisor and documenting beats trying it anyway or silently refusing |
| F.3 Work only under qualified, ongoing supervision | 1.03, 1.04, 3.01, 3.06, 3.07; RBT Handbook, Ongoing Supervision | Since January 1, 2026, RBT Supervisors must hold BCaBA or BCBA certification (BACB change notice) |
| F.4 Recognize effective supervision | RBT Handbook, pp. 16–17; 2.03 | Instructions, modeling, practice, and feedback; required contacts are real-time and face-to-face, not email or audio-only calls |
| F.5 Handle confidential information | 2.08, 2.09, 2.10 | Share only what's needed, and follow employer and legal rules |
| F.6 Public statements and misrepresentation | 1.05, 3.05 | Overstating your role or promising results |
| F.7 Multiple relationships | 1.10, 1.12 (and 1.11, since gifts can create them) | Who to tell when the supervisor is involved |
| F.8 Gift rules | 1.11 | Value, pattern, financial benefit, and stricter employer policy |
| F.9 Professional and interpersonal skills | 1.02, 2.03, 2.06 | Accepting feedback and sending concerns to your supervisor |
| F.10 Cultural humility and bias | 1.07, 1.08, 1.09 | Spotting your own bias and taking it to supervision |
This map is our study guide, not a BACB crosswalk. The outline doesn't name self-reporting or account checks as separate tasks, but they're part of the code you agree to and they protect your credential. Don't skip Section 3.
How to study it. Ethics questions ask you to recognize a situation and decide what the code requires. Reading the table once won't build that skill. Cover the "What it requires" column and explain each standard out loud. Then work the questions below. For each scenario, run a quick four-part check built on the core principles:
- Benefit others: Who could be helped or harmed, and is the client's interest first?
- Compassion, dignity, and respect: Is everyone being treated fairly?
- Integrity: Is what's being said or recorded true?
- Competence: Have I actually been trained and checked on this?
That check is our study tool, not a BACB procedure. After it, name the standard that decides the case.
For the full exam format and all 43 tasks, see RBT exam prep. To rate the ten Ethics tasks alongside the rest, use the free RBT Readiness Planner.
Practice: 27 RBT ethics questions
These 27 questions are original Castleport practice items, not BACB exam questions. Like the real exam, each has four options and one best answer (RBT Handbook, Examination Outline, p. 7). The answer and explanation follow each question. This is an ethics-only study set, not a full-length RBT exam.
Question 1 · Gifts
RBT-ETH-01 · Ethics task F.8 · Standard 1.11
At the end of the school year, a client's mother hands you a $25 coffee-shop gift card as a thank-you. Your employer has no gift policy of its own. What should you do?
- A. Accept it, because it's a one-time thank-you
- B. Accept it, then tell your supervisor afterward
- C. Politely decline, because it's worth more than the code's $10 limit
- D. Accept it if the child picked it out
Answer and explanation for Question 1
Answer: C. The mother is a stakeholder, and standard 1.11 caps gifts with clients and stakeholders at $10 in either direction. "One-time" and "thank-you" only matter for gifts that are already at or below the cap (A, D). Telling your supervisor afterward (B) doesn't undo accepting a gift the code doesn't allow.
Takeaway: The occasional-thank-you allowance only applies at $10 or less.
Question 2 · Gifts
RBT-ETH-02 · Ethics task F.8 · Standard 1.11
Every Friday, a client's father brings you an $8 coffee as a thank-you. You now count on receiving it instead of buying your own Friday coffee. Your employer has no stricter gift rule. What is the BEST response?
- A. Thank him, stop accepting the weekly drinks, and let your supervisor know about the pattern
- B. Keep accepting, since each drink is under $10
- C. Accept one every other week so the total stays lower
- D. Keep accepting if your supervisor says the ongoing gifts are fine
Answer and explanation for Question 2
Answer: A. Each coffee is under $10, but standard 1.11 warns that ongoing or cumulative gifts can become a violation once they turn into a regularly expected source of value. In this scenario, you already count on the coffee as recurring value; being under $10 (B) or changing it to every other week (C) does not remove that concern. A supervisor's approval (D) cannot waive the code. The code tells RBTs to get their supervisor's help when applying it, and the supervisor can explain the rule to the family.
