Store personal items
Turn off electronics and place your phone, watch, wallet, bag, coat, books, notes, pens, and pencils in the area the administrator identifies, or return them to your vehicle.
Closed-book rules · Sales agent exam · Reviewed August 22, 2026
Is the Texas real estate exam open book?
No. The Pearson VUE licensing exam is closed book. You cannot use textbooks, personal notes, a cheat sheet, your own scratch paper, or a phone. Pearson supplies approved note-taking material, and you may bring a permitted handheld financial calculator.
Quick answer
The Texas real estate licensing exam is not open book. Pearson VUE prohibits dictionaries, books, papers, personal notes, scratch paper, and reference materials in the examination room. Phones, watches, tablets, bags, pens, and pencils are also personal items that must stay outside. After you are seated, the administrator gives you approved material for making notes. You cannot write on it until the exam begins or take it with you when you leave.
The narrow exception is a permitted handheld financial calculator. Pearson recommends bringing one, but it cannot have alpha, or letter, keys, and the test center does not provide it.
Books and notesNo
Personal references cannot enter the room.
Own scratch paperNo
Use only the material Pearson supplies.
Formula sheetNo
Memorize the two published conversions.
Financial calculatorYes
Handheld, no letter keys, bring your own.
Testing-room rules
What can you bring into the Texas real estate exam?
Think of the room as a controlled workspace. Your job is to arrive with the required identification and, if you want one, a compliant calculator. The administrator controls everything else you may use at your seat.
| Item | Allowed? | Current rule |
|---|---|---|
| Books, textbooks, and dictionaries | No | Reference materials cannot enter the examination room. |
| Personal notes or a cheat sheet | No | Prewritten notes, formula sheets, and study guides are prohibited. |
| Your own scratch paper, pen, or pencil | No | Pearson supplies the approved note-taking material after you are seated. |
| Phone, tablet, computer, or smartwatch | No | Electronic devices must be turned off and stored outside the testing room. |
| Permitted handheld financial calculator | Yes | It may use battery or solar power but cannot have alpha, or letter, keys. |
| Pearson-provided note-taking material | Yes | You may use it after the exam begins and must leave it in the testing room. |
Do not test the boundary
Pearson says candidates who violate test-center policies may be dismissed, may forfeit the examination fee, and may be reported to the state licensing agency. If an item is not clearly allowed, store it and ask the administrator before entering the room.
Scratch work without personal paper
What Pearson gives you for notes and math.
The handbook promises approved note-taking material, not a particular format. A center may control whether that material is paper or another erasable surface and which writing tool goes with it. Follow what your administrator provides that day.
Complete the security check
Expect to empty your pockets. The administrator may ask you to show your ears, roll up your sleeves, and pat down your clothing to confirm nothing is hidden.
Receive approved note material
After you are seated, the administrator provides material for notes and any other sponsor-approved items. You cannot write on it before the exam begins.
Return everything Pearson supplied
The note material cannot leave the testing room. Removing examination materials or notes can lead to dismissal and a report to the licensing agency.
Can you write a brain dump?
Yes, after the exam begins. You may write remembered formulas, conversion cues, or a short time plan on the material Pearson supplies. You cannot bring a prepared sheet or write on the supplied material before the exam starts. Keep the dump short so it saves time instead of becoming a second study session.
Build a legal five-minute brain dump →What to memorize
Do you get a formula sheet on the Texas real estate exam?
Do not expect a general formula sheet. Pearson identifies two conversions that are not available at the test center. It also tells candidates which proration facts the question will provide when those facts are needed.
43,560 square feet in one acre
Pearson says this conversion is not available at the test center.
5,280 feet in one mile
This conversion is also listed as information candidates should know.
360 or 365 days for a proration
When needed, the question states which day-count basis to use.
Who owns the day of closing
A proration question states whether the closing day belongs to the buyer or seller.
Closed-book study method
Practice retrieval, not recognition.
Reading a highlighted page can make a rule feel familiar without making it retrievable. Close the source, state the rule in your own words, solve a fresh question, then reopen the explanation only after committing to an answer.
- Learn: read one rule or formula family.
- Close: remove the book, notes, or video.
- Recall: write the rule from memory.
- Apply: answer a new scenario or calculation.
- Repair: compare, correct, and repeat later.
The allowed math tool
The calculator exception, without the guesswork.
Pearson permits a handheld financial calculator used in real estate, finance, accounting, or business. It may run on battery or solar power and may have storage, but it cannot contain alpha characters such as ABC or DEF. Mathematical labels such as cos or sin are allowed.
