On January 1, 2026, the BACB changed the 40-hour training that every RBT applicant needs. Applications submitted on or after that date must use a training that meets the new RBT 2026 40-Hour Training Requirements and Curriculum Outline. Many people finished a 40-hour course in 2025 and now aren't sure where they stand. This page answers that, using only the BACB's own documents.
The short answer
If your training was built to the old requirements, you'll need to complete a 2026 training, unless your RBT application was approved before January 1, 2026 and that approval is still current (see below). The BACB says there is no "bridge" course: "You will need to complete the full training again."
If your training certificate carries the 2026 approval statement and meets all current requirements, you don't need to repeat it. The BACB says a training finished earlier "may be eligible for submission but must meet all current requirements." You'll still complete the updated Initial Competency Assessment after it.
If your RBT application was approved before January 1, 2026, that approval lasts 12 months, and while it's current you don't need to meet the new requirements. You'll still take the updated exam, because anyone testing on or after January 1 sees the new exam content. Once that approval expires, reapplying means meeting the current requirements, including a 2026 training if yours doesn't carry the 2026 statement.
How to tell which one you have: read your certificate
The BACB requires specific approval statements on 40-hour training certificates, so your certificate is the first place to look.
Look for the 2026 statement: "This training program is designed to meet the 2026 training eligibility requirement for RBT certification. The training is offered independent of the BACB." Some certificates carry both this and the older statement; what matters is that the 2026 statement is there.
Only the older statement? If your certificate says only that the training "is based on the RBT Task List (2nd ed.)", it was built to the earlier requirements, and the BACB says there's no bridge course.
Not sure? Ask the provider who gave you the training to confirm that it meets the 2026 requirements.
What a 2026 training must include
- At least 40 hours, completed in no fewer than 5 days and no more than 180 days. The first and last days both count.
- Eight content areas with minimum hours, including 20 hours on behavior-change interventions. The minimums add up to 38 hours, and 2 more hours can go to any area.
- In person, online, or both, with behavioral skills training. Assigned readings don't count toward the 40 hours.
- Designed and overseen by a BCaBA, BCBA or BCBA-D who has completed the 8-hour supervision training.
After the training
- Initial Competency Assessment: it was also updated for 2026 and must be done after the 40-hour training, no more than 90 days before you submit your application. A BCaBA or BCBA who has completed the 8-hour supervision training oversees it.
- The exam now follows the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), so study material written for the 2nd edition is out of date.
For supervisors and employers
- Check each new hire's 40-hour certificate for the 2026 statement above before they apply.
- Staff whose certificate doesn't carry the 2026 statement need to complete a 2026 training before they apply, unless their application was approved before January 1, 2026 and that approval is still current.
- Since January 1, 2026, RBT supervisors must hold BCaBA or BCBA certification.
If you took our RBT 2.0 training
Our RBT 2.0 40-hour training was built to the earlier requirements, so it can't be used for an RBT application submitted in 2026. If you completed it and have a question about your situation, write to contact@special-learning.com.
Training new staff while they wait? Intro to ABA: Level 1 teaches the basic methods of ABA for people who work with a child every day. It's basic training, not a credential, and it doesn't count toward the 40-hour RBT training. You can try the first 2 sessions free for 7 days. After that, it's $199.
Sources, all from bacb.com: RBT 2026 40-Hour Training Requirements and Curriculum Outline (version 03/2026); Guidance for Meeting RBT Requirements During the 2026 Transition; BACB Newsletter, December 2025; RBT Initial Competency Assessment Packet (effective January 1, 2026); RBT Handbook (updated 10/2026); Recent and Upcoming Changes. Read November 2, 2026. Your own dates and status are in your BACB account.
