QUICK ANSWER
Four changes matter for Texas sales agent candidates: the national content outline took effect March 1, 2025, the TREC fee schedule took effect December 15, 2025, SB 1968 added a written-agreement rule for prospective residential buyers on January 1, 2026, and a Texas state-law outline took effect the same day. The exam remains 120 scored items, 80 national and 40 state, with separate passing lines of 56 and 28.
EXAM PREP ONLY
This is a study-side roundup of changes that affect Texas sales agent candidates. It is not legal or licensing advice. Fees, outlines, and effective dates come from TREC and Pearson VUE and can change. Verify the live TREC fee schedule and the current Pearson VUE handbook and outlines before you register.
If you studied from older material or a friend's notes, the structure is familiar, but the current sources matter. Here is the change log, what each item means for your prep, and what did not change. For a claim-by-claim check, use Texas real estate exam facts.
What changed for the Texas real estate exam in 2026?
Four changes matter: the national content outline (effective March 1, 2025), the TREC fee schedule (effective December 15, 2025), SB 1968's written buyer-agreement requirement for residential buyers (effective January 1, 2026), and a new Texas state-law outline (effective January 1, 2026). The item counts and passing standard did not change.
| Change | Effective | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| New national content outline | Mar 1, 2025 | Study from the current Pearson VUE national outline, not an older one |
| TREC fee schedule update | Dec 15, 2025 | Reverify application, exam, and fingerprint fees before you pay |
| SB 1968 residential buyer-agreement rule | Jan 1, 2026 | A written agreement with a residential buyer is required before showing; expect agency questions |
| New Texas state-law outline | Jan 1, 2026 | Study from the current 6-area, 40-item state outline |
The two January 1, 2026 items are the clearest signs that older study material needs checking. The current Pearson and TREC documents control where older notes disagree.
SB 1968: written buyer agreements for residential buyers
As of January 1, 2026, SB 1968 requires a written agreement with a prospective residential buyer before a license holder shows a property or presents an offer. The agreement can even state that the license holder does not represent the buyer when the only act is showing a property. For the exam, this reinforces agency and written-agreement concepts.
This is a legal change, not just an outline revision. Section 1101.563 requires the written agreement for brokerage with a prospective residential buyer. Section 1101.562 separately defines when a broker may conduct a limited showing without representing the party.
For your prep, treat it as an agency topic rather than a headline:
- Know that the written agreement comes before a residential showing, or before presenting an offer if no property will be shown.
- Keep representation separate from a limited showing without representation. The agreement must say which relationship applies.
- Do not confuse the written buyer agreement with the IABS notice, which is a disclosure, not a representation contract.
For the full breakdown of who it covers, the required terms, and the buyer-vs-tenant trap, see SB 1968: the written buyer agreement rule.
- Keep the intermediary rules straight, since written representation feeds into how a broker can act for both sides.
The SB 1968 guide separates the two statutes and links the current TREC explanation and IABS form.
The TREC fee schedule (effective December 15, 2025)
TREC updated its fee schedule effective December 15, 2025. Plan for roughly $206 application, $43 exam, and $37 fingerprinting, about $286 in baseline costs, but verify the live schedule because these numbers can change.
Fees are the change you actually pay for, so check the current figures before you submit anything.
| Item | Approximate fee |
|---|---|
| Sales agent application | about $206 |
| Exam fee (per attempt) | $43 |
| Fingerprinting | about $37 |
| Baseline total | about $286 |
These are baseline costs and do not include your 180 hours of pre-license education. The $206 figure is the current original online sales agent application total, not just the base application charge. For the component breakdown and payees, see the TREC fee schedule guide. For the full cost picture, see how much a Texas real estate license costs.
STUDY THE CURRENT EXAM
Practice against the outlines that are live now.
Pass Texas keeps its question bank aligned to the current Texas state-law and national outlines, so you are not drilling last year's map. Topic Practice for every area, plus Math Coach and Trap Library. Native Texas exam prep. Original questions. No copied exam questions. Not affiliated with TREC or Pearson VUE. Not a pass guarantee.
The new Texas state-law outline (effective January 1, 2026)
A new Texas state-law outline took effect January 1, 2026. It still has 6 areas and 40 scored items on the sales agent exam. Study from the current outline, and ignore the Case Studies section, which is on the broker exam only.
The state portion is where outdated material does the most damage, because state law moves faster than national concepts.
- The sales agent state portion is still 6 areas and 40 scored items.
- Special Topics carries a small share of those items, so do not over-study it at the expense of agency and contracts.
- The Case Studies section belongs to the Texas broker state-law outline, not the sales agent exam. If a study guide lists it for the sales agent test, that guide is wrong.
