22 Assessment Support Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A technician places five preferred items in an array in front of a learner, lets the learner choose one and have brief access to it, then removes the chosen item from the array, rearranges the remaining items, and repeats the procedure until no items are left. Which preference assessment format is described?

   • A.Multiple stimulus with replacement
   • B.Free-operant observation
   • C.Paired stimulus (forced choice)
   • D.Multiple stimulus without replacement✓ Answer

   The defining feature is that the selected item is taken out of the array and not returned, so each successive selection is made from a smaller set; the order in which items are chosen therefore produces a complete preference ranking. If the chosen item were returned to the array, the same procedure would be the with-replacement version.

   Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — conducting preference assessments (multiple stimulus formats)Report a problem with this question

2. 2. A supervisor asks a technician to explain how the with-replacement and without-replacement versions of a multiple-stimulus preference assessment differ. Which statement is accurate?

   • A.In the with-replacement version the learner may select two items per trial, while in the without-replacement version only one
   • B.In the with-replacement version engagement is timed, while in the without-replacement version selections are counted
   • C.In the with-replacement version items are presented one at a time, while in the without-replacement version they are presented in pairs
   • D.In the with-replacement version the selected item is returned to the array before the next trial, while in the without-replacement version it is removed✓ Answer

   Replacement refers only to what happens to the chosen item between trials. Returning it lets the learner pick the same favorite repeatedly, which is good for identifying one strong top preference but poor at ranking the rest; removing it forces the learner to move down the list and yields a full hierarchy.

   Source: Cooper, Heron & Heward, Applied Behavior Analysis — stimulus preference assessment methodsReport a problem with this question

3. 3. While running a paired-stimulus (forced-choice) preference assessment, a technician notices she has been placing the newer toy on the learner's right side on every trial. Why does the protocol call for alternating which side each item is placed on?

   • A.To ensure each item is presented the same number of times as every other item
   • B.To keep the learner from becoming satiated on either item
   • C.To control for side (position) bias, so that selections reflect the item chosen rather than the location reached toward✓ Answer
   • D.To make the assessment take fewer trials overall

   Some learners reliably reach to one side regardless of what is there, so if an item always sits on that side its selection score is inflated. Counterbalancing left and right placement across trials removes location as an explanation for the choices, leaving the item itself as the variable being measured.

   Source: Cooper, Heron & Heward, Applied Behavior Analysis — paired-stimulus preference assessment proceduresReport a problem with this question

4. 4. A learner screams and drops to the floor whenever a preferred item is taken away from him. The supervising behavior analyst wants a low-demand first look at what the learner likes. Which preference assessment format best fits this situation, and what is measured?

   • A.Paired stimulus, in which two items are offered at a time and selections are counted
   • B.Multiple stimulus without replacement, in which each chosen item is removed and selection order is recorded
   • C.Single stimulus, in which one item at a time is presented and approach is recorded
   • D.Free-operant observation, in which all items stay available and the duration of engagement with each is recorded✓ Answer

   Free-operant observation never removes or restricts an item and places no demands on the learner, so it avoids evoking the problem behavior that item removal triggers. Because nothing is taken away, the measure is how long the learner engages with each item rather than which item is chosen.

   Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — conducting preference assessments (free-operant format)Report a problem with this question

5. 5. A learner has significant motor and communication limitations and cannot scan or reach toward two objects placed side by side. Her behavior analyst directs the technician to present one item at a time and record whether the learner approaches, engages with, or turns away from it. What does this format yield?

   • A.An indication of whether each item is approached, but not a ranking of the items relative to one another✓ Answer
   • B.Confirmation that the approached items will function as reinforcers
   • C.A precise ranking of every item from most to least preferred
   • D.The duration of engagement with all items presented simultaneously

   Presenting items one at a time asks only whether that single item is approached, which gives an absolute rather than a relative measure; learners often approach nearly everything, so the results tend not to discriminate among items. A relative ranking requires a format in which items compete against one another, such as pairs or an array.

   Source: Cooper, Heron & Heward, Applied Behavior Analysis — single-stimulus (successive choice) preference assessmentReport a problem with this question

6. 6. A behavior analyst needs a full ranking of five potential reinforcers before the next session and has very little session time available. Which preference assessment format should the technician be assigned to run?

