Special Topics accounts for 5 scored questions on the Texas State Law exam. These 20 free questions cover all 11 outline groups, from community property and homestead to tenant rights, foreclosure, associations and equitable interests. Take the quiz without signing up, or study each answer with its explanation and primary source. The sample helps you spot distinctions, not predict a passing score.
20 questions on special topics (texas), scored, each with a full explanation after you answer. Every question is also written out below if you would rather study at your own pace.
20 questions
~15 min
Texas State Law practice only
No signup is required. Use the app later if you want fresh questions, saved diagnostics, and progress across every exam area.
Study mode · Texas rules
Work through the questions at your own pace.
Choose an answer mentally, then open its explanation. Each question has a source and a point to watch. These are original practice questions, not Pearson VUE exam items or a prediction of your result.
1
Wages earned during marriage
A married buyer purchases a Texas home entirely with wages earned during the marriage. No separate-property tracing or marital-property agreement is involved. How is the home classified under the ordinary community-property rules?
A.As the earning spouse's separate property because that spouse supplied the wages.
B.As separate property if only one spouse is named on the deed.
C.As community property, not separate property merely because one spouse earned the wages.
D.As a survivorship estate automatically passing to the other spouse without further documents.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. As community property, not separate property merely because one spouse earned the wages.
Family Code 3.002 defines community property as property acquired during marriage other than separate property. Section 3.003 presumes property possessed during marriage or at dissolution to be community property; proving separate character requires clear and convincing evidence. Deed names alone do not resolve that classification.
Watch for this: Identify the source of the funds and any applicable exception. Management rights and survivorship are separate questions.
B.Both prevent a lender from enforcing any debt secured by the home.
C.Both reduce the property's market value in the appraisal district's records.
D.The tax exemption grants creditor protection only after a successful appraisal protest.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Creditor protection limits forced sale; a tax exemption reduces taxable value.
Article XVI, Section 50 limits forced sale for debts but lists permitted exceptions. Tax Code 11.13 separately exempts qualifying residence-homestead value from taxation. A tax exemption is not a discharge of debt or permission to ignore a valid mortgage.
Watch for this: The shared word 'homestead' does not make these rules interchangeable. Ask whether the question concerns a creditor or a tax calculation.
While acting as a broker, a license holder knowingly hides recurring structural movement to induce a consumer to buy a home. The consumer would not have bought it if told. Which DTPA statement fits?
A.The broker exemption protects the omission because it occurred in a licensed transaction.
B.The omission is protected professional opinion because the buyer could order an inspection.
C.The omission matters under the DTPA only if the broker owns the property personally.
D.The intentional nondisclosure falls outside the broker exemption.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. The intentional nondisclosure falls outside the broker exemption.
Section 17.46(b)(24) addresses known information withheld to induce a transaction the consumer would not otherwise enter. Section 17.49(i)(2) excludes that conduct from the broker and sales-agent exemption. Whether a claimant recovers damages still depends on the applicable claim requirements and proof.
Watch for this: The question identifies knowledge and intent. Do not assume either blanket immunity or automatic treble damages from the label 'DTPA.'
Rule: Texas Business and Commerce Code 17.46(b)(24), 17.49(i)(2)
A Texas adult with testamentary capacity signs a document intended as a will, written wholly in that person's own handwriting. No subscribing witnesses sign it. What does Section 251.052 provide?
A.The lack of two witness signatures alone makes any handwritten will invalid.
B.The wholly handwritten will does not require subscribing witnesses.
C.A notary must supply the missing witness signatures before the writer dies.
D.A deed-record filing replaces the witnesses required for this handwritten will.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. The wholly handwritten will does not require subscribing witnesses.
Section 251.052 removes the subscribing-witness requirement for a will wholly in the testator's handwriting. It does not remove the signature requirement or resolve every other validity issue. The scenario expressly supplies a signature, capacity and testamentary intent.
Watch for this: 'No witnesses required' does not mean 'no formalities required.' Do not apply this exception to a typed document merely signed by hand.
A residential tenant surrenders the premises, supplies a written forwarding address that day and has met any valid advance-notice condition. No lawful deductions or other delay issue applies. When is the security-deposit refund due?
A.Within 30 days after a replacement tenant signs a lease.
B.Within 60 days after the landlord inspects the vacant property.
C.On or before the 30th day after surrender.
D.On or before the 10th business day after the next rent due date.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. On or before the 30th day after surrender.
Section 92.103 generally requires refund on or before the 30th day after surrender. Section 92.107 requires a written forwarding address before the landlord must return the deposit or give the deduction description. Failing to supply that address does not forfeit the tenant's rights.
