A parent asks the RBT what diagnosis her child has. The RBT should:

A) Explain that diagnosing is outside the RBT scope and refer her to the supervisor

An RBT photographs a client’s data sheet with a personal phone to “work on it at home.” This is wrong because:

A) Client information must stay on secure, approved systems

A grateful family hands the RBT a $100 gift card at the holidays. The RBT should:

A) Politely decline and follow employer policy on gifts

A client’s father offers free auto repairs in exchange for extra evening sessions. The RBT should:

A) Decline, because bartering creates a dual relationship

A family’s cultural practices around meals differ from the RBT’s own background. The RBT should:

A) Respect their practices and ask the supervisor how to incorporate them into sessions

Before behavior services begin, the family must provide:

A) Informed consent obtained by the supervisor

An RBT sees a coworker handle a client roughly. The RBT must:

A) Report it according to the law and employer policy and inform the supervisor immediately

An RBT who has only worked with young children is assigned to an adult client with a brain injury, with no training for this population. She should:

A) Tell the supervisor she needs training before starting

RBT supervision must include:

A) Direct observation of the RBT working with the client

An RBT disagrees with a coworker’s data collection and argues about it loudly in front of the client. This is unprofessional because:

A) It undermines the client’s environment and the team; concerns should be raised privately with the supervisor

An RBT wakes up sick on a session day. Professional behavior is to:

A) Notify the supervisor as early as employer policy requires so coverage can be arranged

An RBT whose certification has lapsed continues to sign notes “RBT.” This is:

A) Misrepresentation and a violation of the ethics code

An RBT learns her cousin has been assigned to her caseload. She should:

A) Disclose the relationship to her supervisor right away

An RBT notices a coworker changing data to make progress look better. The RBT should:

A) Report it to the supervisor, because data must never be falsified

RBT Professional Conduct Practice Questions (2026): 15 Free Questions with Answers

15 Free RBT Professional conduct and scope of practice Practice Questions with Answers

Work through all 15 questions below, then open “Answer and explanation” under each one to check yourself. These go deeper than the main practice test: the RBT Ethics Code, dual relationships, confidentiality, and staying inside your scope of practice.

RBT Ethics Code

The document that states the ethical duties of all RBTs is the:
- A) RBT Ethics Code (2.0)
- B) RBT Handbook
- C) BACB newsletter
- D) Agency dress code policy
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. The RBT Ethics Code (2.0) lists the enforceable ethical responsibilities of RBTs. B is wrong. The RBT Handbook covers certification logistics like eligibility and exams. C is wrong. The newsletter is informational, not a code. D is wrong. A dress code is an employer rule, not the profession’s ethics code.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Scope of practice

A parent asks the RBT what diagnosis her child has. The RBT should:
- A) Explain that diagnosing is outside the RBT scope and refer her to the supervisor
- B) Give her best guess based on experience
- C) Look it up in the client’s file and tell her
- D) Suggest a diagnosis she read about online
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Diagnosing is outside the RBT scope of practice, so the RBT refers clinical questions to the supervisor. B is wrong. Guessing at a diagnosis risks serious harm. C is wrong. Reading the file does not grant authority to discuss diagnoses. D is wrong. An internet article is never a basis for a diagnosis.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Confidentiality

An RBT photographs a client’s data sheet with a personal phone to “work on it at home.” This is wrong because:
- A) Client information must stay on secure, approved systems
- B) Phones take blurry photos
- C) It is fine if the phone has a passcode
- D) Data sheets are not confidential
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Confidentiality requires client information to live only on secure, employer-approved systems; personal devices are never acceptable. B is wrong. Photo quality is beside the point. C is wrong. A passcode does not make a personal phone an approved system. D is wrong. Data sheets are confidential clinical records.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Gifts

A grateful family hands the RBT a $100 gift card at the holidays. The RBT should:
- A) Politely decline and follow employer policy on gifts
- B) Accept it since it is a gift, not a bribe
- C) Accept it but not tell the supervisor
- D) Ask for cash instead
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. The RBT Ethics Code prohibits gifts from clients and stakeholders that could impair objectivity, so the RBT declines politely and follows employer policy. B is wrong. A gift can still create a conflict of interest. C is wrong. Hiding it violates the code even further. D is wrong. Asking for cash is worse, not better.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Dual relationships

A client’s father offers free auto repairs in exchange for extra evening sessions. The RBT should:
- A) Decline, because bartering creates a dual relationship
- B) Accept, since both sides benefit
- C) Accept if the repairs are worth less than the sessions
- D) Trade only if the supervisor is not told
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Bartering with clients creates a multiple, or dual, relationship that can impair professional judgment, and the ethics code prohibits it. B is wrong. Mutual benefit does not make it ethical. C is wrong. The dollar value is irrelevant. D is wrong. Hiding the trade compounds the violation.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Cultural humility

A family’s cultural practices around meals differ from the RBT’s own background. The RBT should:
- A) Respect their practices and ask the supervisor how to incorporate them into sessions
- B) Teach the family the RBT’s own customs
- C) Ignore the differences and proceed as usual
- D) Refuse to work with the family
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. RBTs practice cultural humility: respecting differences and adapting with supervisor guidance. B is wrong. Imposing the RBT’s own culture is disrespectful. C is wrong. Ignoring relevant context weakens the work. D is wrong. Refusing service over cultural differences is discriminatory.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Informed consent