   • A.Free-operant observation, because engagement duration ranks items faster than selections do
   • B.Multiple stimulus without replacement, because the order of selections ranks the whole set in about as many selections as there are items✓ Answer
   • C.Single stimulus, because presenting items one at a time takes the least time per item
   • D.Paired stimulus, because pairing every item with every other item is the quickest way to rank a set

   Because each chosen item is removed, the sequence of choices is itself the hierarchy, so one pass through the array ranks every item. Pairing each item with every other item also ranks the set but requires many more trials, since the number of pairs grows quickly as items are added.

   Source: Cooper, Heron & Heward, Applied Behavior Analysis — efficiency of multiple-stimulus versus paired-stimulus formatsReport a problem with this question

7. 7. After completing a preference assessment, a technician reports that one toy was selected on every opportunity. What may the technician correctly conclude from this result?

   • A.That the toy will maintain any behavior it is delivered after
   • B.That the toy is a reinforcer for this learner
   • C.That the toy is a highly preferred item and is likely, but not proven, to function as a reinforcer✓ Answer
   • D.That the toy should replace the reinforcers listed in the learner's current program

   A preference assessment identifies what a learner chooses; it does not test any effect on behavior. A stimulus earns the label reinforcer only when it is delivered contingent on a response and the future frequency of that response increases, which is a separate demonstration.

   Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — preference assessments identify potential reinforcersReport a problem with this question

8. 8. Midway through a session, the item that ranked highest on the morning's preference assessment stops producing any change in the learner's responding. What should the technician do?

   • A.Continue implementing the program as written and report the ineffective item to the supervising behavior analyst promptly✓ Answer
   • B.Select a different item from the classroom and use it as the reinforcer for the rest of the session
   • C.Record the session as invalid and end it early
   • D.Increase the amount of the item delivered until the learner responds again

   A preferred item can lose its effect for reasons such as satiation or a change in motivating conditions, and deciding what to do about that is a program decision. The technician's role is to run the procedure as designed and to report the observation so the supervisor can adjust the plan.

   Source: BACB RBT Ethics Code — implementing procedures as designed and reporting to the supervisorReport a problem with this question

9. 9. A technician wants to establish whether a preferred snack actually strengthens a learner's hand-raising. Who conducts that evaluation, and why?

   • A.The technician, since she already ran the preference assessment that produced the snack
   • B.Either the technician or the caregiver, as long as the result is written in the session note
   • C.The learner's caregiver, who knows the learner's likes best
   • D.The supervising behavior analyst, who designs and interprets reinforcer assessments; the technician collects data as directed✓ Answer

   Demonstrating that a stimulus functions as a reinforcer requires arranging it contingently and evaluating the resulting change in behavior, which is an assessment design and interpretation task. Technicians conduct preference assessments and collect the data, while designing and interpreting the reinforcer evaluation belongs to the supervisor.

   Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — scope of the technician's assessment roleReport a problem with this question

10. 10. A learner's program calls for a brief preference assessment before most sessions rather than one assessment at intake. What is the behavioral rationale for repeating it?

    • A.Preferences shift over time and with changing motivating conditions, so an old ranking may no longer identify effective items✓ Answer
    • B.Repeating the assessment teaches the learner to make choices more quickly
    • C.A single assessment cannot be documented in the clinical record
    • D.Repetition is what converts a preferred item into a reinforcer

    What a learner values depends on current conditions such as recent access, deprivation, illness, or simple novelty wearing off, and those conditions change from day to day. Frequent reassessment keeps the items being used aligned with the learner's present motivation.

    Source: Cooper, Heron & Heward, Applied Behavior Analysis — motivating operations and the stability of stimulus preferencesReport a problem with this question

11. 11. A technician is scheduled to run a preference assessment involving several food items, but the learner has just finished a large lunch. What is the most appropriate action?

    • A.Withhold the learner's next snack so the food items regain their value
    • B.Note the recent meal and consult the supervisor about timing, because recent consumption can temporarily lower the value of food items and distort the results✓ Answer
    • C.Run the assessment as scheduled and note in the record that the results are probably accurate anyway
    • D.Substitute toys for the food items so the assessment can proceed on schedule

    Satiation temporarily reduces the value of a consumable, so items assessed right after a meal can be ranked far below their usual position and the resulting hierarchy will mislead. Changing the item set or manipulating access are program decisions, so the technician reports the condition and follows the supervisor's direction.