Watch for this: The scenario supplies the address at surrender. Do not change the trigger to relisting, inspection or a new tenant's arrival.
A debtor is in default under a deed of trust on property used as the debtor's residence. Looking only at the ordinary Texas minimums in Section 51.002(b) and (d), what is the notice sequence before a nonjudicial sale?
A.At least 20 days to cure before sale notice, then at least 21 days' sale notice.
B.At least 21 days to cure before sale notice, then at least 20 days' sale notice.
C.One 21-day notice that automatically satisfies both the cure and sale steps.
D.One 20-day notice, after which the creditor may sell on any chosen day.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. At least 20 days to cure before sale notice, then at least 21 days' sale notice.
Subsection (d) requires written default notice by certified mail with at least 20 days to cure before notice of sale. Subsection (b) separately requires at least 21 days' sale notice through its specified posting, filing and service steps. These are Texas minimums, not a complete foreclosure timetable; other applicable law and loan terms can add requirements.
Watch for this: Do not add 20 and 21 and promise a sale exactly 41 days after a missed payment. Different triggers and other requirements matter.
The seller validly executes and delivers a deed, and the buyer accepts it. The deed has not been recorded. Which statement best describes its effect under Texas recording law?
A.The deed cannot bind the seller until the county records it.
B.It can bind the parties, but lack of recording creates notice and priority risks.
C.It automatically defeats every later purchaser because delivery always controls priority.
D.The appraisal district's ownership update must occur before the buyer can hold title.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. It can bind the parties, but lack of recording creates notice and priority risks.
Section 13.001(b) makes an unrecorded instrument binding on its parties, their heirs and specified later purchasers. Subsection (a) protects qualifying creditors and subsequent purchasers for value without notice. Section 13.002 makes proper recording notice to all persons. Recording and valid deed delivery perform different jobs.
Watch for this: Do not treat 'unrecorded' as 'void between the parties,' or recording as a cure for a forged or otherwise invalid deed.
A contractor is arranging improvements to a married couple's Texas homestead. Looking specifically at Section 53.254, what must happen before the contractor furnishes materials or performs labor to support a homestead lien?
A.The contractor can start on an oral promise if a lien affidavit will be filed later.
B.The titled spouse can sign after completion if the other spouse knew about the work.
C.The contractor can replace the agreement with an unpaid invoice after work begins.
D.The contractor and owners execute the written agreement, signed by both spouses.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. The contractor and owners execute the written agreement, signed by both spouses.
Section 53.254(a)-(c) requires the written contract before materials or labor, with both spouses' signatures when the owner is married. Subsection (e) separately requires filing the contract with the county clerk where the homestead is located. Other lien requirements still apply, including the applicable constitutional conditions for improvements.
Watch for this: This tests a necessary step, not the entire lien-perfection process. Signing, filing and other notices are not interchangeable.
An eligible veteran asks whether Texas Veterans Land Board financing is simply another name for the federal VA home-loan guaranty. Which explanation is correct?
A.VLB is the federal VA guaranty administered under a Texas trade name.
B.VLB is a Texas state program, distinct from the federal VA guaranty.
C.VLB is the appraisal district's exemption that cancels mortgage principal.
D.VLB eligibility automatically guarantees approval of a loan from any lender.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. VLB is a Texas state program, distinct from the federal VA guaranty.
Natural Resources Code 161.011 identifies VLB as a state agency. The Texas General Land Office lists VLB land and home loan programs for eligible veterans and military members. Program eligibility is not automatic loan approval. Check current eligibility, rates, limits and application availability with VLB.
Watch for this: Learn the state-versus-federal distinction. Do not turn a temporary application status or advertised rate into a permanent exam rule.
A buyer finds a recorded residential-use restriction in a subdivision's governing documents. Is that restriction simply another municipal zoning ordinance?
A.Yes; a recorded subdivision restriction becomes a municipal ordinance automatically.
B.Yes; an association and a city exercise the same land-use authority.
C.No; the covenant is a private restriction, while zoning is governmental.
D.No; recording prevents any restriction from affecting a later property owner.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. No; the covenant is a private restriction, while zoning is governmental.
Property Code 202.001 defines restrictive covenants in dedicatory instruments. Municipal zoning authority comes from government, including Local Government Code 211.003. A property can be subject to both. Neither an association's documents nor a zoning permission should be assumed to erase a separate applicable restriction.
Watch for this: Identify who created the control. HOA approval alone does not establish compliance with zoning or other applicable law.
