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Discrete trial training is a structured teaching format that separates instruction into a clear cue, learner response, consequence, and data mark. Tested under C.3 of the BACB RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), the RBT-level skill is implementing discrete-trial teaching procedures as written.
What C.3 Requires#
The RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) states C.3 as: "Implement discrete-trial teaching procedures." That wording points to implementation, not designing programs or choosing targets independently.
C.3 practice should train candidates to:
- Identify the next step in a structured trial after a cue, response, or error.
- Match a data mark to what happened during a teaching opportunity.
- Distinguish structured trial instruction from naturalistic teaching in ongoing activities.
- Notice whether the technician followed the written consequence, prompt, and correction steps.
The parent rbt behavior acquisition study guide places C.3 with the other Domain C teaching tasks. After studying this page, the rbt practice test behavior acquisition mixes C.3 with reinforcement, prompts, chaining, shaping, and token-economy items so the topic label does not give away the answer.
Parts Of A Structured Teaching Trial#
The table below shows the trial parts a C.3 study scenario may describe.
| Trial part | Plain-language cue | What the RBT does in a written procedure |
|---|---|---|
| Set-up | Materials and learner readiness are arranged. | Presents the listed materials and starts when the procedure says to start. |
| Instruction or cue | The learner receives the signal for the response. | Gives the exact direction, model, or stimulus named in the teaching sheet. |
| Learner response | The learner answers, does not answer, or responds incorrectly. | Waits the assigned amount of time and observes the response without adding unplanned help. |
| Consequence | The response is followed by the planned result. | Delivers reinforcement, feedback, or correction exactly as the procedure specifies. |
| Data mark | The trial is scored after the outcome is clear. | Records independent, prompted, incorrect, or no-response data according to the data sheet. |
This sequence is why discrete trial teaching is different from a general lesson. The trial has a defined start, a response opportunity, a planned consequence, and a record of what happened.
Implementation Steps#
The steps below describe the C.3 pattern for exam study, not instructions for treating a real client outside an authorized plan.
- Read the teaching sheet for the target, materials, cue, prompt level, response window, consequence, correction rule, and scoring code.
- Arrange the materials so the cue and response opportunity match the written procedure.
- Present one clear instruction or stimulus at the planned time.
- Wait for the learner's response using the response window in the procedure.
- Deliver the programmed consequence, such as reinforcement for an independent response or the listed correction step after an error.
- Score the trial using the data code that matches what happened.
- Reset for the next trial without changing the prompt, correction, or mastery rule on your own.
Some C.3 study scenarios include learned consequences. If the scenario turns on whether a token, point, or signal has gained value through pairing or exchange, review rbt task C.2 conditioned reinforcers before choosing based only on the trial sequence.
Examples And Non-Examples#
The examples below separate structured trial instruction from nearby teaching formats and unrelated procedures.
| Scenario | Example? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The RBT places three picture cards, says "touch cup," waits, delivers the listed reinforcer after the correct response, and marks I on the data sheet. | Yes | The scenario has a clear cue, response, planned consequence, and trial data. |
| During snack, the RBT waits for a learner to reach toward crackers, prompts a request, and gives crackers in the ongoing activity. | No, naturalistic teaching | Motivation from the activity drives the opportunity rather than a separated table trial. |
| The RBT says "clap," immediately models clapping, fades the model across trials, and scores prompted versus independent responses. | Yes | The procedure still uses repeated trials with planned prompts, consequences, and data marks. |
| The RBT teaches handwashing by practicing the sink routine from first step to last step. | Not mainly C.3 | A multistep routine points more directly to chaining when the stem asks about ordered steps. |
| The RBT changes the response window because the learner seems tired, then scores the trial under the old rule. | No | Changing timing independently breaks procedural fidelity and can make the data misleading. |
Naturalistic teaching can also teach new behavior, but the study cue is different. Use natural environment teaching when the scenario describes motivation inside play, snack, conversation, or another ongoing activity.
Worked Trial Log#
This worked scenario shows how one short teaching run can be read for C.3.
| Trial | Cue | Learner response | Programmed result | Data mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Touch red" with three cards present | Touches red without help | Specific praise and a token | Independent |
| 2 | "Touch red" with cards rearranged | Touches blue | Error-correction model, then a retry | Incorrect |
| 3 | "Touch red" after model correction | Touches red after the model | Brief praise under the correction rule | Prompted |
| 4 | "Touch red" with cards rearranged | No response in the response window | Listed prompt and retry | No response |
The same log should not be scored as four independent correct responses. Trial 1 is independent, trial 2 is incorrect, trial 3 is prompted, and trial 4 is no response because the learner did not respond inside the assigned window.