Takeaway: Small gifts can add up to a violation once they become expected.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), Introduction p. 2 and 1.11 p. 3
Question 3 · Gifts
RBT-ETH-03 · Ethics task F.8 · Standard 1.11
On your last day with a family, a caregiver hands you an $8 mug to say thanks. Your employer's written policy bans all gift exchanges with families. What should you do?
- A. Accept it, since it's under the code's $10 limit
- B. Thank the caregiver warmly and politely decline the mug
- C. Accept it and give it to your supervisor
- D. Accept it this once, since the assignment is ending
Answer and explanation for Question 3
Answer: B. Standard 1.11 says that when an employer has a stricter gift policy, including a complete ban, RBTs follow that policy. The $10 figure is the code's ceiling, not a guarantee (A). Passing the mug to your supervisor (C) still means you accepted it, and supervisors are covered by the gift rule too. The assignment ending (D) doesn't change the policy.
Takeaway: A stricter employer rule overrides the code's $10 allowance.
Question 4 · Multiple relationships
RBT-ETH-04 · Ethics task F.7 · Standard 1.10
A family you serve at home asks whether you'd babysit their children on Saturday nights for extra money. What should you do?
- A. Accept, as long as you don't run ABA programs while babysitting
- B. Accept only if the parents sign a waiver
- C. Suggest that another RBT on the same case take the job instead
- D. Decline, tell your supervisor about the request, and document it
Answer and explanation for Question 4
Answer: D. Babysitting would add an employee-and-employer relationship on top of your professional one, which is a multiple relationship that standard 1.10 tells you to avoid. Skipping ABA programs while you babysit (A) doesn't remove the second role, and the code doesn't recognize waivers (B). A coworker on the same case (C) would face the same conflict.
Takeaway: A second paid role with a client family is a multiple relationship.
Question 5 · Multiple relationships
RBT-ETH-05 · Ethics task F.7 · Standard 1.10
You and your RBT Supervisor plan to share an apartment starting next month. What does the code direct you to do?
- A. Nothing, since it's a personal arrangement outside work
- B. Agree with your supervisor to keep work talk out of the apartment
- C. Do not proceed with the roommate arrangement; report the conflict to your supervisor's manager or another appropriate party, such as HR, and document that you did
- D. Wait to see whether problems develop before mentioning it
Answer and explanation for Question 5
Answer: C. Becoming roommates mixes a personal role with a supervisory one. When a multiple relationship involves your supervisor, standard 1.10 sends you to their manager or another appropriate party and asks you to document it. The RBT Handbook separately bars RBTs from being in a multiple relationship with their RBT Supervisor. A and D ignore the standard, and a private agreement (B) doesn't resolve the conflict.
Takeaway: When a multiple relationship involves your supervisor, use the alternative reporting route in 1.10.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 1.10, p. 3; RBT Handbook, supervisor relationship requirements, p. 19
Question 6 · Romantic relationships
RBT-ETH-06 · Ethics task F.7 · Standard 1.12
Your professional relationship with a former client and the client's father ended 18 months ago. The father asks you out on a date. What does the code say?
- A. Not yet; the code requires at least two years after the professional relationship ended
- B. It's fine, because services have ended
- C. It's fine if your supervisor approves
- D. It's fine once a year has passed
Answer and explanation for Question 6
Answer: A. A parent is a stakeholder, and standard 1.12 bars romantic relationships with former clients and stakeholders for at least two years after the professional relationship ends. Eighteen months falls short (B, D), and a supervisor can't waive the standard (C).
Takeaway: For former clients and stakeholders, wait at least two years.
Question 7 · Romantic relationships and supervision
RBT-ETH-07 · Ethics task F.7 · Standard 1.12
Your new organization assigns a BCBA you dated until three months ago to be your RBT Supervisor. What is the correct response?
- A. Accept, since the relationship is over
- B. Accept, but ask another BCBA to sign your supervision forms
- C. Tell the organization you can't receive supervision from this BCBA yet, because the code requires at least six months after the relationship ended
- D. Accept, as long as supervision happens only by video
Answer and explanation for Question 7
Answer: C. Under standard 1.12, you don't receive supervision from someone you had a romantic or sexual relationship with until at least six months after it ended. Three months isn't enough (A). Options B and D keep the same person in the supervisor role.
Takeaway: A former partner can't supervise you until at least six months have passed.
