RBT Data Collection and Graphing Practice Questions
Data Collection and Graphing is 13 of the 75 scored questions on the RBT exam. It tests how you measure behavior, enter and graph data, calculate rates and percentages, and read trends. Practice it free, with an explanation for every answer.
85 questions across all six content areas in 90 minutes, with a score for data collection so you know where you stand.
Free data collection drill- 89 original data collection questions, every answer explained
- 13 of the 75 scored questions on the exam (17%)
- 8 tasks in the 3rd-edition outline
An RBT records out-of-seat behavior lasting a total of 12 minutes during a 60-minute class. What percentage of the class did the behavior take up?
Data Collection and Graphing on the RBT exam
Data Collection and Graphing is 13 of the 75 scored questions on the RBT exam (17%). It was called Measurement in the 2nd edition, and the 2026 outline added three tasks: calculating data, reading trends on a graph, and knowing what goes wrong when data are unreliable. Expect short scenarios that describe a behavior and ask which measure fits, what to record, or what a number means.
- Share of the exam
- 13 of the 75 scored questions (17%) in the official content outline, across 8 tasks
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 89 data collection questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
The 8 data collection tasks in the 3rd edition
- A.1 Implement continuous measurement procedures (e.g., frequency, duration, latency, interresponse time).
- A.2 Implement discontinuous measurement procedures (e.g., partial & whole interval, momentary time sampling).
- A.3 Implement permanent product recording procedures.
- A.4 Enter data and update graphs.
- A.5 Describe behavior and environment in observable and measurable terms.
- A.6 Calculate and summarize data in different ways (e.g., rate, mean duration, percentage).
- A.7 Identify trends in graphed data.
- A.8 Describe the risks associated with unreliable data collection and poor procedural fidelity.
Sit the full exam under the real clock
85 questions across all six content areas in 90 minutes, with a score for data collection so you know where you stand.
Free data collection drillWhat the questions look like
- Choosing a measure: a behavior with a clear start and end that happens at a countable pace calls for frequency or rate; a behavior that lasts calls for duration; the time from an instruction to the response is latency; the time between two responses is interresponse time (IRT).
- Interval recording: partial interval scores an interval if the behavior happens at any point in it and tends to overestimate; whole interval needs the behavior for the entire interval and tends to underestimate; momentary time sampling looks only at the moment the interval ends.
- Calculations: rate = count ÷ time; percentage = correct ÷ opportunities × 100; mean duration = total duration ÷ number of episodes; percentage of intervals = scored intervals ÷ total intervals × 100.
- Graphs: the session or date runs along the horizontal axis and the measure up the vertical axis; a phase-change line separates conditions; trend is the overall direction of the data path.
- Operational definitions that name what the behavior looks like rather than a label such as "angry" or "off task".
How to study it
- Learn each measurement procedure with one example behavior and one example where it would be the wrong choice.
- Practice the four calculations until each takes under a minute; the calculations drill shows the working for every item.
- Sketch a few graphs by hand: increasing, decreasing and flat trends, high and low variability, and a phase change.
- Rewrite five vague behavior descriptions ("tantrums", "is rude") as observable, measurable definitions.
Common questions
What is the difference between partial interval and whole interval recording?
In partial interval recording you score an interval if the behavior occurs at any time during it, so it tends to overestimate how much the behavior happens and suits behavior you want to decrease. In whole interval recording you score an interval only if the behavior lasts for the entire interval, so it tends to underestimate and suits behavior you want to increase, such as staying on task.
How many data collection questions are on the RBT exam?
13 of the 75 scored questions, or 17% of the exam, under the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.). The 2nd edition had 12 Measurement questions.
85 questions across all six content areas in 90 minutes, with a score for data collection so you know where you stand.
Free data collection drillThe other RBT content areas
Sources
- BACB: RBT Handbook (updated 10/2026): examination, fees, retakes and results
- BACB: RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.): 43 tasks in 6 content areas
- BACB: Examination Information (scoring, rescheduling fees and RBT pass rates)
- BACB: RBT Ethics Code (2.0)
- BACB Newsletter, December 2023: the 2026 RBT examination and the 2nd-to-3rd edition crosswalk
- BACB: RBT certification overview
Original practice questions for exam preparation, written to the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.); they are not questions from the real exam. Independent practice, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). RBT® and BACB® are registered trademarks of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.