    Source: Cooper, Heron & Heward, Applied Behavior Analysis — motivating operations (satiation and deprivation) in preference assessmentReport a problem with this question

12. 12. A behavior analyst gathers information about a learner's screaming by interviewing the parent and having two teachers complete written rating scales about when the screaming occurs. No one observes the learner. Which kind of functional assessment is this?

    • A.Descriptive assessment, because the informants describe the behavior in detail
    • B.Indirect assessment, which relies on informants' reports rather than direct observation✓ Answer
    • C.Functional analysis, because conditions are compared across informants
    • D.Reinforcer assessment, because the reports identify what the learner gains

    Indirect methods collect information about behavior from people who have seen it rather than from the observer's own contact with the behavior, which makes them fast but dependent on memory and opinion. They generate hypotheses to be checked by direct observation or by an experimental comparison of conditions.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — components of functional assessment (indirect methods)Report a problem with this question

13. 13. A technician's antecedent-behavior-consequence records show that a learner's hitting was followed by an adult reprimand in most recorded episodes. What is the correct interpretation of this record?

    • A.It shows that reprimands are punishing the hitting
    • B.It qualifies as a functional analysis because environmental events were recorded
    • C.It establishes that the hitting is maintained by adult attention
    • D.It shows a correlation between hitting and adult attention and suggests a hypothesis, but it does not establish the function of the hitting✓ Answer

    Descriptive recording captures what happened in the natural environment without changing anything, so events that regularly co-occur with the behavior may or may not be maintaining it. Establishing function requires deliberately arranging and comparing conditions, and the conclusion itself is drawn by the supervising behavior analyst.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — descriptive assessment yields correlational informationReport a problem with this question

14. 14. Why is an experimental functional analysis the only functional assessment method that can demonstrate the function of a behavior?

    • A.Because it records behavior in the setting where the behavior naturally occurs
    • B.Because antecedents and consequences are deliberately arranged and compared across conditions, so differences in responding can be attributed to those variables✓ Answer
    • C.Because it uses longer observation periods than descriptive methods do
    • D.Because it is conducted by a behavior analyst rather than a technician

    Function is a causal claim, and a causal claim requires manipulating the suspected variable while holding others comparable. Interviews and naturalistic observation leave the variables untouched, so they can only show what tends to accompany the behavior.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — functional analysis manipulates antecedents and consequencesReport a problem with this question

15. 15. During one condition of a functional analysis, the learner has free access to preferred items and to adult attention, and no demands are placed. What is the purpose of this condition?

    • A.It tests whether the behavior is maintained by access to tangible items
    • B.It is a break period inserted so the learner does not become fatigued
    • C.It serves as the control, providing a comparison in which the behavior is expected to occur at low levels because nothing is withheld and nothing is demanded✓ Answer
    • D.It tests whether the behavior is maintained by escape from demands

    The control condition removes every consequence the test conditions manipulate, so it shows what the behavior looks like when no reinforcer is available for it. Elevated responding in a test condition is meaningful only in contrast to the low levels seen in this control.

    Source: Standard functional analysis methodology — the play (control) conditionReport a problem with this question

16. 16. A technician is assigned to run the attention condition of a functional analysis exactly as written: appear busy, deliver a brief statement of concern contingent on the target behavior, and otherwise withhold attention. Partway through, the learner engages appropriately with a toy and looks up. What should the technician do?

    • A.Add a demand to see whether the behavior changes
    • B.Stop the condition and record that the learner was not engaging in the target behavior
    • C.Continue the condition as written, withholding attention, because attention must be delivered only for the target behavior for the comparison to be valid✓ Answer
    • D.Praise the appropriate play, since reinforcing appropriate behavior is always correct

    In this condition attention is the manipulated variable, so delivering it at any other moment contaminates the comparison and the resulting data cannot be interpreted. Procedural fidelity means running the condition exactly as designed even when a different response feels more natural; concerns about the protocol go to the supervisor.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — participating in functional analysis conditions with procedural fidelityReport a problem with this question

17. 17. A technician records that a learner rocks and hums at a steady rate when he is alone in a room with no materials, no demands, and no one interacting with him, and at a similar rate when others are present. Which function does this pattern suggest?