Question 8 · Social media
RBT-ETH-08 · Ethics task F.5 · Standard 2.09
Your client says his first full sentence during a session. His mother records it, and the clip shows his face. She says she'd love for you to post it on your personal Instagram. What should you do?
- A. Post it, since the parent gave permission
- B. Post it without the client's name
- C. Post it to a close-friends story only
- D. Don't post it, because RBTs may not share identifying client information on social media
Answer and explanation for Question 8
Answer: D. Standard 2.09 has no permission exception: RBTs don't share identifying client information, including photos and videos, on social media or websites (A). A video showing his face identifies him even without a name (B), and a close-friends story is still social media (C). The consent process in the behavior-analyst code applies to behavior analysts' professional accounts, not to RBTs.
Takeaway: For RBTs, a parent's permission doesn't make a client post acceptable.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 2.09, p. 4; Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, 5.10, p. 17
Question 9 · Confidential information
RBT-ETH-09 · Ethics task F.5 · Standard 2.10
Your supervisor directs you to use your organization's approved email system to ask the authorized scheduling coordinator to move a client's Tuesday session. What should the email include?
- A. The client's diagnosis and recent behavior data, so the coordinator understands the urgency
- B. Only what's needed to reschedule, such as the client identifier your organization uses and the new time
- C. Last week's full session note
- D. Nothing; client scheduling may only be discussed in person
Answer and explanation for Question 9
Answer: B. Standard 2.10 limits work communications to the client information that's actually needed. Options A and C share far more than rescheduling requires. Option D goes beyond the code: work email is fine when you follow your employer's and the law's privacy rules (2.08).
Takeaway: Include what the task needs and nothing more.
Question 10 · Confidential records
RBT-ETH-10 · Ethics task F.5 · Standard 2.08
Your employer's policy says client data may be entered only in the company's secure app and prohibits storing or photographing client records on personal devices. To save time, you photograph paper data sheets on your personal phone so you can type them up at home. Which statement is accurate?
- A. This conflicts with the code, which requires you to follow employer and legal privacy requirements when handling client records
- B. It's fine because the photos never leave your phone
- C. It's fine if you delete the photos within a week
- D. It only matters if the phone is lost
Answer and explanation for Question 10
Answer: A. Standard 2.08 ties confidentiality to the requirements set by the BACB, your employer, and the law, including how you handle client records. Breaking your employer's data rule is the problem whether or not anything leaks (B, C, D).
Takeaway: Confidentiality includes following your employer's record rules.
Question 11 · Competence
RBT-ETH-11 · Ethics task F.2 · Standards 1.06, 2.04
Your supervisor texts: "Start Maya's new program today. Just follow the write-up." The program uses a procedure you've never been trained on. What should you do?
- A. Run it today and ask questions at next month's supervision meeting
- B. Watch an online video about the procedure, then run it
- C. Skip the program without telling anyone
- D. Tell your supervisor right away that it's beyond your current skills, ask for training and confirmation of competence before you run it, and document that you did
Answer and explanation for Question 11
Answer: D. Under standard 1.06, you provide a service only after your supervisor confirms you can do it, and when you're asked to go beyond your skills, you say so right away and document it. Standard 2.04 bars using unfamiliar interventions without proper training. A video (B) isn't your supervisor confirming your competence. Quietly skipping the program (C) fails to communicate the competence concern required by 1.06; refusing an untrained procedure is not the problem.
Takeaway: Speak up and document; don't improvise or disappear.
Question 12 · Restrictive procedures
RBT-ETH-12 · Ethics task F.2 · Standards 2.05, 2.06
A client's grandmother asks you to put her grandson in time-out whenever he throws toys. Time-out isn't in his behavior-change plan. What should you do?
- A. Use time-out, since a caregiver asked for it
- B. Use a shorter time-out to be safe
- C. Don't use time-out, and pass the grandmother's request to your supervisor
- D. Tell her time-out is never allowed in ABA
Answer and explanation for Question 12
Answer: C. Standard 2.05 allows restrictive or punishment-based procedures only when they're written into the behavior-change plan and your supervisor has confirmed you can carry them out. A caregiver's request doesn't meet that bar (A), and a shorter version is still unplanned (B). Standard 2.06 sends her concern to your supervisor. Option D is wrong: standard 2.05 sets conditions for restrictive or punishment-based procedures rather than banning every such procedure. Those conditions do not establish that time-out is appropriate for this client.