Before behavior services begin, the family must provide:
- A) Informed consent obtained by the supervisor
- B) A gift to the agency
- C) A social media follow
- D) Nothing; services can start immediately
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Services require informed consent, which the supervisor obtains by explaining the services, risks, and rights. The RBT directs consent questions to the supervisor. B, C, and D are wrong. None of them are part of starting services.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Reporting misconduct

An RBT sees a coworker handle a client roughly. The RBT must:
- A) Report it according to the law and employer policy and inform the supervisor immediately
- B) Ignore it because it is not her client
- C) Confront the coworker physically
- D) Wait to see if it happens again
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Suspected mistreatment must be reported per legal and employer requirements, and the supervisor must be told at once. RBTs do not investigate or handle it themselves. B is wrong. The duty to protect applies to every client, not just one’s own. C is wrong. A physical confrontation is unsafe and unprofessional. D is wrong. Waiting delays protection for the client.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Scope of competence

An RBT who has only worked with young children is assigned to an adult client with a brain injury, with no training for this population. She should:
- A) Tell the supervisor she needs training before starting
- B) Start and figure it out as she goes
- C) Watch online videos and call it training
- D) Ask the client to train her
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. The ethics code requires working only within one’s competence, so the RBT must request training before starting. B is wrong. Trial and error risks harm to the client. C is wrong. Random videos are not proper training or authorization. D is wrong. The client cannot train the RBT.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Supervision

RBT supervision must include:
- A) Direct observation of the RBT working with the client
- B) Only paperwork review
- C) A yearly phone call
- D) Supervision only when the RBT requests it
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Qualified supervisors must directly observe the RBT’s work with clients as part of ongoing supervision. B is wrong. Paperwork review alone is not enough. C is wrong. A yearly call is not ongoing supervision. D is wrong. Supervision is required whether or not the RBT asks for it.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Professional communication

An RBT disagrees with a coworker’s data collection and argues about it loudly in front of the client. This is unprofessional because:
- A) It undermines the client’s environment and the team; concerns should be raised privately with the supervisor
- B) The RBT is always right about data
- C) Coworkers should never disagree
- D) Clients enjoy watching arguments
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Professionalism requires respectful, private communication; public conflict harms the therapeutic environment for the client. B is wrong. No one is always right about data. C is wrong. Disagreement is fine when handled properly. D is wrong. Arguments distress clients rather than entertain them.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Reliability

An RBT wakes up sick on a session day. Professional behavior is to:
- A) Notify the supervisor as early as employer policy requires so coverage can be arranged
- B) Say nothing and hope no one notices
- C) Text the family directly to cancel without telling the agency
- D) Go in sick so the data looks consistent
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Professionalism includes reliable attendance and early notification per policy so the client can be covered. B is wrong. Silence abandons the client. C is wrong. Cancelling outside the agency’s process violates procedure. D is wrong. Going in sick risks everyone’s health.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Credential use

An RBT whose certification has lapsed continues to sign notes “RBT.” This is:
- A) Misrepresentation and a violation of the ethics code
- B) Fine as long as she plans to renew
- C) Acceptable if the supervisor knows
- D) Only a problem if a parent complains
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. The RBT credential may only be used while certified and supervised; using it lapsed misleads families, funders, and employers. B is wrong. Plans to renew do not restore the credential. C is wrong. A supervisor cannot authorize misrepresentation. D is wrong. It is a violation whether or not anyone complains.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Dual relationships

An RBT learns her cousin has been assigned to her caseload. She should:
- A) Disclose the relationship to her supervisor right away
- B) Keep it secret and treat him like any client
- C) Give him extra session time as a favor
- D) Ask the cousin to keep it quiet
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. A family relationship creates a multiple-relationship risk, so the RBT must disclose it so the supervisor can reassign or manage it. B is wrong. Hiding a conflict of interest violates the ethics code. C is wrong. Extra time is favoritism. D is wrong. Secrecy compounds the problem.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.
Reporting misconduct

An RBT notices a coworker changing data to make progress look better. The RBT should:
- A) Report it to the supervisor, because data must never be falsified
- B) Help fix the numbers quietly
- C) Ignore it; it is not her data
- D) Post about it on social media
Answer and explanation

Correct answer: A

A is correct. Falsifying data is dishonest and harms the client, so the RBT must report it through proper channels. B is wrong. Helping fix numbers participates in the dishonesty. C is wrong. Ethical violations must be reported even when they involve someone else’s data. D is wrong. Posting about it violates confidentiality.

Source: BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), Professional conduct and scope of practice (D); RBT Handbook.

Back to the full 50-question free RBT practice test

Sources

BACB RBT Test Content Outline, 3rd edition (effective January 2026). Defines the exam domains; the Professional conduct and scope of practice questions on this page are drawn from domain D.
BACB RBT Handbook. Covers eligibility, the 40-hour training, the Competency Assessment, supervision, and exam policies referenced in these explanations.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by the BACB.