Allowed
A separate handheld financial calculator
- Battery-powered or solar-powered
- Designed for real estate, finance, accounting, or business
- Storage capability is acceptable
- Math symbols such as cos and sin are acceptable
Not allowed
A device with letter keys or a phone app
- No alpha, or letter, keys
- No cell phone calculator
- No smartwatch, tablet, or handheld computer
- No promise of a test-center or on-screen calculator
The closed-book rule continues
Can you check notes or your phone during a break?
No. Raise your hand to request an unscheduled break. The exam clock continues to run, you must leave the testing room, and you cannot leave the floor or building unless the administrator and exam sponsor permit it.
Ask first
Get the administrator's attention before leaving your seat.
Clock runs
Break time comes out of the time available for the exam.
No studying
Do not access a phone, exam notes, study guide, or cheat sheet.
Medication exception
Access a necessary stored item only with the administrator's permission.
Course final versus licensing exam: your prelicense provider's course exam is not the Pearson licensing exam. TREC adopted changes that removed the statewide requirement that qualifying-course exams be closed book. Follow the provider's current policy for a course final. The Pearson VUE licensing exam remains closed book under the current Texas candidate handbook.
Practice the way you will test
Take a free practice exam →Close the notes before you answer.
Use a timed practice set with feedback hidden until submission. That exposes whether the rule is retrievable without a book, video, or cheat sheet beside you.
Direct answers
Texas real estate exam open-book FAQ.
These answers apply to the Pearson VUE Texas sales agent licensing exam. Confirm the current handbook again before your appointment because test-center policies can change.
Is the Texas real estate licensing exam open book?
No. Pearson VUE prohibits books, dictionaries, papers, personal notes, and reference materials in the examination room for the Texas real estate licensing exam.
Can I bring notes or a cheat sheet to the Texas real estate exam?
No. Personal notes, study guides, formula sheets, and cheat sheets are not allowed in the testing room. Store them before entering, and do not access them during a break.
Does Pearson VUE give you scratch paper?
Pearson says the test administrator provides approved material for making notes after you are seated. You cannot write on it before the exam starts or remove it from the testing room. The handbook does not promise a specific paper, board, pen, or marker format, so use whatever the center supplies.
Can I write a brain dump when the Texas real estate exam starts?
Yes, you may write remembered formulas or reminders on the Pearson-provided note material after the exam begins. You cannot bring a prepared sheet or write on the supplied material before the exam starts.
Do you get a formula sheet on the Texas real estate exam?
No general formula sheet is promised. Pearson specifically says candidates should memorize that one acre equals 43,560 square feet and one mile equals 5,280 feet. A proration question supplies the required 360-day or 365-day basis and identifies who owns the closing day when those facts are needed.
Can you use a calculator on the Texas real estate exam?
Yes. Pearson recommends a handheld battery-powered or solar-powered financial calculator used in real estate, finance, accounting, or business. It may have storage but cannot have letter keys. The test center does not provide one.
Can I use my phone calculator?
No. Phones and other personal electronic devices are prohibited in the testing room. Bring a separate permitted handheld financial calculator.
Can I study or check notes during a break?
No. The handbook says candidates cannot access phones, exam notes, or study guides during a break unless the exam sponsor specifically permits it. For Texas real estate candidates, do not plan on studying during a break. The exam clock also keeps running.
Are the National and Texas State portions both closed book?
Yes. Pearson's testing-room rules apply to the Texas real estate examination, including the National and State portions. Neither portion permits personal books, notes, scratch paper, or reference materials.
Is my 180-hour course final the same as the licensing exam?
No. A provider's course examination and the Pearson VUE licensing examination are different tests governed by different procedures. TREC removed the statewide rule requirement that qualifying-course exams be closed book, so follow your provider's current policy for a course final. The Pearson licensing exam remains closed book under the current candidate handbook.
What happens if I bring prohibited material into the testing room?
Pearson says a candidate who violates test-center policies may be dismissed, may lose the exam fee, and may be reported to the state licensing agency. Store prohibited items before you enter the room and follow the administrator's directions.
Sources and methodology
Verified through August 22, 2026.
This page was checked against Pearson VUE's Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook, January 2026 and revised May 2026, plus the current content outlines, revision 01/2026. The National sales outline is effective March 1, 2025, and the Texas Sales Agent State Law outline is effective January 1, 2026. The course-exam distinction was checked against TREC's adopted rule update. The licensing-exam answer comes from Pearson's current testing-room rules, not candidate anecdotes.
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Candidate Handbook, January 2026, revised May 2026 ↗
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate Content Outlines, publication 094401, revision 01/2026 ↗
- Pearson VUE Texas Real Estate licensing program page ↗
- TREC rule-adoption update on qualifying-course exam policies ↗
Educational exam-prep content only. Not affiliated with or endorsed by TREC or Pearson VUE. Rules can change, so review your current confirmation and the official candidate handbook before test day.