Takeaway: If it isn't in the plan, you don't use a restrictive procedure.
Question 13 · Client safety
RBT-ETH-13 · Ethics task F.1 · Standards 2.01, 2.07
During a home session, you notice fresh bruises on a client's arm, and the client tells you a family member hit them. What should you do?
- A. Follow the mandated-reporting requirements that apply to you and your organization's policies, tell your supervisor, and document what you did
- B. Ask the family member to explain before deciding whether it's reportable
- C. Wait to see whether new bruises appear next week
- D. Mention it to a coworker and let them decide
Answer and explanation for Question 13
Answer: A. Standard 2.01 requires you to know and follow mandated-reporting requirements. Standard 2.07 requires you to act when a client may be at risk: tell your supervisor, follow organization policies, document it, and contact authorities when needed. Waiting for the family member to explain (B) is not a substitute for following the reporting requirements that apply to you. Waiting (C) and handing it off (D) don't meet either standard. The BACB's guidance also makes clear that required reports to authorities come before anything filed with the BACB. The exact reporting steps depend on your local law and your employer's policy.
Takeaway: When a client may be at risk, act, report, and document.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 2.01 and 2.07, p. 4; Considerations for Reporting an Alleged Violation Against an RBT, p. 1
Question 14 · Accurate billing records
RBT-ETH-14 · Ethics task F.1 · Standards 1.01, 2.02
Your supervisor asks you to record a 90-minute session as two hours "because that's what was authorized." What should you do?
- A. Record two hours, since your supervisor is responsible for your work
- B. Record two hours and add a note explaining why
- C. Record the actual 90 minutes, decline the change, document the request, and raise it with your supervisor's manager or another appropriate authority
- D. Split the difference and record 105 minutes
Answer and explanation for Question 14
Answer: C. Standard 2.02 requires accurate documentation, including billing records, and 1.01 bars taking part in fraud. Your supervisor being responsible for your work doesn't make a false record acceptable (A), and a note (B) or a partial change (D) is still inaccurate. Because the request came from your supervisor, take it above them, such as to a clinical director or compliance officer. If an ethics violation stays unresolved, the code points you to the BACB.
Takeaway: Records show what actually happened, no matter who asks otherwise.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), Introduction p. 2, 1.01 p. 3, 2.02 p. 4
Question 15 · Missing data
RBT-ETH-15 · Ethics task F.1 · Standards 1.01, 2.02
At the end of a session, you realize you didn't record data for one of the required observation intervals. A coworker suggests filling in the client's usual result so the sheet isn't blank. What should you do?
- A. Fill in the usual result, since it's probably accurate
- B. Leave the interval unrecorded, tell your supervisor, and follow your organization's process for noting missed data
- C. Fill in the usual result and mark it with an asterisk
- D. Throw out the data sheet and start a clean one
Answer and explanation for Question 15
Answer: B. Standard 2.02 requires accurate data, and 1.01 requires honesty. Filling in a result you never observed (A) invents data, and an asterisk (C) doesn't change that. Throwing out the sheet (D) destroys a real record. A blank that's reported lets your supervisor interpret the data correctly. If inaccurate data has already gone to your supervisor or employer, standard 3.02 says to correct it right away.
Takeaway: A blank is honest; an invented number isn't.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 1.01 p. 3, 2.02 p. 4, 3.02 p. 5
Question 16 · Reporting another RBT
RBT-ETH-16 · Ethics task F.1 · Standard 2.09; RBT reporting guidance
A fellow RBT at your clinic posts an identifying photo of a client on her public social media account. There is no immediate safety risk and no known history of the same problem. What is the appropriate first step?
- A. File a Notice of Alleged Violation with the BACB immediately
- B. Comment on the post telling her to take it down
- C. Screenshot it and share it in the staff group chat
- D. Raise it with that RBT's supervisor or requirements coordinator (your own supervisor can help you reach them), and document what you did
Answer and explanation for Question 16
Answer: D. The BACB says allegations against an RBT should go to that RBT's supervisor or requirements coordinator, who looks into it and decides next steps. The facts given do not establish one of the listed reasons for an immediate Notice instead of supervisory handling (A); repeated problems or additional harm would change the reporting analysis. A public comment (B) draws more attention to the client, and a screenshot in a group chat (C) spreads the identifying image further (2.08, 2.09).