Rule: Texas Property Code 202.001; Texas Local Government Code 211.003
A buyer has an enforceable purchase contract for a Texas home but has not received the deed. Which statement best distinguishes the buyer's contract interest from legal title?
A.The buyer may have an equitable interest while legal title remains with the seller.
B.The buyer necessarily has legal title because both parties signed the purchase contract.
C.The buyer has no legally recognizable interest until the deed is recorded.
D.The buyer may occupy immediately even if the contract prohibits possession before closing.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. The buyer may have an equitable interest while legal title remains with the seller.
Texas law recognizes equitable interests arising from enforceable purchase contracts. In City of Austin v. Capitol Livestock Auction Co., the court recognized equitable title in the purchaser in possession before deed delivery. The case does not make every signed contract a deed or guarantee possession. The precise interest and remedies depend on the facts and performance.
Watch for this: Separate an equitable contract interest from legal title, and do not assume every executory agreement creates identical rights.
Rule: Texas Property Code 5.0205; City of Austin v. Capitol Livestock Auction Co., 453 S.W.2d 461, 464 (Tex. 1970)
One spouse inherits a tract of land during marriage. No later gift, partition or other change in character is involved. How is the inherited land classified?
A.As community property because the inheritance arrived after the wedding.
B.As community property unless both spouses signed the deceased person's will.
C.As equally owned property because all married owners must share title.
D.As the inheriting spouse's separate property.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. As the inheriting spouse's separate property.
Family Code 3.001(2) classifies property acquired during marriage by gift, devise or descent as separate property. The source of acquisition matters, not just its date. This answer concerns the inherited land itself, not every future payment, improvement or income issue.
Watch for this: Separate-property classification does not, by itself, answer homestead spouse-joinder or management questions.
Rule: Texas Family Code 3.001(2); Texas Family Code 5.001
A married owner holds separate title to the couple's Texas homestead and wants to sell it. No legal exception to spouse joinder applies. What does Family Code 5.001 require?
A.Only the titled spouse must join because the property is separate.
B.The non-titled spouse must join only if mortgage payments came from wages.
C.The other spouse must join in the conveyance.
D.The other spouse must first be added to the deed as an equal owner.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. The other spouse must join in the conveyance.
Section 5.001 requires the other spouse's joinder to sell, convey or encumber a homestead whether it is separate or community property, except as otherwise provided by law. The question expressly excludes those exceptions. Joinder protects homestead rights; it does not automatically reclassify ownership.
Watch for this: Do not answer a homestead conveyance question solely by reading the name on the deed.
A consumer plans a DTPA damages suit covered by Section 17.505(a). No limitations emergency or counterclaim exception applies. What notice does the statute require before filing?
A.Oral notice at least 30 days before filing, followed by a written demand at trial.
B.Written notice at least 60 days before filing, with the required complaint and amounts.
C.Written notice after filing but before the defendant first appears in court.
D.Written notice at least two years before filing, regardless of the claim's deadline.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Written notice at least 60 days before filing, with the required complaint and amounts.
The notice must reasonably detail the specific complaint and the amounts of economic damages, mental-anguish damages and expenses, including attorney's fees if any, reasonably incurred. Subsection (b) supplies exceptions when notice is impracticable to prevent limitations expiring or when the claim is a counterclaim.
Watch for this: The 60 days concern pre-suit notice. They are not the limitations period or a guarantee that the claimant will win damages.
Rule: Texas Business and Commerce Code 17.505(a)-(b)
A residential tenant is current on rent and has satisfied the repair-notice requirements for a condition materially affecting an ordinary tenant's physical health or safety. It was not tenant-caused or an insured casualty. How does Section 92.056(d) treat seven days?
A.As an absolute deadline after which every tenant may stop paying rent.
B.As a mandatory waiting period even when an emergency requires faster action.
C.As an automatic grace period before the landlord must begin any repair effort.
D.As a rebuttable presumption of a reasonable time to repair.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. As a rebuttable presumption of a reasonable time to repair.
Seven days is presumed reasonable, but the notice date, severity and nature of the condition, and reasonable availability of labor, materials and utilities can rebut that presumption. The statute also requires the relevant notice, rent-status and other predicates. It does not give unrestricted permission to withhold rent or make repairs at any cost.
Watch for this: Identify the condition and the completed notice steps. A serious hazard and a routine repair need not justify the same response time.
A competent Texas adult signs a typed will in Texas. No holographic, foreign-will or other statutory exception applies. Which witness requirement does Section 251.051 state?
A.At least two credible witnesses, each at least 14, signing in the testator's presence.
B.At least two adult witnesses, neither of whom must sign in the testator's presence.
