QUICK ANSWER
The current national, or general, content outline for the real estate sales exam took effect March 1, 2025. It divides the national portion into 8 areas totaling 80 scored items, plus 5 unscored pretest items. The largest area by far is Real Estate Contracts and Agency at 16 items, followed by two 11-item areas. The practical takeaway is simple: study from the current outline, and weight your time toward the areas that carry the most questions.
EXAM PREP ONLY
This explains the national portion of the Texas sales agent exam, which is the same general real estate content used across states. Item counts come from the Pearson VUE content outline effective March 1, 2025. Pearson keeps a tracked-changes version that marks item-count changes by subsection, but the public outline posts only the current counts, so the reliable move is to study the current outline rather than an older one. Verify the current outline before you test.
If your course used an older outline, the first thing to do is line your study up with the current one. The national portion did not change shape, it is still 8 areas and 80 scored items, but the version in force took effect March 1, 2025. Here is the current map and where the points actually are.
What is the national content outline?
Snippet answer: The national content outline is Pearson VUE's blueprint for the general, non-state portion of the real estate exam. The version effective March 1, 2025 splits the national portion into 8 areas totaling 80 scored items, with 5 additional unscored pretest items mixed in.
The national portion is the part of the exam that is the same general real estate knowledge across states. Texas adds a separate state-law portion on top. The outline tells you exactly how the 80 scored national items are distributed, so it is the most useful study document you have.
- It covers the 80-item national portion, not the 40-item Texas state portion.
- It groups the content into 8 major areas.
- It lists subtopics and the cognitive level of items within each area.
The 8 national areas and item counts
Snippet answer: The 8 areas are Real Property Characteristics (11), Forms of Ownership and Transfer (9), Property Value and Appraisal (11), Contracts and Agency (16), Real Estate Practice (10), Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues (9), Financing and Settlement (7), and Real Estate Math (7). They total 80 scored items.
This is the change table that matters: the current map of where the questions are.
| National area | Scored items |
|---|---|
| I. Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use | 11 |
| II. Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title | 9 |
| III. Property Value and Appraisal | 11 |
| IV. Real Estate Contracts and Agency | 16 |
| V. Real Estate Practice | 10 |
| VI. Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues | 9 |
| VII. Financing and Settlement | 7 |
| VIII. Real Estate Math Calculations | 7 |
| Total | 80 |
Memorize the shape of this table, not the subtopics. If you know that Contracts and Agency is the heaviest area and that two more areas carry 11 items each, you already know where to spend your time.
OLD PREP MATERIAL WARNING
If your study material still weights Real Estate Practice as the heaviest area, it is out of date. On the current outline, Contracts and Agency is the largest area at 16 items, while Real Estate Practice carries 10. Rebalance your time around the current counts above.
What actually changed for March 1, 2025
Snippet answer: The national portion is still 8 areas and 80 scored items, so the structure did not change. Two things did: the public outline now lists scored-item counts by subsection, which earlier public versions did not, and Pearson maintains a tracked-changes version that marks the item-count changes by subsection.
If you want the exact deltas, Pearson's tracked-changes version of the national outline shows the item-count changes by subsection. The public outline, the one posted for candidates, shows only the current counts, and earlier public outlines did not include these per-subsection counts at all. So unless you are working from the tracked version, the practical move is this:
- Pull the current outline, effective March 1, 2025, and let it set your study weighting.
- If a study guide or course predates it, treat the current outline as the authority where they differ.
- Do not assume an old practice test's topic mix matches the current counts.
The structure is stable, so you are refreshing your map, not relearning the exam. For the broader set of 2026 changes, see what changed for the Texas exam.
Where the points are
Snippet answer: Contracts and Agency carries the most national items at 16, then Real Property Characteristics and Property Value and Appraisal at 11 each, and Real Estate Practice at 10. Financing, Disclosures, and Math are lighter. Weight your study toward the heavy areas.
Use the counts to budget your study time instead of treating every topic equally.
- Contracts and Agency (16) is the single biggest payoff. Know contract elements, agency creation and termination, and the contract types.
- Real Property Characteristics (11) and Property Value and Appraisal (11) are close behind.
- Real Estate Practice (10) includes fair housing and risk management.
- Financing and Settlement (7) and Real Estate Math (7) are smaller, but math is where unprepared candidates lose time. Drill Texas real estate math so those 7 items are quick wins.