Takeaway: For this nonurgent, first-known RBT concern, involve that RBT's supervisor and document your actions.
Source: BACB, Reporting Alleged Violations Against RBTs; RBT Ethics Code (2.0), Introduction p. 2 and 2.08–2.09 p. 4
Question 17 · Personal challenges
RBT-ETH-17 · Ethics task F.1 · Standard 1.09
A new medication is making you drowsy, and you briefly nodded off during a session yesterday. What should you do?
- A. Drink more coffee and keep your schedule
- B. Tell your supervisor, step back from client sessions until the problem is resolved, and document the steps you take
- C. Take shorter breaks during sessions and tell no one
- D. Keep it to yourself, since health information is private
Answer and explanation for Question 17
Answer: B. Standard 1.09 names health challenges as something that can affect your work, and lists steps such as telling your supervisor and stepping away from client work until the issue is resolved, along with documenting what you do. Options A and C leave the safety risk in place. Option D confuses your privacy with your duty to address a risk to clients. Also check the BACB self-reporting requirements for both a qualifying health condition and any ethics violation involved. A health-condition exception does not erase a separate duty to report an ethics violation.
Takeaway: If it affects safety, step back and tell your supervisor.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 1.09, p. 3; RBT Handbook, Ethics and Self-Reporting, p. 24
Question 18 · Describing your role
RBT-ETH-18 · Ethics task F.6 · Standards 1.03, 1.05, 2.06
You're meeting a new family. Which description of your role fits the code?
- A. "I'm the behavior analyst who writes your child's treatment plan."
- B. "I carry out the plan your child's supervisor designs, and I'll pass your questions along to them."
- C. "Working with me, your child's behavior will be gone within a month."
- D. "I'm basically a BCBA without the paperwork."
Answer and explanation for Question 18
Answer: B. RBTs work in a defined role under supervision (1.03) and send families' questions to the supervisor (2.06). Options A and D misstate your role and credential, and C exaggerates results. Standard 1.05 bars all three, and the exam outline's task F.6 specifically names misrepresenting credentials and outcomes.
Takeaway: Describe your role exactly, and don't promise specific treatment results.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 1.03 and 1.05 p. 3, 2.06 p. 4; RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), F.6, p. 2
Question 19 · Accepting feedback
RBT-ETH-19 · Ethics task F.9 · Standard 2.03
After watching your session, your supervisor says your prompts are coming too quickly. What's the BEST response?
- A. Refuse to change because you prefer your own style
- B. Agree, then keep your current pace when the supervisor isn't there
- C. Ask a coworker for permission to ignore the feedback
- D. Ask what to change, practice it with feedback, and use it in your next sessions
Answer and explanation for Question 19
Answer: D. Standard 2.03 expects professional conduct during supervision and action to improve after feedback. The exam outline's task F.9 names accepting feedback and seeking input. Option A refuses the change, B ignores the feedback, and C seeks permission from a coworker to disregard it. Asking for clarification or discussing relevant observations with your supervisor is compatible with acting on feedback.
Takeaway: Feedback calls for a change in what you do.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 2.03, p. 4; RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), F.9, p. 2
Question 20 · Bias
RBT-ETH-20 · Ethics task F.10 · Standards 1.07, 1.08, 1.09
A family regularly cancels sessions for a religious observance you're unfamiliar with, and you catch yourself thinking they "don't take therapy seriously." What should you do?
- A. Write in your session log that the family isn't committed to treatment
- B. Recognize that this may be a bias, discuss it with your supervisor, and ask about training that would help
- C. Tell the family that therapy has to come first
- D. Say nothing and quietly put less effort into their sessions
Answer and explanation for Question 20
Answer: B. Standards 1.07 and 1.09 ask you to examine your own biases, work with your supervisor, and get training where needed. Option A records an assumption as if it were a fact. Option C doesn't treat the family fairly (1.08). Option D puts the client's interests at risk (2.01).
Takeaway: Notice the bias, then bring it to supervision.
Question 21 · Supervision requirements
RBT-ETH-21 · Ethics task F.3 · Standard 3.01; RBT Handbook
You provided 100 hours of behavior-analytic services at one organization in March 2026. Assume a qualified supervisor provides all supervision and its content is client-focused. Which record meets the BACB's monthly minimum for supervision time and contact structure?
