QUICK ANSWER
The lowest State category averages in this historical report were Contracts, 62.02%, and Agency and Brokerage, 62.32%. On National, Math averaged 65.71% and Real Estate Practice 66.14%. These percentages measure category performance, not the share passing each topic. Start there if you need a baseline, then let your own missed questions guide the next session.
EXAM PREP ONLY
This guide helps Sales Agent candidates review exam topics. It does not replace qualifying education or report current exam-wide pass rates. The six examples are original practice scenarios, not official or recalled exam questions.
Use the two tables to compare topic performance and scored weight, the six worked examples to test common distinctions, and the miss-log method to choose your next study block. TREC does not publish the individual questions candidates missed or explain their wrong answers in this report.
About the data: These are historical January and February 2026 first-time Sales Agent results, rechecked November 2, 2026. They are not a live November pass-rate update. The National and State totals are not a matched group for calculating a combined pass rate. Page 2 uses the State outline effective January 1, 2026. Check TREC's report selector for other periods; this review does not establish which report is newest.
Which Texas State topics had the lowest averages?
Contracts averaged 62.02%, closely followed by Agency and Brokerage at 62.32%. Standards of Conduct was next at 67.70%. Together these three areas account for 29 of the 40 scored State questions, or 72.5% of the State allocation.
| State area (2026 outline) | Scored items | TREC category average | Practice this area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contracts | 9 | 62.02% | Texas contracts and forms questions |
| Agency and Brokerage | 11 | 62.32% | Texas agency and brokerage questions |
| Standards of Conduct | 9 | 67.70% | Standards of conduct questions |
| Commission Duties and Powers | 3 | 67.85% | Commission duties questions |
| Special Topics | 5 | 75.95% | Texas special topics questions |
| Licensing | 3 | 90.72% | Texas licensing questions |
Agency and Brokerage has 11 scored questions, the largest State allocation. Contracts and Standards of Conduct each have 9. Those weights make the three areas sensible diagnostic priorities, but you still need to cover Commission Duties, Licensing and Special Topics.
For this State table, the report lists 815 first-time candidates tested. The category denominator is the scored-item count in the second column: for Contracts, 9 items. TREC's published category average describes mean performance on those items. 62.02% does not mean 62.02% of candidates passed Contracts. The exam has a passing standard for each portion, not a separate pass requirement for each topic.
Which National topics had the lowest averages?
Math averaged 65.71%, followed by Real Estate Practice at 66.14%. Ownership and Title and Financing and Settlement were the next two lowest categories in this report.
| National area | Scored items | TREC category average | Practice this area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Estate Math Calculations | 7 | 65.71% | Real estate math questions |
| Real Estate Practice | 10 | 66.14% | Real estate practice questions |
| Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title | 9 | 69.23% | Ownership and title questions |
| Financing and Settlement | 7 | 69.82% | Financing and settlement questions |
| Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use | 11 | 71.76% | Property characteristics questions |
| Property Value and Appraisal | 11 | 74.93% | Value and appraisal questions |
| Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues | 9 | 74.99% | Disclosure and environmental questions |
| Real Estate Contracts and Agency | 16 | 81.03% | National contracts and agency questions |
This National table comes from 810 first-time candidates tested. Each percentage describes performance within that category, using its scored-item allocation. National Contracts and Agency carries 16 scored questions and had the highest category average in this report. Math carries 7 and had the lowest. A topic's size and its observed performance tell you different things. Use both when deciding where to spend your time.
The National outline includes knowledge, application and analysis questions. Math's 7 scored items are allocated to 4 application and 3 analysis items, so practice choosing the calculation as well as remembering its formula.
