RBT Recertification Competency Assessment

Who this is for

Current RBTs who must complete the Recertification Competency Assessment before renewing their certification: typically RBTs with a 2026 recertification date, and RBTs whose employer does not provide an assessor. Per BACB requirements, the assessment cannot be completed more than 45 days before your certification expiration date, so purchase inside that window or once you know your date.

How the assessment works

The instrument covers 20 task items in 4 sections: Measurement (tasks 1-3), Assessment (tasks 4-5), Skill Acquisition and Behavior Reduction (tasks 6-15), and Professionalism and Requirements (tasks 16-20). Tasks are demonstrated with a client, by role-play, or by live interview; per BACB requirements, at least 3 of tasks 6-15 must be demonstrated with a client. Your assessor is a BCBA who has completed the 8-hour supervision training. The completed, signed official BACB form is returned to you: you submit it to the BACB with your annual recertification application. The BACB accepts its own forms only, and that is what we complete.

What you need

A government-issued photo ID and evidence of your current RBT certification: a copy of your certificate or your BACB certification number. Everything else happens on Spectrum Learning after purchase: secure document upload, service agreements, scheduling, and the assessment itself. You sign in with an email link. There is no password to set.

2026 transition: what changes after this year

Under the BACB's published 2026 transition guidance, RBTs who certify or recertify in 2026 move to a 2-year recertification cycle maintained with 12 professional development units (PDUs): the first PDU-based recertification occurs in 2028, with no further recertification competency assessment. The same instrument continues after 2026 as the Reentry Competency Assessment for RBTs returning from Voluntary Inactive Status. If your 2026 recertification is ahead of you, this assessment is the remaining step of the current model.

Who is this for?

• Current RBTs with a 2026 recertification date
• RBTs within 45 days of their certification expiration date
• RBTs whose employer does not provide an assessor
• English- and Spanish-speaking RBTs

Expected outcomes

• Completed official BACB Recertification Competency Assessment form
• Ready to submit with your annual recertification application
• Direct observation and feedback from a practicing BCBA