- A. Five hours across two live, face-to-face video meetings: one where your supervisor watched you work with a client, and one with just you and your supervisor
- B. Six hours of weekly emailed feedback plus one phone call
- C. Five hours across two group meetings with eight RBTs, with no observation
- D. Three hours across two in-person meetings, one of which included an observation
Answer and explanation for Question 21
Answer: A. The RBT Handbook requires supervision for at least 5% of your monthly service hours, which is 5 hours when you work 100. It also requires at least two real-time, face-to-face contacts a month (video counts; phone and email don't), at least one observation of you working with a client, and at least one individual contact. Option B fails because email and audio-only calls do not meet the face-to-face contact requirement—a phone call can still be real-time. Option C has no observation or individual contact, and D falls short of 5 hours.
Takeaway: In each calendar month you provide services, meet the hours and real-time, face-to-face contact requirements at each organization, including an observation and an individual contact.
Source: RBT Handbook, Ongoing Supervision, pp. 16–17; RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 3.01, p. 5
Question 22 · Effective supervision
RBT-ETH-22 · Ethics task F.4 · RBT Test Content Outline F.4; RBT Handbook
Your supervisor is teaching you a new data-collection procedure. Which approach reflects effective supervision?
- A. Emailing you the written procedure and checking your data at the end of the month
- B. Having you watch a coworker once, then run it on your own
- C. Explaining the steps, demonstrating them, having you practice, and giving you feedback
- D. Asking you to learn it from the client's previous technician
Answer and explanation for Question 22
Answer: C. The exam outline's task F.4 describes effective supervision as training that includes instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and feedback, plus observation of your work. The RBT Handbook lists behavioral skills training and performance feedback among supervision activities. Options A and D do not describe the complete training sequence, and B skips practice with feedback.
Takeaway: Effective training goes tell, show, practice, feedback.
Source: RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), F.4, p. 2; RBT Handbook, Ongoing Supervision, p. 17
Question 23 · Self-reporting
RBT-ETH-23 · Section 3 · Standard 3.04
Your employer tells you it has opened an investigation into a complaint that names you and alleges that you falsified client records. What does the BACB require?
- A. Wait until the investigation ends, then self-report only if you're disciplined
- B. Nothing, unless you're fired
- C. Self-report to the BACB within 24 hours
- D. Self-report to the BACB within 30 days of learning about the investigation
Answer and explanation for Question 23
Answer: D. Standard 3.04 requires self-reporting investigations that name you within 30 days, and the RBT Handbook says not to wait for the investigation to end (A, B). The 24-hour rule (C) belongs to a different standard, 3.07, which covers telling your supervisor about a certification status change.
Takeaway: For an investigation, you have 30 days from when you learn about it.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 3.04, p. 5; RBT Handbook, Investigations, p. 25
Question 24 · Certification status
RBT-ETH-24 · Section 3 · Standard 3.07
The BACB Certificant Registry shows your certification as inactive, with "No Supervisor/Coordinator on Record." What should you do?
- A. Tell your supervisor within 24 hours, and don't practice, bill, or present yourself as an active RBT until you're added back as a supervisee
- B. Keep working, since your employer will fix the paperwork
- C. Email the BACB and keep working while you wait for a reply
- D. Report it to the BACB within 30 days
Answer and explanation for Question 24
Answer: A. Standard 3.07 gives you 24 hours to tell your supervisor about a status change, then requires you to follow BACB rules on practicing, billing, and the title. The RBT Handbook says inactive RBTs may not practice, bill, or present themselves as active, and that reactivation happens when a supervisor or coordinator adds you as a supervisee. Options B and C keep working while inactive, and D uses the wrong clock.
Takeaway: Do not work as an RBT while inactive; the 24 hours is a notification deadline, not permission to keep practicing.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 3.07, p. 5; RBT Handbook, Inactive Policy, p. 31
Question 25 · Exam security
RBT-ETH-25 · Section 3 · Standards 3.03, 3.05
An online study group asks members who have already taken the RBT exam to post the questions they remember. You tested last week. What should you do?