How to read Texas real estate exam pass rates correctly
The same report shows 66% of 810 first-time National candidates passed and 49% of 815 first-time State candidates passed in January and February 2026. These are portion pass rates, separate from the category averages above.
| Measure | What it describes | What it cannot tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Topic category average | Average performance within a category for the report period | The percentage who passed that topic, an individual question's miss rate, or your likely score |
| First-time portion pass rate | The share passing National or State in that reporting period | A combined first-attempt pass rate for both portions |
| TREC provider passage rate | First-attempt success for candidates attributed to qualifying education providers over a rolling two-year window | An exam-prep app's success rate or the current quarter's topic difficulty |
National and State have different tested counts here. Do not average 66% and 49%, or multiply them, to claim a combined pass rate. The report does not supply the matched candidate outcomes needed to calculate that result.
TREC's provider table counts a passing candidate only when both portions are passed on the first attempt. Its Sales Agent rate also differs from its Overall rate, which combines Sales Agent and Broker results. Check the period, candidate group, tested count and definition before comparing any provider's claim. See TREC's explanation of provider passage rates.
For your own preparation, the passing standards are separate: 56 of 80 scored National questions and 28 of 40 scored State questions. A high National practice score cannot make up for a low State score. The exam difficulty guide explains what these numbers mean for preparation.
Six practice examples that reveal useful study gaps
These are original teaching examples, not official or recalled Pearson VUE questions. They target concepts in the current Sales Agent outline. Their selection is editorial guidance, not evidence that TREC measured these particular mistakes.
1. Agency: IABS versus a buyer representation agreement
Question: A buyer receives the Information About Brokerage Services notice. The buyer's broker will represent the buyer in purchasing a home. Is delivering IABS enough to satisfy the written buyer agreement requirement before showing the home?
Answer: No. IABS explains brokerage services; it does not establish the buyer representation agreement. Under Occupations Code §1101.563, a broker representing a prospective buyer in a residential purchase must enter into a written agreement before showing residential property, or before presenting an offer if no property is shown.
The trap is treating every brokerage document as interchangeable. Also distinguish a representation agreement from a showing-only agreement without representation: the latter must be nonexclusive and cannot exceed 14 days. Those limits do not apply to every buyer representation agreement. Review Texas agency questions with §§1101.558 and 1101.563.
2. Conduct: who handles trust money?
Question: A sales agent receives money belonging to a client. May the agent keep it in a personal account until the broker returns?
Answer: No. The agent must immediately deliver trust money to the sponsoring broker and cannot maintain a trust account. A broker must deposit the money in a trust account or deliver it to an authorized escrow agent. The default deadline is the close of business of the second working day after receipt, unless the principals agree in writing to a different deadline.
Identify whose action the question asks about. The broker's deposit rule does not give the sales agent two working days to hold the money. Study Standards of Conduct questions and TREC Rule §535.146.
3. Contracts: an option deadline that falls on Sunday
Question: In a hypothetical transaction using TREC's One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), the agreed option period ends Sunday. Does the buyer's unrestricted termination deadline automatically move to Monday?
Answer: No. Paragraph 5B of form 20-19 sets that deadline at 5 p.m., local time where the property is located, on the last day of the option period. The weekend and holiday extension in paragraph 5A concerns delivery of earnest money and the option fee. It does not extend the option termination deadline.
Write down the action before choosing a deadline: delivering money and giving termination notice are different actions. Use the current resale contract, effective July 1, 2026, and Texas contracts and forms questions.
4. Math and finance: the correct base for discount points
Question: A home costs $300,000. The buyer borrows $240,000 and pays two discount points. What is the cost of the points?
Answer: $4,800. One point is 1% of the loan amount. Calculate $240,000 × 0.02, not $300,000 × 0.02. The $6,000 distractor uses the purchase price.
The math is short; choosing the base is the skill. Label sale price, loan amount and down payment before calculating. Continue with the math cheat sheet, math drill and financing questions.
5. Ownership: one lien can have two classifications
Question: An owner voluntarily gives a lender a lien on one property to secure a loan. Is the lien voluntary or specific?
Answer: Both. Voluntary describes how it was created. Specific describes which property it affects. The classifications answer different questions and can apply to the same lien.