For the area-by-area map and the full sales-agent-vs-broker breakdown, see the new Texas state-law outline. For the full structure of both portions, see the Texas real estate exam format and how many questions are on the exam.
The national content outline (effective March 1, 2025)
Pearson VUE's current national content outline took effect March 1, 2025. The national portion is still 8 areas and 80 scored items. Study from the current outline so your topic emphasis matches what is tested now.
National concepts change less often, but Pearson VUE periodically refreshes the outline, and the version in force took effect March 1, 2025. The portion is still 8 areas and 80 scored items. The practical takeaway is the same as the state change: pull the current outline and let it set your study emphasis rather than trusting older notes. For the area-by-area map and where the points are, see the new national content outline.
What did not change
The exam is still 120 scored items, 80 national and 40 state, with a 240-minute total time limit, and you still need 56 of 80 national and 28 of 40 state to pass. Both portions are still scored separately.
It is easy to read a list of changes and assume the whole exam was rebuilt. It was not.
- Still 80 scored national items and 40 scored state items, 120 total.
- Still 56 of 80 national and 28 of 40 state to pass, each portion scored on its own.
- Still 240 minutes of testing time when you take both portions in one appointment.
- The national-portion waiver for qualifying out-of-state license holders still applies.
Pearson's documents still conflict on the total number of presented items in a combined appointment. The content outlines list 5 unscored national items and 10 unscored state items, while the handbook's combined row says 125 total. Do not turn those figures into an invented 135-item official total. The stable number is 120 scored items. See the exam format guide for the full disclosure.
So the structure you study to is stable. What you must refresh is the content map, the fees, and your awareness of SB 1968.
What is not an exam change yet
TREC has announced a job task analysis and future review of qualifying education and licensing-exam content. That work may lead to later revisions, but it does not replace the current Pearson VUE content outlines. Until TREC or Pearson publishes an effective change, study the March 1, 2025 national outline and January 1, 2026 Texas state-law outline.
Related 2026 updates
Two changes you may hear about are practice and tax updates, not exam-structure changes. The NAR settlement changed compensation practice and buyer agreements, and Texas raised its homestead exemptions. Neither changes the exam's structure.
- The NAR settlement changed how buyer-agent compensation and buyer agreements work from August 2024. It is industry practice, not a TREC rule, so study the concepts it highlights rather than the settlement itself.
- The Texas homestead exemption and appraisal-cap updates raised the dollar figures, but the exam tests the concepts and the property tax math, not the amounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
For quick answers to every common Texas exam question, see the Texas real estate exam FAQ.
What is the biggest 2026 change for Texas candidates?
SB 1968, effective January 1, 2026, which requires a written agreement with a prospective residential buyer before a license holder shows a property or presents an offer. It is the one change that is new law rather than a refreshed outline, and it reinforces agency concepts you can be tested on.
Did the Texas real estate exam get harder in 2026?
No. The item counts and passing standard did not change. The exam is still 120 scored items, 80 national and 40 state, and you still need 56 of 80 and 28 of 40 to pass. The changes are to content outlines, fees, and one practice rule.
Did TREC raise its fees?
TREC updated its fee schedule effective December 15, 2025. Plan for roughly $206 application, $43 exam, and $37 fingerprinting, about $286 baseline, but confirm the live schedule because fees can change.
Is Case Studies on the Texas sales agent exam now?
No. Case Studies is a section of the Texas broker state-law outline, not the sales agent exam. If a study source lists it for the sales agent test, that source is out of date or wrong.
Do I need to restudy everything because of the new outlines?
No. Refresh your study material so it matches the current state-law and national outlines, and learn the SB 1968 written-agreement rule. The exam's structure, timing, and passing standard are unchanged.
STAY CURRENT
Walk in with 2026 material, not last year's notes.
Practice the current Texas outlines, drill the agency and written-agreement concepts SB 1968 touches, and check your readiness before test day. 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
Pearson VUE publication 094401 supplies both outline effective dates and the scored-item map. The candidate handbook supplies the passing lines and appointment timing, while the page openly reports the handbook's conflict with the outlines on total presented items. The TREC fee schedule supplies the application charges, and the enrolled SB 1968 text plus current TREC guidance supplies the written-agreement rules. TREC's future curriculum work is treated as monitoring news, not as an effective exam change.
Official Source Links
- TREC fee schedule
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate content outlines
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook
- Texas Legislature: SB 1968
- TREC: current SB 1968 practice guidance
- TREC: future curriculum and job task analysis
- TREC: Become a Real Estate Sales Agent
This post is educational content for Texas real estate sales agent candidates. It is not legal, tax, or licensing advice. Fees, content outlines, effective dates, and the scope of recent laws can change, so confirm the current TREC fee schedule, the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook and content outlines, and the text of SB 1968 before you register, pay, or test.