- A. Post only the questions you think you got wrong
- B. Post reworded versions so nothing is copied word for word
- C. Don't share anything about the exam's questions, and report the request to the BACB as suspected exam misconduct
- D. Send your recollections privately to one friend instead of the group
Answer and explanation for Question 25
Answer: C. The BACB's exam terms permanently bar candidates from disclosing exam questions, including reconstructing them from memory. Standard 3.03 prohibits the unauthorized collection or distribution of exam materials, and 3.05 prohibits misusing BACB exam content. The RBT Handbook says the RBT code requires reporting confirmed or suspected exam misconduct by others to the BACB. Rewording (B) is still reconstruction, sharing only selected questions (A) is still disclosure, and so is sharing privately with one person (D).
Takeaway: Exam questions stay private forever, and requests to share them get reported.
Source: RBT Handbook, Examination Terms and Conditions p. 12 and Examination Appeals p. 14; RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 3.03 and 3.05, p. 5
Question 26 · BACB notices
RBT-ETH-26 · Ethics task F.3 · Standard 3.06
You receive a Notice of Alleged Violation from the BACB. What should you do?
- A. Set it aside until you can meet with a lawyer next month
- B. Share it with your supervisor right away and work with them to respond by the BACB's deadline
- C. Keep it private so your employer doesn't find out
- D. Let your certification lapse so the matter ends
Answer and explanation for Question 26
Answer: B. Standard 3.06 requires sharing the notice with your supervisor right away and responding together. Under the BACB's Code-Enforcement Procedures, missing a response deadline can lead to an automatic suspension that's published (A). Your supervisor on record receives a copy anyway (C). And the procedures still apply if your certification expires during the review (D). You're allowed to involve a lawyer; just don't let that cost you the deadline.
Takeaway: Share the notice right away, then meet the deadline.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 3.06, p. 5; Code-Enforcement Procedures, pp. 3–5
Question 27 · Correcting your own error
RBT-ETH-27 · Ethics task F.1 · Standard 3.02
After your certification application is approved, you realize you typed the wrong training end date into it. What does the code require?
- A. Contact the BACB right away to correct it
- B. Nothing, since the application was already approved
- C. Fix it at your next recertification
- D. Ask your trainer to change their records to match
Answer and explanation for Question 27
Answer: A. Standard 3.02 requires you to contact the BACB right away when you learn you submitted inaccurate information. Approval doesn't end that duty (B, C), and the Code-Enforcement Procedures let the BACB act on untrue information no matter when it's discovered. Asking your trainer to change their records (D) would create a second false record (1.01).
Takeaway: If you find an error in something you sent the BACB, correct it now.
Source: RBT Ethics Code (2.0), 1.01 p. 3 and 3.02 p. 5; Code-Enforcement Procedures, p. 3
After the set: For any question you missed, find its standard in the table above and explain the rule out loud in your own words, then try the question again. Your total here reflects these 27 practice items only; it isn't an exam score or a prediction.
What happens if an RBT breaks the code?
An allegation isn't a finding. The BACB handles cases under its Code-Enforcement Procedures (version 04/2026, pp. 1–7), and outcomes range from guidance to losing the credential.
- How a case starts. Someone files a Notice of Alleged Violation, or the BACB starts one itself. For RBTs, the BACB often expects the issue to have gone through the supervisor first. If the RBT is supervised, the supervisor on record receives a copy.
- Possible routes. A notice can be declined or deferred, handled through a non-disciplinary Educational Memorandum, settled through a Consent Agreement, or sent to Disciplinary Review. That review decides whether the evidence shows a violation more likely than not.
- Unpublished corrective actions include required professional development, mentorship, and other required steps.
- Published sanctions include invalidation, revocation, suspension, practice restrictions, and mandatory disciplinary supervision. They appear on the Certificant Registry or the BACB's disciplinary actions page.
- Two fast tracks. Missing a BACB response deadline can trigger an automatic, published suspension. The fraud-or-deceit provision includes loss of exam eligibility for at least five years and also allows the BACB to address allegations through a Consent Agreement.
- Appeals. The subject has 30 days after notification of a Disciplinary Determination to accept it or request an appeal.
Separately, the RBT Handbook (p. 21) says an RBT found substantially out of compliance with supervision requirements faces immediate termination of certification or eligibility to be recertified and must wait six months after termination before reapplying.