Make paired definitions before attempting a scenario: voluntary versus involuntary, then general versus specific. Work through ownership and title questions, an area with 9 scored National items.
6. Appraisal and math: value from income
Question: A hypothetical property has annual net operating income of $36,000 and a capitalization rate of 8%. What value does direct capitalization indicate?
Answer: $450,000. Value = NOI ÷ capitalization rate, so $36,000 ÷ 0.08 = $450,000. Multiplying gives $2,880 and answers the wrong relationship. Dividing by 8 instead of 0.08 gives $4,500.
Check the answer by multiplying $450,000 by 0.08: it returns $36,000. Use value and appraisal questions to connect the income approach to the calculation.
Build a study plan from your own missed questions
Start with the portion you need to pass. If you have failed, use its Pearson VUE diagnostic first. The handbook says the diagnostic reports correct answers by content area, serves as a general study guide, and does not replace reviewing all areas. It does not reveal the exam questions or explain why you missed them.
For practice sessions, record enough detail to choose a correction:
| Record | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Portion and category | State, Contracts |
| Result and sample size | 6 correct out of 9 fresh practice questions |
| Concept missed | Option termination versus fee delivery |
| Reason, if you can identify it | Applied the weekend extension to the wrong action |
| Correction | Compare paragraphs 5A and 5B; write the two deadlines separately |
| Fresh retest | A different deadline scenario, with the explanation hidden |
Do not diagnose a whole category from one question. Small sets are useful for finding concepts to review, but their percentages can swing sharply. Nine practice questions also do not reproduce the difficulty or question selection of the official nine-item category.
Choose the next repair block
- Find repeated misses. Look for concepts that remain wrong after review, rather than only sorting a single small quiz by percentage.
- Consider scored weight. A persistent gap in 11-item State Agency deserves substantial attention. A repeated gap in 3-item Licensing still needs a correction.
- Identify the task. Did you forget a rule, confuse a role, choose the wrong math base, overlook NOT, or run out of time? Fix that task directly.
- Retest with fresh questions. Explain why the correct choice works and why the tempting alternative does not. Recognition of a remembered answer is weak evidence.
- Return to mixed practice. Check that the correction holds when related concepts appear together. Continue reviewing the rest of the outline.
Here is an illustrative personal practice record. These question sets do not reproduce the official category allocations or difficulty.
| Practice area | Recorded evidence | Next study block |
|---|---|---|
| State Agency and Brokerage | 9/15 correct; three misses confuse intermediary roles | Compare the parties, representation and appointments; explain a fresh scenario without notes. |
| State Contracts | 7/12 correct; two misses confuse option notice with fee delivery | Read paragraphs 5A and 5B side by side, then solve a different deadline scenario. |
| State Licensing | 8/10 correct; one miss concerns exam eligibility | Correct the eligibility rule in the miss log, then include it in mixed review. |
Agency and Contracts get the first sessions because this record shows repeated concept errors in heavily weighted State areas. Licensing still gets a correction. Fresh retests determine whether those corrections hold; the totals do not translate into guaranteed points on your next exam.
Put those repair blocks into the 30-day study calendar. It includes separate National and State checkpoints, two flex days, and room to extend the plan when gaps remain.
Use the score-report guide and its worksheet for a retake plan. If you already passed National, the passed National, failed State guide keeps your next steps focused on the failed portion.
Keep the rest of the syllabus in view
The report's stronger categories still contain scored questions. Use the official outline to check what your practice has left uncovered.
| Review area | A useful distinction to test |
|---|---|
| Commission Duties and Licensing | The Commission's authority versus a broker's responsibilities |
| Texas Special Topics | Homestead creditor protection versus property-tax exemptions |
| Real Estate Practice | A definition versus its application to brokerage agreements, fair housing or risk management |
| Property Characteristics | Real versus personal property, fixtures and legal descriptions |
| Disclosures and Environmental Issues | The hazard, disclosure duty and appropriate response |
For math, memorize 43,560 square feet per acre and 5,280 feet per mile. Pearson's outline says those conversion factors are not supplied at the test center. Proration questions specify a 360-day or 365-day basis and which party owns the closing day; use the facts given rather than assuming a local convention.