C.One adult notary instead of subscribing witnesses whenever the testator signs.
D.At least two witnesses of any age, with later oral confirmation replacing signatures.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. At least two credible witnesses, each at least 14, signing in the testator's presence.
The statute requires two or more credible witnesses who are at least 14 years old and subscribe their names in their own handwriting in the testator's presence. It also requires the will to be written and signed as specified. A self-proving affidavit concerns proof; it should not be confused with a blanket substitute for execution formalities.
Watch for this: The Texas witness age is 14, not automatically 18. Hand-signing a typed will does not make it holographic.
A seller's net proceeds will not pay the mortgage balance. Under TREC Short Sale Addendum 45-2, what must the lienholder agree to, in addition to consenting to the sale?
A.Release the lien but retain the unpaid mortgage balance automatically in every case.
B.Accept the buyer's promise to negotiate the remaining balance after closing.
C.Accept the net proceeds in full satisfaction of the seller's mortgage liability and provide a recordable lien release.
D.Let the seller keep the mortgage lien in place until a future buyer repays the remaining debt.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Accept the net proceeds in full satisfaction of the seller's mortgage liability and provide a recordable lien release.
Paragraph A(2) requires consent, full satisfaction of the seller's mortgage liability for the net proceeds, and an executed lien release in recordable form. Paragraph C makes the contract contingent on that consent and agreement, while initial earnest money and any option fee remain payable under the contract. Paragraph I applies the addendum to each lienholder when there is more than one.
Watch for this: A lien release and release from personal liability are different. This answer describes this addendum's requirements, not every lender's usual short-sale policy.
Rule: TREC Form 45-2, Paragraphs A, C, I; TREC Rule 537.52
A subdivision POA covered by Chapter 207 receives a proper written request for resale information and verifies the requester's authority that day. Any required payment condition is satisfied. By when must it deliver the initial package?
A.By the seventh calendar day, using the deadline for every association document.
B.By the 30th day after closing, once the buyer becomes the record owner.
C.By the next annual association meeting, if the board has not met recently.
D.By the 10th business day after the request and verification conditions are met.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. By the 10th business day after the request and verification conditions are met.
Section 207.003(a) requires current restrictions, current bylaws and rules, and a resale certificate prepared no earlier than 60 days before delivery. The initial package uses the 10-business-day rule. An updated certificate has a separate seven-business-day rule under (f). Chapter 207 does not govern the condominium associations excluded by 207.002(b).
Watch for this: Identify the initial package versus an update, business versus calendar days, and the association type. One HOA deadline does not fit every request.
A person who holds a purchase-contract interest but not legal title intends to assign that interest. Before entering the assignment contract, what written disclosures does Property Code 5.0205 require?
A.Tell the potential buyer it is only a contract interest with no legal title, and tell the owner of the intended assignment.
B.Tell only the potential buyer; the property owner is entitled to notice only after the assignment closes.
C.Tell only the owner; the potential buyer can infer the missing legal title from the purchase price.
D.Tell the title company after signing; its closing documents replace both advance written disclosures.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Tell the potential buyer it is only a contract interest with no legal title, and tell the owner of the intended assignment.
The potential buyer must be told that only an option or contract interest is being sold or assigned and that the person lacks legal title. The property owner must be told of the intended option sale or assignment. Both disclosures are written and precede the assignment contract. Disclosure alone does not override a contractual restriction or resolve separate licensing requirements.
Watch for this: An interest in a contract is not ownership of the underlying property. A notice to the title company is not the statutory two-sided disclosure.
A creditor holds an ordinary unsecured consumer-debt judgment against a Texas homeowner. The property qualifies as the debtor's homestead, and no permitted homestead debt or overriding federal issue is involved. What is the Texas rule?
A.Recording any judgment automatically makes the homestead available for forced sale.
B.The homestead is protected from forced sale for that ordinary debt.
C.The exemption only delays a forced sale until the next property-tax year.
D.The creditor may force a sale if the home has more equity than the judgment amount.
Check answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. The homestead is protected from forced sale for that ordinary debt.
Article XVI, Section 50 protects the homestead against ordinary debts but permits specified exceptions, including purchase money, property taxes and qualifying improvement liens. Property Code 41.001 likewise recognizes properly fixed permitted encumbrances. Protection against forced sale does not cancel the underlying debt.
Watch for this: Do not turn strong protection into absolute immunity from every debt, or confuse it with the taxable-value exemption.
A wholly handwritten will can avoid subscribing witnesses, but still needs a signature and other validity requirements. A hand-signed typed will is not holographic.
