Texas real estate exam course: Format, passing scores, and prep

The Texas real estate sales agent exam is a two-part licensing test administered by Pearson VUE under contract with the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC). Candidates must pass both a national portion covering general real estate principles and a state portion covering Texas-specific law, all in a single four-hour session at a Pearson VUE test center. A structured real estate exam course or prep program helps you study the right content areas and practice with realistic questions before test day.

Texas real estate exam format and passing scores

The sales agent exam consists of 125 total items split across two portions, with 240 minutes (4 hours) to complete both. The national portion has 80 scored questions plus 5 pretest questions (85 total) with a 150-minute time limit. The state portion has 40 scored questions plus 10 pretest questions (50 total) with a 90-minute time limit.

According to the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook^[1] dated January 2026, salespersons must answer 56 national questions and 28 state questions correctly to pass. The score is reported as a raw score: the number of correct answers, with no scaled score.

Pretest questions are mixed in with scored questions and are not identified. Your responses to pretest questions do not affect your score.

The state portion was revised effective January 1, 2026. The scored item count increased from 30 to 40, and the passing threshold rose from 21 to 28 correct answers, keeping the 70% requirement constant. The previous format with 30 scored state items is documented by the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M^[2]. Study materials published before 2026 may still reference the old format, so verify that any practice resource reflects the current 40-scored-item structure.

Exam content areas and question breakdown

Each portion tests distinct content areas with a fixed number of scored items per topic. Pearson VUE publishes detailed content outlines as downloadable PDFs that break down every topic and its question allocation.

National portion content areas

The national portion covers eight content areas drawn from general real estate principles, with the national content outline effective March 1, 2025.

Real Estate Contracts and Agency carries the most weight at 16 scored items, making it the highest-yield area for study time.

State portion content areas

The state portion covers six content areas specific to Texas real estate law and practice, with the Texas Sales Agent state content outline effective January 1, 2026.

Agency/Brokerage, Standards of Conduct, and Contracts together account for 29 of the 40 scored state questions. These three areas should receive the bulk of your Texas-specific study time.

How to schedule your Texas real estate exam

TREC sends an email with scheduling instructions once your application and qualifying education have been reviewed. Once you receive that email, you can book your exam appointment.

The sales agent exam fee is $43 per attempt, and the broker exam fee is $39 per attempt. You pay the fee at the time of reservation by credit card, debit card, or voucher. Payment is not accepted at the test center, and fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, per the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook^[1] and the TREC fee schedule^[3].

You have one year from the date your application is filed with TREC to pass both portions of the exam, per TREC's sales agent licensing page^[4]. If you do not pass within that window, your application expires and you must reapply.

What to expect on exam day

Arrive at the test center 30 minutes before your scheduled exam time. You must present two forms of current signature identification, and your primary ID must be government-issued with a photo and signature.

The exam clock runs continuously and does not stop during unscheduled breaks. If you step away, the time continues counting against your total. Both portions are administered in a single session, and you receive your results at the test center after completing the exam.

Your score report shows a pass or fail for each portion, with the raw score listed for each. You must pass both portions to qualify for a license.

Texas real estate exam difficulty and outcomes

The Texas real estate sales agent exam has a first-time pass rate of 56.12% for the period December 1, 2023 through November 30, 2025, according to TREC's provider exam passage rates data^[5]. Of 29,980 first-attempt exams, 16,824 candidates passed both the national and state portions.

TREC counts a pass only when a candidate passes both portions on the first attempt. With a 56.12% pass rate, fewer than 6 in 10 candidates succeed on their first try.

TREC sets a Minimum Pass Rate (MPR) for approved education providers, equal to 80% of the overall pass rate. Providers that fall below the MPR face review. The MPR is calculated monthly based on the percentage of students who pass both the national and state portions on the first attempt.

Texas real estate exam study strategies

Effective real estate license exam prep means studying proportionally to the exam's content weighting and practicing with realistic questions. The heaviest-weighted topics deserve the most study time. On the national portion, Real Estate Contracts and Agency carries the most weight. On the state portion, Agency/Brokerage carries the most weight.

Use the TREC exam topic reports^[6] to identify which subjects have the lowest success rates across all candidates. If a topic shows a weak pass rate, prioritize it in your study plan.

Your 180 hours of qualifying education cover the foundational material, but the exam tests application, not just recall. Practice answering scenario-based questions rather than only memorizing definitions. For the state portion, focus on the Texas Real Estate License Act, TREC rules, and promulgated contract forms.

Practice resources for the Texas real estate exam

Practice tests help you gauge readiness and identify knowledge gaps before exam day. Several resources offer real estate exam practice questions, though options for Texas-specific practice are limited.

Official and third-party practice materials

Practice materials for the Texas real estate exam come from several sources, each with different coverage and cost.

Because the Pearson VUE real estate practice test covers only national topics, you will need additional resources for Texas-specific practice. Your pre-licensing course provider may include practice questions as part of their curriculum, and third-party study guides can cover Texas real estate law.

No-cost practice options

Yes, and they can supplement your study routine with one caveat about format accuracy.

When evaluating any free practice resource, check whether it references 40 scored state items (the current format effective January 1, 2026) or 30 scored items (the pre-2026 format). Outdated materials can still help with content review but will not accurately reflect the exam's current structure.

Complimentary prep materials

Some providers make no-cost prep materials available alongside their paid courses.

A free real estate exam course can serve as a starting point, but it should not be your only study resource. The exam tests application of concepts across both national and state topics, so the more varied your practice questions, the better prepared you will be.

Failing and retaking the Texas real estate exam

If you fail one portion, you retake only the failed portion, not both. You must wait at least 24 hours before scheduling a re-examination, and reservations cannot be made at the test center.

Candidates have three total attempts to pass both portions before the application expiration date. Under 22 Tex. Admin. Code § 535.57, a candidate who fails three times cannot retest or submit a new application until completing additional qualifying education: 30 hours for one failed portion, or 60 hours for both. After completing the education, you must submit your course completion certificates and a copy of the third failed score report to TREC at documents@trec.texas.gov. TREC takes 5-7 business days to process the submission and re-authorize you to test, per the Pearson VUE Texas real estate scheduling page^[7].

Exam scores are valid for one year from the passing date, per TREC's sales agent licensing page^[4]. If you pass one portion but fail the other, your passing score remains valid as long as you retake and pass the failed portion within one year of the original pass and before your application expiration date.

After passing the Texas real estate exam

Once you pass both portions and your background check is cleared, TREC emails your license document within 5-10 business days, per the Pearson VUE Candidate Handbook^[1]. TREC issues an inactive license, per TREC's sales agent licensing page^[4]. Your next step is finding a sponsoring broker to activate your license so you can begin practicing as a Texas sales agent.