Top 10 Reasons to Study for the RBT or ABAT Exam

There are many benefits that come from passing the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) exam or ABAT exam. It may feel like a daunting task, but when you focus on these 10 reasons, you may get motivated to get started. We will discuss the top 10 reasons to start studying for the exam.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a relatively new science and field. It is not uncommon to hear about the many people who stumble upon jobs in ABA, perhaps having an idea of what they want to do with their career (e.g., teaching, social work, psychology), but then find this field to be an interesting option to gain experience. On a personal note, I became a special education teacher and immediately learned that I was not prepared to work with the students in my classroom that needed a high level of support due to safety and communication skills that were not yet acquired, which left me looking for options to go back to school. Immediately I became a Behavior Technician and then an RBT. Some of the reasons that I see are beneficial are the following:

1. Additional knowledge: If you work as a Behavior Technician or Behavior Interventionist, studying for the RBT exam will give you an opportunity to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the field. It is important to understand why we do what we do because that will help us better evaluate our own performance compared to the progress of our client(s).
2. Professional Development: If you already work in the field, studying for the RBT or ABAT exam will allow you to take some time to review the foundations of the field and perhaps brush up and/or refine your skills. It can be easy to get lost in day-to-day tasks instead of focusing on yourself as a professional.
3. Ensuring ongoing supervision: The field of ABA has ethical standards already in place for supervision; however, becoming an RBT or ABAT will ensure that you have a qualified supervisor overseeing the work that you do and thereby ensuring the ethics code is followed.
4. Ethics: You’ll have an even better understanding of the ethics code within the field, which will allow you to better understand the reasons behind some of the clinical decisions made.
5. Enhancing your marketability: Many people do not know what “RBT” or “ABAT” stands for (understandably, this field likes acronyms) or what someone who works as one does for a living. However, as the field continues to be disseminated, related and seemingly unrelated fields are finding value in having knowledge about human behavior.   
6. Applicability in other fields: Behavior analysis focuses on human behavior. There are a lot of misconceptions about it because we often work with specific populations; however, ABA can be applied to all populations, whether that’s through behavior challenges, skill deficits, or employee efficiency (to name a few).
7. Time: Perhaps this does not apply to you, perhaps it does. Many people have found themselves having more time on their hands during COVID-19, whether that’s due to fewer work hours or less commute time to and from work. If you’re looking for something productive to do, this could be the time and the activity!
8. Letters on your name: Who doesn’t want to have credentials to show how hard you have worked?
9. Promotion: Depending on the company you work for, passing the RBT or ABAT exam may lead to a promotion in the field, which may be a motivating factor!
10. The feeling of accomplishment: Who doesn’t love the feeling of passing a test that you have been studying for? For many of us, studying might be something we put off, but it truly feels amazing when we can tell everyone that we passed the test!

What do you think about these reasons? Are you ready to start studying for the test?  Please share your most effective studying strategies with us!

Resources:

Ready to start the RBT or ABAT Course? Click here to get started.

Behavior Analyst Certification Board- Registered Behavior Technician Information: https://www.bacb.com/rbt/

Registered Behavior Technician Handbook: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/RBTHandbook_200519.pdf