If a program starts with the most supportive prompt to prevent early errors, compare the correction rule with errorless teaching aba. Errorless procedures can appear inside structured trials, but the answer depends on what the scenario asks you to identify: prompt strategy, trial sequence, or error correction.
Study Checks#
The checks below help separate C.3 trial implementation from nearby study topics.
- Treating every adult-led lesson as discrete trial teaching even when the stem lacks a clear trial boundary.
- Choosing a new prompt, cue, reinforcer, or response window instead of following the written procedure.
- Scoring a prompted response as independent because the final answer was correct.
- Ignoring the consequence part of the trial; the result after the response is part of the teaching procedure.
- Confusing a structured trial with naturalistic teaching when the opportunity is initiated by the learner's current motivation.
Practice Questions#
The table below reports the actual task tags used on this page and keeps them separate from official scored-exam weights.
| Practice focus | Items on this page | Task tags used | Official scored-exam reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| C.3 structured teaching trials | 5 | C.3 | Domain C has 19 scored questions (25%) out of 75 scored questions, per the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.) and RBT Handbook. |
These original questions test C.3 implementation without using BACB exam content.
1. At a table, Mei places three cards, says "touch bus," waits for a response, gives the listed result, and marks the trial. Which sequence is most complete?
A Correct. The sequence includes the cue, learner response, planned consequence, and data mark.
B Choice and break can appear in programs, but the sequence omits the response opportunity.
C Timer and interval terms fit measurement procedures more than a teaching trial sequence.
D Survey and trend terms fit assessment or graph review, not running a teaching opportunity.
2. A teaching sheet says to wait three seconds after the cue. Omar answers after a model prompt. How should the response be scored?
A Independent correct would require the target response without the model prompt.
B Correct. A correct response after the model prompt is prompted, not independent.
C A no-response score would fit no answer inside the response window, not a prompted answer.
D Maintenance probe describes checking a learned skill, not the score for this trial.
3. Nia gives the cue, the learner points to the wrong picture, and the sheet says to model the answer and retry. What should happen next?
A Scoring independent would misrepresent an incorrect response.
B Changing the target would redesign the teaching procedure.
C Correct. The written correction step follows the incorrect response.
D Ending all trials is not the listed next step in the scenario.
4. During picture practice, the RBT asks for one label, records the response, and gives the planned consequence before resetting materials. What role does the consequence serve?
A A consequence does not start a phase by itself.
B A consequence does not replace recording the trial data.
C A consequence does not change the teaching target.
D Correct. In the trial, the consequence is what follows the learner's response.
5. During a table program, Leah gives the cue, the learner answers correctly, and Leah delivers the listed token. What should Leah do before she resets for the next trial?
A Correct. After the consequence, the RBT records what happened before the next trial.
B Raising the target count would change the teaching criterion.
C Swapping teaching mode would change the instructional format.
D Adding a longer wait would change the response window.
FAQ
What does DTT stand for in ABA?
DTT stands for discrete trial training. Discrete trial teaching is the same study idea: a structured teaching opportunity with a clear cue, response, consequence, and data mark.
What is a discrete trial?
A discrete trial is one separated teaching opportunity. It has a beginning, a response opportunity, a result after the response, and a score before the next opportunity begins.
What is a consequence in discrete trial instruction?
A consequence is what follows the learner's response in the teaching procedure. It may be reinforcement, feedback, or an error-correction step, depending on the written program and what the learner did.
Is DTT the same as naturalistic teaching?
No. DTT is structured and separated into short trials, while naturalistic teaching embeds instruction in ongoing activities and current motivation. Both are Behavior Acquisition topics, but C.3 and C.4 name different implementation tasks.
Is every prompt in DTT errorless teaching?
No. Prompts can appear in many structured trials. Errorless teaching specifically arranges prompts to reduce errors, so the scenario must show that prompt strategy rather than merely showing a prompted trial.
Sources
- RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.), updated 09/2024, overview, Domain C allocation, and C.3 task statement.
- RBT Handbook, updated 06/2026, examination item context.