STUDY TO THE CURRENT OUTLINE
Practice the national areas in the right proportion.
Pass Texas maps its question bank to the current national and Texas outlines, so you practice the heavy areas like Contracts and Agency more, not every topic equally. Topic Practice for each area, plus Math Coach for the calculation items. Native Texas exam prep. Original questions. No copied exam questions. Not affiliated with TREC or Pearson VUE. Not a pass guarantee.
The three cognitive levels
Snippet answer: Every item is written at one of three cognitive levels: knowledge, application, or analysis. Knowledge items ask you to recall a fact, application items ask you to use a rule in a situation, and analysis items ask you to read a fact pattern and reach a conclusion.
The outline tags each area with how its items split across these three levels, which tells you the exam is not pure memorization.
- Knowledge: recall a definition or fact.
- Application: apply a rule to a described situation.
- Analysis: work through a fact pattern to a conclusion.
This is why rote flashcards alone fall short. Many items want you to apply or analyze, so practice with scenario questions, not just definitions. See how to study for the Texas exam for a method that builds those skills.
How this fits the Texas exam
Snippet answer: The 80-item national portion is half of the picture. Texas adds a separate 40-item state-law portion, for 120 scored items total. You must pass each portion on its own, with 56 of 80 national and 28 of 40 state.
The national outline is only the national portion. The full Texas sales agent exam pairs it with the Texas state-law outline.
- National portion: 80 scored items, the 8 areas above.
- Texas state portion: 40 scored items on Texas-specific law, covered by the Texas state-law outline.
- You need 56 of 80 national and 28 of 40 state to pass, scored separately.
For the full structure, see the Texas real estate exam format and how many questions are on the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
For quick answers to every common Texas exam question, see the Texas real estate exam FAQ.
When did the new national content outline take effect?
The current national, or general, content outline took effect March 1, 2025. It is the version Pearson VUE uses for the national portion of the real estate sales exam.
How many areas and items are on the national portion?
The national portion is 8 areas totaling 80 scored items, plus 5 unscored pretest items. The areas range from 7 to 16 scored items each.
Which national area has the most questions?
Real Estate Contracts and Agency, at 16 scored items. Property Value and Appraisal and Real Property Characteristics follow at 11 each, and Real Estate Practice has 10.
Did the national exam get harder in 2025?
The outline was refreshed effective March 1, 2025, but it is still 8 areas and 80 scored items. The public outline now lists item counts by subsection, and Pearson's tracked-changes version marks what changed, but for studying, the practical step is to use the current outline.
Is the national outline the same as the Texas state outline?
No. The national outline covers the 80-item general portion used across states. Texas adds a separate 40-item state-law outline. The full exam is 120 scored items, and you pass each portion separately.
PRACTICE THE HEAVY AREAS
Spend your time where the questions are.
Drill Contracts and Agency, valuation, and the rest of the national areas in proportion to how they are tested, then sharpen the math. Native Texas exam prep. Original questions. No copied exam questions. Not affiliated with TREC or Pearson VUE. Not a 180-hour pre-license course or a pass guarantee.
Sources and Methodology
This article was reviewed against the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate content outlines on June 24, 2026. The national, or general, salesperson content outline is effective March 1, 2025 and states that the national portion is made up of 80 scored items distributed across its content areas, plus 5 unscored pretest items. The 8 areas and their scored-item counts (Real Property Characteristics, Legal Descriptions, and Property Use, 11; Forms of Ownership, Transfer, and Recording of Title, 9; Property Value and Appraisal, 11; Real Estate Contracts and Agency, 16; Real Estate Practice, 10; Property Disclosures and Environmental Issues, 9; Financing and Settlement, 7; Real Estate Math Calculations, 7) are taken directly from that outline and total 80. The three cognitive levels, knowledge, application, and analysis, are defined in the same outline. Pearson's standalone national salesperson outline notes that a tracked-changes version includes the changes in item counts by subsection and that previous public versions did not include these item counts; the public outline posts only the current counts, so this article presents the current outline rather than reproducing unverified prior counts. Outlines can change, so verify the current Pearson VUE content outline before you test.
Official Source Links
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate content outlines
- Pearson VUE national/general salesperson content outline
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook
- TREC: Become a Real Estate Sales Agent
This post is educational content for Texas real estate sales agent candidates. It is not legal or licensing advice. Exam content outlines, item counts, and effective dates can change, so confirm the current Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate content outline before you register or test.