Seven days is a rebuttable presumption of reasonable repair time, not permission to ignore emergencies or bypass the tenant's notice and remedy requirements.
The Texas residential rule supplies at least 20 days to cure before sale notice, then at least 21 days' sale notice. These are separate steps, not a complete foreclosure schedule.
TREC's Short Sale Addendum requires the lienholder's consent, acceptance of the net proceeds in full satisfaction of mortgage liability, and a recordable lien release.
An assignor without legal title must make the written disclosures to the potential buyer and property owner before entering the assignment contract. Disclosure does not override other requirements.
For the association package, count business days after the statutory request conditions are met. For the deposit refund, identify surrender and the written forwarding address. Do not borrow a deadline from another topic.
Know the scope
How this set fits the Texas State Law outline.
The official topic has 5 scored items. The counts below describe our 20-question sample, not a promise of which questions you will see. Pearson does not publish per-subtopic item counts or a cognitive mix for this State topic.
Special Topics (Texas): official groups and our sample counts
Texas subtopic
Our questions
Community Property
2
Homestead Protections and Tax Exemptions
3
Deceptive Trade Practices Act
2
Wills and Estates
2
Landlord-Tenant Issues
2
Foreclosure and Short Sales
2
Recording Statutes
1
Mechanic's and Materialman's Liens
1
Veterans Land Board
1
Home Owners Associations
2
Equitable Interest
2
A sample is not complete coverage of every possible question. See Pearson VUE's Texas Sales Agent outline, section VI. Sources beside each answer explain the underlying principle. Texas-specific rules and examples link to their own authority.
Start with the question being asked. Ownership, possession, creditor protection and property taxes are different issues, even when they concern the same home. For a deadline, identify the event that starts the clock.
These are original practice scenarios with hypothetical people and transactions, not Pearson VUE questions or reports of real cases. The cited court opinion is a real decision used to explain a legal principle. This small sample is not a calibrated prediction of passing.
Pearson assigns five scored items to this State topic without publishing a per-subtopic count or cognitive mix. Our counts are study coverage across the 11 official groups, not exam quotas or a claim to cover every Texas rule.
Choose what to study next.
Start with the lesson behind a missed question, then try another problem without notes.
How many Special Topics questions are on the Texas Sales Agent exam?
The current Sales Agent outline assigns five scored State Law items to Special Topics and lists 11 groups. Pearson does not publish how those five items are divided among the groups. Our 20-question set is a study sample, not an official exam allocation or a pass prediction.
Does property acquired during marriage always become community property?
No. Property acquired during marriage by gift, devise or descent is separate property under Family Code 3.001. Other rules govern the community presumption, tracing and marital agreements. If the property is a homestead, spouse joinder is a separate issue from whose name appears on the deed.
Is a handwritten will valid just because it has no witnesses?
No. Section 251.052 removes subscribing witnesses for a will wholly in the testator's handwriting, but that does not remove the signature requirement or the need for testamentary capacity and intent. A typed will does not become holographic because it is signed by hand.
Can the tenant automatically withhold rent after seven days without a repair?
No. Section 92.056 uses seven days as a rebuttable presumption of reasonable repair time and imposes specific prerequisites. The seriousness of the condition, notice, rent status and available labor, materials and utilities matter. The repair-and-deduct and other remedies have their own requirements.
Does being a licensed broker mean the DTPA cannot apply?
No. Section 17.49(i) provides a broker and sales-agent exemption, but excludes specified material misrepresentations, intentional nondisclosure under 17.46(b)(24), and qualifying unconscionable conduct. The facts and remaining claim requirements still matter; a violation label does not establish automatic damages.
Should I memorize today's VLB rates and application availability?
Learn the program's purpose and distinguish the Texas Veterans Land Board from the federal VA guaranty. Use the linked Texas General Land Office page for current eligibility, rates, limits and application availability. Those details can change, and meeting basic eligibility does not guarantee loan approval.
Can I continue with Pass Texas in my browser or on my phone?
Yes. Open the web app to continue in your browser, or get the mobile app for iPhone, iPad or Android. This website topic-quiz result does not transfer to the app. Selected activities are free; full access is paid. All 20 questions here remain free without an account.
Sources and review notes
Reviewed September 7, 2026 for rules effective through September 5, 2026. Each answer links to the statute, official form, program page or court opinion that supports it. Pearson supplies the syllabus, not these questions. The transactions are hypothetical; the cited Texas Supreme Court decision is real and is identified as a source, not presented as a practice scenario. Program rates and temporary application availability are not treated as permanent rules. This page is exam preparation, not advice for a transaction.
Use the source beside an answer to check the specific rule.