The practice questions hub connects all 14 areas. Use the timed practice exam after targeted repairs to check reading pace and performance across mixed questions. Practice results are study evidence, not a validated prediction of passing.
Practice after the review
Work on the gaps in your own results
Start with the free topic questions linked above. If you prefer short practice sessions on your phone, Pass Texas offers topic practice, flashcards and review modes. You can explore the app's free access before deciding whether paid study features suit you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most commonly missed Texas real estate exam topics?
In the historical January and February 2026 TREC sales-agent report, Contracts and Agency and Brokerage had the lowest State category averages. Math and Real Estate Practice were lowest on National. Your own repeated misses may point to different priorities.
Does TREC publish the questions candidates miss most?
No individual exam questions are published in the topic report. It gives category averages and first-time portion pass rates. The practice examples here are original teaching examples, not Pearson VUE exam items.
Is the Texas State portion harder than National?
The reported first-time State pass rate was lower than National for this historical period. That does not establish which portion is harder for every candidate or what the current pass rate is. Each portion must be passed separately.
Is 62.02% the Contracts pass rate?
No. It is the Contracts category average in this report. Category averages measure performance on questions within an area; portion pass rates measure the share of candidates who passed the whole portion.
Should I study only the lowest-performing categories?
No. Use the ranking to choose an early diagnostic, then prioritize repeated personal gaps and scored weight. Pearson VUE advises reviewing all content areas before a retake.
Can these numbers predict whether I will pass?
No. Historical group averages do not measure your readiness. Fresh practice, explanations you can produce without prompts, and separate timed results for National and State provide more useful preparation evidence, but none guarantees an exam outcome.
What should I do after failing only State?
Start with the State diagnostic categories and review the full State outline. Do not average a passing National result with State or assume your passing portion remains valid indefinitely. Use the linked retake guide to check the applicable deadlines and next steps.
Sources and Methodology
Sources and worked examples reviewed November 2, 2026. The statistics retain their January and February 2026 reporting period.
Statistics rechecked November 2, 2026. All 14 category averages, both tested counts and both portion pass rates match page 2 of the official report, labeled January and February 2026. Page 1 covers December 2025 and uses an earlier State allocation, so it is excluded. Broker rows on both pages are excluded. The tables reproduce published percentages, sorted within each portion; rounding the displayed mean scores can produce different percentages, so we do not recalculate them from those rounded means. The three leading State areas total 29/40 scored items, or 72.5%. This review does not establish that the PDF is TREC's newest report.
Pearson VUE's January 2026 content outlines supply the Sales Agent weights and math instructions. Its September 2026 candidate handbook supplies the passing standards and diagnostic guidance. The provider-rate explanation comes from TREC's provider statistics page. Agency, trust-money and option-deadline examples were checked against the statute, rule and current contract linked below.
The worked examples, miss log and study priorities are Pass Texas editorial guidance. No subtopic miss rates, prep-app pass rates or personal pass probabilities are inferred from the official data. This guide concerns the Sales Agent exam; Broker-only case studies are excluded.
Official Source Links
- TREC: Exam Topic Reports
- TREC: December 2025 through February 2026 Exam Topic Report, page 2
- TREC: Provider Exam Passage Rates and definitions
- Pearson VUE: Texas Real Estate Content Outlines, January 2026
- Pearson VUE: Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook, September 2026
- Texas Occupations Code: Chapter 1101, §§1101.558 and 1101.563
- TREC Rules: §535.146, Trust Money
- TREC: One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), form 20-19
This is exam preparation guidance for the Texas Sales Agent exam. Historical group results and practice scores do not predict an individual result. Check the linked official sources for current requirements.