RBT Plan

RBT exam practice question: Behavior Acquisition

Behavior AcquisitionDifficulty 2/5

A learner is being taught to tie shoes. The RBT completes every step except the final knot pull, prompts the learner to pull the knot tight, and delivers praise. Which procedure is being used?

  1. AForward chaining
  2. BTotal-task chaining
  3. CBackward chaining
  4. DShaping
Show answer and rationale

Correct: C. In backward chaining the trainer completes all but the last step and the learner performs the final step, contacting the natural reinforcer (finished shoe) immediately. Earlier steps are added one at a time working backward.

  • A — Forward chaining teaches the first step first.
  • B — Total-task chaining has the learner attempt every step each trial.
  • D — Shaping reinforces successive approximations of a single response, not a chain.

Concept being tested

19 questions, the largest domain. Reinforcement, conditioned reinforcers, DTT, naturalistic teaching, chaining, discrimination training, prompting and fading, generalization, maintenance, shaping, token economies. — 25% of the exam. Study guide for Behavior Acquisition.

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Primary references

  1. RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), effective January 1, 2026 — Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) · primary · retrieved 2026-09-21, verified 2026-09-21
Draft — pending editorial reviewHow we verify facts