The RBT passing score: what is and isn't known
The BACB doesn't publish a passing percentage for the RBT exam, and figures you see quoted online aren't from the BACB. Here is what the BACB does say about scoring, and how to use that when you judge your practice scores.
How the passing score is set
The BACB uses the modified Angoff method. It's criterion-referenced: the passing score is set by a panel of BACB-certified subject-matter experts. In an Angoff study, experts judge for each question how likely a just-competent entry-level candidate would be to answer it correctly, and the passing score is built from those judgments. The BACB Board of Directors then approves it. Your result depends only on your own knowledge measured against that standard, not on how other candidates do: there's no curve.
A new passing score is set when something changes significantly, such as a new test content outline. The 3rd edition outline that took effect on January 1, 2026 was such a change.
What the BACB publishes
- The exam is pass/fail.
- Only the 75 scored questions count; the other 10 are unscored.
- All questions are equally weighted, and the result is based on overall performance, not on each content area.
It doesn't publish a percentage or a number of correct answers needed, which is why we never put a pass mark on our practice tests or mock exams.
Reading your practice scores
Because the real cut score isn't public, judge your readiness by consistency rather than by one number:
- Take several full-length mock exams rather than one. A single score depends on which questions came up.
- Look at every content area. A low area can sink an otherwise good result, especially Behavior Acquisition, which is a quarter of the exam.
- Read the explanations for every miss, including the "why" for the option you chose. The pattern in your wrong answers tells you more than the total.
- Practise until strong scores are routine across all six areas, not just achievable on a good day.
No practice test can predict your exact result: ours are written to the same outline and format, not taken from the real exam.
Common questions
What percentage do you need to pass the RBT exam?
The BACB doesn't publish one. The passing score is set with the modified Angoff method by a panel of BACB-certified experts and approved by the BACB Board of Directors, and results are reported only as pass or fail.
Do the unscored questions count?
No. Only the 75 scored questions count toward your result. The 10 unscored questions are being tried out for future exams and look the same as the others.
Do I have to pass each content area?
No. All questions are equally weighted and the result is based on your overall performance, not on your performance in each content area.
Sources
Checked October 27, 2026. The BACB updates its requirements from time to time; your BACB portal account and the current RBT Handbook are the final word.