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. While your application remains active, you retake only the failed portion.
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. While the application remains active, you retake only the failed portion. TREC may waive the national portion for an applicant who holds an equivalent active license in another state and passed a comparable nationally accredited or certified examination.
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?
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
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. Fifty-six correct national answers passes that portion; 55 does not.
You must pass both portions separately
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 portions, and TREC gives each passed section its own one-year validity period. While the application is active, retake only the failed portion. If the application expires, reapply before the passed result reaches one year old to keep that section. 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"
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
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
If you fail a portion, the score report shows how many questions you answered correctly in each content area on that failed portion. While the application is active, you retake only the failed portion. TREC Rule §535.57 requires additional qualifying education after a third consecutive failed examination.
The category counts identify where your result was weakest, but Pearson calls them a general study guide rather than a list of the questions you missed. Use them to choose the first repair blocks.
The three-attempt rule explains the extra education required after the triggering examination: 30 qualifying classroom hours if one part was failed or 60 hours if both parts were failed. 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 candidates without a waiver. The portions are scored independently and there is no averaging. While the application is active, you retake only the failed portion. TREC may waive National for an applicant who holds an equivalent active license in another state and passed a comparable nationally accredited or certified examination.
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
Find out if you are above the line yet.
The free readiness check asks a few questions about how you have been studying and tells you whether you look close to exam-ready or should keep drilling before you book. Use it to decide your next move toward clearing 56 on national and 28 on state. 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
The raw passing scores come from the Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook. It states that the score is the number of questions answered correctly, with sales agent candidates needing 56 national and 28 state and broker candidates needing 60 and 38. The handbook also explains pretest items, score reports, and equating. TREC Rule §535.57 controls separate passing, one-year section validity, waivers, and the consecutive-failure requirement. The 70 percent figures are direct calculations from the raw cut scores.
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
- TREC Rule §535.57: Examinations
- TREC FAQ: passed section after application expiration
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.