QUICK ANSWER
To pass the Texas real estate sales agent exam you need 56 of 80 scored national items and 28 of 40 scored state items. These are raw scores set by the Texas Real Estate Commission, and each works out to about 70 percent. You must pass both portions separately. A high national score cannot offset a failing state score, and you only need to retake the portion you failed.
YOU MUST PASS BOTH PORTIONS
There is no combined or averaged score. The national portion and the Texas state portion each have their own pass line. Clear one but miss the other and you have not passed the exam yet, and you retake only the portion you did not pass. One exception: if you hold an active license in another state and passed an ARELLO-approved national exam, TREC may waive the national portion, so you take only the Texas state portion.
EXAM PREP ONLY
This guide explains the Texas sales agent exam passing standard. It is not legal or licensing advice. Cut scores are set by TREC and reported in the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook, which can change. Verify the current handbook and TREC before your test date.
The passing score question has a clean answer and one trap that fails people who think they passed. Here is both.
What is the passing score on the Texas real estate exam?
Snippet answer: You pass the Texas sales agent exam by answering 56 of the 80 scored national items correctly and 28 of the 40 scored state items correctly. Both are raw scores set by the Texas Real Estate Commission, and each is about 70 percent of the scored items.
| Portion | Scored items | Correct answers to pass | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 80 | 56 | 70% |
| Texas state | 40 | 28 | 70% |
The Pearson VUE handbook reports your result as a raw score, the number of questions you answered correctly. The 70 percent figure is just what 56 of 80 and 28 of 40 come out to. The official target is the raw count, so aim for the numbers, not a percentage in your head.
It is a raw score, not a curve
Snippet answer: Texas does not grade the real estate exam on a curve against other candidates. The passing score is a fixed raw count, 56 correct on the national portion and 28 correct on the state portion, set by TREC, and your result is reported as the number of questions you answered correctly.
Your score is not graded against how other test takers did. The cut score is fixed at 56 and 28. Pearson VUE does use a process called equating so that different versions of the exam stay comparable in difficulty, but your reported result is still the raw number of questions you answered correctly. You either reach the cut score on each portion or you do not, so the target is simple: count up to 56 and 28, with a cushion if you can build one.
Because the score is reported as a raw number, partial credit and "close enough" do not exist. Question 56 correct on the national portion passes; 55 does not.
You must pass both portions separately
Snippet answer: The national and Texas state portions are scored independently, and you must pass each one. Scoring 70 of 80 on national does not help a 24 of 40 on state. You only retake the portion you failed.
This is the trap. Candidates see one strong portion and assume they passed.
The handbook is explicit that you must pass both the state and national portions. There is no averaging. If you pass one portion and fail the other, you keep the passed portion and retake only the failed one within the rules. See what happens if you fail one portion and the retake rules and edge cases.
So treat the two portions as two separate tests that happen to share an appointment.
Why it is not "70 percent of everything on screen"
Snippet answer: The 70 percent applies to the scored items only: 80 national and 40 state. Pearson VUE adds unscored pretest items, so the number of questions on screen is higher, but pretest items do not count toward your raw score.
You will see more than 120 questions, because the national outline lists 5 pretest items and the state outline lists 10. A common mistake is to apply 70 percent to the on-screen total (about 85 national) and arrive at the wrong target. The cut score is tied to the 80 and 40 scored items, not the larger on-screen counts. For the full count breakdown, see how many questions are on the exam.
Since pretest items look identical to scored items, answer every question as if it counts.
Sales agent vs broker passing scores
Snippet answer: Sales agent candidates need 56 of 80 national and 28 of 40 state. Broker candidates need 60 national and 38 state. If you are getting a sales agent license, the 56 and 28 are your numbers.
| Exam | National to pass | State to pass |
|---|---|---|
| Sales agent | 56 | 28 |
| Broker | 60 | 38 |
The broker numbers exist because the broker exam is longer and structured differently. Do not study to the broker cut score by mistake. Your sales agent targets are 56 and 28.
CLEAR BOTH CUT SCORES
Practice to 56 and 28 with a cushion.
Pass Texas drills full national and Texas state sets so you can see whether you are clearing each cut score before test day, not after. Math Coach and Trap Library included. Native Texas exam prep. Original questions. No copied exam questions. Not affiliated with TREC or Pearson VUE. Not a pass guarantee.
What happens if you fail one portion
Snippet answer: If you fail a portion, you receive diagnostic feedback showing how many questions you answered correctly in each content area, and you retake only the failed portion. After three failed attempts of a portion, Texas requires additional qualifying education.
The score report gives you the number correct per content area on the portion you failed, which tells you exactly where to study. Use it. Then retake just that portion.
The three-attempt rule explains the extra education required after repeated failures: 30 more qualifying classroom hours per failed portion, or 60 if you fail both. If one section keeps beating you, work through how to pass the section you keep failing.
Frequently Asked Questions
For quick answers to every common Texas exam question, see the Texas real estate exam FAQ.
What is a passing score on the Texas real estate exam?
You need 56 of 80 scored national items and 28 of 40 scored state items. Both are raw scores set by the Texas Real Estate Commission, and each is about 70 percent. You must pass both portions separately.
Is the Texas real estate exam passing score 70 percent?
Effectively yes, but the official standard is a raw count, not a percentage. The cut scores are 56 correct on the national portion and 28 correct on the state portion, which happen to equal 70 percent of the 80 and 40 scored items.
Do I have to pass both the national and state portions?
Yes, for standard candidates. They are scored independently and there is no averaging. If you pass one and fail the other, you retake only the failed portion. The exception is a national-portion waiver: if you hold an active out-of-state license and passed an ARELLO-approved national exam, TREC may waive the national portion, so you take only the Texas state portion.
Does Texas curve the real estate exam?
No. The passing score is a fixed raw count set by TREC, not a curve against other test takers. You reach the cut score on each portion or you do not.
Do pretest questions affect whether I pass?
No. Pretest items are unscored and do not count toward your raw score. The 56 and 28 cut scores apply to the 80 and 40 scored items only, even though you see more questions on screen.
What score do brokers need to pass?
Broker candidates need 60 correct on the national portion and 38 on the state portion. Sales agent candidates need 56 and 28. Make sure you study to your own exam.
KNOW THE NUMBER, THEN BEAT IT
See your national and state scores before the real exam.
Run full-length Texas practice and watch whether you clear 56 and 28 on each portion. Then drill the weak side until both pass with room to spare. 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 official Pearson VUE and TREC materials on June 24, 2026. The raw passing scores come directly from the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook, which states that the passing score was set by the Texas Real Estate Commission and is reported as a raw score: salespersons need 56 correct on the national examination and 28 correct on the state examination, and brokers need 60 and 38. The handbook also states that candidates must pass both portions, that the national portion has 80 scored items and the state portion has 40 scored items, and that pretest items are unscored. It notes that a procedure known as equating is used to keep different exam forms comparable in difficulty, while the reported result remains the raw number correct. It also states that an applicant who holds an active license in another state and passed an ARELLO-approved national exam may have the national portion waived. The 70 percent figures are calculated from the raw cut scores. Cut scores and exam structure can change, so verify the current Pearson VUE handbook and TREC before your test date.
Official Source Links
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate content outlines
- TREC: Become a Real Estate Sales Agent
- TREC: Provider Exam Passage Rates
This post is educational content for Texas real estate sales agent candidates. It is not legal, tax, or licensing advice. Passing standards, item counts, and exam structure can change, so confirm the current Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook and TREC requirements before you register or test.