    • A.Access to tangibles, because the behavior continues without materials
    • B.Automatic (sensory) reinforcement, because the behavior persists with no social consequence available✓ Answer
    • C.Escape, because being alone removes demands
    • D.Attention, because the behavior is noticeable to others

    Attention, escape, and tangible functions all depend on another person delivering or removing something, so behavior maintained by them typically drops when no one is available to respond. Behavior that continues at a steady rate with no social consequence is producing its own reinforcement; the technician records the pattern and reports it rather than declaring the function.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — common functions of behavior (automatic reinforcement)Report a problem with this question

18. 18. A teacher says, "Time to start your worksheet," and places the worksheet on the desk. The student sweeps the papers onto the floor. The teacher picks up the papers and tells the student to take a few minutes in the calm corner. In this episode, what is the antecedent?

    • A.The teacher's instruction to start the worksheet and the placement of the worksheet on the desk✓ Answer
    • B.Sweeping the papers onto the floor
    • C.Being sent to the calm corner
    • D.The teacher picking the papers up off the floor

    The antecedent is the environmental event that occurs immediately before the behavior and sets the occasion for it, here the presentation of the task. The sweeping is the behavior, and everything that follows it, including removal of the task, is consequence.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — ABC (descriptive) recordingReport a problem with this question

19. 19. During free play, a peer takes the tablet a learner is holding. The learner hits the peer on the arm. An adult tells the peer to give the tablet back, and the learner resumes watching a video. Which part of this episode is the consequence, and what function does it suggest?

    • A.The return of the tablet, which suggests a possible tangible function✓ Answer
    • B.The peer taking the tablet, which suggests a possible escape function
    • C.The adult speaking to the peer, which suggests a possible attention function for the learner
    • D.Hitting the peer, which suggests a possible automatic function

    The consequence is what immediately follows the behavior, and here the hitting was immediately followed by regaining the tablet, a pattern consistent with access to a tangible item. Losing the tablet occurred before the hitting, which makes it the antecedent, and a single episode only suggests a hypothesis for the supervisor to evaluate.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — identifying antecedents, behaviors, and consequencesReport a problem with this question

20. 20. Which entry on an antecedent-behavior-consequence data sheet is written appropriately for the behavior column?

    • A.Became angry about the transition
    • B.Screamed and dropped to the floor✓ Answer
    • C.Was trying to get out of the activity
    • D.Had a meltdown because he was overwhelmed

    Behavior entries must describe what an observer could see and count, so that two people watching the same episode would write the same thing. Words such as angry, trying to, or overwhelmed are inferences about internal states or motives, and recording them substitutes the technician's interpretation for the observation the supervisor needs.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment and Documentation — objective, observable description of behaviorReport a problem with this question

21. 21. A technician is administering a skill assessment probe as directed by the supervisor. She presents the instruction, and the learner sits silently without responding. What should the technician do?

    • A.Record no response and move to the next item as the protocol specifies, without prompting or correcting✓ Answer
    • B.Score the item as correct, since the learner has performed it before
    • C.Repeat the instruction with an added hint until the learner responds
    • D.Provide a gentle physical prompt so the learner has a chance to succeed

    A probe is meant to measure what the learner does without help, so any prompt, hint, or correction changes what is being measured and makes the data unusable for planning. The technician presents the item and records the response exactly as it occurred, leaving scoring decisions and program changes to the supervisor.

    Source: BACB RBT Task List, Behavior Assessment — participating in assessments of skill strengths and deficitsReport a problem with this question

22. 22. After a technician finishes several sessions of descriptive data collection, the learner's father asks, "So what is causing the tantrums? What should we change at home?" How should the technician respond?

    • A.Share her best guess about the cause so the family can start making changes right away
    • B.Describe what she observed in objective terms and explain that the supervising behavior analyst reviews the data and discusses conclusions and any home recommendations✓ Answer
    • C.Suggest a strategy she has seen work with other learners while the analysis is completed
    • D.Tell the father the data are confidential and that she cannot discuss the sessions with him at all

    Reporting what was observed is within the technician's role, while identifying causes and recommending changes are interpretation and program design, which belong to the supervising behavior analyst. Refusing to say anything is also wrong, because the caregiver is part of the team and the technician may share objective observations and route clinical questions to the supervisor.

    Source: BACB RBT Ethics Code — communicating within scope and referring clinical questions to the supervisorReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the BACB RBT Task List and standard applied behavior analysis practice. RBT and BACB are marks of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BACB. Requirements, training rules, and the task list itself are revised periodically — confirm current requirements with the BACB and your supervisor before testing. About the RBT credential →