What are the core principles of the RBT Ethics Code?

Four principles sit underneath all 29 standards: RBTs benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity; and ensure their own competence. The code applies to every behavior-technician activity, across settings such as home, clinic and community, and across modalities including phone, email, text, video conference and in person.

Can an RBT accept a gift from a client?

Only a small one. Standard 1.11 says RBTs do not give gifts to, or accept gifts from, clients, stakeholders or supervisors with a monetary value of more than $10 US dollars, or the equivalent purchasing power in another currency.

Can an RBT post about clients on social media?

Not anything that identifies them. Standard 2.09 says RBTs do not share identifying information about clients, such as photos, videos or written information, on social media or websites.

What must an RBT report to the BACB?

Under standard 3.04, RBTs self-report certain events to the BACB within 30 days of the event or of becoming aware of it; the RBT Handbook lists those events and also asks you to correct outdated account information within 30 days. Standard 3.03 adds that RBTs do not cheat, or help others cheat, on RBT competency assessments or examinations.

Are there rules about relationships with clients?

Yes. Standard 1.12 bars romantic or sexual relationships with former clients or stakeholders for at least two years from the date the professional relationship ended. A separate competence rule, standard 1.06, says RBTs provide services only after their supervisor confirms they have demonstrated competence.

RBT Ethics Code (2.0) Explained

The RBT Ethics Code (2.0) is the conduct standard every Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and RBT applicant must follow. It took effect on January 1, 2022, replacing the 2018 code, and contains 29 standards in 3 sections: General Responsibilities (1.01 to 1.12), Responsibilities in Providing Behavior-Technician Services (2.01 to 2.10), and Responsibilities to the BACB and BACB-Required Supervisor (3.01 to 3.07). Ethics is also one of the six exam domains, worth 11 of the 75 scored questions.

Written and reviewed by the LexPort exam-prep team, led by our Founder & Exam-Prep Lead. LexPort builds certification practice questions — this is exam-preparation material, not medical advice. Last reviewed October 2026.

What are the core principles of the RBT Ethics Code?: Four principles sit underneath all 29 standards: RBTs benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity; and ensure their own competence. The code applies to every behavior-technician activity, across settings such as home, clinic and community, and across modalities including phone, email, text, video conference and in person.
Can an RBT accept a gift from a client?: Only a small one. Standard 1.11 says RBTs do not give gifts to, or accept gifts from, clients, stakeholders or supervisors with a monetary value of more than $10 US dollars, or the equivalent purchasing power in another currency.
Can an RBT post about clients on social media?: Not anything that identifies them. Standard 2.09 says RBTs do not share identifying information about clients, such as photos, videos or written information, on social media or websites.
What must an RBT report to the BACB?: Under standard 3.04, RBTs self-report certain events to the BACB within 30 days of the event or of becoming aware of it; the RBT Handbook lists those events and also asks you to correct outdated account information within 30 days. Standard 3.03 adds that RBTs do not cheat, or help others cheat, on RBT competency assessments or examinations.
Are there rules about relationships with clients?: Yes. Standard 1.12 bars romantic or sexual relationships with former clients or stakeholders for at least two years from the date the professional relationship ended. A separate competence rule, standard 1.06, says RBTs provide services only after their supervisor confirms they have demonstrated competence.

Test yourself: 3 RBT practice questions

Tap an answer for instant feedback and the full rationale. The app has 3,000+, timed and scored.

Question 1

An RBT is working with a student who engages in aggressive behavior maintained by escape from difficult worksheets. The supervisor introduces a visual break card on the student's desk as an antecedent intervention. What is the primary function of this visual break card?

▸ Why D is the answer

A visual break card serves as an antecedent intervention by providing a functional communicative replacement behavior that allows the learner to appropriately request escape before problem behavior occurs. By making the break card available and teaching its use, the client can access negative reinforcement appropriately, reducing the motivation to engage in aggression. Imposing a non-exclusionary time-out is a consequence-based punishment procedure, not an antecedent intervention. Permanently removing all academic demands eliminates instructional goals entirely rather than teaching functional communication. Measuring latency between demand presentation and aggression is an assessment data collection method, not an intervention designed to alter behavior.

🔑 Key takeaway

A visual break card serves as an antecedent functional replacement to request a break before problem behavior occurs.

Question 2

A client has a morning habilitation objective to make their bed before leaving the residence for day programming. After the client departs on the bus, the RBT inspects the bedroom to verify whether the sheets, blanket, and pillows are properly arranged. Which measurement procedure did the RBT use?

▸ Why A is the answer

The RBT used permanent product measurement because they evaluated the concrete environmental result of the client's behavior after the behavior had already taken place. Whole-interval recording method is incorrect because it requires the RBT to continuously observe the client across predefined time intervals and score whether the behavior occurred throughout each entire interval. Momentary time sampling method is incorrect because it requires observing the client at the exact end of a specified interval to see if the behavior is currently occurring. Partial-interval recording method is incorrect because it involves directly observing intervals and scoring whether the behavior occurred at any point during that time.

🔑 Key takeaway

Inspecting the tangible outcome of a behavior after the individual leaves is permanent product recording.

Question 3

An RBT conducts discrete trial teaching on identifying common objects with a learner. During a brief morning session, the RBT presents only two trials, resulting in one correct response and one incorrect response, and reports the learner's accuracy as 50%. Why is reporting percentage problematic in this situation?

▸ Why B is the answer

Calculating percentages from three or fewer opportunities distorts performance representations because each single trial creates an excessively large step increment. With only two trials, a single response changes the client's measured score by 50 percentage points, which exaggerates small variations and misrepresents true competence or progress. Percentages do not require at least twenty consecutive trials per target to be graphed, though supervisors typically recommend larger sample sizes such as ten trials. Percentages are not limited to continuous duration and frequency; in fact, percentages are standard for discrete trial data. Converting two discrete trials into rate per minute is inappropriate because trial presentation speed reflects the technician's pace, not the learner's.

🔑 Key takeaway

Calculating percentages from three or fewer trials produces overly large step increments that distort performance.

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RBT Ethics Code (2.0) Explained

Test yourself: 3 RBT practice questions

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