RBT Ethics Code vs. the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts
They're separate documents. The RBT code tells RBTs to be familiar with the behavior-analyst code, but it doesn't make RBTs follow it.
| Comparison | RBT Ethics Code (2.0) | Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts |
|---|---|---|
| Who it covers | RBT applicants and certificants | BCBA and BCaBA applicants and certificants, and ACE Providers |
| In effect since | January 1, 2022 | January 1, 2022 |
| Size | 29 standards in 3 sections | 85 standards in 6 sections (our count) |
| Gifts | $10 limit; a stricter employer policy wins | $10 limit; behavior analysts must also explain the rule to clients and stakeholders at the start |
| Social media | No identifying client information, with no permission exception | Never on personal accounts; on professional accounts only with informed consent and specific safeguards |
| Informed consent | No separate consent standard; defined-role, supervision, and legal duties still apply | Behavior analysts must get it (standard 2.11) |
| Restrictive procedures | Only if written into the plan and your competence has been confirmed | Only after less intrusive means have not produced the desired results, or the existing intervention team determines that client harm risk outweighs intervention risk; required reviews and ongoing evaluation also apply (2.15) |
Sources: RBT Ethics Code (2.0); Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, pp. 2, 10–12, 17.
Frequently asked questions
Can I refuse something my supervisor asks me to do?
If it's beyond your certification or skills, tell your supervisor, or another appropriate person at work, right away and document it (1.06). If it would mean inaccurate records or fraud, don't do it (1.01, 2.02), and take the issue above your supervisor.
Will the BACB give me advice about a possible violation?
No. The BACB says it can't give ethics or legal advice or interpret ethics requirements. The code sends you to your supervisor first, and the BACB's Ethics Resources page lists other guidance.
Can I be reported for quitting without notice?
Leaving a job with little or no notice isn't, by itself, an ethics violation. The BACB calls it unprofessional but says it doesn't enforce RBT employment contracts, and it asks people not to file a Notice over an untimely departure alone (BACB, Reporting Alleged Violations Against RBTs). Your contract may still have consequences of its own.
Can RBTs work as independent contractors?
The RBT Handbook says that in the US an RBT would almost never qualify as one under IRS rules, and that misclassifying behavior technicians may also be an ethics problem. It recommends checking with a tax professional (RBT Handbook, pp. 26–27).
Sources and how we checked
Last verified: September 16, 2026. On that date we read the full RBT Ethics Code (2.0) and the BACB's historical crosswalk from the 2018 code. We also read the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), the RBT Handbook (updated 06/2026) sections on the exam, supervision, self-reporting, and inactive status, and the BACB's pages on self-reporting and on reporting alleged violations against RBTs. We read the RBT reporting considerations document (updated 03/2026), the Code-Enforcement Procedures (version 04/2026), the Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts, and the BACB's Recent & Upcoming Changes page. We checked the IRS worker-classification guidance for the independent-contractor question. These were source and editorial checks, not a professional review or a determination about an individual case.
What's what on this page. The standards' requirements, deadlines, reporting rules, and exam counts are the BACB's. The short labels, plain-English meanings, topic finder, exam map, gift check, four-part study check, and practice questions are Castleport's work. The 85-standard count and the 5-hour supervision example are our arithmetic. This page was researched and written with AI assistance and has not been reviewed by a BCBA.
Sources
- RBT Ethics Code (2.0) — BACB, updated 08/2024
- Ethics Codes — BACB
- Crosswalk for RBT Ethics Codes — BACB, historical document
- RBT Handbook — BACB, updated 06/2026
- RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) — BACB
- Self-Reporting — BACB
- Reporting to the Ethics Department — BACB
- Reporting Alleged Violations Against Certificants — BACB
- Considerations for Reporting an Alleged Violation Against an RBT — BACB, updated 03/2026
- Code-Enforcement Procedures — BACB, version 04/2026
- Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts — BACB, updated 08/2024
- Independent contractor (self-employed) or employee? — IRS; common-law control and relationship factors
- Recent & Upcoming Changes — BACB
More from Castleport: RBT exam prep and free planner · Behavior analysis certification exams · Our methodology · Corrections
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Credential and organization names are used to identify their subjects, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. The standard summaries on this page are our paraphrases; the BACB's published code is the only authoritative text. The practice questions are original and unofficial. This page is study and orientation material, not legal or ethics advice. For a real situation, talk with your supervisor and follow your employer's policies and the law where you work.
By the Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team